Chapter 2579: Story 2580: The Destroyer Beneath Creation

The golden ocean split apart.

A darkness older than stars rose from beneath the birthplace of the Dawn.

Victoria Kane stood frozen as an enormous shape emerged from the depths.

First came two colossal hands.

Then a crown of broken stars.

Then a body so vast that entire oceans of golden memory flowed around it like rivers around a mountain.

The First Betrayer’s voice echoed through the darkness.

"At last..."

"The Destroyer awakens."

The creature opened its eyes.

They were completely black.

No hatred.

No anger.

Only emptiness.

Nox’Rath stepped backward.

"I remember this."

Victoria looked at him.

"You’ve seen it?"

"Not its body."

He stared at the ancient being.

"I saw its shadow."

The First Hunger appeared behind them, its star-filled eyes widening.

"You."

The creature slowly turned toward it.

For the first time, the First Hunger looked afraid.

Victoria tightened her grip on the Dawnblade.

"What is it?"

The First Hunger answered quietly.

"The End Before the Beginning."

The enormous creature raised one hand.

Every memory floating above the golden ocean vanished.

Evelyn gasped.

"The memories!"

She opened Elias Crow’s journal.

The pages were completely black.

"No..."

"The journal can’t remember them anymore."

The Destroyer spoke.

Its voice sounded like thousands of worlds dying at once.

"Memory is unnecessary."

A shockwave crossed the ocean.

"Possibility is unnecessary."

Another wave followed.

"Choice is unnecessary."

Victoria stepped forward.

"Then what do you want?"

The creature looked directly at her.

"Silence."

The Dawn inside Victoria’s heart flickered.

The corrupted golden sphere began turning completely black.

Lyra rushed toward it.

"No!"

She placed both hands against the sphere.

Golden light erupted from her body.

The Destroyer turned toward her.

"First Key."

Lyra trembled.

"You know me?"

"You were created from the final memory of the First Dawn."

Victoria stared at Lyra.

"The final memory?"

Lyra looked confused.

"What does that mean?"

The Destroyer answered.

"When the First Dawn was destroyed, one fragment survived."

Its enormous finger pointed toward Lyra.

"You."

Everyone became silent.

Victoria stepped between them.

"You’re not taking her."

The Destroyer raised its hand.

Before it could strike, Valerius hurled his crimson spear.

The weapon pierced the creature’s palm.

For a moment, crimson energy spread across its ancient body.

Valerius shouted,

"NOW!"

Cassian charged.

The seven successors followed.

Arkon’s sword struck the creature’s arm.

Seraphine released waves of compassion.

Thalen fired radiant arrows.

Ordan shielded the others.

Elara attacked from the shadows.

Malachor directed their movements.

Nox’Rath unleashed his silver darkness.

The First Hunger joined the assault.

For the first time, every ancient power attacked the same enemy.

The Destroyer barely moved.

Then it closed its hand.

A crushing wave of darkness threw everyone across the golden ocean.

Victoria crashed against a floating memory.

Cole caught her before she disappeared into the void.

"You okay?"

Victoria stood.

"Yes."

Cole looked toward the enormous creature.

"Good."

He raised his rifle.

"Because I think we’re going to need everyone."

Victoria looked at the corrupted Dawn.

The flame was almost completely black.

She understood.

"We can’t defeat it by attacking."

Evelyn looked at her.

"Then what?"

Victoria stared at Lyra.

"We restore the First Dawn."

Lyra’s eyes widened.

"But the Destroyer will stop us."

Victoria smiled.

"Then we give it something it has never experienced."

"What’s that?"

"Choice."

Victoria raised the Dawnblade.

The seven symbols ignited.

Courage.

Compassion.

Hope.

Sacrifice.

Freedom.

Wisdom.

Memory.

One by one, the successors placed their hands upon the blade.

The First Hunger added its power.

Valerius joined them.

Nox’Rath stepped forward.

Finally, Lyra placed her hand against Victoria’s.

The Living Dawn exploded.

A golden heartbeat crossed the birthplace of creation.

The corrupted flame stopped.

The Destroyer suddenly recoiled.

"No."

Victoria looked into its empty eyes.

"You said choice was unnecessary."

She raised the Dawnblade.

"We choose to exist."

The golden ocean erupted.

Every forgotten memory returned.

Every possibility awakened.

Every unborn star beyond the Gate of Origin began shining.

The Destroyer’s body cracked.

But beneath its armor...

Something else appeared.

A tiny golden light.

Victoria stared.

"The Destroyer has a Dawn inside it."

Nox’Rath whispered,

"Then it isn’t the enemy."

The First Hunger looked toward the creature.

"It is what happened when the Dawn was forgotten."

Victoria understood.

The true battle was no longer against destruction.

It was against forgetting.

She stepped toward the enormous being.

"I remember you."

The creature became still.

For the first time...

The Destroyer hesitated.

And somewhere beneath its ancient darkness, a single golden eye opened.