The cataclysmic clash between Rune's raw power and Vorn's energy sphere tore through the Dark Spire's chamber. As Vorn was fully assimilated, the Eternal Gate – the source of his power and madness – lost its anchor. It didn't close; instead, it began to implode chaotically, like a miniature black hole swallowing itself and everything around it.
The air in the room shrieked in agony, the violet light from the Eternal Gate becoming frenzied, swirling faster, stronger, pulling in debris of metal, concrete, and even remnants of experimental equipment. The entire Dark Spire began to shake violently, massive cracks spreading across its walls, the sounds of crumbling stone and twisting metal echoing everywhere.
Rune stood at the eye of this energy hurricane. He felt an immense, terrifying surge of power from assimilating Vorn and even a fraction of the raw energy from the Eternal Gate. But it was a wild, uncontrollable power. The Eternal Gate was collapsing, and it threatened to drag him with it.
He had to escape. Immediately.
Rune didn't hesitate. With all his newfound strength, he activated his Electromagnetic Manipulation and Chaotic Kinetics to their absolute maximum. His body became a blinding, blue-violet streak, surging directly towards the colossal breach he had created upon entry. His speed surpassed all previous limits, outrunning the flying debris, overcoming the pull of the imploding Eternal Gate.
As he burst out of the chamber, a deafening explosion erupted behind him. The Dark Spire began to collapse from its peak, colossal concrete sections fracturing, steel beams twisting like taffy. The violet energy from the Eternal Gate erupted outwards into the air for one final, terrifying display of destruction, illuminating the entire night sky over the Ruined City.
Rune didn't look back. He continued to surge forward, tearing through ruined streets, past crumbling, ancient structures that shuddered and fell under the force of the distant implosion. He didn't stop until he was well clear of the danger zone, a significant distance from what was now a colossal pile of rubble where the Dark Spire once stood.
Rune collapsed in a desolate plaza, his body trembling violently. Exhaustion and energy overload left him unable to stand. The bone and crystal armor on his body retracted, the electrical currents slowly fading. He had won. He had killed Vorn and stopped the Eternal Gate.
But at what cost?
He looked up at the night sky. The Dark Spire was gone, leaving only a gaping void on the horizon, a permanent scar on the Ruined City. The eerie violet glow had vanished, replaced by a deathly silence.
Rune was now more powerful than ever, a unique Awakened with comprehensive Assimilation abilities. He was a creature of constant transformation, one who had devoured the power of his enemies to survive. But he was no longer the Rune he once knew.
He had exacted his revenge. He had saved the world from Vorn. But would he truly find peace? Or was he now merely a stronger monster, trapped in an eternal cycle of transformation?
Rune closed his eyes, feeling the new power surging within him. His mission was complete. But where would his journey lead him now, in a ruined world without Vorn?