The Seven Keys Tavern

  Isaac pushed through the ornate double doors of the Seven Keys. The place was upscale compared to the pit he had just left, but the sudden silence that fell over the room told him the clientele was every bit as dangerous.

  He walked straight to the bar.

  "Welcome," the bartender said, eyeing Isaac’s tattered cloak with clear suspicion. "What can I get you?"

  "I'm looking for an old man," Isaac said, sliding a coin across the polished wood. "Looks like a mage. Carrying a staff. He might have passed through here."

  The bartender looked at the coin, then at Isaac. He didn’t touch the money.

  "You're going to need more than that if you want information in this establishment."

  Isaac grabbed a pitcher from the counter, took a long swig, and slammed a heavy pouch of gold onto the bar.

  "If the information is good... maybe."

  The bartender weighed the pouch in his hand. He nodded slowly.

  "There was an old man. Stayed here for a few days. Matches your description. He checked out about an hour ago. He seemed... terrified. He was heading toward the Docks."

  Isaac didn’t wait for change. He turned and sprinted out the door.

  The Docks

  Isaac ran until his lungs burned. The smell of salt and tar filled the air. The docks were quiet, save for the lapping waves.

  In the distance, at the end of a long, wooden pier, he saw a solitary figure untying a small boat.

  "Gwyn!"

  Isaac picked up the pace.

  Suddenly, a shadow fell over the pier. A silhouette materialized from the darkness, standing between Isaac and the old mage.

  "Hello, Gwyn," the figure purred.

  Isaac skidded to a halt. Gwyn looked up, his face draining of color.

  "Master!" Isaac shouted.

  "Isaac..." Gwyn breathed.

  "What a surprise," the shadow said, turning slowly. "So the rumors are true. The Fallen King of Olympia lives."

  Gwyn gripped his Abyssal Staff, his hands shaking violently.

  "ISAAC! RUN!" the old mage screamed, terror cracking his voice. "THIS CREATURE IS BEYOND US! ESCAPE ON THE BOAT, MY KING! GO!"

  "Do you really think I'd let you leave?" the figure laughed. "Come on... let's play."

  The shadow dispersed, revealing an elf with pale skin and long, flowing white hair. His eyes glowed with intense gold. He was clad in pristine golden plate armor, and prominently embossed upon his breastplate was a radiant sun sigil.

  "Impossible..." Gwyn whispered.

  "Who is this, Master?" Isaac asked, stepping onto the pier.

  Gwyn couldn't speak. He was paralyzed by the sheer aura emanating from the man.

  "I think your master is speechless," the man chuckled. "I am Galadion. The most powerful Semi-Entity of Paradise. First in line for Supreme Ascension. Eldest Son of Orion, the Destroyer of Mundus."

  He checked his nails, bored.

  "So many titles... honestly, I lose track."

  "What do you want?" Isaac demanded.

  "He wants the Abyssal Staff," Gwyn choked out.

  "Correct!" Galadion beamed. "But... plans have changed."

  He turned to face the ocean, clasping his hands behind his back.

  "I've heard a lot about you, Isaac. They say you are powerful. The human who challenged the Entities."

  He looked back over his shoulder, a cruel smile playing on his lips.

  "As tempting as it is to test that... I don't have time. I'm taking you to my Mother. She isn't very happy with you."

  "If you knew me as well as you claim," Isaac said, his voice dropping an octave, "you wouldn't threaten me. Or those close to me."

  "Isaac, no!" Gwyn shouted.

  Isaac and Galadion locked eyes. Isaac smiled — a savage, feral grin.

  "Gwyn. Prepare the boat. I'll handle him. We leave together."

  "Isaac... you can't—"

  "OBEY ME!" Isaac roared, his eyes flashing blue.

  Gwyn flinched. He looked at his King, then nodded slowly. "I hope you survive, my son."

  Gwyn ran for the boat. Galadion sighed and moved to intercept him.

  "So predictable."

  BAM.

  A fist connected with Galadion’s jaw. The shockwave shattered the wooden planks beneath them. Galadion was sent skidding backward, his feet carving deep grooves into the wood.

  "This fight is between you and me," Isaac snarled.

  Isaac’s eyes turned a deep, electric blue.

  Galadion stood up, wiping a speck of dust from his cheek. He looked annoyed.

  "Fine. Let's see what a monkey can do against a God."

  Galadion raised a hand. A sword made of pure, solidified sunlight materialized in his grip.

  This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

  SWISH.

  He swung. A wave of golden energy sliced the pier in half. Isaac dodged, the energy singing past his ear, vaporizing a warehouse behind him.

