Death To Power

Volume Four: Outer war, Inner war (II)

Chapter 281 – Masked feelings

Lisa found herself walking with hurried steps through the bustling streets of Asterion. Beings of all ages, shapes, and colors passed by her, each absorbed in their own life...some alone, some laughing with friends or lovers, others sulking or cursing under their breath as they went.

Above, the blinding golden sun that usually bathed the city in warmth had already sunk into sleep, allowing the blue moon to rise and bathe the entire territory in its silvery luster.

It was peaceful.

But Lisa didn't feel that way.

She bit her lip and walked faster, bumping into one or two people along the way, earning herself a few curses and glares.

Behind her, she could faintly hear the voice of a man calling her name, but the noise of the crowded street and the number of bodies between them hid her completely from sight.

She didn't bother to respond. Instead, she pushed through faster, turning right at a crossroads that led her into another street. This one was quieter, less crowded. Rows of houses lined both sides, interspersed with small shops closing for the night.

When she reached another intersection, she turned left, walked for another two or three minutes, and finally found herself standing in a completely different part of the city, one where nothing surrounded her but plain stone walls and a single wooden door ahead.

She approached it, pulling a small copper key from her pocket — space rings were far beyond what she could afford — and slipped it into the keyhole. A soft click echoed, and the door creaked open. She stepped inside, returned the key to her pocket, and closed the door behind her.

Within the enclosed space lay a small field, no larger than a modest bedroom — about ten by twelve feet — carpeted with dozens of golden flowers that shone gently, their soft light filling the room despite the ceiling's shadow.

The moment she saw them, Lisa's tense shoulders relaxed. She walked toward one corner where her tools and farming materials were neatly arranged beside her uniform.

She began undressing, slowly removing the luxurious clothes Kenan had bought her.

Her teeth sank into her lower lip at the thought of him. Anger and indignation flickered through her brown eyes for a heartbeat before melting away into quiet sorrow.

Once she had folded her fine clothes aside, she changed into her working attire: a brown long-sleeved shirt and matching pants, tucked into sturdy boots meant for soil and hard ground.

Then she put on her gloves, walked toward the flowers, crouched down, and began tending to them.

At first, her face was hard and heavy with sadness. But as time passed, her movements slowed, her breathing steadied and little by little, a faint smile began to form on her lips.

The golden-colored flowers were called Jearuwy flowers. They were plants with thin, hard golden stems, their tips blooming into flattened disks that shimmered like coins before gently falling to either side. They were a type of flower that could only grow in enclosed spaces, completely devoid of sunlight. The soil, too, had to be rich with worms and salt for them to flourish.

It wasn't easy for Lisa to grow these plants, but she liked the process. She liked how they gleamed...how golden they were.

She had saved her salary for three years to buy not only this little place but also the seeds and every material necessary to care for them. All that without forgetting the fact that she worked every day until late at night...every day except Sunday. So every night, she came here to tend to them, knowing it was the most optimal time for them to grow.

She had spent so much money and effort...

...for something that would never give her anything back.

These flowers were completely useless. The only thing they could do was shine golden and radiate a faint warmth. That was all. But Lisa treated them as if they meant everything to her.

And in a way, they did.

In this capital where no one cared about anyone, where every person was cold and wrapped up in their own problems, it was hard to find warmth.

For a girl who came from a small village where everyone knew each other and supported one another, Asterion was a suffocating place...one that threatened to snuff out the last spark of her heart.

Her job itself was suffocating, forcing her to smile and be pleasant to everyone every single day. It took its toll on her mind.

That was why she had wanted a wealthy husband.

Though now, that thought had died after the incident with Meris, after she found herself reduced to a slave.

"Heh..." she chuckled softly, her voice trembling as the memory surfaced, her eyes starting to shimmer.

She had only wanted a good life. Like everyone else in this world.

And she became a slave for it.

Because of what?

Because Meris could. Because she was a commoner. Because she was weak.

She thought she had made peace with that event, that she had buried it and moved on...but no.

What happened today with Kenan had brought it all back.

Lisa sighed with a woeful smile.

Just as she was starting to get used to him. Just as she was finally feeling comfortable being with him, hearing him ramble about everything, seeing his awkward face, his wry smile, his constant habit of using "Ashes" in every sentence...

Just as Lisa thought that in this cold and indifferent world, there might actually be someone who liked her despite everything...

