Chapter 11: The Crimson Path
The storm above the Broken Expanse raged with fury, a churning sky of ash and lightning that twisted like a living beast. Each bolt carved molten scars into the jagged terrain, illuminating skeletal cliffs and shattered monoliths that had once been sanctuaries to long-dead gods. Wind howled through the canyons, carrying whispers of the fallen—forgotten warriors, betrayed kings, and vengeful spirits.
Kael stood at the edge of a steep ridge, his cloak billowing violently behind him, tattered but defiant. The Arbiter's blood still stained his armor, and though his wounds had closed, a dull ache lingered in his bones. He had fought gods. Defied fate. But now, ahead of him, stretched the Crimson Path—an ancient route carved into the Expanse by the blood of those who dared to challenge the heavens.
It was the road to the Nexus Citadel.
And beyond it… the throne of the false god.
Kael began walking.
With each step, memories surged—images of her smile, of the moment her soul was torn from the world by divine decree. They had labeled her a threat. A "seed of chaos." But to Kael, she had been hope incarnate. The one bright light in a world too eager to drown in shadows.
He would carve a new future.
Even if it meant destroying the last remnants of the old one.
---
Seris was bleeding.
Her breath came in ragged bursts as she ducked behind the crumbling statue, barely avoiding a blast of holy flame. The spearwoman—Radiant Commander Lysara—was relentless, her strikes guided by celestial precision. Around her, three other Paladins moved in tandem, forming a perfect triangle of death.
Seris gritted her teeth.
Behind her, the girl—Arin—still lay unconscious, her aura flickering like a candle on the verge of extinction.
Seris couldn't afford to lose.
Not now.
She sprinted forward, blade flashing. A Paladin stepped to intercept her, but she slid beneath his guard and slashed upward, catching him under the chin. Blood sprayed, and the man dropped, his helmet rolling across the ground.
Lysara responded instantly.
A burning spear whirled toward Seris's back.
She twisted and barely deflected it with her gauntlet, but the force of the strike sent her skidding across the stone floor.
"I will end this," Lysara said coldly, raising her weapon once more.
Seris panted. "You… can't stop what's coming."
Lysara's eyes narrowed. "You think him a savior? He is ruin incarnate."
"No," Seris whispered, voice fierce. "He is retribution."
Before Lysara could move again, a pulse rippled through the ruins.
A deep vibration.
From the east.
Lysara turned her head slightly, frowning. "What—"
The wall behind her exploded.
Shards of stone and divine barriers shattered as Kael emerged from the dust cloud, his sword dripping with black fire and eyes glowing like molten amethysts.
He said nothing.
He moved.
In an instant, he was upon them.
Lysara raised her spear, but Kael struck with such speed and force that the divine weapon cracked. The other Paladins tried to surround him, but the darkness around him responded like a living beast. Tendrils erupted from the ground, snaring limbs and throats, dragging them screaming into the void.
Kael's movements were fluid. Controlled rage.
He wasn't just fighting.
He was sending a message.
Lysara screamed and lunged at him—but he caught her wrist mid-thrust, twisted it, and drove his sword through her gut. The golden spear fell from her hand, clattering onto the stone.
"I warned them," Kael said softly as she collapsed. "The gods. The Court. The whole cursed system. I told them what would happen."
Lysara coughed blood, trying to speak.
But Kael was already turning away.
He knelt beside Seris and extended a hand. "You okay?"
Seris smirked weakly. "Took your time."
"Had to clear a few realms."
She took his hand and stood, wincing. "She's still unconscious. But stable."
Kael's gaze shifted to Arin. Even in sleep, the remnants of celestial power coiled around her like broken chains. She was the key. The last soul tied to the Old World's unraveling.
Kael reached down and gently lifted her into his arms.
"We need to leave," he said. "The Crimson Path is open. The Nexus is waiting."
Seris nodded. "And what about them?"
She gestured to the surviving Paladins, some still groaning, others unconscious or crawling away.
Kael looked back at them with cold eyes.
"Let them live. Let them fear."
And with that, the trio vanished into the storm.
---
The Crimson Path was not a road—it was a trial.
They passed through lands warped by divine fallout, where time twisted like thread and memories attacked the mind like venom. Kael led them, bearing the unconscious Arin, while Seris cleared the way ahead with precise, deadly movements.
At one point, they were forced to cross a river of mirrored water—every reflection a vision of a possible future. In one, Kael saw himself kneeling before a throne of ash, his hands soaked in Arin's blood. In another, he walked alone through an empty world, the sky black, stars gone.
He said nothing.
They moved on.
By nightfall, they reached the Shattered Arch—the final gate before the Nexus.
It stood tall, cracked but not broken, carved from obsidian laced with divine silver. Runes pulsed faintly across its surface, and in the center was a carving of two intertwined serpents—one made of flame, the other of shadow.
Kael approached it, holding Arin close.
The runes flared brighter, recognizing him.
Seris stepped forward. "This is it."
Kael nodded. "Beyond this… is the throne. The Court."
"And her?"
"She'll awaken soon. And when she does, she'll remember."
Seris looked up at the stars. "Do you ever wonder… if we're doing the right thing?"
Kael didn't answer right away.
Then he said, "It doesn't matter. We have to do it. Right or wrong, someone has to break the cycle."
He reached for the gate.
But before he could touch it, Arin stirred in his arms.
Her eyes opened slowly—deep pools of silver light.
"…Kael?" she whispered, voice barely audible.
He looked down at her, face softening for a heartbeat.
"I'm here."
She stared at the gate, then at him.
"They're waiting," she said. "All of them. The Watchers. The Silent King. Even the Wyrm."
Kael's eyes hardened.
"Then let them wait a little longer."
He carried her forward.
The gate opened.
And the storm screamed louder than ever.
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