Seeing that Loki was ignoring him, Genesis began walking closer.
The storm continued to rage around them.
Snow was swept away by violent currents of wind that endlessly roamed the region, while the gigantic pillar of Umbra energy continued to rise toward the heavens.
Every step he took left a deep imprint on the blackened snow.
His expression remained cold.
The fury still burned within him.
When he finally arrived behind Loki, he spoke in an icy voice.
—I asked you a question, Loki... Aren't you going to answer?
No response came.
Loki remained motionless.
His hand was still resting against the surface of the enormous dark-red egg that pulsed slowly.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
Each pulse released waves of energy that spread throughout the surrounding area.
Yet Loki did not seem to notice.
He did not react.
He did not move.
He did not even turn his head.
As if everything happening around him had ceased to exist.
Genesis's patience finally reached its limit.
He stepped forward and firmly grabbed Loki by the shoulder.
Then he forced him to turn around.
He no longer cared about treating him with consideration.
Not after what he had found here.
However...
The instant he saw Loki's face, all of his anger vanished.
His expression changed completely.
—What...?
Loki's eyes were empty.
There was no mockery.
No provocation.
Not even awareness.
His face was pale.
Far too pale.
He looked like someone who had just survived an impossible battle.
His arm remained extended toward the egg, as though he had been standing in that position for a very long time.
Genesis frowned.
For the first time since arriving, he felt something stronger than fury.
Concern.
—Loki... are you alright?
There was no response.
He tried moving him slightly.
Nothing.
The bad feeling he had sensed ever since crossing the portal suddenly intensified.
Without wasting any time, he extended his senses into Loki's body.
And what he discovered made his heart sink.
His energy was completely disordered.
The currents of power within his body seemed out of control.
But that was not the worst part.
His soul was exhausted.
Completely exhausted.
As if he had performed something far beyond his current capabilities.
—Impossible...
Before he could react, Loki's body tilted forward.
Genesis quickly caught him before he could fall into the snow.
The concern in Genesis's eyes became even more obvious.
—How did you end up like this?
It made no sense.
Absolutely none.
His mind began working at incredible speed.
Hypotheses.
Possibilities.
Explanations.
They appeared and disappeared endlessly.
Yet none of them fit.
The wind roared through the mountains.
The storm continued to swirl overhead.
And the enormous nearby portal still poured endless streams of Umbra energy into the world.
Suddenly...
The sound of a heartbeat echoed once more.
Thump.
Genesis raised his head.
His gaze shifted toward the egg.
Thump.
Again.
The sound was deep.
Heavy.
It almost resembled the heartbeat of a gigantic creature.
Genesis narrowed his eyes.
—Could it be...?
He looked at the egg once more.
This time with greater attention.
He remembered the last conversation he had with Loki.
He remembered his complaints.
His frustration.
The way he spoke about the lack of a suitable subject for the project he had been planning for so long.
He even remembered mocking him for being so demanding.
After that...
Loki had stopped communicating.
At the time, Genesis had assumed he had simply given up.
But now...
A doubt began to grow within him.
—What if that wasn't it?
His eyes remained fixed on the enormous egg.
Umbra energy flowed endlessly around it.
The strange patterns covering its surface appeared and vanished without rest.
And within it, he could still sense that presence from the Main Plane.
A presence that should not be there.
His expression darkened.
—What if you were the reason?
The wind intensified.
As he stared at the massive structure, a theory slowly began taking shape in his mind.
If someone had manipulated Loki...
Or if someone had forced him into this state...
Then many things were beginning to make sense.
Far too many things.
The possibility was absurd.
But it was also the only explanation that matched what he was seeing.
And just as he was about to pursue that thought further...
A new energy appeared in the surroundings.
Pure.
Brilliant.
Without even needing to think about it, he already knew what kind of energy it was.
Sacred Energy.
Streams of radiant light slowly began gathering behind him.
Genesis recognized that presence immediately.
He did not need to turn around to know who had arrived.
Elena.
She had finally arrived.