The lights of the City of Heroes shone brighter than ever.
The portal opened in the center of the main square, where a crowd had already gathered. As Inavy Stormbreak, Rose, Darius, and Diana stepped through, they were met with applause, tears, and flags waving in the wind.
The world had not forgotten them.
They were the heroes who trained in Nionderland. And now, they had returned.
At the Stormbreak residence, the homecoming was even more emotional.
Tiana could barely contain herself. She ran to Inavy and embraced him tightly, tears streaming down her face.
— "You've changed so much, my son… Now you're a man carrying the weight of the world…"
Inavy hugged her gently. His eyes shone — but not with sorrow. It was the serenity of someone who had finally understood his purpose.
Beside them, Ron appeared with a smile.
— "Whoa, you've grown a lot, Ron! Seventeen now, right? I'm twenty and 6 feet tall… and you're already my height."
— "Loving the new look! Mom, check out his hair — even his eyes changed. You look badass, bro."
The two laughed and embraced.
Then the door burst open.
— "BROTHEEEEER!"
Kyara dashed like lightning into Inavy's arms, leaping and clinging to him, tears flowing freely.
— "I missed you so much!"
Inavy held her tightly. He said nothing. He just felt.
That same day, the headlines flooded the news:
"The Heir of Ray Stormbreak's Legacy Has Returned"— New, almost divine appearance stuns even the most veteran heroes.
Images of Inavy in his black coat, with the Katana of Chaos and a resolute gaze, spread across the globe.
In an extraordinary council, all guilds were represented: Phoenix, Leviathan, Thousand Lights, Titans, Vortex, Terra Nostra, Guardians, and others.
The debate was tense.
— "It's been three years," said a veteran hero. "No sign of Tyrus. That's way too strange."
Rudius, the fiery leader of the Leviathan Guild, stood up.
— "We need an official leader. Someone to represent all the guilds in the war that's clearly coming."
Silence fell.
Until Hayate, of the Vortex Guild, broke it:
— "We all know who should really lead us."
Every eye turned to him… and then to Lorien Valtier.
Diana stood with a slight smile:
— "Lorien, you were the one Ray trusted the most. It's only right that you be 'the guy.'"
She made air quotes playfully.
— "On behalf of all heroes, we want you to lead us."
Lorien was speechless — a rare moment for the man who always had an answer.
Inavy stepped forward, firm:
— "Yeah, Lorien. You're the strongest among us. The ideal successor to Ray. I still have a long road ahead of me, man."
Darius, grinning:
— "Bro, you are the guy for this."
Lorien took a deep breath. Closed his eyes. Then opened them with a calm smile.
— "Then I accept."
Immediately, the official broadcast echoed around the world:
"Lorien Valtier: The New Pillar of Humanity"— Not number one just in power. But in leadership. In hope.
Meanwhile, in a realm wrapped in shadow, Tyrus walked slowly toward a macabre altar. At its center, the Spear of Fate pulsed with red and black light.
Generals, marshals, beasts, and abyssal creatures knelt before him.
Tyrus raised the spear, surrounded by an aura of pure destruction.
— "It took time… but the moment has come."
Back in the City of Heroes, the narrator closes with the words:
"They smiled, embraced, cried, and began again. But little did they know… the war was already at their doorstep."