The energy backstage was electric. The pulsing of the crowd, the flashing of stage lights, the distant echoes of the opening acts—it all created a symphony of anticipation. But in the midst of it all, Ken and Aiah stood in a quiet corner, away from the chaos, soaking in the moment.

Ken exhaled slowly, rolling his shoulders. He could already hear the deafening chanting of their names from the stadium outside.

Aiah smirked, leaning against the vanity mirror, twirling a microphone in her hand. "Nervous?"

Ken chuckled, shaking his head. "Not really. More like... I don't know. This one feels different."

"Because it's our last?" Aiah asked, her tone lighter than the weight in her words.

Ken hesitated before nodding. "Yeah. Feels like we're closing a book, not just a chapter."

Aiah hummed in agreement, gazing at the reflection of their PPOP group's logo emblazoned on the jackets hanging nearby—Zone Break & Klara.

They had spent years together, training, performing, growing from rookies to global superstars. Tonight was their final performance, their farewell before they all went their separate ways. ICON in Los Angeles was more than just a concert; it was a monument to their legacy.

"After tonight, things are going to change," Aiah mused.

Ken glanced at her. "You sound like you're not ready to say goodbye."

She shot him a teasing smile. "And you sound like you are."

Ken didn't answer. The truth was—he wasn't sure how he felt. He had dreamed of this life, worked tirelessly for it, yet deep inside, something gnawed at him. Something he couldn't quite explain.

A voice over the intercom interrupted his thoughts.

"Ken & Aiah, to the stage. You're up next."

Ken and Aiah exchanged a look.

No more time for questions.

Showtime.

The deafening roar of the crowd hit them like a tidal wave the moment they stepped onto the grand stage. The stadium was packed, with over 90,000 fans screaming their names, their glow sticks painting the venue in a sea of shimmering colors. Millions more watched through live broadcasts worldwide.

The giant LED screens displayed their faces as they took their positions. Ken stood in the center, dressed in a black and silver performance outfit, his microphone in hand. Aiah mirrored him, standing across the stage, her presence equally commanding.

The intro notes of their most popular collaboration song—Eclipse—began to play, sending the crowd into a frenzy.

Ken closed his eyes, took a breath, and as the beat dropped—

He sang.

As their voices harmonized, something unusual started happening around the world.

It began subtly—a static distortion on television screens broadcasting the concert, causing brief flickers of incomprehensible symbols.

Then, in multiple cities—

Auroras appeared in skies where they never should have been.

The ocean tides shifted unnaturally, causing slight tremors along coastlines.

Birds and animals became restless, their behaviors shifting erratically.

A surge of UAP (unidentified anomalous phenomena) sightings flooded social media, as glowing orbs hovered above major cities.

Back in Los Angeles, above the concert stadium, a mysterious pillar of light suddenly descended from the sky—

A shimmering, almost divine presence, forming a halo-like glow above the venue.

The audience gasped, some pointing toward the sky in awe.

But as quickly as it came, the concert's lightshow effects kicked in, masking the strange occurrence as part of the performance. The show continued without interruption—but something had changed.

As Ken and Aiah reached the climax of the song, hitting the final high note together, a sudden flash of memory surged through their minds.

THE NIGHT BEFORE...

The streets of Los Angeles buzzed with life, neon signs glowing against the darkened sky. The air smelled of street food, gasoline, and the electric excitement of a city that never truly slept.

Ken adjusted his cap and pulled his hoodie lower over his face. Beside him, Aiah walked briskly, her long coat swaying with each step. The two of them had been out for hours, wandering through the city like ordinary people, rather than two of the biggest pop stars in the world.

Tomorrow was the final concert of their careers. ICON – The Grand Finale. The last time they would stand on stage together as members of Zone Break and Klara.

Aiah sighed, stretching her arms over her head. "I still can't believe it's ending."

Ken smirked. "You say that like we're retiring from life. It's just a break."

"Still..." She kicked a small rock on the sidewalk. "It's weird, right? We've spent years in the industry, and after tomorrow—poof. No more late-night rehearsals, no more tours, no more fans screaming our names."

