The **Second Major Realm** trembled.
Deep within their hidden citadel, the **Tenebris faction** gathered before the pulsating core of the rift, its swirling energies an unstable vortex of celestial and dark power. The air crackled with energy, thick with the scent of ozone and something far more sinister—**corruption**.
Lord **Targor** stood before the gathered warlords and sorcerers, his gaze locked on the churning abyss. **Lady Zhyra** knelt beside him, her fingers tracing intricate sigils into the stone floor. The ancient ritual was nearly complete.
*"We stand at the threshold of a new order,"* Targor intoned, his deep voice echoing through the chamber. *"For too long, the Celestials hoarded their power. For too long, the Martians played at being rulers of a realm they do not understand. But now..."* He extended a hand toward the rift, and the air shuddered. *"Now we reclaim what was stolen."*
A low **rumble** shook the cavernous chamber as the rift pulsed in response, **growing**, feeding on the energies of the Second Major Realm itself.
Zhyra rose, her expression unreadable. *"Merging the realms will not simply grant us power—it will **break** the very foundation of existence. Even we may not be able to control the result."*
Targor turned to her, his expression dark. *"Control is an illusion. Power is the only truth. The strong will shape what remains."*
A ripple of **dark energy** surged outward, striking the gathered warlords with raw force. Some staggered. Others reveled in the sensation, their eyes glowing with an unnatural light.
*"Prepare the sacrifices."*
Across the empire, the Tenebris agents moved in secret, abducting Martians, Celestial-born, and anyone touched by the rift's energy. Their blood would fuel the ritual. Their lives would forge the bridge between realms.
Mars was no longer just a battlefield. **It was the key.**
---
### **Arian's Realization: A Desperate Plan**
At the **Royal Citadel**, Arian studied the reports with a clenched jaw. The disappearances. The spreading rift corruption. The growing instability across Mars.
He exhaled sharply, turning to **Elysia** and **General Rokan**.
*"This is worse than we thought. The Tenebris aren't just manipulating the Second Major Realm… they're trying to fuse it with the Celestial Realm."*
Elysia's eyes widened. *"That's impossible. Even the Celestial Sovereign couldn't control such forces. If they succeed—"*
*"If they succeed,"* Arian interrupted, *"they won't just destroy Mars. They'll unmake reality itself."*
Silence fell over the war room. The weight of his words hung heavy.
General Rokan was the first to speak. *"Then we must stop them before the ritual is complete."*
Arian nodded. *"Agreed. But this isn't just a battle of strength. We need to understand the Second Major Realm itself—how it connects to Mars, how it responds to us."*
His gaze turned toward **Xaldra**, the ancient guardian beast who had begrudgingly allied with him.
*"You know more about the Second Major Realm than any of us. If we are to stop this, we need your wisdom."*
Xaldra let out a low, guttural growl. His massive form loomed over the room, his golden eyes filled with something between **caution** and **ancient pain**.
*"Foolish child,"* Xaldra rumbled. *"You seek to understand forces beyond your grasp. But… perhaps that is why the realm responds to you."*
The beast studied Arian for a long moment before finally nodding.
*"I will show you the truth."*
Arian **had no idea** what that meant.
But he knew it was their **only chance**
---
### **The Final Countdown**
The war for the realms had begun.
As Arian, Elysia, and their allies prepared for a desperate **mission to the rift**, the Tenebris accelerated their plans. The **Celestial and Second Major Realms** shuddered, the veil between them thinning.
Time was running out.
And the fate of Mars—of existence itself—hung in the balance.