The cavern stood still, breathing in silence.
The Prophetess of Ash lay unconscious, her flames extinguished. The walls no longer whispered madness—they hummed gently, like the sigh of a world long tormented, finally exhaling peace.
Kai stood at the center, the orb of balance now resting silently in his hands, its glow soft… content.
Ren lowered his blades and leaned against a cracked pillar. "She's down. And the cult?"
Hisoka emerged from the shadows, dragging behind him two bound, unconscious acolytes. "Fleeing. Scattered. Without her, their structure crumbles. They were never built to last without fire to follow."
Ayaka crouched beside the Prophetess, brushing ash from her brow. "She wasn't just corrupted. She was lost."
Kai nodded. "Like many before her."
He stepped forward, holding the orb aloft.
The runes across the walls shimmered in response, flowing into the orb like rivers of light. The cavern itself—this ancient cradle of power—was choosing him.
A deep rumble spread beneath their feet. Not danger… restoration.
Ren looked up. "What now?"
Kai turned to them, voice firm but gentle. "We return to the surface. The world won't believe what happened here—but they'll feel it. The Hollow no longer hungers. The Flame no longer enslaves. Balance has a name now."
Ayaka smiled. "And it walks among them."
As they climbed out of the ruins, light filtered down from cracks above. Not blinding, not scorching—just warm. Healing.
The war was over.
But the story… wasn't.
Because in the distance, watching from the mountains, cloaked in twilight, stood a figure none of them could see.
Eyes glowing silver. Marked by ancient runes. Holding a book that bore one name:
The Heaven-Breaker.