Ken chuckled. "I mean, we could always do a comeback tour in ten years. Imagine us performing at forty."

Aiah burst out laughing. "Gross. Don't say that."

Ken grinned but didn't reply. In truth, he felt it too—the strange sense of finality. Tomorrow, everything changed.

They turned down a quieter street, away from the noisy main roads. The air was cooler here, tinged with the scent of old books and rain-damp pavement. It was supposed to be a casual night out, but then—things started happening.

It started subtly.

First, the phone.

While taking a selfie together under a glowing billboard, Ken's phone slipped from his hand. It should have smashed against the pavement, but instead, it landed softly, as if cushioned by an invisible force.

Aiah bent down to pick it up. "Damn, that was lucky—"

Then she froze.

The phone screen flickered, displaying strange, golden symbols for a split second before returning to normal.

Ken frowned, taking the phone from her. "What was that?"

"Some weird glitch?" Aiah suggested, but there was hesitation in her voice.

Ken stared at the screen. Everything seemed fine now, yet... something in the back of his mind whispered that it wasn't just a glitch.

Second, the street performer.

As they walked, they passed a lone guitarist sitting on a corner, strumming a slow, haunting tune. His voice was deep, almost ancient, and the song...

Neither of them understood the words, yet they knew exactly what they meant.

"Two lost souls, wandering in time— Fate binds them, unbroken, divine— At the end of the world, they will see, The truth they forgot, their destiny."

Ken stopped in his tracks. His heart pounded.

Aiah swallowed. "That's... eerie."

The musician looked straight at them, his eyes flashing gold for just a second—then he simply kept playing, as if nothing had happened.

Third, the mirror.

Inside a boutique, Ken tried on sunglasses. He turned to the side, examining his reflection—

And then it moved out of sync with him.

Just by a fraction of a second. But enough for him to notice.

Enough for him to see that his reflection smirked—

Even though he hadn't.

Ken whipped off the glasses, stepping back. His reflection was normal again.

Aiah, seeing his pale face, raised an eyebrow. "Are you okay?"

Ken hesitated. "Yeah... just thought I saw something weird."

She nudged him playfully. "Maybe you're just ugly in parallel dimensions."

He didn't laugh.

Fourth, the flickering streetlamp.

They turned onto a quieter street, where a single streetlamp ahead of them was flickering erratically.

The moment they walked beneath it, the bulb shattered, plunging them into darkness.

Aiah grabbed Ken's sleeve. "Okay, this is officially getting creepy."

Before Ken could answer—

The power in the entire block went out.

Everything around them plunged into pitch blackness.

Then, at the end of the dark street, there was light.

A small, glowing antique shop, its sign gently swaying in an unseen breeze. The soft golden light spilling from its windows was the only illumination in the entire street.

The sign above the door read: "The Timeless Relic"

Aiah blinked. "That wasn't there before... was it?"

Ken swallowed hard. "No."

Yet, something pulled them forward—not fear, not curiosity, but something deeper. Something familiar.

They pushed open the door, and a small bell chimed overhead.

The moment they stepped inside, the air felt thicker, as though time itself had slowed. The shop was cramped and cluttered, filled with old books, strange trinkets, and artifacts from different eras. The scent of aged paper and incense filled the air.

Behind the counter stood a mysterious lady—her hair long and silver, her eyes a deep shade of violet, carrying a wisdom that felt ancient and infinite.

She smiled.

"You've come at last," she said softly, as if she had been expecting them.

Ken and Aiah hesitated.

"Uh... sorry, do we know you?" Ken asked.

The woman chuckled softly. "Not in this life."

Aiah frowned. "What do you mean?"

The shopkeeper gestured toward a small wooden box on the counter.

"Fate moves forward, but the past never disappears. The two of you have walked this path before. And soon, the door will open again."

Ken felt a strange pull toward the box. Slowly, the woman lifted the lid and revealed two small trinkets resting on velvet cloth.

