The Grandmaster's Reincarnation

Kael stepped forward.

The ground beneath him shifted as he approached the gate, the air growing heavier with each step. The dark energy from before still pulsed in his veins, but he had no idea what it was or why he had it.

The others didn't stop him.

Verrian watched with a hand on his sword. Kira was gripping her staff, her eyes darting between Kael and the gate like she was waiting for something to explode. Darian, for once, didn't have a snarky comment.

No one spoke.

Then—Kael crossed the threshold.

And everything changed.

A World of Ash and Chains

The moment his foot landed on the other side, his vision blurred.

A wave of dizziness hit him. The ground felt wrong beneath his feet—softer, unstable. The air was thick, not with heat, but something heavier.

Then—he saw it.

The world beyond the gate was… ruined.

Ash rained from a sky that wasn't supposed to exist. There was no sun, no moon—just a swirling, endless void above, pulsating with faint, eerie light. The land stretched endlessly, broken structures buried in the dust, and at the center—a massive chain, piercing the ground and extending into the void above.

Something was sealed here.

And it was still trying to break free.

Kael barely had time to process it before the others stepped in behind him.

Verrian's expression darkened. "This… is wrong."

Kira rubbed her arms. "I don't like this place."

Darian kicked the ground, sending a bit of ash flying. "Yeah, well, it doesn't like us either."

Seraphina remained silent, her eyes locked on the massive chain in the distance.

Kael inhaled. He felt it again—that strange familiarity. Like he had been here before.

Then—a whisper.

Soft. Ancient.

"You have returned."

Kael froze.

The others heard it too.

Kira's grip on her staff tightened. "That wasn't just me, right?"

Verrian pulled his sword halfway from its sheath. "No."

Kael turned. "Who said that?"

The whisper came again.

"You will remember soon."

And then—the ground cracked.

The Forgotten Ones Awaken

From beneath the ash, figures began to rise.

Humanoid, but wrong. Their bodies were wrapped in chains, their faces hidden beneath cracked masks. The air grew colder as they moved, their bodies twitching unnaturally.

Then—they attacked.

One lunged at Kael.

He barely reacted in time, his instincts kicking in. Shadows coiled around his arm, forming a blade just as the creature swung its clawed hand at him. Steel met steel.

The force sent him sliding back.

Verrian was already moving. His sword flashed, cutting through two of them in a single strike, but instead of falling, the creatures reformed.

Kira raised her staff—a burst of fire erupted.

It washed over the creatures—and did nothing.

Darian threw a dagger, aimed for one of their exposed joints. The moment it hit, the creature caught it.

Seraphina shot an arrow—it phased right through.

Kael clenched his jaw. Nothing was working.

The whisper came again.

"Only the marked may break the chains."

Kael's heart pounded. The marked?

He looked at his own hand—the black energy still surging through his veins.

Was it talking about him?

Another creature lunged.

Kael didn't think.

He let the energy flow.

It reacted.

Dark tendrils surged forward, wrapping around the creature's chest—and this time, it didn't resist.

The chains on its body snapped.

And the creature vanished.

Kael's eyes widened. That's it.

"The chains!" he shouted. "They're bound by the chains—break them, and they disappear!"

Verrian wasted no time. His next swing aimed for the bindings instead of the creature itself. The blade cut cleanly through, and the creature instantly dissolved into mist.

Kira followed suit, using her staff to direct bursts of force at the chains rather than the bodies.

One by one, the creatures fell.

Until the last one—stood still.

Unlike the others, this one didn't attack.

Instead, it spoke.

"You have the key."

Kael tensed. "What?"

The figure pointed at him.

"You are the harbinger. The one who locked the gate. The one who must decide."

Kael's breath caught in his throat.

Verrian turned to him. "…Kael?"

Kira frowned. "What does it mean?"

Kael's pulse pounded in his ears. Locked the gate?

The figure stepped back. "He is waking."

Then—it disappeared.

Silence.

Kael stood there, his mind racing.

Harbinger? He locked the gate?

Was that why he felt like he had been here before?

Darian crossed his arms. "So, just to recap—you apparently sealed something in here, and now we're breaking in. That seems… bad."

Seraphina's gaze was still on the massive chain in the distance.

Verrian exhaled. "We need to keep moving."

Kira hesitated, then nodded. "The answers are ahead, right?"

Kael didn't answer.

Because deep down—he already knew.

They were heading toward something far worse than they realized.

And he was at the center of it.