  Isaac charged. He weaved through Galadion's strikes, moving so fast he was a blue blur. He landed a flurry of punches on Galadion’s ribs — THUD! THUD! THUD! — each hit sounding like a cannon blast.

  Galadion grunted, taking a step back.

  "You're annoying," the Semi-Entity spat.

  Galadion stomped his foot. Gravity intensified tenfold. The wooden pier exploded downward into the water. Isaac was forced to his knees, the crushing pressure grinding his bones.

  "Is that all?" Galadion mocked, floating above the wreckage. "Kneel before the Son of Orion."

  "Never."

  Isaac’s blue aura flared. He forced himself up, fighting the crushing gravity. With a roar, he broke the hold, launching himself into the air.

  He met Galadion in the sky. They traded blows, blue mana clashing against golden light. The impact of their fists created shockwaves that churned the ocean below, creating massive waves.

  Galadion caught Isaac’s fist.

  "Enough," Galadion muttered.

  He kicked Isaac in the chest.

  CRASH.

  Isaac flew backward, crashing through three warehouses before hitting a pile of steel crates. The metal crumpled around him like paper.

  "Give up," Galadion called out, floating above the debris, looking completely untouched. "You will never beat me. I am eternal."

  Isaac punched the ground, screaming in rage. The blue light around him intensified, turning the night sky into day.

  He launched himself like a missile.

  He tackled Galadion mid-air, driving him toward the edge of the pier. He slammed Galadion into the ground, creating a crater in the bedrock.

  Isaac didn’t stop. He punched. And punched. Left. Right. Left. Right.

  Galadion caught his fist again. His golden eyes narrowed.

  "Pathetic."

  Galadion grabbed Isaac’s head with one hand and slammed it into the concrete.

  CRACK.

  He pushed deeper. And deeper. The stone cracked. Isaac’s skull groaned under the pressure.

  "Die, worm," Galadion laughed, burying Isaac’s face in the earth. "This is where you belong. Beneath my feet."

  ZZZZT.

  A concentrated beam of blue energy shot from Isaac's eye, drilling straight through Galadion’s palm.

  "ARGH!" Galadion recoiled, releasing him and clutching his smoking hand. "You filth!"

  Isaac pulled his head from the crater. His skin was glowing with such intensity that his flesh seemed translucent. His skeleton was visible beneath, wreathed in roaring blue mana-fire.

  [Berserk Fury]

  Galadion looked at him, and for the first time, his arrogance faltered. He felt... fear.

  Isaac punched him.

  The blow sent Galadion skipping across the water like a stone, destroying the entire dock structure.

  Isaac flew after him, a comet of blue rage. He caught Galadion in mid-air. He hammered his fists into the demigod's face — breaking the nose, shattering the golden jaw.

  Isaac stopped. He hovered above the broken Entity. He raised his right hand to the sky.

  "GRAAAAH!"

  The clouds swirled violently, turning dark. Thunder rumbled, shaking the heavens. A bolt of lightning — thicker and brighter than any natural storm, glowing a blinding electric blue — descended into Isaac’s hand.

  The Mother Lightning.

  Galadion looked up, blood pouring from his mouth. He tried to raise a hand to defend himself.

  Isaac drove the lightning bolt into Galadion’s chest.

  Time seemed to dilate. The world went silent for a heartbeat. The blue light swallowed everything.

  Then, Isaac crushed the energy.

  KA-BOOOOOOOOOOOOM.

  The explosion was blinding. A dome of pure energy expanded outward, vaporizing the water, the pier, and part of the city.

  The shockwave tore through Hell.

  On the cliffs, miles away, the blast knocked Mia, Derek, Lican, and Safira off their feet. The battle ended instantly. Lican grabbed Safira, and they fled in the chaos. Derek was blown over the cliff edge, hanging by his fingertips. Mia dove down, catching him just in time.

  Far away in Valoon, the ground trembled. Everyone looked toward the horizon in fear as a massive mushroom cloud rose into the stratosphere.

  The Aftermath

  The smoke cleared slowly. The docks were gone. A massive crater filled with boiling water replaced the shoreline.

  Gwyn rowed the small boat through the debris-filled water, coughing in the thick haze. He scanned the surface frantically.

  "Isaac! ISAAC!"

  He spotted a body floating face down. Clothes shredded, skin burned, faint traces of static still arcing off his skin.

  Gwyn pulled him into the boat with a grunt of effort. Isaac was unconscious, barely breathing.

