"COME."
The voice did not echo through the air.
It echoed through existence itself.
Every person in Solmire heard it.
Not with their ears.
Inside their minds.
Inside their bones.
Inside their souls.
The moment the Eye spoke—
the kingdom trembled.
A mother shielding her child inside a ruined home suddenly collapsed—
hands over her ears—
crying uncontrollably.
A wounded knight dropped his blade—
staring blankly at the sky.
Another began laughing.
Then screaming.
The black rain intensified violently—
pouring across the capital in endless streams.
And everywhere it touched—
reality warped further.
Buildings bent unnaturally.
The streets stretched like melting wax.
The shadows of people moved a second too late.
And high above—
the Eye watched.
Searching.
Waiting.
Rose continued rising toward the torn sky.
Black lightning spiraled around her body—
connecting her directly to the massive Eye above.
Her dark wings expanded further—
feathers made from corruption and unstable aether.
The black markings across her skin pulsed violently—
matching the rhythm of the sky itself.
And still—
she was crying.
Sora gripped her arm tightly—
his boots dragging across shattered stone as the force pulling her upward intensified.
"HEY!"
She turned weakly toward him.
For a moment—
her human eye became clear again.
Tears streamed down her face.
"…Please…"
Her voice trembled painfully.
"…Don't let it take me…"
Sora's eyes widened slightly.
Not because of fear.
Because of helplessness.
The pull from the Eye was becoming stronger every second.
Even his flames—
could barely resist it.
Then—
something inside Sora changed.
Not rage.
Not hatred.
Determination.
Pure.
Burning.
Absolute.
BOOOOOOOOM
Phoenix flames exploded outward from his body violently.
The shattered streets beneath him melted instantly.
The black rain evaporated before even touching the fire.
A massive wave of golden-red flames spiraled upward through the kingdom—
cutting through darkness like sunlight breaking open a storm.
For a brief moment—
the entire capital lit up.
Citizens looked upward in shock.
Knights froze mid-battle.
Even the monsters recoiled.
And within the flames—
for just a second—
a gigantic phoenix silhouette appeared across the clouds.
Then vanished.
Near the eastern district—
Golden Lions stopped fighting briefly—
staring at the burning sky.
One wounded knight pointed upward.
"Captain Leonhart's flames—!"
Another laughed in relief.
"The captain's still fighting!"
Across the city—
hope spread instantly.
People began shouting.
Praying.
Crying.
Because in the middle of despair—
they saw fire.
And to Solmire—
fire meant one thing.
The Golden Lion.
Far away—
Leonhart slowly pushed broken debris off himself.
Blood dripped from his forehead.
One arm barely moved properly now.
The gravity damage had torn through his body.
Then—
he saw the flames.
The massive golden-red inferno spiraling through the kingdom.
And immediately—
his eyes narrowed.
Because those flames…
weren't his.
The heat felt different.
Sharper.
Wild—
yet strangely controlled.
Leonhart stared silently toward the distant skyline.
"…Another fire-aether user?"
The phoenix silhouette disappeared into smoke above the capital.
Leonhart slowly grinned.
Despite the blood.
Despite the pain.
"…Good."
He forced himself back onto his feet.
Solar flames reignited around him.
Smaller than before.
But still burning.
"Then this kingdom's still fighting."
Darius tore through another corrupted beast—
but even he paused briefly as the flames illuminated the city.
Selene looked toward the burning skyline.
"…That fire…"
Darius smirked faintly.
"Looks like the lion's still alive."
Then his expression hardened again.
Because the monsters weren't stopping.
If anything—
they were becoming more violent.
The black rain touched another corpse nearby—
and the body twisted grotesquely before rising again.
Darius cracked his neck.
"…Yeah. We're definitely burning this whole nightmare down."
High above the capital—
Aeron stabilized himself mid-air—
wind wings struggling against distorted currents.
Then the flames erupted below.
Golden-red light pierced the storm clouds themselves.
Lyra stared downward in disbelief.
"…Captain…"
Aeron whistled softly.
"…That's one hell of a fire."
But his expression slowly changed afterward.
Because something else reacted.
The Eye moved.
Slowly.
Deliberately.
Toward the flames.
At the ruined palace—
Rein watched the burning skyline carefully.
The flames stretched across multiple districts.
Too far apart.
Too fast.
His eyes narrowed slightly.
Because Leonhart's battlefield was nowhere near some of those fire eruptions.
Nysera noticed too.
And for the first time—
her composure cracked slightly.
"…Impossible…"
Rein immediately looked at her.
"…What?"
Nysera stared toward the distant flames silently.
Her distorted form flickering violently now.
Almost uneasy.
"…Why is HE here…?"
Through collapsing debris—
through black lightning—
through the endless rain—
a hooded figure launched upward.
Sora moved silently through the chaos—
his flames propelling him through the air in violent bursts.
No one saw him clearly.
Only glimpses.
A shadow inside fire.
A traveler beneath the falling sky.
He reached Rose again—
catching her tightly before she could rise further.
The moment he touched her—
the corruption around her weakened slightly.
Rose trembled violently in his arms.
And above them—
the Eye focused completely.
Not on the kingdom.
Not on Rein.
Not on Rose.
On Sora.
Everything slowed.
The rain.
The wind.
The destruction.
Even the black lightning paused briefly.
Then—
the Eye spoke again.
But this time—
only Sora heard it.
"…You survived."
Sora froze.
Because somehow—
that voice felt familiar.
Ancient.
Distant.
But familiar.
Then—
THE SKY SPLIT WIDER
The torn heavens expanded violently.
Clouds ripped apart.
Darkness churned endlessly above the capital.
And from within the abyss—
something began descending.
A hand.
Massive.
Ancient.
Large enough to cover entire districts.
Its fingers slowly emerging from the darkness above.
Reaching downward.
Toward Sora.
Toward Rose.
Toward Solmire itself.