The journey to the Forge was nothing like travel.
There was no distance, no direction — only transition.
The Observer Prime guided Ethan's team through a tunnel of spiraling light. Fragments of forgotten worlds drifted past: a sun made of glass, an ocean floating in the air, a planet whose mountains sang.
> "The Forge exists where cause and effect were born," the Observer said. "It is the place where the first spark of creation met its reflection."
Kai whistled softly. "So… a god's workshop?"
> "No," the Observer replied. "All gods were built there."
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✦ Arrival
They stepped out into an endless expanse of molten color — a horizon of shifting energy that seemed to breathe. At its center floated a colossal structure: The Omniversal Forge.
It was both a machine and a living being. Its surface was covered in runes that burned brighter than galaxies, each symbol reshaping itself every few seconds.
Marcus stared in awe, his mind recording every flicker.
> "This isn't built. It's… evolving."
> "Yes," said a new voice, deep and resonant. "Because the Forge remembers."
A towering figure emerged from the light. His body shimmered like liquid metal; his eyes were forges of stars.
> "I am Hephorion, Keeper of the Omniversal Flame. Who dares enter the Forge without the calling of creation itself?"
The Observer bowed his head slightly.
> "These are the bearers of the Origin fragments. The balance depends on them."
Hephorion studied Ethan closely. "That storm in your soul… you carry more than a fragment. You carry a seed."
Ethan frowned. "Seed of what?"
> "Of the First Creator," Hephorion said softly. "The one who made even the Beyond tremble."
The air grew heavy. Lydia stepped forward. "What does that mean for us?"
> "It means," Hephorion said, "that your fates were written before fate itself existed."
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🔥 The Flame of Creation
Hephorion raised his hand, and from the heart of the Forge rose a massive sphere of white fire — the Flame of Creation.
> "Every universe is born from this light. Every death returns to it. To forge your path forward, you must let this flame burn through your limits."
One by one, the heroes stepped forward.
Ethan let the wind merge with the flame — his storm turned golden, able to tear open dimensional boundaries.
Lydia's fire intertwined with it, granting her power to ignite or heal entire worlds.
Kai became a living conduit of pure energy, his body a miniature star.
Selene gained the power to slip through realities unnoticed — a shadow between multiverses.
Marcus's consciousness split into infinite streams, allowing him to see across all timelines at once.
As the process ended, the Forge itself seemed to shudder — as if aware of what it had just created.
Hephorion's tone darkened.
> "But know this. For every power forged, a counterforce awakens."
Suddenly, the entire realm vibrated. The molten horizon cracked open.
A voice deeper than silence echoed across all existence:
> "You forge the fragments… and I collect them."
A shadow burst from the rift — blacker than void, carrying an aura so vast that even Hephorion knelt.
> "The Herald returns…" whispered the Observer. "No… worse."
The figure stepped into view — towering, radiant, and terrible.
The Ascendant Ecliptor.
Fully awakened, reborn through countless realities.
> "This Forge," he said, "will burn for me."
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