  Gwyn looked back at the ruined coast of Hell, where the residual energy of a Semi-Entity still crackled in the air like dying lightning.

  "We need to go," the old mage whispered, rowing desperately into the open sea.

  The Cliffs – Ery’s Grave

  Mia and Derek stood at the edge of the cliff, staring down into the churning white foam where their friend had fallen. There was no body to bury — only the roaring sea swallowing everything.

  "Rest in peace, my friend," Derek whispered, his voice rough with grief.

  "Thank you for everything, Ery..." Mia choked out, wiping a tear that refused to stay hidden.

  Derek took a deep breath, his shoulders heavy, and turned away from the cliff.

  "Let's go. We need to see the blast site."

  "Mn-hm." Mia nodded, voice barely above a whisper. "Let's go."

  The Docks – The Crater

  The devastation was absolute. The pier was gone. In its place yawned a massive crater filled with boiling seawater, thick steam rising into the night air.

  A crowd of locals, guards, and survivors had gathered at the edge. Some were digging frantically through the rubble on the shoreline.

  "Hey! Over here!" a worker shouted, his voice shrill with panic. "I found something!"

  Several men heaved a massive chunk of concrete aside with a strained GRUNT.

  Beneath it lay a body.

  It was unrecognizable. The golden armor was crushed like tin foil. The chest was caved in, the limbs twisted at unnatural angles. But the faint, dying glow of the Paradise Sigil on the armor was unmistakable.

  "It's... it's Galadion," someone whispered, terrified. "The Son of Orion... he's dead. Crushed like a bug."

  A wave of horror rippled through the crowd. If a Semi-Entity could be killed here, no one was safe.

  The Seven Keys Tavern

  The mood inside the tavern was heavy, the usual noise replaced by a tense, suffocating silence. Derek nursed a drink, staring blankly at the wood grain of the table. Mia sat opposite him, her eyes distant, her mind racing.

  "A King who kills a Semi-Entity..." Derek muttered, shaking his head in disbelief. "He's worth a hell of a lot more than forty billion, that's for sure. But I don't know if it's smart to keep chasing this."

  Mia looked up sharply, her eyes flashing with anger.

  "So you're just going to give up?"

  Derek met her gaze. He looked tired. Defeated.

  "Easy, Mia. Look around. I lost half the clan in a skirmish with just two assassins. We lost Ery today. Continuing this isn't just a job anymore; it's suicide."

  He pushed his drink away.

  "I'm not going to lose anyone else. If I were you, I'd give up on this madness too. Before a silver sword paralyzes you again."

  The words hung in the air, cruel but true.

  Mia stood up slowly. She didn't scream. She didn't argue. She simply turned and walked out of the tavern without looking back.

  The Harbor

  Outside, the sun was setting, painting the ruined city in hues of blood orange. Mia walked to the edge of the water, far from the crowds. She buried her face in her hands, shoulders shaking.

  “Where are you, you idiot?” she wept softly, voice breaking.

  Clink… clink…

  A soft sound caught her attention. Something was washing up against the debris at the water’s edge — a glowing object bobbing in the waves.

  “A Transmission Crystal?”

  She picked it up. It was wet and pulsing with a faint, unsteady light. She squinted at the runes floating inside the crystal.

  “It’s encrypted… Wait.” She wiped her eyes. “I know these codes. This is Master Gwyn’s signature.”

  She held the crystal up. Her body began to levitate slightly as she channeled her mana, bypassing the encryption.

  [Transmission Start]

  “Mary… I know. He is alive. He will likely look for me, or perhaps for Mia. If he finds you first… take him to the Astral Plane. I do not know when I will return, but I am heading to the Docks tonight… I feel something powerful is still tracking me. But for now, I am safe at the Seven Keys Tavern. Goodbye, my daughter… I love you.”

  [Transmission End]

  The light faded. Mia gripped the crystal tight, her knuckles turning white.

  “So that’s it,” she thought, the pieces falling into place. “Isaac must be going to the Astral Plane to recover his memories with Gwyn. Let me remember… where is the portal? The forest near Wood Valley… Yes! That’s it!”

  “I need to find a way there. Now.”

  She scanned the harbor. She spotted a refugee boat preparing to leave, taking civilians away from the war zone.

  Mia spun around. Black smoke swirled around her form. Her posture hunched, her hair turned gray, and her skin wrinkled. In seconds, she resembled a frail, elderly elf woman.

  She glanced back at the tavern where Derek sat, probably ordering another drink.

  “Goodbye, Derek.”

  She turned and hobbled toward the boat, disappearing into the crowd of refugees.