...that same person came today to end it all.

She bit her lip harder until blood welled and slid down her chin. "I didn't come to seek you..." she muttered, her voice cracking. "It wasn't me who tried to be with you. It wasn't me who kept pestering you to go on dates, or to watch plays, or to take walks..."

Her shoulders shook. "It wasn't me... it was you, Kenan... it was you..." she wheezed.

"And now... now you decide to end it all after giving me gold?"

She laughed bitterly, the sound hollow and trembling.

Did he think she only cared about money?

She was human too. She had feelings. She was a woman too, one who longed for affection.

Yes, she loved gold, there was no doubt. It was the reason she had accepted his invitations in the first place.

But gold was cold. Gold was lifeless. Gold would not soothe her when she was breaking apart. Gold would not hold her when the world pressed too hard, when everything seemed to crumble and drown her in a sea of quiet despair.

Gold... would not smile at her as if she mattered.

Her knees gave in, sinking into the soil crawling with worms. Her chest tightened with emotions she couldn't name, couldn't bear.

She didn't understand.

Why?

Why was it that every time she thought she had finally caught something precious, it slipped away?

Why?

Did she not deserve happiness?

Lisa's vision blurred. The world around her dissolved into haze as tears poured freely...tears she had held back for years, for her family back in the village, for the strength she forced herself to carry.

She was tired. She was exhausted. She was... alone.

Soon, Lisa found herself lying on the ground, her body curled up like a child seeking warmth, eyes swollen and wet.

The golden flowers around her glowed brighter, their light deepening in hue as though they could sense her pain and sorrow.

The room grew warmer, gentler, and slowly, her trembling eased, her breathing steadied, and she fell asleep peacefully at last.

With her flowers as her only companions.

And all that while outside, an orange-haired young man searched through the streets of Asterion the entire night, eyes wide with worry, calling her name again and again, until his family found him at dawn and dragged him home, his voice still hoarse, his heart still restless.

...

Darklore — Waverith, The Pit.

Kaden sat on the ground, staring at the red book in front of him, his thoughts spinning in dizzying circles as he tried to process everything he had just uncovered.

Even without considering the fact that he had absorbed a trace of divinity from the Sorrow Pathway, something he had yet to even understand, the memories he had seen inside Luke's mind were staggering.

And he was still struggling to digest them.

But some things were clear.

For one, Brain had lied to him. He hadn't found the legacy of the Forbidden Alchemist in Fokay, Luke had given it to him. And Luke had done so in exchange for a way to split his consciousness, which could only mean...

Kaden's gaze drifted slowly to the limp body sprawled across the ground...Luke Thornspire, eyes vacant, looking like a broken puppet whose strings had been cut.

'He's not dead yet,' Kaden thought, brows furrowing.

"Are you okay, hero?" Inara asked from his left, her tone tinged with worry.

Meris sat on his right, her head resting gently against his shoulder, offering quiet warmth and comfort.

She could tell Kaden was unsettled by something, but she knew better than to force him to speak. Inara, on the other hand, wasn't nearly as patient. She hated seeing him brooding and needed to know what was wrong before she could fix it.

Kaden gave a faint smile, Rory perched on his head nibbling on brown worms. "It's nothing," he said. "Just... mentally exhausted after what happened."

He paused, then added with a small grin, "Besides, with this book, we might finally have a way to save Eliot. Isn't that great?"

"Granted," he continued humorously , "I almost got myself into something I'd rather not talk about, but hey..."

He shrugged lightly. "A win is a win."

Meris and Inara exchanged a glance, then burst into laughter, both echoing at once, "A win is a win!" They leaned closer to him, their laughter mingling with relief.

The weight pressing on them seemed lighter. Eliot could be saved.

Kaden smiled with them, though deep inside, a darker thought lingered...

'He fooled us completely. And he wanted to kill Eliot because of Rea... but for what reason?'

His eyes softened as he looked at the girls, masking the turmoil beneath his calm expression.

'I need to know. But...'

"Let's go, fast! We don't have much time!" Inara said, her energy sparking back.

Kaden nodded absently, pushing himself up, his thoughts narrowing down to a single, chilling question...

'Where is that bloody bastard Luke?'

...

Meanwhile, far away from the crumbling Waverith, within a realm soaked in hazy grey fog, a hooded man suddenly halted mid-step.

A smile, twisted between pain and amusement, spread across his lips.

