The wind howled through the jagged cliffs of the Shadowward Vale as the sun dipped behind the mountains, casting an eerie crimson glow across the battlefield. The remnants of Kazakare's reign had barely settled into silence, yet an unease hung in the air like a lingering curse. The children had returned to the Sanctuary, weary and bruised, some limping, some lost in thought. But the peace was brittle.
Tom stood beside a broken archway, watching the clouds shift. He clutched his sword tighter than necessary, the memory of the last battle still etched into his bones. Frank approached slowly, eyes shadowed with concern. "You still feel him, don't you?"
Tom nodded. "He's gone. But something... darker replaced him. Like a shadow waiting to move."
Frank looked away, his gaze falling on the others as they gathered in the main chamber. Kitty was tending to a burn on Lucy's shoulder, Peter and Zane were sharpening their weapons in silence, and even Marcus, usually the loudest, sat quietly staring at his demon mark, now pulsing faintly blue.
Neolin had summoned them earlier with a tone too serious to ignore. Now, the ancient mentor stood at the edge of the room, fingers tracing symbols into the air. As the last child entered, the glowing glyphs spiraled into a diagram.
"You think Kazakare was the end," Neolin began, voice low, almost mournful. "But Kazakare... was a key. A crack. Something older saw that crack. Something watching. And it's begun to wake."
Kitty's eyes narrowed. "You mean another demon?"
"Worse," Neolin said. "Three. Not just demons. Monsters. Creatures beyond glyphs or names."
The air thickened. A shadow stirred near the ceiling.
"We call them the Monster Trio," Neolin continued. "Velmorith. Aestra Voxis. Obruhn Saren. Each of them once sealed in places far beyond this world. Now, I believe one of them is near. Very near."
Marcus rose. "Why didn't you tell us this before?"
"Because none of you were ready to hear it," Neolin replied. "But Kazakare's death has triggered something. I feel glyphs tearing at reality. The seals are weakening."
Frank frowned. "Can we stop it?"
"Only if we prepare. We train. We remember what Kazakare taught us — and what your demons are still whispering inside. You've only scratched your potential."
Suddenly, the floor beneath them shook — once, then twice. The crystal windows flared with blue light.
"Someone's breached the outer glyph," Peter shouted.
Neolin's face paled. "Too soon... One of them is already here."
Outside, the sky twisted — not with clouds, but with symbols. Black glyphs rained like fireflies, whispering forgotten languages. The mountain trembled as the ancient door of the Sanctuary groaned open.
From the mist stepped a figure — tall, cloaked, faceless — and yet, somehow... familiar. A pulse rang out. All eight children clutched their glyph marks at once.
Tom's burned. Kitty staggered.
Marcus fell to one knee. "It's... Velmorith. He's here."
The figure raised a single hand, and the light around them dimmed as if stolen.
"Children of glyph and flame," the voice echoed. "You stood against Kazakare. But I am no ghost of the past. I am the shadow of all futures."
And then, the earth itself shattered beneath their feet.