Ken's was a metallic ring, carved with ancient symbols he didn't recognize.

Aiah's was a crescent-shaped pendant, its surface almost pulsing with a faint glow.

"These belong to you," the shopkeeper said. "They will guide you when the time comes."

Ken reached out and picked up the ring. The moment his fingers brushed the metal, a rush of warmth spread through his body, like an old memory trying to resurface.

Aiah hesitated before taking the pendant, staring at it with an odd sense of familiarity and sadness.

"This is crazy," Ken muttered, still turning the ring between his fingers. "Why are you giving these to us?"

The woman's eyes softened.

"Because your story is far from over."

Just as the words left her lips, the shop lights flickered.

Then—

Darkness.

For a moment, Ken and Aiah felt like they were floating in nothingness. A deep, cosmic silence surrounded them.

And then, they saw—

A great village floating among the stars.

A divine figure collapsing in golden light.

A battle against shadowed figures with red, glowing eyes.

A grand door, opening into the unknown.

Ken gasped and stumbled back, the vision disappearing as suddenly as it came.

The lights flickered back on.

But the shop—

It was gone.

The street was no longer deserted. Cars passed by. Pedestrians chatted as if nothing had happened. It was as if the shop had never existed.

Ken turned to Aiah, his pulse racing.

"...Did you see that?"

Aiah clutched her pendant tightly, her expression distant.

"I don't know what it was," she whispered, "but it felt... real."

Somewhere, in the depths of the universe, fate had just begun to turn.

BACK TO PRESENT TIME...

The moment the last note faded into the air, the stadium erupted.

The roar of seventy thousand fans reverberated through the walls, their collective voices shaking the very ground beneath them. A sea of flashing lights illuminated the night sky, thousands of phones raised high, capturing the moment in history.

Ken and Aiah stood at the center of the grand ICON stage, panting from exhaustion, their hands still clasped together from their final pose.

Sweat glistened on their skin under the blinding spotlights, but neither moved.

Instead, they let the moment sink in.

This was it.

The last concert.

The end of an era.

Aiah wiped a tear from her eye, laughing breathlessly. "Damn... I told myself I wouldn't cry."

Ken grinned, squeezing her hand slightly before stepping forward toward the mic. The audience screamed louder at the simple movement, a wave of pure adoration crashing against him.

He raised his free hand to quiet them, and the deafening stadium gradually hushed.

Ken glanced at Aiah, who nodded at him, before he turned back to the crowd.

"Tonight... this was our final performance as Zone Break and Klara." His voice echoed through the massive venue.

A collective murmur rippled through the audience, a mix of disbelief and heartbreak.

"For the past eight years, you've all been our home, our reason, our everything." Ken's voice remained steady, but his chest tightened with emotion.

"We may be stepping away from the stage, but we will always be one family. No matter where life takes us, we promise—this is not the end. It's just... a new beginning."

Aiah leaned in close to the mic. "We love you all. Thank you for growing with us!"

The audience erupted again, their chants and cheers filling the night.

Confetti burst into the air, raining down like golden stardust.

Ken and Aiah took one last bow together before turning back toward the other members of their groups, standing at the edges of the stage. Their friends, their family.

One by one, they all joined hands, taking in the surreal moment as the stage lights dimmed—

And with one final, resounding burst of cheers...

The curtain closed.

Backstage, the atmosphere was different.

The thunderous applause was muffled by the thick walls, leaving only the sounds of heavy breathing and the occasional rustle of stagehands moving around.

Ken and Aiah made their way toward their dressing rooms, still buzzing from adrenaline.

"You ever get the feeling like we just survived something insane?" Aiah chuckled, running a hand through her slightly damp hair.

Ken exhaled, tugging at his sweat-drenched shirt. "Yeah. But it's not just the concert."

Aiah slowed her steps, sensing the shift in his tone.

She lowered her voice. "You're still thinking about last night, huh?"

Ken didn't answer right away. Instead, he reached into his pocket and pulled out the silver ring.

Aiah stared at it. Then, she hesitantly touched the pendant around her neck—the one from the antique shop.

