The chains clinked like laughter.
Kael took a step forward, eyes fixed on the being before him—this Sovereign of the Abyss. The air grew colder, denser, as though time itself bent around the entity's presence.
"You call me your heir," Kael said, voice low. "Why? What do you gain from me freeing you?"
The chained figure's silver gaze burned.
"Freedom is not what I seek."
His voice echoed within their minds, ancient and layered.
"What I was cannot walk this world again. But what I carried—what I became—must. My soul has long fused with the Dominion. I am more curse than king now. You, however... are still mortal. Still choice-bound."
Kael's fingers curled. "You want to pass it on."
"Not a gift. A burden. The gods fear the Abyss because it is not born of the celestial planes. It was beyond even them. When they first found the light, the Abyss was already watching."
Chains hissed as they constricted tighter, cracking the floor.
"Liora drinks from its edge. But she cannot hold it."
"You were born of it."
---
The First Mark Awakens
Vael gasped, falling to one knee. The Abyssal mark on Kael's shoulder had begun to spread—veins of dark energy etching symbols into his skin like a living scripture.
Sera reached toward him, but Nyra caught her wrist. "Don't. That's... not him anymore. Not entirely."
Kael remained still.
The Sovereign raised a hand. Chains recoiled like serpents, clearing a path between them.
"I offer one chain. One bond. Bind me to your shadow, Kael, and I shall grant you the first of the Abyssal Crowns—power to devour light, to twist space, to see through divine veils."
"But in exchange... you will inherit my war."
Kael met the Sovereign's gaze—and for the first time, saw pity in it.
He stepped forward.
"I accept."
---
The Bond is Forged
Darkness slammed into him like a tidal wave. Kael's scream tore through the chamber as the Sovereign's power surged into his core, latching onto his very soul. Visions flooded his mind—cities drowned in void, gods weeping black tears, a crown of obsidian with thorns that pierced reality itself.
And a voice. Always a voice.
"Rise, Sovereign of the Second Dominion."
When Kael opened his eyes, they burned silver-black. The chains that once bound the Sovereign had wrapped around his arm, forming a gauntlet of runed steel.
Sera knelt beside him, whispering. "Kael... what have you become?"
He stood, taller, heavier with power—but quieter.
"Something the gods will fear."
---
Meanwhile… In the Citadel of Light
High above the mortal realms, the gods gathered in silence. Twelve thrones circled a pillar of flame.
The Archon of Dawn clenched her staff. "The Tomb has stirred."
The Masked God of Knowledge turned slowly. "The Abyss whispers again. The heir... breathes."
A third—cloaked in feathers and flame—sighed. "Then war must be accelerated. Send the Angels of Fracture. Let no shadow rise again."
And so it began.
---
End of Chapter 34