"Oho! He lasted longer than I expected," he murmured, chuckling softly.

Then he clicked his tongue.

"What a shame. I wanted to take back the book." He sighed, shoulders rising and falling lazily. "Hopefully, it was destroyed along with that pathetic piece of garbage."

Shaking his head, he resumed walking, his silhouette fading slowly into the shifting fog.

Chapter 282 – Rest

After obtaining the Grimoire of the Forbidden Alchemist, Kaden began to read it.

It was a difficult endeavor. The Forbidden Alchemist had mixed common language with runic language, making it extremely challenging for him to fully comprehend.

Irritation simmered inside him, threatening to burst open in a cloud of steam.

Once again, Kaden felt that same pull, the desperate urge to understand and master Runesmithing. It wasn't just about forging artifacts. No... not anymore. It had become a matter of learning an entirely new language.

And that thought made him recall something.

If he wasn't mistaken, during that vision— when he had possessed the body of that grey woman — she had been speaking in runic language.

That realization struck him harder than he expected.

It was more important than he thought.

But all of that would have to wait for later. For now, he needed to find a way to save his dear father-in-law inside this broken shell.

Fortunately, he did...after tremendous effort.

He had managed to find a section in the book dedicated to runic formations of the soul. In fact, there were many Chapters focused on the soul, but this one in particular was about restoration.

How the formation worked was surprisingly simple to grasp. To restore a soul... you only needed to use other souls, or soul energy.

That discovery shocked him. He hadn't known there was another form of energy entirely, soul energy, one that existed solely for techniques and skills related to the soul itself.

And that made him think of Soulbrand.

That trait had barely progressed since that day in the dungeon with Asael. He had always wondered why...why his mastery over it seemed to stagnate, but now he understood.

He needed soul energy. And he needed a way to harness it, not through runes, but by himself.

Something the book did not teach.

Sighing, Kaden decided to set the thought aside for now. At least he knew how to restore souls. The problem now was finding a way to remove the black rune on Eliot first.

That was when he remembered, the ashes-like grey parchment he had seen during the first vision, held by that woman.

He closed his eyes, remembering every detail of it, and rewrote the rune entirely without missing a single line on a sheet of blank paper. That rune was far too complex for him to understand alone, so he called his mother-in-law, Mayari, who had some knowledge about runes, though nothing close to the level of the book before them.

Naturally, she struggled. But in the end, they managed to confirm that it was indeed the same rune used on Eliot.

At that point, the hardest part was over.

If you know how a rune works, then you can destroy it immediately. The problem was that this one operated with soul energy, and Kaden didn't have any of that left within him.

So he used another rune, one crafted by the Forbidden Alchemist, to gather soul energy, then shifted the black rune by changing one of its core inscriptions.

Where it once said "eat the soul," Kaden and Mayari altered it to "restore the soul."

Then, by inscribing the contrary of the same rune atop the original, they forced the two to cancel each other out, both collapsing and erasing one another in a quiet burst of black light...and the cursed rune finally disappeared from Eliot's body.

He gasped in relief, then fell back asleep.

You could have seen the relief on Kaden and the others. Once it was done and the weight of stress finally steamed out of his pores, Kaden was sorely tempted to collapse into bed and sleep, but there was still one last thing to do.

Eliot's soul had been heavily damaged, he needed to heal it. Once again, they used a rune from the Forbidden Alchemist's grimoire to draw in the surrounding soul energy and nourish what remained.

Kaden observed the process closely, trying to understand how soul energy truly functioned. He found nothing concrete, unfortunately.

Still, he had gained much during the process of healing Eliot.

He had somehow obtained a divinity, something Death itself called the Sorrow Pathway. He had discovered that Luke was probably alive and wanted to kill Eliot for something related to Rea.

He had learned of a mysterious being whose nature he couldn't grasp.

And finally...

He had obtained the grimoire of one said to be the greatest alchemist and runesmith since The Witch.

Too many things were happening all at once, and Kaden was beginning to feel overwhelmed. He had just finished a bloody war, yet the world refused to give him peace.

Mysteries kept unfolding one after another, rising like a tide of chaos, as if someone had flung a card and sent the whole castle crashing down in a cascade.

Or maybe...it was Pandora's box?

Kaden tilted his head slightly, not understanding why his thoughts drifted in that direction.

