THE SANCTUARY BETRAYED

In a resonant room in the heart of the Void, the remaining Generals had gathered. The air crackled with frustration. News of the defeats of Goliath and Vex, coupled with the annihilation of Nyx, had reached their ears.

— We underestimated the Stars! — roared Legion. Three of our people have fallen!

— The Untamed Fury and the Silent Shadow paid with their lives — said a figure wreathed in black flames, Ignis. —  An acceptable exchange. —

Karen, recovering on an obsidian throne, watched silently. — Where is Morwen? — she asked finally, her voice a hiss.  —There should be nine here, but I only see eight. —

— The Puppet Master always plays his own game — replied Vorlag, the Strategist. — But his master plan, he informed me, is about to bear fruit. —

Meanwhile, in the citadel of Eldoria, Asimil and Luce were on the rooftop of the medical wing, watching the corrupted sky. It had been days since their arrival.

— Good news, guys! —  Tenshi came running in, his usual energy overflowing. — I just talked to the healing team! Mio is stable! She still can't fight, but the worst is over. —

Immense relief washed over them. It was the first good news they had received in weeks.— But don't relax yet, — Tenshi continued, pulling out an official scroll. We have been summoned.  — Lady Seraphina requests your presence from both of us. —

The news of the arrival of the Sovereign Queen a day ahead of schedule had sent the entire city into a state of euphoria and nervousness. For many, it was the arrival of salvation. For Tenshi, it was a small detail that itched at the back of her mind, but he dismissed it out of the excitement of the moment. The three made their way to the central tower of the bastion.

Inside the courtroom, they found her. Seraphina had her back to them, staring at a tactical map of the world. She turned, and her presence was magnetic. She greeted Tenshi cordially and then rested her gaze on Asimil and Luce.— Dusk Survivors. It is an honor to meet you. —

But after the formalities, her attitude changed. A strange, almost condescending smile appeared on her face. — It's funny, isn't it? — he began, his voice taking on a distant, philosophical tone. —  They fight so fiercely for a world that is, in essence, a prison. They cling to life, to love, to hope... such fragile concepts. Cosmic garbage. The Void... the Void offers the truth. The peace of absolute nothingness. —

Asimil and Luce looked at each other, confused. Armored figures, "Seraphina's" honor guard, stepped out of the shadows, surrounding them. But they did not move like humans. They moved in perfect, unnatural synchronicity. Like puppets.

It was then that Tenshi realized. His face turned pale with horror. — You... that's not your voice. You're not Seraphina! — she shouted. 

The figure of the Sovereign Queen laughed, a sound that was not that of a woman, but of a multiple, distorted chorus. — You found me out. What a pity. —

Seraphina's image flickered and dissolved, revealing the pale, elegant figure of Morwen, the Puppeteer.

— Thank you for the warm welcome — he said with a mocking bow. — And thank your stupid humans for giving me full access to their defenses. It was only a matter of time before this city fell as well. —

Slowly, he brought Seraphina's mask, which he held in his hand, to his lips and licked it with an obscene gesture. 

— What have you done to her! — Tenshi roared.

— It's none of your business — Morwen replied. — But fear not. I will let them live. You will be my honored guests to see first hand the destruction of their last sanctuary. —

Just as he said that, a massive explosion shook the foundations of the tower. The largest building in the citadel, the defensive reactor core, burst into flames. — Just in time — Morwen said with a satisfied smile.

But the explosion had also created an opening. The wall of the room collapsed, and out of the dust and debris, a figure burst through. It was Tenshi's boyfriend, Kenji. — RUN! — he shouted.

The puppet guards rushed at him. Kenji did not dodge them. He took their blows, his body glowing with each impact. The energy from his enemies' attacks seemed to be stored in his own body. 

— It's my turn! — he roared, and unleashed the pent-up energy in a devastating shockwave that returned the damage with double the power, shattering the puppets.

Morwen looked at him with clinical interest. — What a curious skill. — But he didn't stay to fight. His plan was already in motion. With a final sneer, all he did was run away, melting into the shadows.

Kenji, badly wounded but on his feet, grabbed the three and pulled them out of the collapsing tower just as the chaos and panicked screams announced that the final siege had begun.