A chill ran down Levi's spine that had nothing to do with the evening air. The Fragment of Dawn pulsed warm against his chest, as if responding to some unseen danger.
Through their connection, he could feel Aseraph's memories stirring—flashes of betrayal, divine fury, and the terrible price of defying the celestial order.
The temperature around them began to drop.
Not gradually, but all at once, as if winter itself had descended in the span of a heartbeat.
Levi's breath became visible, and frost began forming on the broken windows of the surrounding buildings.
"He's here," Mera breathed, her light dimming to almost nothing.
From the mouth of the alley, a figure emerged.
At first glance, he appeared to be a man in his thirties, tall and lean with sharp aristocratic features.
His dark hair was swept back from his face, and he wore an expensive black coat that seemed to absorb light rather than reflect it.
But his eyes—his eyes were pools of absolute darkness, like staring into the void between stars.
"Levi Ashworth," the figure said, his voice carrying the weight of authority and something far more dangerous. "Or should I say, the new vessel of the Light God's pathetic remnants?"
Levi's hand instinctively moved to his weapon, but the man raised a single finger in a gesture that somehow conveyed both amusement and warning.
"My name is Vex," the figure continued, taking a casual step forward. "I serve as Avatar to Lord Nyx, the Shadow God. And you, little mortal, have something that doesn't belong to you."
[New Objective: Survive encounter with Divine Avatar]
[Warning: Enemy power level exceeds current capabilities]
[Recommended action: Flee immediately]
Levi's jaw clenched. "I'm not giving you anything."
Vex's laugh was like winter wind through a graveyard. "Oh, but you misunderstand. I'm not here to negotiate. I'm here to collect what my master is owed, and to ensure that Aseraph's foolish dream dies with his last fragment."
The Avatar raised his hand, and the shadows around them began to writhe and take shape.
Tendrils of pure darkness stretched toward Levi like grasping fingers, each one promising a cold, empty death.
"Levi, use your Light Burst!" Mera cried out. "It's the only thing that can hurt divine beings!"
Levi focused on the warmth of the Fragment of Dawn, feeling its power flow through his veins.
His hand began to glow with brilliant golden light, and he thrust it forward just as the shadow tendrils reached him.
[Skill Activated: Light Burst - Level 2]
[Damage dealt: 847 Divine Damage]
[Avatar Health: 23,847/25,000]
The burst of light tore through the shadows like a blade through silk, and Vex actually took a step back, his expression shifting from amusement to mild interest.
"Impressive," he said, examining the smoking remains of his shadow constructs. "You're stronger than I expected. But strength without wisdom is just another form of weakness."
Vex gestured, and the entire alley plunged into supernatural darkness. Not the absence of light, but something far worse—a darkness that seemed to devour hope itself.
"Let me show you the difference between a mortal playing with divine power and a god's chosen servant."
The darkness exploded outward, and suddenly Levi was falling through an endless void. He couldn't see Mera, couldn't feel the ground beneath his feet, couldn't even sense the Fragment of Dawn's warmth.
There was only the cold, and Vex's voice echoing from everywhere and nowhere.
"Do you know what your predecessor's greatest mistake was?" Vex's words seemed to come from inside Levi's own mind. "He thought mortals deserved power. He believed that divinity should be shared, that the order of creation could be overturned by compassion and idealism."
Images flashed through the darkness—Aseraph, blazing with golden light, standing before a council of gods. His voice, proud and defiant: "They have the right to choose their own destiny!"
"But power without hierarchy is chaos," Vex continued. "The gods maintain order. We prevent the universe from consuming itself. And when someone threatens that order..."
The darkness around Levi suddenly took shape—hundreds of divine beings, their forms blazing with power, all focused on a single figure wreathed in failing light.
"They must be eliminated."
Levi felt himself slam back into physical reality, his body hitting the brick wall hard enough to crack the mortar.
Vex stood before him, no longer bothering with human pretense. His form had grown to nearly eight feet tall, his skin now pale as moonlight, and shadows writhed around him like living things.
"Now," Vex said, extending one clawed hand, "give me the fragment, and I'll make your death quick."
But as Levi struggled to his feet, something unexpected happened.
A crossbow bolt, glowing with silver light, streaked through the air and embedded itself in Vex's shoulder.
The Avatar spun around with a snarl of rage and pain.
"Who dares—"
"Someone who knows exactly what you are, shadow-spawn."
Elena stepped out from behind an overturned cart, her healer's robes replaced by form-fitting leather armor.
In her hands was a silver crossbow that seemed to pulse with its own inner light, and her eyes held a knowledge that hadn't been there during the examination.
"Elena?" Levi gasped, pulling himself upright. "What are you doing here?"
"Saving your life, apparently," she said, not taking her eyes off Vex. "Though I have to admit, I didn't expect you to draw this much attention this quickly."
Vex pulled the bolt from his shoulder, black ichor dripping from the wound. "A blessed weapon. And not just any blessed weapon—Lunar silver, forged in the fires of the Dawn Temple." His eyes narrowed. "You're no mere healer, are you?"
Elena smiled, but it wasn't the gentle expression Levi remembered. This smile held steel and secrets. "I'm a student of history, Avatar. And history teaches us that gods can bleed."
She fired again, this time aiming for Vex's heart, but the Avatar dissolved into shadow just before the bolt reached him.
The alley fell silent except for the sound of Levi's ragged breathing.
"Above you!" Mera's voice cut through the quiet.