Chapter 2596: Story 2597: The Hunger Beyond Worlds

The colossal shadow crossed the edge of creation.

For several seconds, nobody moved.

Then the stars began disappearing.

One by one.

Asterion’s citizens looked upward as entire constellations vanished into the darkness.

Victoria Kane tightened her grip on the Dawnblade.

"What is that?"

Nox’Rath’s silver wings trembled.

"The Hunger Beyond Worlds."

Cole looked at him.

"You’ve fought it before?"

Nox’Rath shook his head.

"No."

"Nothing has."

The shadow moved closer.

Its body had no shape.

It was an endless darkness surrounded by thousands of enormous mouths.

Each mouth opened silently.

And every time one opened, another distant world disappeared.

Evelyn stared in horror.

"It’s consuming worlds."

The First Hunger stepped forward.

Its star-filled eyes widened.

"It is not consuming them."

Victoria looked at it.

"Then what?"

"It is consuming their possibility."

The transformed Dawnblade began glowing.

Victoria felt a cold sensation inside her heart.

"If it eats possibility..."

"There will be nothing left to choose."

Lyra suddenly grabbed Victoria’s arm.

"I can hear it."

Victoria turned.

"What?"

Lyra’s face became pale.

"It’s hungry."

A deep voice crossed existence.

"All creation is unfinished."

The shadow continued approaching.

"All possibility creates uncertainty."

Thousands of mouths opened.

"I will make everything complete."

Victoria raised her blade.

"By destroying it?"

"By consuming it."

The Hunger Beyond Worlds released a wave of darkness.

Golden gateways began collapsing.

Worlds cried out.

The citizens of the Black Frontier panicked.

The Empress looked toward Victoria.

"What can we do?"

Victoria looked at the endless darkness.

"Keep choosing."

The Empress nodded.

She turned toward her people.

"Everyone!"

Across the Black Frontier, millions of citizens raised their hands.

"We choose."

Golden sparks appeared.

The Hunger Beyond Worlds recoiled.

Victoria understood.

"It can consume worlds."

She raised the Dawnblade.

"But it can’t consume a choice that hasn’t been made."

Dawn stepped beside her.

"Then we need to create more choices than it can consume."

The ancient guardians spread across the battlefield.

Arkon opened new gateways.

Seraphine connected distant civilizations through waves of compassion.

Thalen sent arrows of light into empty space.

Each arrow became a new star.

Ordan protected newborn worlds.

Elara moved between gateways, guiding survivors.

Malachor studied the creature.

"There!"

He pointed toward the darkness.

A tiny golden symbol appeared inside the enormous shadow.

Victoria narrowed her eyes.

"What is that?"

"The creature’s core."

Nox’Rath stared.

"It’s not a heart."

"No," Malachor answered.

"It’s a decision."

Victoria understood.

"The Hunger itself once made a choice."

The First Hunger stepped forward.

"I know which one."

Victoria looked at it.

"What choice?"

The ancient creature’s voice became quiet.

"To never be hungry again."

The Hunger Beyond Worlds roared.

The sound shattered thousands of stars.

The First Hunger moved toward it.

"I know you."

The shadow turned.

"You are me."

The First Hunger nodded.

"I was."

It opened its star-filled wings.

"But I learned something."

The Hunger attacked.

The First Hunger flew directly into the darkness.

Victoria shouted,

"No!"

A tremendous explosion of silver and black energy erupted.

The Hunger Beyond Worlds recoiled.

For the first time, its mouths closed.

Inside the darkness, the First Hunger’s voice echoed.

"Hunger does not have to become destruction."

Golden light spread through the shadow.

The creature began shrinking.

Victoria raised the Dawnblade.

"Everyone!"

Every world connected to Asterion answered.

Millions of choices became one enormous wave.

The Hunger Beyond Worlds screamed.

Its darkness cracked.

Beneath it appeared a small golden creature.

It looked frightened.

Lost.

Alone.

Victoria slowly approached.

"You were hungry."

The creature nodded.

"Because you were alone."

Another nod.

Victoria lowered her blade.

"You don’t have to be."

The creature looked toward the countless worlds.

For the first time, it saw them not as food...

But as possibilities.

A tiny golden tear fell from its eye.

The darkness disappeared.

The stars returned.

Silence filled creation.

Then the First Hunger emerged from the fading light.

It looked exhausted.

Victoria smiled.

"You did it."

The creature shook its head.

"No."

It looked toward the newborn worlds.

"They did."

But before anyone could celebrate, Elias Crow’s journal opened by itself.

A final line appeared:

The Hunger has been healed.

Then another sentence formed beneath it.

But something was hiding inside it.

Victoria’s smile vanished.

The journal’s pages turned black.

A single name appeared.

THE LAST WORLD.

Far beyond the restored stars, one isolated planet opened its eyes.

And somewhere upon its surface...

A golden child whispered,

"Victoria Kane."