The Void Beyond the Gate

  Isaac and Ina stepped through. The black swirling door vanished instantly behind them, leaving no exit.

  Total darkness.

  Ina activated her shoulder-mounted floodlights. The beams cut through the gloom but hit nothing. No walls. No ceiling. Just endless, suffocating empty space.

  "Where are we...?" Ina whispered, her voice trembling.

  "It's cold," Isaac gasped, seeing his breath turn to ice crystals in the air. "It's freezing."

  WOOOOOM.

  A silent, heavy wave washed over them. It wasn't wind; it was gravity.

  "Wait..." Ina froze, her sensors screaming. "Do you feel that?"

  "Yes..." Isaac gritted his teeth, planting his feet. "A feeling of being... pulled."

  They looked down. The "floor"—if it could be called that—was warping. They were sliding.

  HMMMMMMMMMMMM.

  A sound began. It wasn't a noise; it was a vibration that rattled their bones and made their teeth ache. It was the sound of the universe screaming.

  Isaac and Ina fell to their knees, clutching their heads in agony.

  "What is that sound?!" Isaac shouted over the psychic roar.

  Ina looked up. Her robotic eye widened, the aperture snapping shut in terror.

  "Oh no..."

  Isaac followed her gaze.

  Far ahead, in the center of the void, a ring of blinding violet light ignited. Inside the ring was a sphere of absolute nothingness. A tear in reality.

  "Isaac, let's go... RUN!"

  They scrambled backward, running toward where the gate used to be.

  "WHAT IS IT?!" Isaac yelled, fighting the invisible current dragging them back.

  "IT'S A BLACK HOLE!" Ina screamed. "A SINGULARITY!"

  The Event Horizon expanded. The pull became exponential.

  Isaac activated his flight, grabbing Ina by the waist. He blasted his thrusters at maximum power, flying in the opposite direction. But he wasn't moving. He was stationary. The space around them was being sucked in faster than he could fly.

  "IT'S GOING TO KILL US!" Ina shrieked. "WE NEED A PLAN!"

  The drag became too much. Isaac crashed onto the "floor."

  CLANG.

  He drew the massive Abyssal Sword and stabbed it deep into the fabric of the dimension, using it as an anchor. He held on with one hand, gripping Ina with the other.

  "WHY IS THERE A BLACK HOLE HERE?!" Isaac roared, his muscles tearing under the strain.

  Suddenly, Ina’s sidearm—a plasma pistol—tore loose from her belt. It flew toward the void.

  They watched in horror. As the gun neared the event horizon, it didn't just fall. It stretched. It elongated like taffy and then disintegrated into atoms, vanishing into the nothingness.

  "SHIT!" Isaac cursed.

  Ina began to cry. Hydraulic fluid mixed with tears on her face. She looked at Isaac, terrified.

  "ISAAC... I DON'T WANT TO DIE!" she sobbed, clutching his armor. "I DON'T WANT TO DIE BEFORE I FIND MY MOTHER!"

  The Black Hole pulsed. It grew larger, hungry for their souls. Isaac’s boots were slipping. The sword carved a trench in the ground, sparking violently.

  Isaac looked at the void. Then he looked at Ina.

  He did the math. He couldn't save himself. The mass was too great. But maybe... just maybe... he could save one.

  "I guess our time has come then..." Ina wept, closing her eyes.

  Isaac looked at her. A calm resolve settled over his face.

  He pulled her into a tight hug. She hugged him back, trembling.

  With his free hand, he reached into his pouch. He found the Gwyn's Capsule

  "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" Ina asked, confused.

  "HOLD ON TO ME!"

  Ina gripped him tight.

  Isaac jammed the capsule into Ina’s mouth.

  "Mmph?!" Her eyes went wide.

  He covered her mouth with his hand, forcing her to bite down on the activation mechanism. He looked deep into her mechanical and organic eyes.

  "NOW..." Isaac shouted over the roar of the void. "GO FIND YOUR MOTHER! AND LIVE YOUR LIFE, INA! AND TAKE CARE OF HER UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE!"

  Ina stared at him, tears streaming down her face. The capsule began to glow with a brilliant white light, enveloping her.

  "IT WAS GOOD TO KNOW YOU, INA!" Isaac smiled—a genuine, warm smile amidst the apocalypse. "BE HAPPY, OKAY?"

  "Isaac... no..."

  ZAP.

  Ina’s body began to deconstruct into light particles. She reached out, trying to grab Isaac, trying to pull him with her.

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  "ISAAC!"

  She vanished.

  Isaac was alone.

