As soon as the oppressive presence disappeared from Sector 8, it felt as though an enormous weight had been lifted off the people's shoulders.
The people who had initially held their breaths exhaled heavily, trying to regain their composure. A flash of blinding light ignited in the sky, followed by a loud rumble of thunder.
The gazes of both the people and the spirits snapped toward Magnus as an intense killing intent hit them like a tidal wave.
Ismara's eyes narrowed. 'He's mad,' she thought.
It seemed inconceivable. A presence so overwhelming that millions of people, including paragons, had been tempted to worship it had just revealed itself.
It had made its allegiance to the spirits clear. And yet, Magnus still intended to wipe them out?
As the realization dawned on them, the spirits couldn't help but tremble. He truly was a madman, a terrible opponent to have. To him, there was no reasoning, no negotiation, no compromise.
"Ismara."
Ismara turned her gaze toward Seraphina. Their eyes met, and though neither spoke a word, their gazes seemed to communicate volumes.
The rumbling thunder grew more furious, and an intense darkness blanketed the entire sector as thick clouds began to gather.
But in the next instant, the oppressive aura that Ismara had been emitting suddenly vanished. Before anyone could react, her large figure shrank and entered Seraphina's chest.
The spirits paused, confused. Ismara was the highest ranking spirit present, and they had instinctively followed her lead. But now that she was gone, none of them knew what to do next.
Regardless, Magnus's killing intent and the thick clouds gathering in the sky were undeniable. The reality hit them instantly.
If they persisted, they would die.
It started with one spirit, its ethereal form turned and disappeared into its bond's chest. Then the others followed, and soon enough, silence descended upon Sector 8.
"I'm sorry about this, but can we continue our conversation later?"
Magnus and Oberon exchanged glances before nodding. "It's paramount we address this issue as soon as possible," Oberon reminded, prompting Seraphina to nod.
Although her stance had been firm when confronting Ismara, it was clear that she was still visibly troubled by the entire situation.
"Now would be a good time to tell us what's going on," the sharp voice of Thorne Alverian cut in from the side. The other paragons also wore serious expressions as they looked at the trio.
They had come running the instant Ozeroth appeared in Sector 8. Even now, although some had begun to draw conclusions, it didn't change the fact that they were in the dark while the trio clearly knew something.
Magnus and Oberon glanced at Seraphina, seemingly seeking her approval. With a hesitant look, she nodded.
The matter was already out in the open, and there was nothing she could do to stop it. Even she wasn't sure about the future anymore.
"We'll talk about it once we assess the damage and handle the aftermath. We'll meet in Sector 6 later today."
The rest of the paragons frowned but decided to wait until the meeting to discuss the matter further.
Turning toward Magnus, they felt his perception suddenly expand, encompassing the entire area. As they wondered what he was doing, like a bolt of lightning, Magnus streaked toward a particular direction before burrowing deep into the ground.
After a few seconds of waiting, Magnus emerged. This time, an incubator with an egg floated behind him, along with the completely battered figures of Alvis, Elysia, and the other branch heads.
They had been closest to where Atticus and Blackgate first clashed and had borne the full brunt of it. Their forms were covered in blood and grime, and none of them could move a muscle, their bones completely broken.
Magnus wrapped each of them in thick tendrils of lightning, and before any of the paragons could say a word, he streaked upwards and disappeared into the horizon, leaving behind a rumbling thunder in his wake.
The other paragons were flabbergasted. The people Magnus had just taken were valuable and could have potentially shed light on everything that had just happened. Yet, Magnus had simply taken them away without consulting anyone.
As Magnus left, the other paragons also started leaving to assess the damage in their respective sectors. Soon, only Oberon and Seraphina were left in Sector 8.
Seraphina began attending to her people, while Oberon simply hovered in the air, staring at the sky.
'This is worse than I thought,' he admitted to himself.
Oberon had been shocked when Magnus and Seraphina informed him of the situation. Spirits had existed in Eldoralth for generations, older than even his grandfather and the one before him.
Oberon would have never imagined that they came from another world.
They had to survive the Zorvans. They had to survive within an alliance led by those whose only goal was domination. And now, they had to survive the spirits.
It was a lot for humanity to handle, and considering the presence Oberon had just felt, the chances of survival seemed close to zero.
'Unless…' Oberon's thoughts shifted to Atticus, the scene of him battling Blackgate playing in his mind.
'If anyone can do it, it's him.'
It was pure logic. The peak of Eldoralth's power had always been the paragon rank. No one had ever surpassed it, and Oberon doubted it would happen in their current generation.
However, thinking about Atticus, who had shattered more records than Oberon could even bother to keep track of, the possibility didn't seem so far-fetched.
What was one more record?
For the sake of humanity's future, Oberon reached a conclusion in his mind, one that he intended to pursue no matter what.
Afterwards, Oberon left Sector 8, leaving only Seraphina behind. Although the Spirit King had restored the sector, the lives of the spirits and people lost had not returned.
Sector 8 entered a state of mourning. The people, especially those who had felt the Spirit King's presence, flocked to the Starhaven Temple, bowing in utter reverence.
With their respective spirits whispering about the might of their king, the people soon became enamored and started worshiping him as though he were a god.
Seraphina watched all of this unfold, her mind racing.