The ember floated above the ruins, flickering like a dying star.
Then—it pulsed.
A shockwave ripped through the air, sending dust and debris spiraling into the sky. The ground beneath them trembled as an unnatural force surged through the wreckage.
Ethan staggered back, shielding his eyes. His instincts screamed at him—run.
But it was too late.
The ember exploded into a pillar of golden fire.
And from within it—he rose.
Rebirth
Adrian was no longer human.
His body floated above the ruins, wrapped in tendrils of golden energy. His skin, once cracked and decaying, was now pristine, smooth—unnatural.
But his eyes…
They weren't just gold anymore.
They were voids of power.
Ethan clenched his fists. "You should be dead."
Adrian tilted his head, as if amused. "I was."
His voice was different. Deeper. Echoing, as if it came from everywhere and nowhere at once.
"And now? I am something greater."
A golden halo of energy flared around him, and the world itself shuddered.
Ethan's gut twisted.
This wasn't just Adrian's return.
It was his ascension.
A Fight They Can't Win
"FIRE!" Valerie shouted.
Her team unleashed hell. Bullets tore through the air, streaking toward Adrian's floating form. Explosives detonated, flames licking at his golden aura.
But he didn't flinch.
Didn't move.
The bullets? Vaporized.
The explosions? Swallowed by the golden light.
Noah's voice cracked. "That's not fair."
Adrian slowly extended his hand. The air grew heavy.
And then—he flicked his fingers.
A wave of pure force slammed into them, tossing them like rag dolls.
Ethan crashed against a collapsed pillar, pain exploding through his ribs. He gasped, struggling to stay conscious.
They couldn't win this.
Not like this.
The Escape
Blaze barked frantically, nudging at Ethan's side. Get up. Move. Now.
Ethan groaned, forcing himself onto shaky legs. Around him, the team was struggling to recover.
Valerie was bleeding. Olivia clutched her shoulder, pain in her eyes.
They weren't just losing.
They were seconds from dying.
Adrian slowly descended, his golden gaze locked onto Ethan.
"I'll offer this once, Ethan," he said, voice unnervingly calm.
"Join me. Or be erased."
Ethan's breathing was ragged. His body screamed for him to give in.
But he still had a choice.
And he'd be damned if he sided with a monster.
His fingers tightened around his last grenade.
"Go to hell."
He pulled the pin.