  The silence returned, save for the hungry hum of the singularity.

  The Abyssal Sword groaned. The metal was bending. Isaac’s grip was slipping. Inch by inch.

  He looked at the Black Hole. It filled his entire vision now. A magnificent, terrifying end.

  He closed his eyes.

  The pain faded. The fear vanished.

  Memories flooded his mind.

  Aiko’s smile on the balcony... Yamato’s laugh... Elara’s emerald eyes... Gwyn’s grumpy face... Joe’s jokes... Jin’s final warning... Amanda’s kiss...

  Tears leaked from his closed eyes, floating away into the void.

  He smiled.

  "Not a bad run," he whispered.

  He opened his hand.

  He let go of the sword.

  WHOOSH.

  Isaac and the massive Abyssal Sword were sucked backward instantly.

  They hit the Event Horizon.

  There was no pain. Just a blinding flash of white light, and then... nothing.

  Isaac was disintegrated into the abyss.

  The Abyss – The Sanctuary

  Isaac gasped, bolting upright in bed. His hand instantly went for his sword hilt—but he grasped only air.

  He looked around. He was in a bedroom. Sunlight streamed through open windows, carrying the scent of jasmine and fresh grass. He was wearing clean, white linen clothes. His armor was gone.

  "What..."

  He saw his leather pouch sitting on a wooden chair.

  He swung his legs out of bed. No pain. No exhaustion. He felt... perfect. Better than he had felt in a hundred years.

  Clink. Clank.

  The sound of silverware on porcelain drifted from downstairs.

  Isaac stood up, walking cautiously. The wooden floorboards creaked softly. He descended the staircase.

  He reached the ground floor. It was a rustic, cozy cottage.

  In the kitchen, a woman with long, flowing hair like the night sky was humming a melody. She moved with a grace that defied gravity, her feet barely touching the floor.

  She set a plate on the table and turned. Her eyes were deep voids, yet comforting.

  "Hello, Isaac," she smiled. "Come. I made this for you."

  Isaac stopped, tense. "Who are you? Where am I? Is this the afterlife?"

  "Relax," the woman said, her voice soothing like a calm ocean. "There is no danger here. No enemies. Just breakfast."

  She pulled out a chair. "Please, sit. The answers will come with the coffee."

  Isaac hesitated. He looked at the plate.

  Eggs. Bacon. Toast. Black coffee.

  It was an Earth breakfast.

  His stomach betrayed him with a loud growl. He sat down slowly, never taking his eyes off her. He took a bite of the bacon. The flavor exploded in his mouth—salty, smoky, real. It tasted like Sunday mornings from a life he thought erased.

  "This food..." Isaac whispered, chewing slowly. "It's from Earth."

  "YES!" the woman beamed, clasping her hands. "Do you like it? I tried to replicate the molecular structure perfectly based on your memories."

  "It's... my favorite," Isaac murmured.

  The woman reached out to touch his face affectionately. Isaac flinched, leaning back.

  "Who are you?" he demanded again.

  The woman smiled, withdrawing her hand.

  "My name is Nexus," she said softly. "I am the Eldest Daughter of the All-Father. And the Sister of Luminem."

  Isaac froze. "The sister of the Supreme Entity?"

  Suddenly, the air shimmered next to Nexus. A petite, ethereal girl with silver hair and dragon-like eyes materialized, floating cross-legged in the air. She looked at Isaac with a mix of arrogance and shyness.

  "You're scaring him, Nex," the girl giggled.

  "Be quiet, Yu," Nexus laughed, stroking the girl's silver hair. "Isaac, let me introduce you. This little brat is Yurihime."

  "Yurihime?" Isaac frowned. "That is the name of an Ancestral Dragon."

  "That's me!" Yu grinned, flashing sharp canines.

  "Yu is the youngest daughter of Yudai, the First Dragon," Nexus explained. "We have been friends for eons. Before the stars were born. Until... well, until that metal giant from Palacius captured her."

  Isaac’s eyes widened. The realization hit him.

  "You..." Isaac pointed at Yu. "You are the sword. The Abyssal Blade."

  "Correct," Yu said, floating closer to Isaac. "I am a Transmorphic Dragon. I can become the ultimate weapon. That Guardian trapped me in that form for three thousand years. He used my power to fuel his reflection magic."

  She looked at Isaac, her expression softening.

  "I tried to resist him, making myself heavy, unusable. But when you touched the hilt... I felt your soul. I made myself light for you."

  "You saved me," Yu added, blushing slightly. "Thank you, Isaac."