Her brows furrowed. "Ken... that place. It wasn't a dream, right?"

Ken shook his head. "No."

The weight of the moment settled between them.

Aiah bit her lip. "Do you think... that lady knew something?"

Ken rolled the ring between his fingers, remembering the golden-eyed woman's parting words.

"Tomorrow, the curtain will close on one life... and open on another."

A shiver ran down his spine.

He exhaled. "I don't know, Aiah. But I have a feeling we're about to find out."

As they changed into casual clothes and prepared to leave, the rest of their friends—their fellow bandmates and closest companions—gathered in the private lounge. The energy was lively, yet Ken couldn't shake the feeling that something was off.

Outside the venue, the streets of Los Angeles were brimming with excitement from the after-party atmosphere, but above them, the sky looked... wrong.

The clouds had gathered strangely, swirling like ink in water. The air felt charged, like a storm was about to break, yet there was no forecast for rain.

Ken glanced at Aiah, who was scrolling through her phone.

"You seeing this?" she murmured.

He peered over her shoulder. Social media was already exploding.

#STRANGE LIGHTS ABOVE LA DURING ICON—UFOs?

#EARTHQUAKE NEAR PACIFIC OCEAN AFTER CONCERT—COINCIDENCE?

#CELEBRITIES' FINAL PERFORMANCE ACCOMPANIED BY COSMIC PHENOMENA??

Ken frowned. "Great. Now we're part of some conspiracy theory."

One of their friends, Stell, leaned in, laughing. "Man, this is wild. First, a concert of a lifetime, and now we're headlining alien news."

"At least it's not another dating scandal," Aiah muttered, sipping her drink.

They all laughed, but Ken's mind was elsewhere.

Through the tinted windows, the glow of the city lights flickered strangely.

And somewhere, deep in his gut—

He knew this was only the beginning.

Hours later, they were on a private plane, heading back to the Philippines.

The atmosphere was quiet now, the post-concert exhaustion finally settling in. Some of their friends had already dozed off, while others scrolled through their phones, reviewing the night's highlights.

Ken sat by the window, watching the endless stretch of clouds.

Aiah, seated beside him, yawned. "I still can't believe it's over."

Ken hummed in agreement, but his eyes remained fixed on the sky.

Something was wrong.

The stars seemed brighter. The clouds had a strange shimmer to them.

And then—

The plane shuddered violently, throwing passengers against their seats. Overhead compartments rattled, and oxygen masks dropped with an eerie hiss.

Ken gripped his armrests as his stomach lurched from the sudden drop. Across the aisle, Aiah's knuckles were white as she clutched the pendant hanging from her neck.

A cacophony of shouts and gasps filled the cabin as the aircraft pitched downward.

"Whoa!" Pablo, another friend, grabbed the armrest. "What the hell is going on?!"

The flight attendants rushed down the aisles, their professional composure barely masking the urgency in their movements.

"Everyone, please stay calm and remain in your seats!" one of them called out, though her voice was nearly drowned out by the growing panic.

The intercom crackled, and the captain's voice came through, strained but composed.

"This is your captain speaking—please remain calm. We are experiencing unexpected turbulence, but we have the situation under control."

But even as he said those words, the lights flickered, and suddenly—

Everything went dark.

A heavy silence swallowed the cabin.

For a moment, there was only the sound of labored breathing and the distant rush of wind outside the fuselage.

Then, the plane lurched again, sending a wave of nausea rolling through Ken's gut.

Through the windows, the clouds parted, revealing a surreal light show in the night sky.

Strange, glowing formations danced in the air, spiraling in patterns too precise to be natural.

Aiah turned to Ken, eyes wide. "Ken... this isn't just turbulence."

Ken barely had time to respond before the nose of the aircraft tilted downward again, the feeling of free fall making everyone scream.

Inside the Cockpit...

The dim glow of the instrument panels flickered erratically as the co-pilot fought to stabilize the descent.

"Captain, we've lost all power!"

The altimeter was dropping fast.

