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Chapter 91 – Beneath the Shattered Sky
The wind howled through the desolate expanse, carrying with it the scent of ash and the weight of old battles. The land beneath Erevan's boots trembled, fractured by centuries of decay and forgotten histories. Ahead, the horizon stretched like a scar, endless and bleak, with only the shadows of broken spires and shattered remnants of what once was.
The Tower had thought it could erase everything, burn it all down to the ground. But Erevan knew better now. He had seen the truth in the children of Cinders, in the echoes that clung to the ruins, waiting for the right hands to reach out and rebuild what had been torn apart. And now, they had a chance—maybe the only chance—to destroy the Tower's control from the root.
Serah walked beside him, her brow furrowed as she studied the map in her hands. The path ahead was uncertain, the nodes scattered across the multiverse like fragments of a shattered mirror. But they had to find them, connect them, and use their power to push back against the Tower's reign.
"We're close," she said, her voice steady but tinged with the weight of their mission. "I can feel the resonance of the next node. It's not far."
Erevan nodded, his mind already focused on what lay ahead. The Archive was their first victory, but it was just the beginning. There were many more nodes to discover, to awaken. And with each one, they grew closer to breaking the Tower's grip on the multiverse. But they couldn't afford to waste time. The Tower was not idle. It had already begun sending reinforcements to erase their progress, to hunt them down.
"We need to move quickly," Erevan said, his voice low but determined. "We can't let them catch us off-guard."
Yuren, ever the strategist, glanced up from his tablet. "I've been tracking their movements. The Tower's forces are regrouping, but they're still too far behind. We have time."
"Time is something we can never take for granted," Erevan replied. His gaze lingered on the horizon, his eyes narrowing as the faint pulse of energy from the Starless Map flickered in his mind. "Every moment counts."
The group continued onward, their footsteps echoing in the stillness of the ruined world. Each of them carried the weight of their past—their losses, their failures, their unfulfilled promises—but none of that mattered now. They had found something worth fighting for, something worth living for. And they would fight until the last breath.
As they reached the edge of the ruined city, a series of low-frequency hums pulsed through the ground, sending a chill down Erevan's spine. He felt it in his bones—a vibration that resonated deep within the very fabric of reality. The node was near.
"There it is," Serah said, her voice a whisper as she looked toward the darkened sky. "The next node. It's hidden in the remains of the old Tower outpost."
Erevan's gaze followed her pointing finger, his heart quickening with a surge of purpose. It was a place of death—of destruction—but also of potential. The Tower had long since abandoned it, but the remnants of the old node were still alive, waiting for the right catalyst to awaken them.
"We move in," Erevan commanded. "No hesitation. We activate the node, and then we move to the next."
The rebels nodded in unison, and they began their approach. The ruins of the outpost loomed ahead, a jagged silhouette against the ashen sky. What had once been a place of control, of power, was now nothing more than a carcass—an empty shell of the Tower's ambitions. Yet even in its ruin, there was something unmistakably dangerous about it.
"Stay alert," Lira said, her hand resting on the grip of her rifle. "I don't like the look of this."
Erevan's eyes narrowed as he scanned the area. The hums were growing louder, more insistent. Something was wrong. This node wasn't just dormant—it was trying to communicate, trying to send a signal. But who—or what—was it calling to?
"We're not alone," Erevan said, his voice tense.
As if on cue, a series of figures emerged from the shadows, their forms indistinct at first, like phantoms made of dust and shattered memories. They moved with a fluidity that defied the laws of the physical world, their limbs bending at unnatural angles, their faces obscured by tattered hoods and masks.
"Chainborn," Yuren muttered, his voice tight. "But these ones are different."
Erevan's hand instinctively went to the hilt of his sword, his grip tightening. He had fought many enemies in his time—beasts, soldiers, and corrupted leaders—but the Chainborn were always different. They were not human. They were weapons, creations of the Tower's twisted designs. But these... these were something else.
"They're hybrids," Lira said, her voice laced with caution. "Spliced with something. Something not human."
Erevan's gaze sharpened as the figures drew closer, their eyes glowing faintly in the dark. The hums of the node grew more intense, almost like a heartbeat—steady, rhythmic, yet deeply unsettling.
"They're the remnants of failed experiments," Erevan said, his voice filled with a quiet fury. "The Tower's discarded creations. But they're not just mindless weapons. They have purpose."
The first of the Chainborn lunged, its movements fast and brutal. Erevan drew his sword in a blur of motion, meeting the creature's strike with a deafening clang. The force of the impact sent a shockwave through the air, but Erevan held his ground, his focus unshaken.
"They're coming from the node," Erevan said, his mind racing. "The node is alive, but it's not fully awake. We need to stabilize it—now."
Serah's voice rang out above the chaos. "We can't hold them off forever. We need to move—activate the node, Erevan!"
Erevan's eyes met hers, a silent understanding passing between them. The Tower had underestimated them. It thought it could control everything, erase all resistance. But it had forgotten one crucial thing: rebellion was born in the cracks. And from those cracks, something far greater was rising.
With a swift motion, Erevan reached into the heart of the node, his hand pressing against its pulsating surface. A flood of energy surged through him, a rush of light and sound that nearly blinded him. But he held on, channeling the power, focusing it on the task at hand.
The Chainborn shrieked, but it was too late.
The node activated, its resonance flaring like a brilliant sun, pushing back the shadows and the twisted creations of the Tower. The ground beneath them trembled, the sky above rippling with energy as the node began to awaken, pulling the rebels into its pulse.
And in that moment, Erevan knew one thing for certain: they had just taken the first step toward breaking the Tower's hold on the world. The path ahead would not be easy—but it was a path they would walk together.
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Author's Note:
Chapter 91 brings us deeper into the heart of the rebellion, with Erevan and his allies pushing forward, facing new threats and activating the next node. The battle is far from over, and the stakes have never been higher. Thank you for being with us on this journey.
10 power stones = 2 chapters
1 review = 1 bonus chapter
Stay with us, as the next chapter will be even more intense!
— Dorian Blackthorn
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