The Wrath of the Fallen

Samkiel and Dianna venture into the cavern, arriving at a circular antechamber with three identical tunnels. Dianna realizes this does not match her prophetic dreams. She theorizes the cavern is a magical test requiring them to separate. Samkiel protests but reluctantly agrees, giving her five minutes before he will destroy the mountain to find her. Dianna enters a tunnel. All three tunnel entrances seal shut, leaving Samkiel trapped.

Through their bond, Dianna confirms that Samkiel is trapped but unharmed. She proceeds down a tunnel of ancient bones into a dilapidated throne room matching her dream. She finds Gathrriel’s chalice filled with blood. Determined, she drinks the entire contents. Memories flood her mind: Gathrriel and the celestial Vvive fell in love. When Vvive became pregnant, the gods murdered her and their unborn child, sparking Gathrriel’s vengeful war. After his death, Gathrriel witnessed Unir holding a newborn with silver hair. As the vision ends, a figure who appears to be Samkiel rushes in. When he kisses her, Dianna realizes it is an impostor. The figure shifts into Nismera, who stabs Dianna in the abdomen.

While attempting to dig through the sealed wall, Samkiel is confronted by Umemri, King of the Otherworld. Umemri repeatedly slams him against the walls but does not attempt to kill him. Samkiel realizes Umemri is stalling. Umemri then shatters the cavern ceiling, burying Samkiel under tons of rock. After digging himself free, Samkiel feels sharp, phantom pain and realizes Dianna has been stabbed. His attempt to contact her is met with silence. He sees Nismera’s warships depart, realizing Nismera has captured both Dianna and Reggie.

Dianna and Nismera engage in a brutal fight, but Nismera’s strength overwhelms Dianna. She blasts Nismera through a wall and attempts to escape, but Umemri blocks her path. He binds her and makes a deal with Nismera: his army in exchange for ensuring that Samkiel watches Dianna die. Days later, Dianna awakens in a dungeon wearing a power-dampening collar. Reggie, his two sisters, and Unir are also imprisoned. Nismera’s guards have been torturing Dianna. When Reggie asks about her wedding ring, Dianna reveals that she swallowed it. She forces herself to vomit it up, briefly contacts Samkiel to tell him she is alive and has a plan, then hides the ring under a stone.

For days, Samkiel searches for Nismera’s hidden stronghold. He gives Cameron a silver teleportation ring, admitting that he cannot control Oblivion when Dianna is in danger. Kaden and Isaiah return from a fruitless search. Faye and her brother emerge from the shadows and pledge their loyalty to Dianna, calling her the one true queen. Faye reveals Nismera’s palace location and opens a portal through which Camilla and Vincent arrive. Samkiel immediately attacks Vincent. Camilla explains that Nismera cursed Vincent, binding his will to hers. Samkiel releases Vincent but demands that everyone present kneel and pledge loyalty to Dianna. They comply. Faye then reveals that Nismera’s location is now public knowledge: Nismera has invited the realms to a public execution of Dianna.

Two days later, Dianna taunts the guards, explaining to Unir that her plan is to anger them enough to steal a key. After they leave, Reggie begs her to stop. The other two fates chant a prophecy about one falling and one rising, heralding the world’s end. Dianna assumes they are reliving a prophecy about her sister, Gabby. Reggie corrects her: He never said that prophecy was about Gabby. Unir clarifies that the prophecy has always been about Samkiel. If Nismera succeeds, Samkiel’s destiny as the World Ender will be fulfilled, resulting in the end of everything.

Dianna lies in her cell, ignoring Unir’s attempts to discuss the World Ender prophecy. When she confronts him about Nismera’s abilities, he reveals troubling truths. Nismera was created using Gathrriel’s blood mixed with godly blood to end wars, but the combination gave her an insatiable hunger for power.

Unir confesses that Samkiel has harbored Oblivion since birth. When six-year-old Samkiel tripped, Oblivion lashed out, reducing everything nearby to ash. To protect him, Unir hired a witch to manipulate Samkiel’s memories of these manifestations.