He sighed ruefully. Meris and Inara watched him from the side. Inara was about to speak again, only for Meris to stop her with a sharp glare that clearly said, 'You speak, I freeze you.'

Inara looked tempted to argue, but this time she complied, giving Meris a mocking snarl before huffing and snapping her head to the other side.

Meris sighed. Inara was troublesome and utterly lacking in tact.

Once he confirmed that Eliot was safe, Kaden decided to return to his room.

Inara said she wanted to come with him, but with an awkward smile, Kaden gently declined, telling her he wanted to sleep and that they would talk, and finalize their oath, later.

Inara wanted to insist, only for Meris to clamp a hand over her mouth while offering Kaden a loving smile and wishing him a good rest.

Kaden seized the moment to flee.

As for Meris and Inara...

"Do you want me to lick your palm, Meris?" Inara asked through a muffled laugh, her eyes glinting mischievously.

Meris scowled in disgust. "That would be the last time you ever use your tongue," she said coldly, pulling her hand away. Then she added, "You did that on purpose."

Inara chuckled. "It's always funny to tease him. Don't you think? He looks so innocent and cute!" Her eyes softened for a moment, a faint haze of fondness flickering within them at the thought of Kaden.

Meris's jaw tightened at the sight, but she bit the inside of her lip, trying to suppress the sudden tremor running through her body. She failed to hide it, and Inara noticed.

Her teasing expression faded, replaced by a softer, awkward smile that Meris wasn't used to seeing on her face. "Maybe we should rest too..." Inara said quietly.

Meris only nodded curtly.

...

In his room, Kaden sat on a reclining chair made through his blood control. He leaned softly against it, and on his lap, Reditha glowed faintly as he smiled and cleaned her blade carefully, lovingly.

He hadn't forgotten how she saved him back in that mind space. And though he didn't say anything, there was no need to. Reditha understood everything.

So he simply sat there, polishing her blade as if it were a fragile piece of glass that could shatter at the slightest touch.

Then thoughts galloped through his mind.

Things were becoming troublesome, it seemed.

He hadn't told anyone yet that Luke was alive. He simply didn't know how to. And besides, Kaden wanted to resolve this on his own.

It wasn't that he didn't believe in his family's strength. but Waverith was shattered, and they needed to rebuild it first, to restore what was lost, and to avoid unforeseen consequences. They were not alone in this region.

They didn't need yet another troubling piece of news.

'So I'm alone in this one, huh,' he mused, smiling crookedly. 'Alone with Reditha.'

He needed to find where Luke was. Though he didn't have any clear lead... well, except for one.

'Sorrow... Sorrow Pathway. And divinity. When one says divinity, they obviously speak of a god. And if I remember what the Anthropologist said about the gods, he mentioned a "woeful one."' Kaden thought, still wiping Reditha with a small towel.

'That means there's a god related to sorrow. And in Fokay, in the north, just like the Celestial Empire, I once heard whispers of a church called the Church of Sorrow.'

Kaden's eyes shone with a brilliant light, a path finally forming in front of him.

The Church of Sorrow.

That would be his next step. But first, he needed to tie up loose ends here in Waverith and Darklore. Also...

"Bloody hell, when should I learn runesmithing? Old Smith must be waiting for me. Gods... should I just start already?"

Kaden paused, tilting his head.

'Why should I even learn it? I could just die to someone who knows it, it's faster.'

Sometimes he truly forgot he could just... die.

He didn't want to die without reason, but this one felt justified.

He didn't have time, and things were spinning out of control. He needed the help of death.

'I'll first need to get stronger.'

His stats had increased tremendously with the number of souls and blood he had devoured during the war. Except for Will, which seemed to have reached its limit at one thousand, all others had gained over a hundred points.

It was enormous.

Kaden realized just how broken his Will had become. And the more he devoured, the stronger his Will grew, making him consume more efficiently and maybe... maybe one day he wouldn't just obtain stat increases and soul enhancement...

Maybe. Just maybe.

For now, though, it was time to use his Synthesis once again.

He smiled.

'My dear favorite child, Daddy needs your help once again,' he whispered to his trait lovingly, as if speaking to something alive.

Synthesis quivered inside him.

His smile widened as he stood up once more, Reditha gripped tightly in his right hand, and he walked directly toward where they stored the corpses of the Steelbeasts.

Including the body of Goremaw.

Kaden licked his lips.

"The pain will be atrocious," he said, but his smile didn't waver.

