Kai's body broke before his will did.
He stood, bones creaking under dimensional stress, Riftlight burning in his eyes.
And then—
> [System Override: Voidwalker Domain Accepts Fracture]
[New Path Unlocked: Rift Ascendant – Phase Two]
Reality bent.
Time froze for everyone but Kai.
He walked through stopped lightning. Through grief and blood. Through everything Elias built.
And he rewrote it.
He reached the top of the throne as Elias turned in shock, watching time resume.
Kai raised his hand.
"I'm not your echo."
He struck.
> [Rift Ascendant Ability: Chrono Sever – Sever a being from the timeline across all dimensions. Cooldown: 1 per arc.]
Light consumed everything.
Elias was cast down—his throne fractured, the world around it crumbling.
But the war wasn't over.
Because something older than Elias awoke beneath the Rift.
And it knew Kai's name.