Dianna angrily accuses Unir of caging the beast and making it more feral, holding him responsible for the damage to his sons. She accuses him of locking Kaden and Isaiah in the prison of Yejedin. Unir insists he never imprisoned them, claiming that they left after killing their grandsire.

Both realize Nismera has deceived them all. She enters, dressed elegantly and carrying a spear embedded with medallion fragments.

Nismera confirms that she manipulated Unir against his sons. She mocks his apology and reveals that she systematically poisoned Unir’s wife, Zasyn, because the unborn child threatened her claim to the throne. Unir rages helplessly while Nismera delights in his anguish.

After attacking Dianna, Nismera tells the fates that Reggie that defied his purpose by intervening to save Dianna, causing him to grow a mortal heart. Reggie confirms this, telling Dianna that loving her was the greatest gift. Dianna desperately offers herself in exchange for Reggie’s life.

Nismera feigns agreement but summons the lords and ladies as an audience. She promises them godhood and demonstrates her power by striking Reggie with the spear. His body turns to ash while the royals applaud.

Dianna blames herself. Samkiel contacts her through their bond, and she tells him Reggie is dead. A memory surfaces of Kaden telling her that her forsaken blades are made of Ig’Morruthen bone.

The next day, Samkiel, Kaden, Isaiah, and Cameron watch a parade celebrating Dianna’s capture. They see Dianna beaten and bloody in a spiked cage while the crowd mocks her. Samkiel tries reaching her through their bond, but she does not respond.

After the parade, the group changes into masquerade attire and infiltrates the ballroom gala. Samkiel observes the royals and reflects on their new allies: Faye’s assassins, Camilla, and Vincent.

Nismera enters wearing Unir’s crown and gives a speech painting herself as a savior. Guards drag a limp Dianna into the ballroom. Samkiel loses control, but Isaiah and Kaden tackle him. Kaden’s taunt about winning Dianna’s love snaps Samkiel back to reason.

As Oblivion manifests, Dianna subtly raises her hand, signaling that she has a plan. He reins in his power.

Dianna feels Samkiel’s presence but cannot look at him. She keeps her ring hidden. As guards drag her to the stage, she mentally marks everyone who wrongs her for death.

Onstage, Dianna spits in Nismera’s face. Nismera backhands her and forcibly shifts Dianna into her Ig’Morruthen form, displaying her as a monster. The royals react with fear, solidifying their allegiance to Nismera. Guards bring execution implements.

Dianna feigns despair to lull Nismera into complacency. When Nismera demands she kneel, Dianna headbutts her. She pulls a forsaken blade—crafted from her own arm bone—from her bra and stabs Nismera through the eye.

The ballroom erupts into chaos. Samkiel grabs Dianna and carries her to a sheltered balcony. They share a passionate kiss. Samkiel expresses anger at her for shutting him out during her torture. Dianna apologizes, explaining that she had a plan.

Samkiel uses Oblivion to destroy her collar, then feeds her his blood to accelerate her healing. Dianna puts her ring back on. Samkiel introduces her to Faye, leader of the assassins, and explains that Camilla is handling incoming ships.

Faye reports Kaden and Isaiah are fighting while Cameron evacuates civilians. When Samkiel orders Faye to take Dianna to safety, she refuses. A silver blade suddenly impales Dianna from behind—Nismera has returned, stabbing both Dianna and Faye. The forsaken blade remains in Nismera’s head.

Samkiel blasts Nismera with lightning while Faye’s assassins retrieve her and vanish. Samkiel tells Dianna to armor up. Through their bond, she shows him what Unir revealed about Nismera’s creation. Samkiel vows that Nismera will die today.

Nismera attacks, kicking Samkiel through a wall. Dianna fights alone, fueled by rage, punching Nismera hard enough to break her nose. Following Samkiel’s telepathic instruction, Dianna lures Nismera into position.

