The World Shatters

Demons surged toward him like a tide, intent on killing him.

"Come on, all of you!" Broxigar roared, casually slaying the demons that approached him. This wasn't the first. He had already killed many demons, their corpses piling up at his feet. The gray-haired Orcs Warrior was soaked in his own blood, yet he felt a power he hadn't felt in years.

Broxigar fought alone, the air thick with the Burning Legion's madness. The ground was lifeless, devoid of sky and life, only a chaotic darkness and the stench of Fel. Had he not been completely focused on his opponent, the Orcs would likely have been driven mad by now.

Behind him, the portal burst into flames, brimming with malevolent power. The green flames danced like demons, and the Burning Legion rushed towards the flaming entrance like moths to a flame. Broxigar had expected to be defeated shortly after entering the portal, but in fact, he not only survived but also prevented a large horde of demons from approaching the entrance.

The aging Orcs Warrior didn't know how much longer he could hold out; if he could survive until the portal destroyed, all the better. The battleaxe blessed by Cenarius gave him an advantage, which Broxigar made full use of. If he were exhausted and without strength, the weapon would be of little use.

The Orcs felt a burning sensation on his right, and he immediately realized it wasn't flames, but a moving dark shape that caught his attention. He instinctively turned to face the past.

Broxigar saw an enormous body with horns on its head and massive armor covering its shoulders. Its hair and beard were incredibly thick, like wildly dancing flames. Its body was also engulfed in flames, but unlike the green of Fel, this demon's flames were tinged with a hint of blood.

Immediately, the Orcs was struck repeatedly by a powerful force; compared to that, the strength of the demon army before him was insignificant. Broxigar felt several ribs snap. A searing pain coursed through his body. Broxigar tasted his own blood, a taste he knew all too well. One of his eyes was splattered with Fel, making it difficult to open, but his hand still gripped his battle axe tightly.

Broxigar let out a roar, struggled to sit up, and with his last bit of strength, hurled his battle axe forward, hoping to strike the enemy attacking him.

A deafening roar shattered the Orcs' eardrums. Through one still-open eye, they saw the demon raise an arm, empty-handed, but then a serrated blade appeared out of thin air and slammed down towards Broxigar. No matter what, the Orcs could not dodge the attack.

At this moment, the Orcs opened his mouth full of broken teeth and laughed heartily, spreading his arms to welcome his final fate.

"It's finally here..."

"Broxigar!" No matter how Nathanos called out, there was no answer. He hoped the young dragons would descend, but that would easily pull them into the Well of Eternity. But not doing so would be tantamount to abandoning the Orcs ...

"I have to get down!"

Upon hearing Nathanos's words, the young dragon immediately flapped its wings and flew towards the shore of the Well of Eternity.

"What are you doing?" Nathanos roared, desperately tearing at the young dragon's scales, but the pain did nothing to change the little creature's direction. "We must go save Broxigar!"

The young dragon still did not obey the command. It was clever and kept swaying from side to side during the flight to prevent Nathanos from recklessly jumping into the Well of Eternity.

"Enough, you beast! If you don't go back, I'll stab you through the neck with my sword right now!"

This statement worked well; sensing the threat of death, the young dragon reluctantly turned around.

"Hurry!" Nathanos urged. He had experienced many wars and witnessed rivers of blood and piles of corpses, and he thought that was what sacrifice was. But today... he finally understood the weight of the word "sacrifice." Broxigar was just one of the victims of this war, but his last words to him, the resolute look in his eyes as he jumped... Nathanos had never experienced seeing others sacrifice themselves in front of him before, and this deeply moved him.

He knew that rescuing Broxigar was almost impossible. Once he jumped down and passed through the portal, it would be equivalent to entering the world of the Burning Legion, which was the same as stepping into the realm of death. But an emotion lingered in Nathanos's mind—he didn't want Broxigar to bear all of this alone!

