---
The sky above the Hollow Edge boiled with dark clouds. Lightning flashed in colors never seen by human eyes—red, violet, black. The waves below their ship rose higher than towers, crashing with unnatural force. Something ancient had awakened, and it was angry.
Chirag, Siya, and Kael stood on the deck of their ship as the wind howled around them.
"They're trying to stop us," Siya shouted over the roar. "The Primordials know you've saved the first thread!"
Kael pointed toward the sky. "Look!"
From the clouds descended a shape—huge, dark, like a god made of smoke and thunder. It had no clear face, only a wide mouth that crackled with stormlight. Eyes like burning stars opened in its head.
"I am Ruin," the creature thundered. "Born of ending. Breaker of peace. The seal weakens, and I return!"
Chirag stepped forward, the Chrono Flame around his neck glowing faintly.
"You can threaten us," he said, "but you won't win. The world won't bow to you again."
"You are a child of ash," Ruin sneered. "You carry fire, but not strength."
Chirag lifted his hand—and fire surged up his arm. Controlled. Focused.
"I carry more than strength," he said. "I carry purpose. I carry her love."
Ruin roared, unleashing a blast of wind that shattered parts of the ship's mast. Kael quickly steadied the sails while Siya raised her sword, casting a protective barrier of dark purple energy.
"We need to fight," she said. "But smartly. If we can't kill him, we distract him."
Chirag nodded. "We get through the storm. We reach the next thread."
"But how?" Kael asked, barely dodging a lightning strike.
Chirag looked down at the Chrono Flame. Elyos had said it could slow time—but only once.
Not yet, he thought. Not until we have no other choice.
He turned to Siya. "Can you guide us with your shadow spell? Make the ship slip between time?"
She hesitated, then nodded. "It's dangerous. Might tear us apart."
"But it might save us."
She touched the wheel of the ship, whispering ancient words. Darkness wrapped around the vessel like a cloak. Everything around them blurred—the storm, the sea, even Ruin's towering form.
Time slowed.
Ruin reached for them, but his hand passed through their ship like it was a ghost.
It worked.
For a moment, they moved faster than the storm.
---
But the spell couldn't last long. Cracks appeared in the air around the ship, and the illusion began to fade.
"We're breaking through!" Kael shouted. "But it's not enough—we'll still get caught!"
Chirag looked again at the Chrono Flame.
Now, he thought.
He crushed the relic in his palm. Fire burst out, wrapping the ship in golden light.
Time bent.
Everything around them froze—lightning paused mid-strike, Ruin's mouth stuck mid-roar, the sea itself holding its breath.
Chirag felt his heart beating hard as he moved through the stillness. "Let's go. We've got seconds."
Siya steered. Kael pushed the sails with wind magic. They slipped past Ruin and out of the storm's edge—then time snapped back.
BOOM!
The sky exploded behind them. Ruin's scream echoed for miles.
But they were safe. For now.
---
They sailed into calmer waters, breathing hard.
Chirag sat down, exhausted. "That… that was close."
Kael collapsed beside him. "Too close. We can't do that again."
Siya didn't speak. Her hands trembled slightly. She had pushed herself too far.
Chirag reached over and gently held her hand. "You did great."
She looked at him, her eyes soft. "So did you."
---
Later that night, as they rested on the deck under a quiet sky, Chirag pulled out the ancient map that had revealed the threads. The symbols on it glowed faintly, one of them now completely lit—the thread they'd just saved.
"The next one," Chirag said, pointing to a far corner of the map, "is in the Ashen Depths."
Siya frowned. "That place was swallowed in the last war. Nothing remains there."
Kael looked at the map. "Maybe not above the surface. But if the thread still exists…"
"Then it's below," Chirag finished.
He looked out at the horizon. "This isn't just about winning anymore. It's about outsmarting them. They'll keep coming. We have to be faster. Stronger. United."
Siya nodded. "We've made it this far because we trust each other. We can't lose that."
Kael grinned. "Besides, we've got a fire-breathing warrior, a shadow queen, and a half-crazy sword master. What could go wrong?"
Chirag chuckled. "Everything."
They all laughed, even if just a little. The danger wasn't gone. The war wasn't over. But for now, they had hope. And that was enough.
As the moon rose and silence returned, Chirag whispered to himself:
"We saved one. We'll save them all."
---