The captain's fingers flew across the controls. "Switching to emergency power—"

"Already tried!" the co-pilot snapped. "Nothing's responding!"

Outside the windshield, the endless ocean stretched beneath them, their descent far too steep for any normal landing.

"This is it," the co-pilot thought grimly.

Then—

A shift.

An invisible force gripped the plane, and suddenly—

It was gliding.

The rapid descent slowed, the nose of the aircraft lifting slightly as if guided by unseen hands.

"Captain!" the co-pilot gasped, pointing ahead.

Through the mist, an island emerged.

A sprawling landmass, dense with untouched wilderness, loomed beneath them—its western side revealing a vast open field, large enough for a safe landing.

The plane continued to glide, smoothly, as if carried by the wind itself.

Seconds later—

A gentle touchdown.

The aircraft rolled across the field, gradually slowing until it came to a complete halt.

For a long moment, no one spoke.

The captain's hands trembled slightly as he reached for the intercom.

"Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. We have landed safely. Please remain seated as we assess the situation and confirm if an emergency exit is necessary."

Then, he turned to the co-pilot.

"Where the hell are we?"

The co-pilot swallowed, staring at the dark treetops ahead.

"I don't know."

The cabin remained eerily silent after the captain's announcement. No one dared to move at first, the weight of the unknown pressing down on them like a heavy fog.

Ken took a deep breath, his pulse still racing from the near-death experience. Across the aisle, Pablo was gripping the seat in front of him, his face pale.

"That was not normal," he muttered, shaking his head. "Planes don't just glide on their own after losing power."

Beside him, Yna glanced at the window. The view outside was unsettling—a dense, dark jungle beyond the open field, with shadows twisting unnaturally under the moonlight.

Aiah reached for Ken's hand, her fingers cold. "I have a bad feeling about this," she whispered.

The flight attendants began moving down the aisles, checking on the passengers. A few people sobbed softly, others whispered hurried prayers under their breath.

Finally, the cockpit door swung open, and the captain stepped out, his face unreadable.

"We're on an uncharted island," he announced, his voice steady despite the clear tension in his eyes. "We've been unable to contact air traffic control or receive any signals. For now, we need to evacuate the plane in an orderly manner and set up a temporary camp while we figure out our next steps."

A murmur of unease spread through the passengers.

Ken exchanged glances with his friends—Pablo, Stell, Josh, and Justin—his fellow Zone Break members. Aiah's own group, Klara, sat a few rows behind, their expressions mirroring the same apprehension.

Justin leaned forward, lowering his voice. "Ken, tell me I'm not the only one who noticed that weird light outside before we landed."

"You're not," Ken confirmed. "And whatever this place is... I don't think it's normal."

"Yeah, no kidding," Josh muttered. "The moment we landed, my ears started ringing. Like... something's messing with my head."

"Same here," Jhoanna said, rubbing her temples. "It's like the air itself is different."

Colet frowned, looking at the passengers. "Let's just get out of here first. The last thing we need is to cause more panic."

Ken nodded, gripping Aiah's hand a little tighter. Something was watching them.

And he wasn't sure if it was human.

The emergency doors opened, and passengers carefully descended down the inflatable slides onto the soft grass below. The air outside was humid yet strangely electric, a tension hanging in the atmosphere like an unsung warning.

As Ken stepped onto the ground, his skin tingled.

Aiah shivered beside him. "Do you feel that?"

"Yeah," Ken murmured. "It's like... we're being observed."

The other members of Zone Break and Klara gathered near them as the crew began organizing passengers into small groups.

"We should stick together," Justine said, his usual lightheartedness absent. "Something about this place is off."

A low wind howled through the jungle, causing the leaves to rustle violently despite the air feeling unnervingly still.

Then—

A distant scream rang through the air.

Everyone froze.

A second later, the sound was cut off abruptly, as if swallowed by the jungle.

Ken turned sharply toward the sound. "What the hell was that?"

The lead flight attendant, Marcos, frowned and turned to the crew. "Everyone, stay where you are! We're doing a headcount!"