He wanted to sleep, but in the end, he decided to take another step forward.

The world would not pause to let him rest. Rest was for the dead and the gods.

For one was too weak to survive, and so the earth gave him peace beneath its heavy embrace.

The other was too strong, and so the world kept them high above, in the heavens.

Kaden was neither of those two.

And so...

'Another step forward.'

Yes. Another step forward. And even if it was shaky, it didn't matter.

He just needed to walk.

And eventually, he will arrive at the destination, and rest will find him naturally.

Chapter 283 – New Structure

The room was a strange one, to say the least.

It was wide, built from rock and the steel remains of the Steelbeasts, blended together by the fire user and the earth user of the Elamin. What they obtained from that unexpected fusion was a new metal —earthsteel, they called it — a dense, powerful alloy that carried the weight of a mountain and the sharpness of forged blades.

Made of this, the room was as sturdy as it could possibly be.

At its center, carpeted by the solidified ashes of the fallen Cerveau members and their allies, stood a table made from the steeled bones of the Steelbeasts, ringed by five chairs.

Serena, Medusa, Garros, and Mayari sat within that chamber, gathered to discuss the new direction Waverith would take after the war.

The fifth chair was clearly meant for Eliot, but due to his injuries, and with no one suitable to replace him, it remained empty.

Serena looked at each of them in turn, a faint smile curling over her lips.

She wore her black and red battle armor, her toned muscles and sculpted abs visible through the tight fabric clinging to her body like sin clings to humanity.

"It's time we talk about it, isn't it?" she said, taking the lead of the meeting.

Garros sat beside her, clad in his black battle gear, muscles bulging as he leaned back lazily in his chair, unbothered and visibly uninterested. He clearly didn't want to be there.

Mayari sat quietly across from him, one leg crossed elegantly over the other, a cup of honeyed tea resting in her hand. Her violet eyes flickered faintly with lightning as she observed the others.

Medusa, meanwhile, sat perfectly straight, posture sharp as a blade, her expression filled with a seriousness that looked out of place in a room where no one else seemed capable of it.

"So..." Mayari began, her gaze drifting between Serena and Garros. "How do you plan to rebuild Waverith?" she asked before continuing,

"In the past, Waverith was controlled mainly by three families. Now, one of those families has been eradicated, and the reputation of the other has reached the heavens."

Her tone was calm but pointed, and it made Serena chuckle.

"You're not too bad yourself, Mayari, you know that?" Serena said. "You saved plenty of them, and they all know it."

Then she laughed lightly, resting her chin on her fist. "Some of the commoners even said they'd start praying to the 'Queen of Lightning' just to avoid heaven's punishment."

Mayari looked at Serena with dead eyes. "It might be true, but it's nothing compared to—!"

"HERO OF WAVERITH!" Garros suddenly roared with all his might, his voice shaking the entire chamber in a blast of sound that made the walls rattle like leaves in a storm. A huge grin spread across his face, and then, as if nothing had happened, he fell silent again, acting perfectly calm.

Mayari and Medusa stared at him the way one stares at a fool. Medusa tried to mask it, but the judgment still flickered clearly in her eyes.

Serena stifled a laugh and gave Garros a playful punch on the head. "Don't do that again, husband. You're embarrassing me."

Garros, completely unbothered, gave only a casual glance toward Mayari and Medusa before turning back to Serena. "I'm just a proud father," he said with a shrug, and fell silent again.

Serena shook her head with a helpless smile and gave the two women an apologetic look, as if excusing her husband's behavior, prompting Mayari to resume her words.

"As I was saying before some unknown animal interrupted me..." Garros twitched, and both Serena and Medusa barely held back their smiles. "You Warborns are now the favorites of Waverith. That much is clear. And I have no issue with it."

She paused, her tone steady and diplomatic.

"My daughter Meris and your son Kaden are officially together and will soon be married, uniting our families."

She took another sip of her tea before continuing.

"Besides that, the heiress of Thornspire is also Kaden's fiancée, connecting all three of the leading families of this stronghold."

A strange smile slowly crept across Mayari's lips, one that carried both amusement and subtle intrigue. "All thanks to your son, Kaden. Now that's... truly curious," she remarked.

But there was one thing Mayari didn't know, something only Medusa had recently discovered with how often Inara had begun visiting Kaden and staying at his side.

Which was...

