The ruins groaned.
As the last shards of the throne scattered across the cracked floor, the entire hall trembled. Pillars split down the middle, chunks of stone crashing to the ground. Dust poured from the ceiling in choking clouds.
Leela grabbed Neel's arm, pulling him upright. "We have to move—now!"
Kabir's grin stretched sharp, teeth gleaming white through the haze. "Hah! You broke their anchor, Vessel. Now the desert will punish us for it." He whistled sharply, his panther bounding to his side, wolves snapping at falling debris.
Shanaya staggered, fire flickering weakly across her palms. "We didn't have to break it! We could've ruled this place!"
"Shut up and run!" Neel barked, sparks trailing in his wake as he dragged her toward the archway.
–––
The floor split behind them, a jagged fissure tearing through the hall. Crimson light surged upward from the chasm, molten and alive. Whispers poured out with it, louder, more furious, hundreds of voices screaming in unison.
"…storm… chain… vessel… awaken…"
Neel's skin crawled. Sparks flared uncontrolled, answering the voices. The whisper inside him laughed, shrill and manic. "You thought shattering one throne would silence me? No, Vessel. You have broken a seal. And now, the chains that slept… will rise."
–––
They burst out into the open air just as the roof collapsed. The ruins imploded behind them, towers crashing inward, ash billowing skyward like smoke from a pyre. The ground shook beneath their feet, cracks spidering outward across the Wastes.
Kabir stood at the edge of the cliff, arms wide, grinning as the land split apart. "Magnificent! The Court's grave wakes at last."
Leela glared at him, her voice sharp. "You're insane."
"No," Kabir said simply. "I'm alive."
–––
From the heart of the ruins, something moved.
A colossal shape rose from the chasm, its form half-buried in molten stone. It wasn't like the Oasis Beast — no skull, no glassy tusks. This was something older. Its body was armored in black scales, its face hidden beneath a mask of jagged obsidian. Chains were fused into its hide, rattling with each movement.
Its eyes opened — twin suns of molten red.
Leela's breath caught. "By the Elements…"
Shanaya's flames surged, her eyes blazing. "Yes… yes!" She stepped forward, fire wreathing her entire body, as though answering its call. "This is what we're meant for!"
Neel's storm roared in protest, sparks exploding violently across the ridge. The whisper screamed with laughter. "The Beast of Ash! The Court's first chain! Vessel, this one is yours — or it will devour you whole."
–––
The beast's roar split the Wastes, a sound so deep it cracked stone, sent dunes collapsing for miles. Chains whipped outward, gouging trenches through the ground.
Neel's knees buckled under the sheer force of it, his storm surging in response.
Leela's hand clutched his, grounding him, her eyes fierce. "Don't let it take you."
Shanaya laughed, fire blazing brighter than ever. "Don't you see? It already has!"
–––
The Beast of Ash reared back, chains dragging against its hide with a metallic scream. Its molten eyes blazed across the ruined ridge, locking first on Neel.
The storm inside him flared wildly, answering the creature like a drumbeat. Sparks shot from his arms, uncontrolled, violent. His heart hammered. The whisper shrieked in delight.
"Yes! Do you feel it, Vessel? The chain that birthed all chains — the Court's first masterpiece! Yours to bind… or yours to become!"
Neel staggered, clutching his head, but the beast moved before he could answer.
–––
It struck with its tail — a massive, black-scaled whip fused with broken chains. The ground exploded as it slammed down, sending shards of obsidian flying like blades.
Shanaya hurled fire, her entire body a living inferno. The flames engulfed the beast's head — but instead of searing it, the fire sank into its scales. Crimson veins flared brighter along its body, feeding from her gift.
She didn't stop. "Take it! Take it all!" Her voice cracked with feverish joy. Her eyes glowed faint red, her veins pulsing to match the beast's rhythm.
"Shanaya, no!" Leela shouted, thrusting her staff. Water surged into a shield, intercepting a chain as it lashed toward Shanaya. The impact cracked the barrier, spraying mist into the air. Leela's arms trembled, but she held firm.
–––
Kabir barked a laugh. "Good! Feed it more! Let it grow!" He leapt onto a shattered pillar, his panther and wolves darting across the battlefield. The panther pounced, sinking its claws into one of the beast's chains. The wolves snapped at its legs, darting between its strikes.
The beast roared, molten breath spraying across the ground. The stone bubbled and hissed, black glass forming instantly where the fire touched. One wolf yelped as it stumbled into the molten spray, vanishing in a puff of smoke.
Kabir didn't flinch. His grin only widened.
–––
Neel forced himself to his feet, lightning screaming through his veins. His vision blurred, every heartbeat pounding in rhythm with the beast's roar. He raised his hands, sparks spiraling into a storm spear.
"Neel, wait!" Leela cried, her voice breaking. "If you let it answer you, it'll consume you too!"
But the whisper drowned her out. "You can't run from it, Vessel. You were born from the same chain. It is you. Strike — and claim what was lost!"
Neel hurled the spear.
The storm split the sky, lightning crashing down onto the beast's head. For a heartbeat, it staggered, molten cracks spreading across its obsidian mask. The ground trembled, a shriek tearing from its throat.
Hope flickered in Neel's chest—until the beast raised its head again.
The cracks healed instantly, molten light fusing the damage shut. Its roar deepened, louder, more furious. It had tasted the storm, and now it wanted more.
–––
Chains lashed outward. One caught Neel across the chest, hurling him into a shattered wall. He gasped, the air torn from his lungs, sparks bursting uncontrollably from his skin.
Leela darted to him, panic in her voice. "Neel! Stay with me!"
He tried to rise, but his limbs shook violently. The storm was too wild, slipping from his grip.
The whisper hissed. "You are weak, Vessel. Let me guide you. Let me take the storm. Together, we can bind it. Alone, you will break."
–––
Shanaya screamed, her flames spiraling higher. She hurled herself at the beast, her fire burning crimson now, tainted by the chains' call. The blast struck the beast's chest, sinking deep into its core. For a moment, the molten glow flared so bright it lit the entire Waste.
But Shanaya's body convulsed. The glow in her veins surged, her flames faltering for the first time. She collapsed to her knees, clutching her chest, gasping for air.
The beast didn't falter. If anything, it looked stronger.
–––
Leela pulled Neel close, her forehead pressed to his, desperation raw in her eyes. "Don't you dare give in. Not now. Not ever." Her voice broke. "You're more than this curse. You're more than chains."
Her words cut through the storm for a heartbeat. Neel's sparks steadied, his breath slowing.
He looked at Shanaya, writhing on the ground. At Kabir, laughing amidst the chaos. At Leela, burning herself to anchor him.
His jaw clenched. He wasn't done. Not yet.
–––
The beast roared again, chains snapping taut. The battlefield shook, molten cracks spidering further across the Wastes.
The first clash had begun — and it was only the beginning.
–––