The council chamber was heavy with silence. The torches along the crystalline walls flickered uneasily, as though the very fire hesitated to breathe in the sa room as Aamir.
He stood calmly, shoulders broad, cloak torn but presence unshaken. Riya’s words still echoed in the air: her proposal to hand him her seat as one of the six leaders.
But Aamir shook his head. His crimson eyes glowed faintly as he spoke.
"Well, the thing is... I don’t need the position."
The statent cracked through the chamber like thunder.
He turned his gaze to Riya, his tone firm but respectful. "You are more worthy for it than . You’ve led while I was gone. You held the resistance together when I wasn’t here. A position in a council? That’s not what I ca back for."
Riya froze, her heart aching at his words. She had wanted to share her burden with him, to finally have him at her side—not just as a comrade, but as an equal leader. But his voice was unshakable.
Aamir continued, his expression sharpening.
"I have a mission that I must complete before Zorwath makes his move."
Riya’s brows furrowed. Her voice cracked despite her trying to remain steady. "A mission? What are you saying, Aamir? What mission could be more important than this war here, right now?"
His gaze swept across the chamber—over Raj, who clenched his fists; Seenu, whose sharp eyes watched without blinking; Kunal, silent but thoughtful; and finally, over the six global leaders, their faces tense with anticipation.
He spoke slowly, each word heavy enough to make the air itself tremble.
"Zorwath... isn’t just limited to Earth."
Murmurs rippled through the chamber.
Rizwana, her golden cloak shifting as she leaned forward, narrowed her burning eyes. "What do you an? Speak clearly."
Aamir inhaled, then exhaled sharply. His crimson system flickered faintly behind him, glowing with stored data.
"Zorwath’s influence extends far beyond this world. There are other planets—worlds scarred and broken—because of him. His corruption spreads like a disease."
King Luis’s eyes widened, the circuits on his armor pulsing erratically. "Other... planets?"
Hyun Min-Jae pushed his glasses up, his voice low. "Are you saying... he’s already conquered worlds beyond Earth?"
"Yes," Aamir said simply. His tone carried no hesitation.
He stepped forward, his eyes darkening. "Zorwath is not new. He is alive from seventeen hundred years ago. He ruled in the Magicless Era—back when humanity was too weak to wield magic in combat but strong enough to forge technology with their bare hands. He rose in that gap, a conqueror who bent both magic and machine to his will."
The room was deathly still.
Aamir’s voice grew sharper, colder.
"He conquered Earth. And he did not stop there. He stretched his hand beyond this sky, conquering other planets, enslaving civilizations, leaving nothing but beasts behind."
Even Seenu flinched slightly, his sword hand tightening.
Riya’s lips parted, her voice trembling. "And if... if the gods hadn’t interfered?"
Aamir’s crimson eyes burned brighter. "If gods themselves hadn’t stopped him, he would have beco unstoppable. A force even they could not destroy."
Silence fell, each leader staring as if a weight pressed on their chest.
Finally, Tsukiko whispered, "But... if the gods stopped him, why... why is he here again?"
Aamir’s gaze lowered. His voice was grave.
"They didn’t destroy him. They couldn’t. They only sealed him."
He raised his head, his teeth clenched.
"And years ago—Ivanka broke that seal. That’s when everything began again."
The weight of his words struck like a hamr. The leaders exchanged glances, their faces pale. Soldiers standing near the walls whispered prayers under their breath, so trembling at the thought of an enemy who had once been too great even for the gods.
Aamir clenched his fists. "But here’s the truth. He isn’t invincible. If we free the planets he corrupted—if we destroy the beasts he left behind—we can gain allies strong enough to stand with us. Beings who suffered just like us. Beings who will fight against him when the ti cos."
Luis muttered, "You’ve... already been there."
Aamir nodded. "I defeated two of his corrupted beasts already. On Cirsys. On Sacre. But not all. There are more."
Rizwana’s voice cut in, sharp but shaken. "If what you say is true, then Zorwath’s corruption is cosmic, not local. That ans... Earth alone can’t hope to win."
"Exactly." Aamir’s voice rang like steel. "That’s why I can’t sit in a chair here and play politics. My mission is to free those worlds. To kill his beasts before they evolve into sothing even gods fear."
Riya swallowed, her hands trembling as she clutched her staff. Her voice cracked. "But Aamir... if you go again... what if we lose you again?"
For the first ti, his expression softened. He glanced at her, then at the friends he had left behind for five long years.
"I ca back once, didn’t I? I’ll co back again. Always."