"My daughter..." Medusa began, drawing the attention of everyone in the room, even Garros. "My daughter Inara seems to have a certain relationship with him as well."

Serena raised an eyebrow, surprised. 'A relationship? With a beast?'

"How so?" she asked.

"There was an incident when she was ten years old," Medusa said, her expression tightening slightly. "She found herself pursued by two wolves."

Then, with a wry smile, she added, "You can probably guess what happened next, right? The same old classic."

"Heh." Mayari barely suppressed a laugh. She was thinking both about how absurd the situation had become, that all of them somehow shared intimate ties with the Warborns because of one young boy,but also...

'Meris, heh. How will you handle this one? You did the same with the Thornspire heiress, and now a beast does the same to you.'

It was almost laughable. For her alone, at least, because she knew her daughter must be seething inwardly.

"So..." Medusa began again, her attention now fixed solely on the Warborns, "...you will be the leader?"

She asked before continuing, her tone steady but edged with practicality.

"It's best to make the decision quickly and implement it. There will also be the matter of us, the serpents, integrating into the stronghold. There will be awkward, tense times and..."

Her slitted green eyes shimmered with venomous light. "We are not alone here. The Steelbeasts have been eliminated, yes...but there are other beast settlements, even other strongholds, that could strike at us."

Her words immediately sobered the atmosphere. The air turned heavy. All of them understood the weight of that truth.

It would be disastrous if any of those powers attacked them now. They were not ready yet. Any serious assault would wipe them out entirely.

And so...

Garros spoke, his voice deep, steady, and so resonant it seemed to shake the very foundation of the chamber.

"We might be the most well-known thanks to the youngest," he said, his crimson eyes locking on the two women across the table, "but this war wouldn't have been won, with so little destruction and death, without you two."

Their bodies unconsciously tensed.

Even if they were his equals in term of rank, the moment their gazes met his, an immense pressure descended upon them. It was as though gravity itself had intensified, space compressing around their lungs, strangling their breath away.

And it wasn't just the weight of his presence ...they could see it. Deep inside Garros's red eyes, a sword rested within, vast and transparent like a blade of glass, towering like a mountain.

It was Garros's Origin, Aeron.

'Monster,' Mayari thought, forcing her restless lightning to quiet down, her body trembling faintly as it resisted the urge to strike back against the overwhelming presence before her.

Medusa felt the same. Her knuckles turned white beneath the table, her serpentine hair shifting restlessly behind her as she fought to suppress her beastly instincts.

Though for her, it was far harder to do.

Only Serena showed no particular reaction. Not because she didn't feel the pressure, but because she was used to it.

Garros naturally emitted this kind of presence whenever he became serious.

And if he noticed their discomfort, he didn't show it. His expression remained calm, his voice steady as he continued,

"So let's build something that will last. Because I know what the two of you are thinking." He smiled faintly. "You think that because of Kaden, we should take the lead and be the sole rulers of Waverith, just like how the stronghold Kaleith operates... but no."

Mayari and Medusa's faces shifted subtly. That was indeed what they had been thinking.

Not because they did not crave power for themselves, but because it seemed safer that way. Centralized power meant fewer chances of betrayal. And the Warborns were, after all, a family of trust.

Besides, with their daughters close to Kaden, they knew they would never be mistreated.

But that was flawed thinking.

"You might be fine with this," Serena interjected smoothly. "Even your heiresses might be. But after them? Do you truly believe every future leader of your families will accept that?"

She shook her head, firm and knowing. "They won't. And when that happens, the power struggle will return once more."

"We are different from Kaleith," she continued. "They can do all that because of faith. All of them believe in one god and see their leader as its prophet. Their foundation is built on devotion."

"So what do you propose?" Mayari asked, her tone thoughtful now.

"A council," Garros answered before Serena could. "The Warborn, the Elamin, the Thornspire, and now the Serpentine, who will swear loyalty to Waverith."

He leaned forward, the weight of his presence returning subtly. "We will have a King. And the other three will serve as Lords or Ladies of their respective regions. And they will obey the King."

King? Lord? Lady?

They all tilted their heads slightly at the same time.

Medusa raised an eyebrow, her tone calm but edged with humor. "I suppose you're the King then?"

Garros grinned broadly, unashamed. "Yes. And for my title, I'll choose King Progeny. My children are the best after all. And I believe we have earned it this time, haven't we? But don't worry...we're a fair bunch."