As the young dragon flew close to where Broxigar had jumped, a deafening roar erupted from the Well of Eternity, causing all beings near the portal to retreat in terror. The young dragon flapped its wings in panic and retreated. Nathanos did not blame it, for it too was in pain; the sound had made it unsteady on its feet, as if shattering its heart.

At this moment, the young dragon knew what Nathanos wanted, and he quickly retreated. The farther away from the Well of Eternity, the less the Undead would be deterred.

Just as he was about to leave, Nathanos suddenly felt a tremendous, evil force invade his mind, a force that did not originate from Sargeras. Several voices whispered incessantly in his head, promising him everything: he could rule Kalimdor, he could be resurrected, and all would bow down to him. To fulfill all these desires, he only needed to reclaim the Dragon Soul from Krasus.

'The sound is coming from the lake!'

The Undead desperately tried to expel these voices from his mind; he knew the true intentions of those who spoke to him.

The Lich King once controlled him through whispers, but no one can do that anymore.

A sudden, deathly silence fell over the air, as if the entire world had become completely still. The wind had stopped, and even the ever-churning Well of Eternity of Eternity was now silent.

"What's going on?" Nathanos stared at the center of the lake. "Is it Broxigar? Or..." Before he could figure it out, the young dragon he was riding suddenly turned around and sped away from the Well of Eternity. Unlike before, it was faster, probably using its full strength.

Nathanos told him to stop, but no matter how much he threatened or tempted, the young dragon remained unmoved. This was not a good sign. Nathanos didn't want to abandon Broxigar, but the young dragon's reaction was too intense, as if he knew what was about to happen.

Just then... a roar echoed throughout the Well of Eternity, Sintalari, and indeed the entire Kalimdor. A hurricane suddenly surged behind Nathanos. The wind howled violently. The other Dragons, caught off guard, were swept through the air by the wind, but unexpectedly, they regained their balance as if the wind had vanished.

The Doomguard and his kind were not spared. These winged demons flew erratically through the air, completely helpless. Several demons collided violently, their skulls shattered, and many perished. But in the strong winds, their corpses did not fall; instead, they spun rapidly above the lake, as if performing some kind of terrifying dance.

The wind speed increased several times in an instant, then dozens of times, and thousands of Doomguard spun around in the air... The last one was mercilessly sucked into the portal.

"Is it Illidan?" Nathanos covered his face with his hands, struggling to open his eyes. The situation was exactly the same as the plan Illidan had described.

Sure enough, Nathanos spotted the Demon Hunter below, along with Malfurion and Tyrande, dressed in the robes of a Moon Priestess. The younger member of the Stormrage family was holding his battleblade high, as if celebrating a victory.

Nathanos, however, could not find any relief, for he felt powerless to do anything. He could neither save Broxigar nor stand with the Orcs against the Burning Legion.

The strange hurricane intensified, drawing all the demons high in the sky towards the vortex at the center of the Well of Eternity. In the blink of an eye, the demons in the sky had been completely wiped out, but the intensity of the wind did not diminish in the slightest.

The towering Doomguard and ferocious hellhounds gripped the ground. The wind should have been strong enough to send the demons tumbling back to their own world, but it kept intensifying!

Nathanos came to a terrible conclusion and felt a wave of dizziness: Illidan's magic was spiraling out of control. But was this all Illidan's intention?

Mannoroth roared at the Well of Eternity, his movements slowing. The Abyssal Lord's tail slammed heavily against the floor, and as he raised his blood-soaked hand, his eyes suddenly widened. His scaly fur had become transparent. The demon could clearly see his own muscles and bones, making him appear unreal.

"Impossible!" the winged demon roared. "Absolutely impossible!"

A tremendous force yanked the demons off the ground. Those demons, as Mannoroth saw them, were practically flung into the air above the dark lake along with the massive boulders, disappearing into the distance in the blink of an eye. The heavily armored demon Warrior were swept into the air like feathers.

In the end, only Mannoroth remained. With the help of his incredible strength and massive body, Mannoroth struggled against the hurricane and remained on the ground. Mannoroth's ferocious eyes surveyed the world that should have been destroyed.

