The impact shook the city.
Buildings cracked.
Glass shattered.
The ground split in jagged lines that stretched across the ruined district.
At the center of it all—
Kael Varyn crashed into the earth.
BOOM!
Dust and debris erupted into the air.
For a moment—
Everything went still.
Then the Echo descended.
Slowly.
Effortlessly.
Untouched.
The Echo of Abyssal Sovereign Xal'thur landed at the edge of the crater, its form flickering like unstable code.
"…So this is your limit," it said calmly.
Kael didn't respond.
Because he couldn't.
His body was broken.
Ribs shattered.
Left arm barely functional.
Blood pooling beneath him.
Every breath burned.
Every movement failed.
The Echo stepped closer.
"…Disappointing."
It raised its hand.
Dark energy condensed—
Reality warped around it.
"…End."
The attack came down.
And in that instant—
Time slowed.
Kael's vision blurred.
The world dimmed.
And something deeper surfaced.
Not power.
Memory.
A version of himself—
Weak.
Powerless.
Ignored.
A boy who couldn't fight back.
Who couldn't protect anyone.
"…Get up."
A voice echoed.
Faint.
"…You don't fall here."
Another voice.
"…You're not done."
Faces flashed through his mind—
Ragnar Kain
Lyra Frost
Darius Stone
Eren Shade
Zarek Voidborn
Then—
Selene Virel
Her blood.
Her falling body.
Something broke.
No—
Something opened.
"…No."
A pulse erupted from Kael's body.
Small at first.
Then—
EXPLOSIVE.
BOOOOOOOOOOM!
Crimson energy detonated outward, shattering the incoming attack before it could reach him.
The ground collapsed outward in a massive shockwave.
The sky trembled.
Even the crack above Astra Prime reacted—
Pulsing violently.
The Echo stepped back for the first time.
"…What is this…?"
Kael rose.
Slowly.
His body was still broken.
Still bleeding.
But something held him together now.
Something ancient.
Something absolute.
Primordial Awakening: 40% → 50%
The air grew heavy.
Not violent.
Oppressive.
Commanding.
Kael's aura had changed.
Refined.
Dense.
Unavoidable.
His eyes glowed—
Not just crimson—
But deeper.
"…You pushed me to the edge," Kael said quietly.
His voice was calm.
Too calm.
"…So now…"
He stepped forward.
The ground shattered beneath him.
"…I evolve."
The Echo attacked instantly.
Faster.
Stronger.
Deadlier.
But this time—
Kael moved first.
He caught the strike mid-motion.
Stopped it completely.
"…Impossible," the Echo muttered.
Kael looked at it.
"…You're not the only one who learns."
He twisted his grip—
CRACK!
The Echo's arm shattered—not physically, but fundamentally.
Its form flickered violently.
Kael stepped in.
And struck.
BOOOOOOOOM!
The Echo was launched across the ruined district, tearing through the ground.
For the first time—
It didn't recover instantly.
It struggled.
It glitched.
It hesitated.
Kael walked forward.
Steady.
Unstoppable.
"…You said you came to test me."
Each step cracked the ground beneath him.
"…So learn."
The Echo's aura surged wildly.
Desperate.
Darkness flooded the battlefield.
Reality warped violently.
Gravity twisted.
But Kael walked through it.
Untouched.
Unaffected.
"…No…" the Echo whispered.
"…This isn't possible."
Kael raised his hand.
Energy condensed—
Dense.
Refined.
Absolute.
"…It is."
High above, the crack in the sky widened again.
Something beyond reacted.
Watching.
Because what had just awakened—
Was no longer just a hunter.