He grinned wider, and Serena mirrored him with a smirk of her own.

"If you think you can beat me," he said, "then by all means, challenge me."

"That's how the council will work from now on," Garros declared, his tone final.

"We'll keep the other families balanced...never too weak, never too strong. And the four of us will decide the King or Queen, and the remaining Lords or Ladies, through..."

Their eyes met. Both Warborns smiled.

"...duel."

"You win, you become King. Stay undefeated, and you remain King forever."

Medusa tilted her head again, her serpentine eyes narrowing slightly. "And what if an undefeated tyrant rises?"

The Warborn couple shrugged in perfect sync.

"Then that will be their problem," Garros said bluntly. "Don't forget, in this world, strength speaks the loudest."

"And that," Serena added, her voice calm but resolute, "will be for later generations to handle. For now, we'll do our part, we'll set the foundation, the groundwork."

Serena paused, her gaze sweeping over the room.

Each of them met one another's eyes in quiet understanding before, at last...

"So your names?" Serena asked softly.

Medusa and Mayari smiled.

"Lady Heavens."

"Lady Ouroboros."

And in that strange room of steels and fallen remains of enemies... a new Waverith began.

Chapter 284 – Can I eat you?

Inside, with blood splashed across the steeled floor... an event had just taken place.

While the adults were busy rebuilding the entire structure of Waverith from the ground up, Kaden was — in his own way — rebuilding his entire body from scratch.

The process was painful.

No, painful wasn't even close to enough. Kaden thought that word was too light, too hollow to describe what he had just gone through. It was agony. Soul-wrenching agony that tore through him in ways he hadn't thought possible.

His body felt as though it were in the hands of Mother Nature herself, who had decided to start her work anew, reconstructing him a little too passionately this time. Kaden, delirious from the torment, found himself thinking absurd thoughts...perhaps this was her way of rewarding him for being such a good man lately, saving lives left and right like some self-proclaimed hero.

Yes... the pain really was getting to his head.

But whatever it was, this process of Synthesis would be one he'd never forget.

The Steelbeasts possessed the most powerful bodies he had ever encountered yet. Their strength, their lethality, their resilience, everything about them exceeded the limits of what Kaden had known so far. And their Grandmasters... each one carried a unique flame, a special evolution of power unlike the rest.

And Kaden, in his relentless madness, didn't just synthesize the thousands of Steelbeasts into his body, he also merged with the three Grandmasters. And on top of that...

With the body of Goremaw.

And he did it all at once.

He could have done it step by step, but he knew what would happen if he did...he would grow accustomed to the pain, feel it build slowly, steadily, until he reached a point where he might stop. He would then choose either to rest or continue later.

Both were a waste of time.

So instead, he chose to fuse everything at once — every piece of power, every shard of flesh and metal and flame — forcing his body to adapt or collapse.

Sometimes, you must place yourself in a position where no choices remain, where there is no room for hesitation...only do or die.

Because too many choices breed hesitation. And hesitation doesn't just wear down your resolve...it wastes your time.

And time... is something you can never get back.

And now, here he was, sprawled naked on the cold, blood-slicked floor like a dead fish.

His body was a bloody sight to behold.

His muscles could just as well be considered the coming Apollo of Darklore. His frame was lean, every single muscle of his body sizzling and defined to the extreme. Each one of them was visible — the biceps, the triceps, the chest, the shoulders, the back, the traps, the legs, the abs — all of them looked as if someone had taken billions of years to design each part perfectly and blend them together into a seamless painting made for the goddesses to admire.

Added to that, trails of white, blue, pink, and crimson lights were streaming across his whole body like rain over a rooftop, sliding down until they patted the earth beneath him.

It was a mesmerizing sight.

Kaden slowly opened his eyes, and for a brief moment, you could see his crimson irises tainted by all kinds of colors before they vanished deep within them. He exhaled, letting out a steamy breath through his mouth, thick enough to blur the air around him into a hazy, dreamlike veil.

Slowly and steadily, he began to stand. Each of his movements made his bones seem like lightning was being unleashed within them, flooding the room with a crackling chorus of music.

Once fully upright, he cracked his neck to the left, then to the right, rolled both his shoulders, and moved the rest of his body to loosen the tension.

Each one of his motions made the air around him fold upon itself like wrinkled paper before shimmering faintly, distorted by his strength and the natural high temperature of his body.