It was so close...

The Destroyer clung to a sliver of hope, desperately gripping the ground. But his massive fingers and heavy claws bore too much pressure. His nails even left deep scratches in the stone. Finally, he was ripped into the air. The demon roared incessantly as it was pulled towards the sky above the Well of Eternity.

Nathanos was taken to a higher position, where the young dragon, understanding his intentions, could survey the depths below. The Undead looked down, his keen senses allowing him to see into the depths of the Well of Eternity.

Looking into the depths of the portal... he saw Sargeras, the leader of the Burning Legion.

The armor enveloped the Titans, whose body radiated a ferocious, fiery power. Even from this distance, the power was astonishing; just looking at it stung Nathanos's eyes. This was a being of creator caliber, yet his face was filled with rage. His eyes burned with intense fire, a state of utter chaotic emptiness. In his hand he brandished a malevolent sword, intending to plunge it into Azeroth.

Nathanos gasped. He couldn't find Broxigar; there wasn't even a tiny bit of green in his sight.

The Undead, still in shock, already knew the Orcs' fate. No one could stand against Sargeras. The Orcs sacrificed themselves to delay the Dark Titan's advance.

The ordeal wasn't over yet. Although most of the demons were being sucked back into the portal, Sargeras continued his arduous journey. Finally, he reached the portal...

Just as Sargeras approached the doorway, Nathanos witnessed a startling sight. The Dark Titan was wounded. There was a shallow cut on his right leg, which the Undead's keen eyes recognized as an axe wound.

"Was it Broxigar?"

All of this seemed impossible, but the enchanted battle axe did indeed wound Sargeras. This also meant that that spot was now Sargeras's weak point.

The whispers in his mind constantly urged Nathanos to snatch the Demon Soul from Krasus's hand. The rewards they promised were becoming increasingly tempting. At this moment, Nathanos decided to do as they said, but not for the sake of the one who was making those whispers.

"Go find the Dragon Soul!"

The young dragon roared and flew towards Krasus. At that moment, both the mage and Rhonin were watching Sargeras behind the portal.

Compared to the Dark Titan, other demons are as insignificant as fleas. The combined power of a hundred dragons is nothing to him. Krasus's desire to attack Sargeras sounds utterly absurd, at least to the demon lord.

On the contrary, Nathanos did not intend to sit idly by and wait for death. Broxigar used his power to strike Sargeras, leaving a minor wound.

"Give me the Dragon Soul now!"

Rhonin and Krasus both looked up at the approaching Nathanos, who had already reached out and aimed at the disc.

"What are you up to?"

"Don't let Broxigar down, this is our last chance."

Krasus glanced at him, then magically transferred the disc into Nathanos's hands. "It's yours now!"

'The wound left by the battle axe is fragile; if attacked, it would be enough to draw Sargeras's attention for a short time.'

Nathanos raised the disc in his hand, the whispers in his mind growing more fervent, but the Undead forced himself to calm down. The power of the Dragon Soul was sealed, but Nathanos's experience in Grim Batol told Nathanos that it was only limited to the Dragons.

'I don't care how you came to be, nor what disasters you will bring to this world in the future. I only ask that you help me just this once, just this once: use your most powerful strength to attack Sargeras.'

The smooth surface of the Dragon Soul gradually formed a glowing dragon head, its mouth slowly opening to shoot golden rays of light towards Sargeras's wound.

The Dark Titan had already noticed the powerful force approaching from the direction of Nathanos. To defend himself, he was temporarily distracted. Sargeras instinctively shifted his attention away from the entrance.

The massive portal suddenly trembled and then lost its cohesion. A series of energy explosions erupted from the depths of the vortex.

The Well of Eternity is beginning to collapse...

The fiery edges of the portal began to crumble. The situation was spiraling out of control. Sargeras tried to stop it, but his power was insufficient to repair all the breaches in the portal simultaneously.

