Creation Of All Things-Chapter 179: Ostarius 2

The corridor of starflight unraveled like a river of pure light, bending across realms with impossible grace.

One step, and the team was pulled through.

No fanfare. No rush of wind. Just the quiet hum of drifting stars as they passed into a new world.

And then—

They arrived.

It was like falling into a dream.

The world of Ostarius wasn't a planet. Not really. It was a massive floating structure—a fortress the size of a continent, suspended above a churning cosmic sea. Broken moons drifted around it like shattered beads. The sky was neither day nor night—just a gradient of color from violet to gold, with constellations that shifted like breathing creatures.

Ostarius itself… was a relic. Tall spires of blacksteel, lined with flowing light. Giant doors sealed with sigils that pulsed with life. Floating platforms moved like clockwork, revealing layers upon layers of machinery and forgotten systems. Everything about this place felt ancient—but not abandoned. It was waiting.

Joshua stepped forward, blinking at the sheer scale.

"Holy crap."

"That," Alfred said slowly, "is the biggest door I've ever seen."

The gate in front of them stretched into the clouds. It was carved with thousands of interlocking glyphs, moving in slow circles. And right in the center—a circular emblem: a winged eye bound in chains.

Joshua shivered.

Draken stepped up beside him. "That's the Seal of the One-Winged God."

Joshua turned. "The what now?"

Veyrion stepped forward, his boots clicking gently against the obsidian floor. His expression was strange—almost… reverent.

He tilted his head toward the gate. "Ostarius. The Final Vault. This place doesn't just hold power. It holds truth."

Alice narrowed her eyes. "Truth?"

"Not the kind you find," Veyrion said. "The kind that wakes you up."

Aria crossed her arms. "And what exactly is supposed to wake Joshua up?"

Veyrion looked at him.

"You."

Then the seal on the gate cracked.

Just a sliver.

And he walked through.

Zayriel.

His steps echoed before his body fully came into view. Light bent around him. The air seemed to hold its breath.

He was tall—taller than Draken, even. Lean but powerful. His skin was pale, like starlight kissed by shadow. His long silver hair drifted like it was underwater, tipped with black. One glowing eye, golden like the sun. The other, pitch black like a dying star.

And from his back…

A single wing.

Not feathery. Not demonic.

A fusion.

The upper half was pure white, radiant and ethereal. The lower half was jagged, shadowy, with black flames flickering along its edge. Where the two met, they twisted together—light and darkness caught in an eternal dance.

He wore armor—but not of any known world. It looked grown, not forged. Plates of living crystal etched with runes that breathed softly with each movement.

And around him…

Gravity bent.

Power hummed. Quiet. Subtle. But real.

Joshua's body stiffened instantly.

"Who—"

But before he could finish, Veyrion rushed forward.

His eyes were wide—full of something Joshua had never seen in him before.

"Zayriel!" Veyrion dropped to one knee. "I never thought… after all these cycles…"

The others exchanged looks. Even Adam raised an eyebrow.

Joshua blinked. "Wait, you know this guy?"

Veyrion smiled like a kid seeing a childhood hero.

"I don't just know him. I followed him. Before the Star Council. Before the Realm Spiral even formed. Zayriel was… our vanguard. Our blade. He was the one who stood at the edge of creation and said, 'Let there be a door.'"

Alice frowned. "Okay, you're starting to sound like a cultist."

"I mean it," Veyrion said, standing now. "He's not a god. Not a devil. He was both—and neither. A balance. A concept made flesh."

Joshua just stared.

Zayriel's eyes locked onto him. And for a moment, time stopped.

Then he spoke. His voice was soft. Deep. Echoed slightly like he wasn't just talking through air.

"…So this is what I became."

Joshua flinched. "What?"

Zayriel stepped forward slowly, stopping just a few meters away.

"You don't remember me," he said. "But I remember you."

Joshua's mouth opened and closed. "I'm sorry, what?"

Veyrion turned. "Joshua… Zayriel is you. Or rather… your first incarnation."

Silence.

"Nope," Joshua said, backing up. "Nope. Too much. I'm done. I'm out."

"Don't be stupid," Alice said flatly. "You can't walk back to reality through a space corridor."

Draken stepped in, arms crossed. "I've heard rumors. The Star Council's final weapon wasn't a bomb. It was a being. A living seal that held back the Rift."

Joshua stared at Zayriel.

"You were the weapon?"

"No," Zayriel said. "I was the key. And now… I have to see if the key still fits."

He raised a hand—and the entire fortress reacted.

Lights flared. Platforms moved. Energy surged around them.

Joshua took a step back, his body instinctively trying to fight something it didn't understand.

"Wait wait wait, I didn't come here to fight! I came to—"

Zayriel interrupted softly. "To awaken. And to do that… you must face yourself."

The air twisted. A circular arena rose around them—a smooth obsidian ring with floating runes, like a coliseum born from light and void.

Zayriel turned, walking to the center. He drew a blade from thin air—white on one side, black on the other. A thin line of red ran down the middle.

Joshua didn't move.

Until Adam stepped up beside him and whispered, "You're not alone. But this part? You do have to do yourself."

Joshua looked around. Everyone was watching.

Even Veyrion. Especially Veyrion.

Joshua sighed, rolled his shoulders, and walked forward.

THE ARENA.

The moment Joshua stepped in, his clothes shifted. His jacket disappeared. His shirt turned black, etched with glowing blue lines. A strange energy pulsed through him. His breath caught in his throat.

Zayriel nodded. "Good. The vault recognizes you."

Joshua raised his hands. "What am I supposed to do? I don't even have powers."

Zayriel moved like lightning.

CLANG!

Their fists collided—Zayriel's blade stopped inches from Joshua's face, blocked by a force Joshua didn't even know he had.

Joshua's eyes widened. "What the hell?!"

Zayriel smiled faintly. "The power's always been there. It just needed a mirror."

Joshua gritted his teeth. "Then come on."

They clashed.

It wasn't a battle. It was a dance.

Light and shadow. Speed and silence. Zayriel moved like a ghost, always one step ahead. But with every hit, Joshua's body responded more. His punches left trails of light. His eyes glowed. Runes began forming under his skin.

The others watched in stunned silence.

"He's adapting," Kael'Thar whispered.

Draken nodded. "No. He's syncing."

Alice narrowed her eyes. "Zayriel isn't trying to kill him. He's trying to unlock him."

Zayriel slashed again—Joshua caught it barehanded, the blade stopping with a shockwave.

"Enough!" Joshua shouted.

Energy exploded outward. His hair lifted slightly. His veins glowed. His feet weren't touching the ground anymore.

Zayriel stopped.

"You're ready."

Joshua hovered in mid-air, blinking. "I… I am?"

Zayriel stepped forward.

He placed a hand on Joshua's chest.

"Then take it back."

The winged mark—the same one on the door—glowed across Joshua's chest.

It split.

And then—

FLASH.

The power surged through him. Memories. Names. Stars. Everything Zayriel once was, now awakened within him. Not replacing him.

Merging.

When he opened his eyes again, he was still Joshua. But also more.

"…I remember," he said softly.

The platform lowered. The runes dimmed.

The battle was over.

Zayriel stepped back, fading slowly into the air like stardust.

"My part is done. Yours begins."

And then he was gone.

Veyrion knelt again, whispering something in a forgotten language.

The others stared at Joshua, who floated gently to the ground, light still glowing around his hands.

Alice walked up first.

"Okay," she said. "So… what now?"

Joshua looked toward the heart of Ostarius.

"…Now we open the real door."

And behind them, a second gate stirred.

The path had only just begun.