Chapter 334: The Throne Room
The Throne Room of Sylvaren was designed to be a testament to eternal light. The ceiling was a dome of clear crystal, offering an unobstructed view of the artificial sun. The floor was polished silver-wood, reflecting the majesty of the seated King.
Now, it was a testament to eternal decay.
The crystal dome was cracked, covered in pulsating webs of purple veins that blocked out the light. The silver-wood floor was buckled, broken by massive, thorny roots that had burst from below. And the throne itself...
The throne was no longer a chair. It was a cockpit.
Regent Valen sat fused to the structure. His legs were gone, replaced by a tangled mass of black wood that connected him directly to the corrupted heart of the spire. His skin was bark-grey, splitting open to reveal raw, glowing purple flesh beneath. His left arm was normal, holding his staff, but his right arm was a grotesque, elongated claw of thorns dripping with black ichor.