  "I... didn't know," Isaac muttered, rubbing his neck. "I just needed a weapon. But... you're welcome."

  "Where are we?" Isaac asked, looking out the window.

  "Come," Nexus stood up.

  They walked out of the cottage. Isaac stopped dead in his tracks.

  Green rolling hills. Blue skies. Oak trees swaying in the breeze. Birds singing songs he hadn't heard.

  "This is Earth," Isaac breathed.

  "It is a Memory of Earth," Nexus corrected. "I loved your planet, Isaac. It was vibrant. Chaotic. Beautiful. When it was destroyed, I saved its essence here, in my realm."

  "This is the Abyss," Nexus spread her arms.

  "The Abyss?" Isaac looked around. "Legends say the Abyss is a dark, infinite hell."

  "Propaganda from Paradise," Nexus scoffed. "The Abyss is not evil, Isaac. It is peace. It is origin. This is my Kingdom."

  "How did I get here?"

  "The Black Hole," Nexus said. "It is not a death trap. It is a filter. A gate I created. It crushes the weak and transports the worthy. You... you survived. You intrigued me."

  "Intrigued you?"

  "A human who became a King. Who died and returned. Who wields an Ancestral Dragon," Nexus looked at him intensely. "You are a glitch in the system, Isaac. And that is exactly what we need."

  "Need for what?"

  "To kill Luminem."

  The name hung in the air, heavy and dangerous.

  "What?" Isaac blinked. "You want me to kill a Supreme Entity? Your sister?"

  "Yes," Yu said, her eyes narrowing. "That bitch needs to die."

  "Why?" Isaac asked.

  "Because she has lost her way," Nexus said sadly. "Luminem represents Order. But she has taken it too far. She wants Stagnation. She plans to freeze this universe in a state of absolute control. No free will. No growth. Just silent obedience."

  "Why don't you kill her?" Isaac asked. "You are her sister. You are powerful."

  "I cannot," Nexus shook her head. "There is a Universal Law. Entities cannot destroy each other directly. If I attack her, the universe unravels. Order and Chaos must exist in balance."

  Nexus stepped closer.

  "But you..." she poked Isaac’s chest. "You are not an Entity. You are a mortal. A chaotic variable. The Law does not apply to you. You are the only one who can strike the killing blow."

  Isaac laughed nervously. "You want me to kill a God who can snap her fingers and erase reality."

  "You are capable of more than you know," Nexus said firmly. "And you won't be alone. You have Yu now."

  "That's right!" Yu floated in front of Isaac. "I belong to you now, Isaac."

  "What?"

  "You saved me," Yu said seriously. "By Dragon Law, my life is yours. I will be your blade. I will cut through anything for you—even a God."

  She slashed her own palm with a sharp fingernail. Golden blood welled up.

  "Make the pact, Isaac," Nexus advised. "Do not deny this honor. With Yu, you will have the power to challenge the Heavens."

  Isaac looked at Yu’s determined face. He looked at the golden blood.

  He drew a small knife from the table and cut his own palm.

  He clasped Yu’s hand.

  FLASH.

  A surge of immense power rushed through Isaac’s veins. He felt the weight of mountains, the heat of stars, and the roar of dragons.

  "The contract is sealed," Yu smiled, her eyes glowing.

  She spun in the air, transforming into a flash of light that coalesced on Isaac’s back—not as a heavy giant sword, but as a sleek, black tattoo of a dragon along his spine that could manifest as a weapon instantly.

  ~I am with you, Master,~ Yu’s voice echoed in his mind.

  "So..." Isaac flexed his hand, feeling the new power. "What happens when Luminem dies?"

  "The balance shifts," Nexus said enigmatic. "My niece... Arian... she is next in line. She is young, malleable. She will take the Throne of the Mother. And perhaps, under her, the universe can be free again."

  Isaac nodded. Arian. It all comes back to her.

  "How do I find you again?" Isaac asked.

  Nexus plucked a single feather from the air—it was black as void but shined with starlight. She handed it to Isaac.

  "This is a Void Feather. It will guide you back to the Abyss when the time is right. Do not lose it."

  "I won't."

  "Goodbye, Yu," Nexus whispered to the air. "Take care of him."

  ~I will, Nex.~

  Nexus waved her hand. A swirling portal opened behind Isaac.

  "I am sending you to Valoon. I believe you have friends waiting for you there. Good luck, King Isaac."

  Isaac stepped toward the portal. He looked back at the beautiful, fake Earth one last time.

  "Thank you, Nexus."

  He stepped through.

  The Abyss faded. The war was just beginning.