The sound of alarms in Aethelgard was a constant, piercing wail. These were not the sirens of war; they were the alarms of a system that had just lost fifty percent of its capacity. The golden dome of the capital flickered with instability, visible to anyone in the Middle Lands. Ren barely managed to exit the Guardian Barracks before repair crews sealed off the area. His Shield Master armor was marked, not by physical damage, but by betrayal.
He was summoned immediately to the Great Hall of the Conclave, where the air held not deliberation, but political execution. Grand Commander Valerius stood before his seat, his marble-like face now the embodiment of final judgment. "Shield Master!" Valerius's voice thundered. "Barely hours ago, I entrusted you with the total defense of this capital! And now, half of our shields are dead! Explain yourself."
Ren couldn't lie about the saboteur. The generator bore the dual Light/Chaos signature of Kaito. "It was an internal attack, Grand Commander. Extremely sophisticated. A Shadow agent used new technology to replicate our Forged Light signature..." "Silence!" Valerius slammed the table, making the scrolls tremble. "Are you telling us that a single Shadow agent not only penetrated your sealed Barracks but escaped the Shield Master's grasp? You ordered the sector lockdown yourself. If the agent escaped, it was under your watch."
The High Arcanist intervened with venom. "I warned you, Valerius. Commander Ren rose too quickly. His judgment has been clouded since the Vorthus incident. Now, his desperation to cover up his failure has left us exposed." Ren saw his political stronghold crumbling. His plan had failed. The Ash Queen had ensured the sabotage was so swift and precise that only he would be blamed.
"The agent didn't just destroy the generator; he also attacked the Lyra Custodian's psyche," Ren tried to defend himself. "She's incapacitated and—" "The Lyra Custodian is being interrogated for suspicion of treason, Commander. You promoted her. Your judgments are flawed," Valerius decreed. "You are no longer fit for command."
The sentence fell like icy thunder. Valerius, in a single act of authority, stripped Ren of his new position. His Shield Master armor suddenly felt heavy, a mockery. "Commander Ren. You are relieved of your duties. You will be placed under house arrest, and your Forged Light Essence will be monitored until we determine if you are the source of this instability."
Ren had fallen from the pinnacle to nothingness. The very lie that had elevated him now condemned him.
The Last Decision
Confined to his austere Paladin quarters, Ren felt the weight of his enslavement. He had lost the only tool he had to fight for Kaito: his position. His life of lies had collapsed, and the city he swore to protect was vulnerable. The Ash Bond activated, not with pain, but with a triumphant coldness. You have failed, Commander. The Specter has accomplished its task. Now, you are useless to the Light and a failure to me. Ren felt the Queen's terror. She had total control. His failure meant Kaito's death or his complete transformation into a monster.
In that moment, desperation turned into ruthless clarity. Ren looked at his sword, his symbol of the Light. He had failed as a Paladin, failed as a Shield Master, and above all, failed as a brother. He had nothing to lose. Ren made a decision that split his life in two. If he couldn't fight from the Light, he'd fight from the Shadow.
He activated the Ash Queen's secret communicator. "I've been relieved of command. I'm useless to the Conclave. But my bond compels me to fulfill your will," Ren said, his voice firm for the first time in days. "I want my mission. A mission only I can do." The Queen amused herself. And what can a dishonored Paladin offer me? "I can infiltrate. I can infiltrate your own territory, where the Light won't dare look for me. I can be your intelligence agent within your own court. I'll be your most loyal weapon, but in return, I want Kaito by my side."
The Ash Queen laughed, a long, seductive sound. A negotiation. Interesting. Your offer is tempting. But you must prove your ultimate loyalty. Your first act as my loyal servant will be to complete the sabotage of the shields. Destroy them entirely. Ren felt the Shadow's pulse. He didn't hesitate. He was no longer a Paladin. "I'll do it. But after, I want a portal. And I want to go home. To your home."
The Triumph of the Shadow
As Ren prepared for his final act of betrayal, Kaito was in the Underground Forge, reporting to Elora. "The generator is compromised. The Shield Master didn't stop me." Elora nodded, satisfied. "Perfect. Now, rest. The Queen has a new plan. Your brother has just broken his bond with the Light. And he's coming to us." Kaito felt the tug on the Bond. Ren was no longer a Paladin. He was becoming something else.