Raj exhaled slowly, shaking his head. "You never change, huh? Always carrying the heaviest burden like it’s yours alone."
Kunal chuckled bitterly. "And yet... no one else here could do it."
Seenu smirked faintly, though his eyes glead with respect. "Hmph. Just don’t expect to sit still while you fight gods, Aamir."
For a long mont, the council chamber was quiet. Each leader wrestled with the enormity of his words, the shadow of Zorwath’s influence stretching farther than they had ever imagined.
Finally—Rizwana stood, her desert cloak flaring. Her voice carried conviction.
"Then go. Free these worlds. Gather the strength we will need. And when you return, Aamir... we will stand with you against Zorwath."
One by one, the leaders nodded. The council’s decision was clear.
But in their hearts, one truth echoed louder than any decree:
This war was no longer just for Earth.
It was for everything.
The council chamber still trembled with the weight of Aamir’s revelations when his eyes suddenly narrowed.
He froze mid-step. His system screen flickered into being without command, crimson glyphs spinning violently.
[Warning: Host is detecting a sudden weakening in a familiar life force.]
Aamir’s breath hitched. "...System. Don’t play with . Am I wrong, or... am I sensing my mother’s life force fading?"
Luman’s calm voice echoed in his mind.
[You are not wrong, Host. Confird—vital signs rapidly weakening.]
His pupils constricted, crimson glow flaring in panic. He spun to Riya, voice sharp and raw.
"Riya. Where is Mother?"
The chamber went silent again, the leaders watching in confusion. Riya’s lips trembled as she hesitated.
"In... in the outer court of Base Three."
Aamir’s voice cracked like a whip. "Outer court? Why not in the inner sanctum? Why isn’t she in maximum protection?"
Riya swallowed hard, forcing her voice to remain steady. "To fool Zorwath and his spies. If you have soone important, you keep them under disguise—not under high walls. She’s safer among the outer rings where fewer eyes suspect her. Guards are always stationed there. Even Raj—"
"No!" Aamir’s voice bood, silencing her. His crimson aura flared, filling the chamber with crushing weight. "She isn’t safe. Not anymore."
His fists clenched, nails digging into his palms. "I can feel her slipping away!"
Without waiting for permission, Aamir turned. His cloak snapped violently as his body blurred forward—his figure vanishing from the chamber with a thunderous crack.
"MOTHER IS IN DANGER!" His roar echoed down the halls as he sprinted faster than eyes could follow.
Riya’s chest clenched painfully. She stepped forward, whispering. "It... it can’t be. How can her life force weaken? It’s impossible..."
Before she could finish, the chamber doors slamd open. A guard stumbled in, armor dented, blood running down his temple.
"Leaders! Urgent news! Base Three—outer court—has co under direct attack! Enemies breaching the outer walls!"
Riya’s breath caught. "...He was right."
Raj’s fists trembled with fury. "Then we don’t waste a second. Arm yourselves—prepare to fight!"
The leaders rose, their combined auras flaring like a storm.
"MOVE!" Rizwana barked, her golden cloak billowing as she led the charge.
One by one, the global leaders, Raj, Seenu, Riya, Kunal, era, and their guards sprinted from the chamber—every heart pounding with dread.
The night tore around Aamir as he sprinted. His feet shattered the stone beneath each step, every stride carrying him like a crimson cot streaking across the battlefield. His system screen pulsed beside him, tracking his mother’s life force.
[Vitality at 62%... 59%... 55%...]
"No... no, no, no..." Aamir’s voice broke, his teeth grinding hard enough to bleed.
"WHY IS THIS HAPPENING NOW?! I JUST GOT BACK!"
His heart pounded, not just with adrenaline, but with raw, suffocating fear. mories clawed into his mind—his mother’s voice, her touch, her laugh. All those nights as a boy when she shielded him with nothing but her arms.
He clenched his fists, pushing harder. His aura flared, crimson energy erupting like fire behind him.
"Hold on, Mom. Just for a second. Hold on—I’m coming to save you."
Back with the others, Riya’s voice cracked as she sprinted alongside Seenu.
"Why... why didn’t we put her deeper inside Base Three? We should’ve known Zorwath would target her first!"
Seenu’s jaw clenched. "Strategically, she was safe where she was. But this... this isn’t strategy. It’s personal. Zorwath is making a statent."
Raj’s face twisted with rage, his aura boiling. "Then he’ll regret ever touching her. If she falls—if Aamir’s mother dies—Zorwath will unleash a storm even he can’t control."
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