Nobody spoke.
The crimson doorway continued glowing above the mountains while every shadow within its depths remained motionless. Earlier, the fracture had felt crowded. Countless figures occupied the darkness beyond it, each carrying enough presence to terrify entire civilizations. Yet now all of them seemed insignificant. Their attention was focused on a single point hidden deep within the crimson abyss.
Ayan remained standing near the battlements, staring into the doorway. The bridge had fallen completely silent. That silence bothered him more than any warning ever could. Ever since awakening, the bridge had constantly reacted to something. Memories. Names. Places. It always responded. The sudden absence felt unnatural, like waking up one day and discovering his heartbeat had disappeared.
The figure continued watching the darkness.
Its expression had become increasingly grim.
"Can you still feel it?" Lucien asked quietly.
Ayan understood the question immediately. He focused on the bridge and waited for a response. Nothing happened. No pulse. No memory. No strange sensation hidden beneath his skin.
He slowly shook his head.
"It's gone."
The answer made the atmosphere noticeably heavier. Nearby, Aelira frowned while Lucien closed his eyes briefly. Neither looked particularly surprised. That realization alone made Ayan uncomfortable.
The giant folded his arms and stared toward the fracture. "It's not gone."
Nobody interrupted him.
The ancient being's gaze never left the darkness.
"It's hiding."
A cold feeling settled in Ayan's chest.
The explanation somehow sounded worse.
The figure seemed to agree. It released a slow breath before looking toward the giant. "I didn't think it was capable of that."
"Neither did I."
The exchange immediately captured Ayan's attention. These beings had witnessed the rise and fall of civilizations. Hearing uncertainty in their voices was becoming an increasingly bad sign.
Far beyond the silver fracture, the king remained standing beneath the great tower. The impossible city behind him glowed softly beneath the black sky while millions of citizens watched in silence. Earlier, the kingdom had felt distant from the events unfolding in the valley. That separation no longer existed. Every person present seemed connected by the same growing sense of dread.
Then something moved.
The figure noticed first.
Its eyes narrowed slightly while its posture became rigid. The giant followed a second later. Then the king. Finally, Ayan saw it too.
A silhouette had appeared within the crimson doorway.
At first, it looked ordinary.
That alone felt wrong.
The scout had been enormous. The giant towered over mountains. Even the shadows hidden within the fracture seemed impossibly vast. Compared to them, the silhouette looked almost human.
The realization immediately unsettled Ayan.
Because truly dangerous things rarely needed size.
The figure took another step forward.
Crimson light flowed around it while darkness drifted from its shoulders like smoke. The shape remained impossible to identify clearly. Every time Ayan focused on it, his vision seemed to blur slightly.
The giant's expression darkened.
The figure looked exhausted.
And for the first time since meeting him, the king appeared genuinely worried.
The newcomer continued walking.
No hurry.
No aggression.
No dramatic display of power.
It simply moved forward at a steady pace.
The shadows surrounding it lowered their heads further.
The gesture reminded Ayan of servants greeting a ruler.
The realization made his stomach tighten.
Another step.
Then another.
The crimson doorway trembled softly.
The newcomer finally reached the edge of the fracture. Crimson light illuminated its outline while darkness concealed most of its features. Ayan could make out a humanoid shape. Long dark robes. Pale hands. Nothing else.
Yet the pressure filling the valley had become overwhelming.
Even breathing felt difficult.
The figure beside the doorway closed its eyes briefly.
When it finally spoke, its voice carried a mixture of disbelief and resignation.
"You shouldn't exist."
The newcomer stopped.
For several seconds, nobody moved.
Then a faint chuckle echoed from the doorway.
The sound wasn't threatening.
That somehow made it worse.
"I've heard that many times."
The voice sounded calm.
Polite.
Reasonable.
Every instinct in Ayan's body screamed that something was wrong.
The bridge remained silent.
The newcomer slowly turned its head.
Even though Ayan couldn't clearly see its face, he knew it was looking directly at him.
The sensation was immediate.
The bridge reacted.
Not with memories.
Not with warnings.
Fear.
Pure fear.
The pulse lasted only a fraction of a second before disappearing again.
Yet it was enough.
The newcomer smiled.
Ayan couldn't see the expression clearly.
Somehow, he still knew.
The being looked toward the figure standing near the doorway and laughed softly.
"So this is where you all ran."
The valley became silent.
The giant clenched his fists.
The king's expression hardened.
And deep within the bridge, something ancient began trembling once more.