A tense silence followed. The captain's voice came through a small radio, speaking to one of the crew members on the other side of the plane.

Then—

"Sir... Marcos is missing."

A chill ran down Ken's spine.

"He was right here," Aiah whispered.

"He probably wandered off," one of the other passengers said, but their tone betrayed their fear.

A heavy silence fell over them.

Then—another sound.

A distant crunch, like leaves and twigs being stepped on.

This time, it was closer.

Ken's heart pounded. He exchanged a look with Aiah, who was already gripping the pendant she received from the antique store.

"We need to find shelter," the captain decided. "We don't know what's out here, and we need to regroup before we start searching."

The group moved quickly, following the flight crew toward a slightly elevated part of the land where they could get a better vantage point.

But as they walked—

Josh spun around. "Wait—where's sir Ethan?"

The group turned, scanning the area. Ethan, their Road Manager, was gone.

"Dammit!" Pablo swore, running back toward where Ethan was last seen. "Sir Ethan! Where are you?!"

Ken grabbed his shoulder. "Stop! If we keep splitting up, we'll—"

A loud rustling erupted from the trees.

The group whipped around, expecting to see Ethan.

But there was nothing there.

Just the empty jungle, eerily quiet.

Then—

Another rustling noise came from the jungle.

Before anyone could respond—

"HELP!"

A woman's scream erupted from their behind.

The group turned in time to see one of Klara's staff members, a wardrobe assistant named Mina, standing near the edge of the forest.

Her wide eyes reflected pure terror—

Then, she vanished.

One blink.

Gone.

The ground where she stood was undisturbed, no signs of a struggle.

Gasps and panicked murmurs erupted among the passengers.

"Holy shit—" Ken swore under his breath.

Aiah stared at the darkened jungle, her heart pounding.

Nightfall crept in, turning the jungle into a place of shifting shadows and unseen whispers.

The remaining passengers had huddled together near the plane, too afraid to wander far.

Ken, Aiah, and their friends, however, couldn't sit still.

"We have to find them," Mikha said, gripping her arms.

"And go where?" Stacey asked bitterly. "People are vanishing the moment we take our eyes off them!"

Aiah stared at the darkened jungle, her heart pounding.

Then—

A faint glow caught her eye.

"Look," she whispered, pointing ahead.

A few meters away, hidden behind the tall grass, was a ruined stone archway, half-buried in the earth. Beyond it, an old tunnel descended into the darkness.

Ken stepped forward cautiously, inspecting the worn carvings on the stone. Strange symbols covered the archway—ancient and unreadable, yet somehow... familiar.

Aiah touched the markings, a strange warmth flooding through her fingertips.

Ken looked at her. "Do you think this is...?"

Aiah swallowed. "I don't know, but..." She turned to the others. "I think Mina and the others might be in there."

"Or something else is," Sheena muttered, uneasy.

Gwen sighed, rubbing his face. "This is how horror movies start."

"Well, we don't have a choice," Ken said, stepping past the archway. "We have to go in."

The group hesitated for only a moment before following him inside.

The tunnel was cold and damp, the air thick with dust and the scent of old stone.

Their footsteps echoed ominously as they ventured deeper.

"This place feels... ancient," Colet murmured.

Ken's breath hitched as the tunnel suddenly opened up into a vast chamber.

Massive stone statues lined the circular room, each one carved with otherworldly precision. Their faces were solemn, unreadable, as if silently watching the intruders.

At the far end of the chamber—

A colossal doorway, covered in intricate locks and chains.

The hairs on Ken's neck stood on end.

Aiah exhaled sharply. "What... is this place?"

Stell moved closer to one of the statues, running his hand along its surface.

"This stone... it feels almost—"

A low hum vibrated through the chamber.

The air shifted.

Then—

A deep, rumbling voice echoed through the chamber.

"Who dares trespass in the sacred halls of the Forgotten Gate?"

Ken's blood turned to ice.

The statues' eyes glowed—

And the doors at the far end shuddered as if something behind them was awakening.

