At the center of the broken eclipse floated a sphere of absolute darkness—smaller than expected.
Dense.
Compressed.
Hungry.
It pulsed like a heart.
"That," Silver Eyes whispered in horror, "is what created the Lords."
Vael'Tharion's surrounding mass destabilized as the exposed core reacted to Kaito's balanced presence.
The sphere began pulling violently—not just energy.
Concepts.
Light dimmed.
Sound dulled.
Even gravity faltered.
Kaito felt the pull trying to unravel his refined system, trying to reduce him to raw consumption again.
"You are unfinished," the Origin Shadow said.
Kaito stepped closer instead of retreating.
"No."
He raised his hand, aligning the hunter's glyph and Silver Eyes' threads.
"I'm complete enough."
The core pulsed faster.
The world below braced.
And Kaito reached toward the heart of hunger—
Not to destroy it.
But to decide what it would become.