The Void Citadel faded behind him as Soren stepped through the final archway of the simulation chamber. Beyond it lay a vast, uncharted expanse—the first external realm the Citadel allowed him to access: Aetheris Veil, a fragment of the multiverse suspended between existence and possibility. Mist clung to the ground, threading through shattered ruins of ancient civilizations, remnants of rulers long forgotten.
He felt the hum of countless nodes, each vibrating with potential, each resisting control in subtle, unpredictable ways. Unlike the simulations inside the Citadel, here every reaction mattered. Every misstep could alert nearby rulers or attract SS-tier entities guarding their domains.
"This is real," Soren thought, tightening his grip on Eclipse Aethernis. "Every decision echoes across the multiverse."
From the void, his Dominion Summons emerged, shadows coalescing in the mist:
Kaelith, precise and deadly.
Lyrathis, warping perception around enemy nodes.
Tharok, hulking and indomitable.
Elyndra, graceful, stabilizing the flow of unstable energy threads.
"First node, first conquest," he murmured. "Let's see who resists me here."
The node lay ahead, embedded atop a floating island surrounded by a swirling maelstrom of Aetheris Veil's law threads. Soren could feel its resistance even before approaching: a palpable pressure that bent the air, twisted the mist, and whispered in tongues he did not fully understand.
He began the synchronization process, linking with all four summons simultaneously. Kaelith struck shadows with surgical precision, Tharok shattered defensive barriers, Lyrathis distorted perception to expose the node's core, and Elyndra stabilized the volatile threads.
Yet this node was different. It did not merely resist—it adapted. Threads shifted in response to their attacks, barriers reformed in real-time, and the environment itself reacted, turning broken ruins into jagged spikes aimed at destabilizing his summons.
Soren's mind raced. Every movement of Eclipse Aethernis, every command to his summons, every adjustment in law-resonance had to be precise. He recalled The Chronicler's words:
"A node measures intent, coordination, and understanding. Misalignment fractures threads."
Sweat ran down his brow, but his focus was absolute. With careful orchestration, he aligned the threads perfectly. Kaelith tore through the node's defenses in rhythm with Tharok's brute strikes. Lyrathis distorted the node's perception long enough for Elyndra to freeze its core in a temporal stasis.
Finally, the node's energy unraveled, submitting to his will. The floating island shuddered, and the surrounding maelstrom stilled. Soren lowered Eclipse Aethernis, feeling the echoes of the first real conquest vibrating through his veins.
"So this is the multiverse outside the Citadel… real, dangerous, alive," he thought. "And it bends to me if I command correctly."
From the shadows, a flicker of recognition passed through his mind—remnants of Aedric and Nythera's influence. The node contained fragments of their legacy, coded into the threads, waiting for Soren to decipher.
"Every conquest is not just power," he realized. "It's knowledge, strategy, and insight into the rulers who came before me… and the ones I will surpass."
The Dominion Summons dissipated, leaving only whispers of law threads behind. Soren felt no thrill, no arrogance—only a calculated acknowledgment that this was merely the first of countless nodes, realms, and rulers he would encounter.
The wind carried a faint murmur from the Citadel, like a warning:
"The multiverse watches. Some rulers will resist. Some nodes harbor truths you may not wish to face. Conquer wisely, Soren Arclight."
Soren's lips curled into a slight smile. Ruthless, patient, and calculating, he stepped forward. The path to Absolute Dominion had begun in earnest, and the first external realm was only a prelude to the empire he intended to build.
"I will not merely survive this multiverse. I will command it. Every realm, every node, every fragment of existence will bend—or break."
And with that resolve, Soren Arclight, the Void Sovereign of the multiverse, vanished into the mist, leaving the first conquered node as the seed of his expanding dominion.
TBC....