The Skyspire's core was a maelstrom of unravelling reality, the lost Loom's crystalline threads flickering as the silver faction's device tore through the fabric of the world. Violet Voidborn rifts pulsed across the slums outside, chaotic entities pouring through, their forms of unmade threads devouring everything—shacks dissolved into nothingness, scavengers screamed as they fell into the void, and the golden-threaded lockdown collapsed entirely. Kael knelt beside Ryn, her blood pooling on the cracked floor, her side sliced open by a silver thread, her green eyes dimming as she gasped, "Kael… don't… lose yourself…"
Zyrath, the Voidborn entity claiming to be the creators' true heir, loomed over the chamber, its violet-threaded form radiating power, its swirling eye fixed on Kael. "Choose, pretender," Zyrath's chorus of voices taunted, "chaos or order? Her life, or your city?" The shard fragments in Kael's pocket burned, violet energy crackling, his glitchweaving spiraling—his creator bloodline was the key, but the Voidborn's influence pushed him to the brink, his gray eyes glowing violet, blood streaming from his nose and eyes.
Mira fired her pulse rifle at Zyrath, her cybernetic arm sparking, her scar stark against her shaved head, her dark eyes burning with defiance. "Kael, we're losing the slums!" she shouted, dodging a Voidborn tendril, her rifle blazing. Vren wove green threads, shielding a group of scavengers fleeing through the Skyspire's breached walls, their silver hair matted with sweat, blue eyes sharp with focus. "The Loom—it's our only chance to stop this!"
Lira, the elite Weaver and Kael's fellow creator descendant, faced Zyrath, their golden-threaded armor shimmering, violet-streaked hair whipping in the chaotic wind. "Kael, save her," Lira urged, their gray eyes fierce with resolve. "I'll hold the Voidborn." They wove golden threads, clashing with Zyrath's violet ones, a storm of light and chaos erupting as Lira pushed the entity back, giving Kael a moment to act.
Kael's heart tore—he couldn't lose Ryn, his anchor, the one who'd confessed her feelings amidst the chaos (Chapter 19). But the slums, the scavengers, the city—he was their only hope. Tears mixed with blood on his face as he made his choice. He wove, violet threads wrapping around Ryn, stabilizing her wound, sealing the gash with chaotic energy. Her breathing steadied, her green eyes fluttering open, a weak smile on her lips. "Kael… thank you…"
But the city paid the price—Kael's focus on Ryn let the silver faction's device unravel reality further, the slums outside collapsing into the void, rifts multiplying, Voidborn entities flooding the streets. Kael's glitchweaving flared, violet threads lashing out, crushing entities, but the effort pushed him to his limit—his vision blackened, his body trembling, the Voidborn's voice roaring: "You are ours, Kael…"
Lira's voice cut through, strained but steady, as they battled Zyrath. "Kael, listen—your parents… they were the last guardians of this Loom." Lira dodged a violet tendril, their golden threads faltering, their armor cracking. "They died to protect its secret—you're the only one who can activate it. Reset reality, or we're all lost."
Zyrath roared, its violet threads overwhelming Lira, shattering their armor, golden threads snapping. Lira fell, blood pooling, their gray eyes meeting Kael's one last time. "Do it… for the creators…" With their final breath, Lira wove a golden thread into the Loom, triggering its activation—a pulse of white light erupted, reality shuddering as the reset began, threads of the world stitching back together, rifts slowing.
But Zyrath lunged, its violet threads merging with Kael, their bloodlines clashing—creator and Voidborn, order and chaos. Kael screamed, his body convulsing, violet energy consuming him, his glitchweaving spiraling out of control. His form flickered, threads of his reality unravelling, Zyrath's voice echoing through him: "We are one, pretender…"
Ryn, still weak, crawled to Kael, her hand reaching for his. "Kael… fight it…" Her voice was a lifeline, but the merge deepened, the Skyspire quaking as Kael and Zyrath became a single, chaotic entity, violet threads tearing through the chamber.
To be continued…