Samkiel springs his trap—lightning erupts from the floor, engulfing Nismera in a massive explosion that reduces her to ashes. Samkiel emerges from the rubble and pulls Dianna to her feet.

However, Nismera’s ashes rise, reform around their throats, and lift them into the air. Fully regenerated, she declares nothing can kill her before throwing them against a wall.

Dianna recovers to see Samkiel fighting Nismera. A deep gash in Samkiel’s side does not heal. Dianna attacks, burying Nismera in debris. She rushes to Samkiel and assesses his severe injury, realizing they must escape. Samkiel agrees.

As they prepare to flee, Nismera appears holding her golden spear, its tip glowing with power aimed at Samkiel’s back. Dianna makes an instinctive choice to sacrifice herself. Samkiel sees Nismera and tries to push Dianna away, but it is too late.

The spear’s power pierces Dianna’s back. Time slows as she holds Samkiel’s arms, seeing terror in his eyes. He throws out his hand, but Dianna has taken the full strike. She feels no pain—only heat—as her body disintegrates. Her last sight is Samkiel’s face. Before vanishing, she sends him a final thought that she loves him.

Kaden and Isaiah feel Dianna’s absence. A midnight-black bird—Death—appears and looks at Kaden with sorrow.

A deep, anguished howl echoes from the palace. Day turns to night as the sky becomes violent purple. Tornadoes laced with Oblivion form, destroying the city and killing indiscriminately. The ground tears apart.

Kaden recognizes this as Samkiel completely unleashing Oblivion. The gods have unleashed annihilation. Cameron lands beside them, his expression confirming that Dianna is dead.

Isaiah gives Kaden a small, sad smile as his skin cracks with light. His form crumbles to ashes, followed immediately by Kaden doing the same.

Samkiel kneels amid Dianna’s ashes. Nismera gloats that he is nothing but destruction. His grief manifests in cold, murderous silence. His blade and armor turn obsidian as Oblivion consumes them. The storm intensifies—towering clouds spawn tornadoes of pure destructive power that shred the planet itself.

Nismera taunts him as the World Ender. Enraged, Samkiel attacks, throwing blade after blade of pure Oblivion. Nismera flees on a winged beast while he pursues, his power eating everything it touches.

As Samkiel unleashes a final devastating wave, Cameron tackles him, screaming that he is killing innocent people. Samkiel sees the ash-covered wasteland, understanding that Nismera fled because she knew he would become the monster everyone feared. A collapsing cliff buries them both.

Samkiel and Cameron crawl from the rubble. Enraged that Cameron stopped him from dying with Dianna, Samkiel attacks him. They brawl in the mud until Cameron pins him and screams that he needs Samkiel too. Samkiel breaks down and begs to die. Cameron sobs and refuses.

Silver lights streak across the sky—the gods have arrived. They bind both Samkiel and Cameron in power-severing cuffs. When Samkiel snarls at them not to touch Cameron, a goddess strikes him.

Among the gods are Kryella and Xavier. Kryella looks at Samkiel with disgust while Xavier cannot meet his eyes. Samkiel feels their bond shatter. Kryella orders them taken to Arcelia. A bald god strikes Samkiel’s head with a silver hammer, knocking him unconscious. As darkness claims him, Samkiel feels himself falling through time.

Dianna’s body painfully reconstructs itself, and she awakens on a rug. Disoriented, she sees a modern apartment in a bustling city from her past—Onuna.

The front door opens, and Gabby walks in, alive. Overwhelmed, Dianna hugs her tightly, fearing that she is in the afterlife. She notices that Gabby’s hairstyle is from years ago and realizes she has traveled back in time.

A loud crash comes from another room. Dianna pushes Gabby behind her and summons a blade. Kaden and Isaiah appear, covered in blood and dirt from battle, their armor hung with scraps of clothing—they have ported into Gabby’s closet.

Stunned by seeing her resurrected sister and time-displaced allies, Dianna can only curse in shock.