What happened next astonished everyone. Sargeras, unwilling to accept defeat, tried to pass through the portal before it completely vanished, one hand already reaching out. This madness led to his ultimate destruction. In the instant the portal exploded, the demon leader found himself trapped, unable to escape. He couldn't move, nor could he retract his hand. The giant threw away his sword and used his free hand to pound the portal from the other side, trying to open a passage, but to no avail. The portal connecting the two worlds shrank rapidly, eventually gripping him tightly. Sargeras roared, his voice echoing in everyone's hearts.

The portal shrank continuously, and Sargeras's figure shrank along with it. He tried with all his might to open the passage, and under his immense power, the inside of the portal began to burn.

Just as the demon leader was roaring furiously and desperately pounding the wall... the portal suddenly disappeared.

Sargeras also disappeared.

'Did it succeed?' Nathanos wondered with some doubt. 'The Well of Eternity ...'

His thoughts abruptly ceased; the portal had vanished, but the Maelstrom in the center of the lake continued to spin wildly. Worse still, the whirlpool seemed to be expanding. The Undead noticed the lake water relentlessly crashing against the shore.

"What happened?"

'He's about to break out, get out of there!'

Malygos's voice came from nowhere, and before Nathanos could react, the young dragon made a decision for the Undead. The King of Eternity's command carried more weight than Nathanos's words.

The other Dragons also quickly changed direction and flew towards the land. Violent energy splashed around the black lake. The entire earth trembled, and Nathanos saw a massive fault line appear in the distance.

'Discard the Dragon Soul and leave now!'

Malygos's voice sounded even more urgent. The young dragons flew even faster. Kalimdor was about to be torn apart...

Nathanos hesitated for a few seconds while holding the Dragon Soul, then finally let go, allowing the disc to fly around in the air.

A gigantic tentacle emerged from the vast lake... and hurtled toward the Dragon Soul.

"It's Old Gods!" cried Alexstrasza, the Queen of Dragons. She immediately turned and flew away. Ysera, noticing her sister's actions, flapped her wings and followed. The Guardian Dragons knew they had to reclaim the Demon Soul. If the Old Gods obtained it, it would bring about a devastating catastrophe.

The Well of Eternity finally ceased its churning. It no longer devoured Kalimdor, but only itself. The dragons watched as the massive black body of water began to flow backward, so fast that even the Old Gods could not stop it. The storms surrounding the lake were also sucked in. Alexstrasza flapped her wings violently, nearly being sucked in along with the lake.

The dark lake water receded continuously, surging into the black hole in the center of the lake. The Old Gods tried to quickly retract its tentacles, but before it could return... the last of the lake water was also swallowed into the black hole.

The black tentacles vanished instantly. The evil power of the Old Gods also disappeared with them.

In the aftermath of the devastating destruction of the Well of Eternity, the vast expanse left on the surface was instantly covered by the seawater of Kalimdor. Thousands of feet high waves crashed together, and thousands of tons of seawater rushed towards the central part of the continent.

Nathanos gazed in awe at the scene before him, after which the heavens and earth collapsed and the sea followed.

Amidst this chaotic scene, a giant yellow dragon suddenly appeared from nowhere, its body gleaming in the dark sky.

"Nozdormu!" Ysera cried out. The young dragons of Malygos were terrified at the sight of the Time Lord.

Nozdormu, oblivious to the Infinite Dragon and the Undead on his back, caught the Dragon Soul. He swiftly unleashed a roar towards the sky.

"The timing is perfect..." Nozdormu's voice evoked a complex mix of emotions in everyone. After speaking, he flew past the others, his giant claw-like disc hurtling towards Mount Hyjal.

The other dragons turned and flew away. Nathanos looked back at Nozdormu flying through the air, as if nothing had happened in the world.

The world was still in turmoil, but Nathanos didn't head to Mount Hyjal like the others. The Infinite Dragon carried him northwards, the landscape gradually changing from land to sea. The Undead discovered they were chasing a moving continent...