Dancing on the golden ashes

The veil keeps cracking, splintering wider with every heartbeat. There's no sense pretending otherwise—I'm done running. It's time to face my enemy head-on.

I could let the tension build a little longer, let the air grow thicker, but my own fingers are already itching for a fight. The stronger she grows, feeding on that boundless rage, the sweeter the battle will taste. I want to feel my blood boil again, want to feel my skin catch fire with longing. It's a hunger I haven't fed in so long. And now, there's nothing left to wait for.

No more stalling.

"I want a few minutes alone with her," I say, voice steady and calm, though the need in me is anything but. "Let me fight her by myself. Focus on stabilizing your power. I know how risky it is, rushing your foundation like this, but there was no other way."

My hand drifts up, lingering on Seong-hoon's cheek—a gentle touch, a reminder of everything we share. I steal one last kiss before I turn away. He just nods, silent, but he doesn't need to say anything. He understands. Thank you. The words never pass my lips, but he feels them all the same. Our hearts are linked, all threads bound together, and in moments like this, no words are necessary.

A sharp crack splits the silence—then comes the shatter, jagged and final. Two ravenous eyes lock onto me as if I were a sickness this world needs purged, as if my very existence offends the order she clings to. Let her look. I understand that feral fear and the wild urge to destroy. Even if I can't unravel the depth of her rage, I know it's tangled up with Seong-hoon. But what's mine is mine, and I'm not about to let her forget it.

The scythe appears in my hand, wreathed in golden fire that licks at the air, consuming every trace of oxygen. The heat crackles—too much for this world to contain. The edges of reality shimmer where the weapon burns.

"Fuck off!" My shout tears through the void as I meet Kaelthira head-on. Her claws drive toward me, each swipe heavy with impossible force—far beyond what an Immortal Emperor should possess. It must be the phantom of my past life within her, wringing out every last spark of borrowed strength. But that kind of power burns through its fuel, and I can sense the end approaching. All things run dry eventually.

"Die! Die! Die! Dieee!" she shrieks, mouth twisted with venom and hate.

Such malice. Truly, she has no grace at all—a mouth that should've been silenced long ago.

My smile flashes, bright and reckless as we clash in the air, suspended in that breathless space where nothing else exists. I can feel her confusion—she has no idea why I'm grinning like this, why I almost want to laugh.

"Eat this!" With a twist of my waist, a black hole unfurls at my foot—darker, denser, and more powerful than anything I've conjured before. I drive my heel upward, slamming it under her chin with everything I have.

Instead of swallowing her whole, the black hole detonates on impact from within, a burst of raw force that launches her skyward, punching straight through the boundaries of this realm. I don't even wait for Seong-hoon to catch up. Heart pounding, senses ablaze, I surge after her, letting the thrill drown out everything else.

This is what I've missed. This is what I crave. More. Push me harder. Show me everything you've got.

I burst out from that suffocating realm, lungs craving clean air, my whole body answering the call of the surface. The battle is waiting for me up here—a fight where I refuse to be the one crawling in the dust anymore. I'm done losing. This has dragged on far too long.

"Kaelthira! Face me—fight to the death! Come on, let the world see you for what you are. Let all those you've abandoned watch your blood rain down, and may this land you let rot find rebirth through your sacrifice!" My scythe draws me forward, carving a golden arc through the air as I lock onto my target—a spinning, tumbling demon, leaking gold with every wound.

I see her struggling, body flickering, desperately trying to keep herself from slipping off this world's edge. If I let her go, our battle would tear the sky itself apart, but not today. No—today we settle things here.

Wings outstretched, I push myself beyond speed, faster than a thought, faster than light. I appear above her in a flash.

"Missed me?" My laugh spills out, wild and sharp. With both fists knotted together, I drive them down, smashing her toward the earth like a ragdoll. But I'm nowhere near finished—something reckless and playful rises up inside me.

Diving after, I let my scythe twist and morph, lengthening into a heavy club.

"Let's see… can I hit a homerun today?" Even in the middle of chaos, I can't help but grin. Time itself seems to slow for me now.

Kaelthira gathers a sphere of crimson energy, desperate to defend, but I'm already swinging. The club connects, slamming into her with a force that splits the sky.

BOOM!

Shockwaves rip through the ground as she's sent flying, blood spattering like rain. I shade my eyes against the sun, watching her tumble—she really does look like a ball. Maybe I went too far, but damn, this feels good.

Enough games. My weapon shifts again, blinding bright as a spear, burning with the light of ten thousand suns. I dart forward in a blink and drive it at her heart.

"Stop messing with me!" Kaelthira screams, her body igniting with dark radiance. The explosion throws me back, slamming me into the earth. I skid, coughing, tasting iron, but I rise quick—wiping away the thin line of blood from my lips.

Our eyes meet. For the first time, I sense she's done playing too.

RUMBLE

The air vibrates—something isn't right. Her aura is swelling, pressing on everything around us. My gut twists as I see her claw rip into her own chest, blood pouring free. In her hand, a heart—still beating, pulsing with centuries of stolen power.

No. This can't be good. I can feel the explosion building, all that strength gathered in one desperate act.

"Die with me, Lee Gaon… Die with me, and take this ruined world with us… I'm too old for this. You're too strong. None of it matters now—let it all be erased."

A blinding flash—her heart erupts, detonating with all the fury and sorrow she had left.