The collapse was endless.
Vemy's body tumbled through a voidstorm of shattered stars, Aetherion Blue flames fighting desperately against the creeping shadows of the Forbidden Ring. His wings, once radiant, flickered and cracked as if reality itself wanted to tear them apart.
When the freefall ended, he slammed onto black stone. The impact sent shockwaves rippling across a vast chamber, its walls carved from something older than any world. The air itself burned with paradox—half flame, half void.
He staggered to his feet, chest heaving, flames licking his body. "Where… the hell am I?"
A low chuckle answered.
From the far side of the chamber, shadows peeled away to reveal three figures seated upon colossal thrones. They were humanoid, yet wrong—their bodies bore fragments of shattered rings embedded into their flesh, glowing with unnatural hues. Each one radiated an aura that dwarfed even the Infinite-Ring Entity he had slain.
The one in the center spoke, its voice both male and female, dripping with mockery:
"So… the void finally chooses another successor."
Vemy's hand clenched. "Successor? Of what?"
The figure leaned forward. Its eyes glowed abyssal black, but in them burned a reflection of Vemy's own Aetherion fire.
"Of the Thirteenth Path—the way beyond Ascendants. The way even gods fear."
The other two chuckled, their laughter echoing through the endless chamber. One leaned on his throne, shards of broken rings twitching inside his skin.
"Most who touch the Forbidden Ring are devoured instantly. Yet you… you fused with it."
Vemy's spectral figure flared behind him, its wings defiant. He glared at them. "I didn't come here to kneel."
The leftmost throne-holder raised a finger. The black air crackled, and suddenly, Vemy was slammed to his knees by an invisible pressure. His wings shattered like glass. His lungs screamed, blood dripping from his lips.
"You'll kneel," the entity hissed, "until you learn that your fire is nothing. The Forbidden Ring is not a gift—it is a curse. One that will either consume you… or make you the strongest existence in creation."
Vemy struggled, body shaking, but even under crushing force, his flames roared back to life. His eyes blazed Celestine Blue mixed with void black.
"I don't care if it's a curse. I'll master it. And when I do… I'll burn down anyone who stands in my way."
The central figure smiled. Its teeth glowed like broken stars.
"Then your trial begins now, Successor of the Forbidden Ring."
The chamber shook. The stone floor cracked open, revealing an endless abyss below. Out of it rose monstrous shapes, ring-beasts forged from failed Ascendants who had been devoured by the void. Their jaws snapped, eyes glowing with cursed fire.
Vemy wiped blood from his mouth, smirking despite the odds.
"Good. I was getting bored."
And with that, he dove into battle—his flames and shadows colliding with the nightmares of the void.