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Chapter 8: Break Away

The atmosphere in the fractured digital realm was electric, every shattered mirror and flickering shadow pulsating with an unsettling energy. Helios's influence loomed over the I.P.U., a heavy, suffocating presence that infected every line of code. Yet, for the first time, the Monarchs felt something they hadn't in what seemed like ages: hope.

Sunny stood at the center of the group, clutching Jae's device tightly. Its glow pulsed in rhythm with her heartbeat, illuminating the glitched terrain around them. For a moment, she doubted her ability to lead the charge. Helios had haunted her dreams, her waking moments, and her bloodline. But as she looked around at her friends—the Monarchs, Jae, and Eui—she realized they were counting on her.

"Are we ready?" she asked, her voice steady despite the tremor in her hands.

"We don't have a choice," RAVN said, his tone sharp but determined. "It's now or never."

Keonhee nodded. "We've faced him before. We'll face him again. Together."

As the group prepared, the air around them shimmered, and Helios appeared—a fragmented, glitching figure. His once-proud radiance was distorted, a stark reminder of centuries spent trapped between realms. His form flickered, pieces of his essence twisting and rewriting themselves like a corrupted file.

"So this is how it ends?" Helios's voice reverberated, distorted and grating. "The Monarchs, the cursed rebels, rallying behind a girl whose bloodline has only ever served the gods?"

Sunny took a deep breath, stepping forward. "Maybe we've been tools in the past. Maybe you've manipulated everything. But that ends now. You don't control us anymore."

Helios laughed, a harsh, crackling sound. "Foolish girl. You think your rebellion can stop me? I am fate. I am light. I am the darkness that consumes it all. I am eternal."

"And we're the ones who end you," Leedo said, stepping forward, his eyes blazing with defiance.

The ground beneath them quaked as Helios raised his glitching hands, summoning a torrent of corrupted light. The group scattered, each member using their powers to counter the onslaught.

Seoho conjured shields of energy, deflecting beams of light that threatened to tear through them. Keonhee and Eui worked in tandem, their movements synchronized as if they'd trained together for years. Jae, clutching her device, activated its shielding mechanism, creating a dome of protection that gave them precious seconds to regroup.

Xion and Hwanwoong darted through the chaos, their agility and speed allowing them to strike at Helios from unexpected angles. RAVN and Leedo focused on heavy, coordinated attacks, their combined strength forcing Helios to stagger.

Sunny, however, was at the center of it all. She could feel the prophecy pulsing within her, an ancient force that both empowered and terrified her. Closing her eyes, she reached deep into herself, searching for the connection she knew existed between her bloodline and Helios's curse.

The device in her hands responded, its glow intensifying. She opened her eyes, meeting Helios's fractured gaze. "You bound yourself to the prophecy," she said, her voice ringing out. "And now, we're going to unbind you."

Helios faltered, his form flickering more violently. "No... You don't understand what you're doing! Without me, the balance—"

"The balance is already broken," Jae interjected, her voice filled with resolve. "You broke it centuries ago when you tried to control fate."

Sunny raised the device high, the light within it radiating outward. The Monarchs formed a circle around her, their powers intertwining as they channeled everything they had into her.

The corrupted realm around them began to crack, beams of light piercing through the darkness. Helios let out a distorted roar, his form unraveling as the combined force of the Monarchs and the device pushed against him.

"This is for everyone you've hurt," Sunny said, her voice steady as tears streamed down her face. "For everyone you've manipulated. For everyone you thought you could control."

With one final surge of energy, the device released a blinding light, engulfing Helios and the entire realm.

For a moment, there was silence.

Then, the ground beneath them steadied, and the oppressive darkness lifted. The I.P.U. was no longer a corrupted, glitching void—it was a vast expanse of light and calm.

Helios was gone. Well, for now at least.

Sunny dropped to her knees, exhausted but relieved. The Monarchs gathered around her, each of them battered but alive. Jae knelt beside her, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"You did it," Jae said softly.

"No," Sunny replied, looking around at the group. "We did it. Together."

As the group took a moment to catch their breath, the realization dawned on them: their journey wasn't over yet. The prophecy had been altered, but what that meant for the world—and for them—was still uncertain.

But for now, they had won a battle. And that was enough.