Chapter 132 – The First Chain Reborn
---
The void had swallowed the Archivist, and Erevan stood alone, his eyes fixed on the chaos he had unleashed. The stars around him were still swirling, disjointed and fractured, like pieces of a puzzle someone had desperately tried to assemble in a rush. Reality was disintegrating around him, but inside, there was a quiet storm.
He could feel the weight of the words the Archivist had spoken—forces you cannot even begin to comprehend. But what did that truly mean? He had destroyed the Godscript, torn the Tower asunder. Freedom, once a distant dream, was now his. The multiverse itself lay in ruins, untethered, free.
But what was freedom when the foundation was gone? What was the cost of rewriting existence, of burning the very rules that governed it?
The darkness of the void was heavy, yet his heart was light. For the first time in his life, Erevan was untethered. No chains. No guiding hand. Only the power of choice.
---
The wind blew through the empty cosmos, carrying with it the faint whispers of forgotten memories, scattered echoes of lives once lived under the tyranny of the Godscript. But those whispers were not the only things lingering in the remnants of this broken reality.
A sudden shift in the air, a tremor in the fabric of existence, caught his attention. Erevan's instincts flared. There was something approaching—something new.
He turned his head, his eyes narrowing. A figure materialized from the shifting chaos, their form wrapped in what seemed like living shadows. The figure moved with purpose, undisturbed by the instability of the surrounding world. Their presence was suffocating, like an unstoppable force, and Erevan knew immediately that this was no simple traveler.
This was no ordinary entity.
The figure stopped a few paces from Erevan, their presence so commanding that the very void seemed to bow in respect. They were tall, their silhouette sharp and angular, their eyes glowing with an eerie light. A crown of obsidian, etched with intricate symbols, floated above their head, and chains of cosmic energy wrapped around their arms, pulling the universe itself into alignment.
"Erevan," the figure's voice was a rumble that echoed across the void, "You have undone what should not have been undone."
Erevan's brow furrowed as he sized the newcomer up. This being was unlike anything he had encountered. There was no doubt now—the Tower's chains still existed, just in another form.
"I've done what I had to do," Erevan said, his voice steady, not a trace of fear. "The Godscript was a cage, and I broke it."
The figure's eyes narrowed, the glow deepening as if a storm were brewing within them. "You may have shattered the cage, but the prison was not the only thing holding reality together. You have torn at the fabric of the multiverse itself, Erevan."
Erevan stood tall, meeting their gaze with unwavering resolve. "And I'll rebuild it. My way."
The figure's lips curled into a faint, knowing smile, but it didn't reach their eyes. "Rebuild? You cannot rebuild something you've destroyed. The Godscript was the anchor. Without it, everything begins to unravel. The universe will collapse into chaos."
"I know what I've done," Erevan replied, his voice hardening. "But that was the cost. Nothing worth having comes without sacrifice."
"You speak of sacrifice, yet you have no idea what true sacrifice is," the figure said, stepping closer, their form flickering with bursts of energy. "What you have done has drawn the attention of forces older than the Tower. Forces that existed before the Godscript, before the Tower itself."
Erevan's heart skipped a beat. These were not just threats. This being spoke of something else—something ancient. "Who are you?" he demanded. "And what do you want?"
The figure's eyes glowed brighter, and with a single motion, the chains of cosmic energy uncoiled, weaving through the air around them like serpents. "I am the First Chain. A keeper of the void. The first and final line of defense against the collapse of all things."
Erevan's mind raced. The First Chain? A being of unimaginable power, linked to the very origins of the Tower. If this was what had come to confront him, then his actions had provoked something truly dangerous.
"And what happens now?" Erevan asked, his voice quiet but steady, his hand subtly resting on the hilt of his weapon. He was ready for whatever came next. This was the price of his freedom, after all.
The First Chain stepped forward, their presence overwhelming. "Now, Erevan," they said, their voice like the grinding of stone, "you must face the consequences of your rebellion. You will either rebuild the Godscript, or you will watch the multiverse crumble into oblivion. There is no third choice."
Erevan's fists clenched, but his heart remained calm. "I've already made my choice. I won't turn back. I'll create a new order. One that doesn't rely on chains. Not anymore."
The First Chain's eyes flickered with a dark intensity, their cosmic chains vibrating with power. "Then prepare yourself, Erevan. You will soon see what it means to walk without chains. But be warned, the path you've chosen is not one of freedom, but of destruction."
Erevan met their gaze, his resolve unshaken. "I've already walked the path of destruction. This is the path of creation."
The First Chain's smile twisted, their voice dropping to a low growl. "Creation is an illusion. There is only destruction. And you are the one who will bring it."
---
The figure raised their arms, and the cosmic chains around them flared with energy, sending waves of destabilizing force through the void. The world trembled.
Erevan stood tall, gathering the fire within him. This was not the first time he had faced impossible odds. And it would not be the last.
"I will face whatever comes," Erevan declared, his voice resonating across the broken cosmos. "Because this is only the beginning."
---
Author's Note:
The First Chain has emerged, and Erevan's rebellion is far from over. The multiverse is on the brink, and new threats are rising to challenge his vision of a new world.
What comes next? Erevan is about to learn just how high the cost of creation can be.
Drop a review, and let me know your thoughts! Can Erevan rise above this new force, or will he fall before it?
Next up: Chapter 133 – The Collapse Begins.
Stay tuned.
– Dorian Blackthorn
---