The ground trembled.

The statues, once frozen in silent judgment, now shifted. Stone cracked and groaned as ancient joints moved for the first time in centuries. Their glowing eyes burned like molten gold, locking onto the intruders.

Then—

A massive stone hand crashed down where they had stood just moments before.

"Move!" Pablo shouted, dragging Justin away as dust and debris exploded into the air.

The chamber erupted into chaos. The statues came alive, their monolithic forms moving with unnatural speed. Their hands swung like executioner's blades, aiming to crush the intruders.

Josh barely dodged a sweeping strike, rolling across the cold stone floor. "This isn't some kind of prank, right?!"

"Shut up and run!" Maloi shrieked, grabbing Stacey's wrist as they dashed toward the center of the room.

One by one, the other passengers—the crew, the staff, the strangers who had survived the crash—were caught in the statues' onslaught. Their screams echoed through the chamber as a blinding light engulfed them.

Then—

Silence.

Where they had stood, there was nothing left. No blood. No bodies. Just faint afterimages, dissolving into shimmering particles.

Ken's chest tightened. "They just... vanished?"

Aiah clenched her fists. "No, they were taken somewhere."

But there was no time to dwell. The statues continued their merciless attack, forcing Zone Break and Klara to react.

Colet's eyes darted across the chamber. "There has to be a way out!"

At that moment, the air shimmered.

A massive inscription ignited across the chamber walls, written in an unknown yet strangely familiar language. The words burned like fire, and yet their meaning etched itself into their minds:

"The worthy shall endure. The unworthy shall be erased."

A sudden pressure weighed on them, like an invisible force pressing down on their souls.

A test.

"Guys, we have to survive whatever this is," Stell panted.

The chamber shifted. The stone floor cracked apart, revealing an abyss below. The only remaining footholds were a series of narrow platforms suspended in midair.

A low, guttural chant rumbled through the chamber—an unseen force guiding the statues. Their attacks became more precise, as if they had learned their movements.

"Jump!" Pablo yelled as one of the platforms crumbled beneath them.

They leaped from one platform to the next, each one more unstable than the last. The statues pursued relentlessly, their massive hands reaching—grasping—missing them by mere inches.

Gwen slipped.

"Aiah!" she cried out as her foot skidded off the edge.

Aiah lunged, catching her wrist just in time. "I've got you!"

But the moment their hands touched, another pulse of light burst from the abyss below.

Gwen vanished.

"No—!" Aiah gasped, her fingers grasping at empty air.

One by one, the others began disappearing. A wrong step. A second too slow. A grasp that came too late. Each time, that same eerie light swallowed them whole.

Ken's heart pounded. This isn't death. It's something else.

Still, they had no choice but to press forward.

At last, only Ken and Aiah remained. They stood at the final platform—a lone slab of stone suspended before the great door.

The chamber fell silent. The statues halted.

Then, from the darkness beyond the abyss, a figure emerged.

A woman in flowing robes, her face partially veiled, stepped forward. Her presence was calm, almost soothing, as if she had been expecting them.

Ken's breath caught. "You—"

It was her. The woman from the antique shop.

The guardian of this place.

"You have done well," she said, her voice rich with an otherworldly resonance. "You have proven yourselves worthy."

Aiah's hands curled into fists. "What is this place? What happened to the others?"

The woman smiled—soft, knowing. "They are safe. They have simply... moved ahead."

A pause.

Then she turned toward the colossal doors, still bound by intricate chains.

"Beyond this gate lies your path home," she said. "It is the only way off this island."

The great door rumbled, as if responding to her words.

Ken hesitated. Something felt off.

But then he glanced at Aiah. Her exhaustion, her desperation. They needed to believe.

And so, with a deep breath, he stepped forward.

Aiah followed.

The woman's smile remained. But just for a moment, a flicker of something else passed over her face.

Satisfaction.

Triumph.

The chains shattered. The doors swung open.

And beyond them—

A light, brilliant and endless, swallowed both of them whole.

End of Prologue.