Eventually, the gathering came to an end.
One after another, the finalists prepared to leave.
The tournament that had brought together the greatest talents of an era was finally over.
Mark departed first.
Then Vladimir.
Then Sarah.
Then Maria.
The others soon followed.
Before leaving, each of them stopped beside William.
Some offered a few words.
Others merely nodded.
A few thanked him for the opportunity to exchange techniques and gain a deeper understanding of their powers.
Despite everything that had happened, the final sparring sessions had helped all of them progress.
William acknowledged them with silent nods.
Nothing more.
Eventually, only a few figures remained.
Andrew.
William.
Kate.
And the Third Elder.
The stars stretched endlessly around them.
Andrew watched the young man quietly.
He could tell William had already made another decision.
"What are you planning?" asked the old man.
William stared into the darkness ahead.
"A prison."
Andrew remained silent.
He already suspected the answer.
William slowly raised his hand.
Space began separating from the surrounding universe.
Layers upon layers of reality unfolded.
Dimensions folded inward.
Connections detached.
A completely isolated region gradually formed.
Unlike ordinary spatial dimensions, this place possessed no relation to any world.
No roads led toward it.
No laws connected it to civilization.
No one would ever stumble upon it accidentally.
The prison existed outside every meaningful path.
Andrew watched the process with visible surprise.
Even after everything William had achieved, his control continued to evolve.
The isolated region expanded until it resembled a small universe.
Then William stopped.
"Make it stable."
Andrew looked toward him.
For several seconds neither spoke.
Then the old man sighed.
A vast wave of power spread outward.
Reality stabilized.
The countless fractures disappeared.
The prison became permanent.
A place capable of enduring for unimaginable periods.
"What else?" asked Andrew.
William answered immediately.
"Remove the flow of time."
Even Andrew raised an eyebrow.
"Completely?"
"Completely."
The old man nodded.
Moments later, time ceased to exist inside the isolated dimension.
There would be no days.
No nights.
No years.
No centuries.
No way to measure duration.
Only existence.
Nothing more.
Kate's expression changed.
The Third Elder looked up sharply.
For the first time since their capture, genuine concern appeared in their eyes.
Not fear of pain.
Not fear of battle.
But fear of permanence.
William ignored them.
He continued shaping the prison.
Mountains appeared.
Endless wastelands.
Ruined cities.
Empty skies.
Shifting landscapes.
Entire environments formed and dissolved.
The dimension became a realm of endless uncertainty.
No destination.
No purpose.
No escape.
Only isolation.
Then William added the final layer.
Countless manifestations emerged throughout the prison.
Not living beings.
Not true creatures.
Merely echoes.
Reflections.
Constructs born from the prison itself.
Some represented consequences.
Others represented failure.
Others existed solely to confront the prisoners with the results of their choices.
The dimension became a mirror that never stopped reflecting.
A place where they would never find peace.
Yet never truly find destruction either.
Finally, William activated the seals.
The same seals remained attached to both prisoners.
Their existence would persist.
Their forms would recover.
Death would never provide release.
Nor would destruction.
Only continuation.
Only confinement.
Only consequences.
Kate finally spoke.
"What is this?"
William looked at him.
His expression never changed.
"A place where you can no longer harm anyone."
The Third Elder clenched his fists.
"You intend to leave us there forever?"
William remained silent.
The answer was obvious.
Andrew watched everything quietly.
For the first time since Earth, he saw a small change in William.
Not healing.
Not peace.
But acceptance.
A chapter was ending.
Even if the wounds remained.
William opened the prison.
The isolated universe revealed itself.
An endless realm disconnected from everything.
Without hesitation, he cast both prisoners inside.
They disappeared beyond the threshold.
The entrance began closing.
Kate shouted something.
The Third Elder attempted one final threat.
Neither mattered.
The prison sealed itself.
The isolated universe vanished.
No trace remained.
No path.
No coordinates.
No connection.
Nothing.
Only William knew it still existed.
Silence returned to the stars.
Andrew stood beside him.
For a long time neither spoke.
Eventually, the old man asked:
"Do you feel better?"
William stared into the endless darkness.
He thought of his father.
His mother.
Victoria.
The village.
Everything he had lost.
Then he answered honestly.
"No."
The answer carried no anger.
No hatred.
Only truth.
Andrew nodded slowly.
Because he already knew.
Some losses were too great for revenge.
Too great for punishment.
Too great for justice itself.
And beneath the endless stars, William stood alone, realizing that the hardest part of his journey was not defeating his enemies.
It was learning how to continue living after they were gone.