Reditha suddenly appeared behind him, her crimson, steamy figure still sensual and striking. She moved and floated before him, her eyes running over his body from top to bottom — lingering especially on Kaden's little brother — then from left to right, before circling behind him again, admiring his defined back and glutes.

Kaden's lips twitched heavily at the scene. He felt like an exotic animal in a zoo, watched curiously by all who passed.

Reditha then wrapped her arms around his neck, leaned her face close to his right ear, and whispered sensually, "Master... can I eat you?"

Kaden's eyebrow twitched. "I would rather not, Reditha. What's wrong with you?"

Reditha huffed. "What's wrong with me? Because I want to eat you after seeing your body? Master, if I didn't act this way, that's when something would be wrong with me."

Kaden was tempted to say you're just a sword, but he knew Reditha had feelings like any other woman out there.

"But you cannot eat me," Kaden said, glancing toward one side of the room. There, a mountain of Origin Cores stood tall.

"Because I'm a sword?" Reditha asked, rolling her crimson eyes.

Kaden chuckled. "It's you who said it, not me."

"But I know you thought about it!" Reditha said indignantly.

"And yet... I didn't say it." Kaden shrugged. "Why are you mad at me for something I didn't say?"

"And besides, I wasn't thinking about that. You know I have Meris," he said, walking toward the mountain of cores.

Reditha rolled her eyes. "And yet, master... before Meris, you had Rea. What's the difference?"

Kaden's step faltered, his lips twitching. "Special circumstances," he defended himself.

Reditha scoffed.

"And you said you'll have four wives in your family," her tone softened, "make me one of them. You still have one spot left."

Kaden finally reached the mountain, but he tilted his head slightly. "One spot? I have two."

Reditha decided not to respond to that.

Seeing her silence, Kaden thought his precious companion was angry. "Were you really serious?" he asked.

Reditha laughed softly. "Of course not." Then she tightened her arms around his neck, her voice turning low and tender. "You die, I die. You live, I live. I know everything about you, and you know everything about me. My existence would be meaningless without you, and yours would not be complete without me."

She smiled fondly. "I don't need anything else, master."

Kaden smiled faintly, then said, "Kaden."

Reditha arched an eyebrow, curious, as he continued, "Call me Kaden from now on. No need for 'master.'"

Reditha's smile deepened. She rested her chin on his shoulder, then closed her eyes.

The picture was both holy and unholy.

A young man, with lines of different colors of light flowing across his naked body, stood still as a feminine crimson figure held him lovingly from behind.

It was a sight better not to let Meris witness...

Kaden smiled again, then turned his gaze toward the piled-up cores before him. Some were glowing with blinding light, while others were dim, flickering faintly like dying photons.

But there was one among them that surpassed all the rest in mystical beauty...a white core, glowing with such intensity that it bathed the entire room in pure radiance. Not only that, but the temperature had also skyrocketed to a whole new level.

Kaden remained indifferent to the heat, his composure preserved only thanks to his new transformation.

He observed the white core attentively before finally focusing his gaze on the panels appearing in front of him.

[You have obtained stats: +250 Strength, +200 Agility, +300 Constitution, +150 Perception, +50 Intelligence, +100 Mana.]

[You have obtained the characteristics of the Steelbeasts: Your bones and skin are as hard as steel. Bleeding will now be difficult for you.]

[You have obtained four different types of fire within your heart: Blue, Red, Pink, and White.]

[You have obtained the half legacy of the White Phoenix.]

[Your Heart is changing. The Seed of Fire is being born within you.]

[Your Heart is Fire.]

[Your Heart is...]

Death itself seemed to pause, making Kaden instinctively tense, and then...

[Your Heart is Ablaze.]

Chapter 285 – Ablaze

'Seed of Fire, huh...' Kaden internally murmured as he looked at the notification panels from Death.

It was his first time hearing this concept. But at this point, Kaden was getting used to having new information appear out of nowhere.

Answers would come to him. That, he was sure of.

He sighed softly, then strode forward, his bare feet patting gently against the steeled ground. With a single leap, he mounted the piled-up mountain of cores, then slowly sat upon them. He crossed his legs, closing his eyes once more.

'Death, show me my stats attributes,' he ordered, and Death obeyed.

<<<<<<<>>>>>>

[Stats Attribute]

STR: 850

AGL: 800

CONS: 900

PER: 750

MANA: 700

INT: 650

WILL: 1000

<<<<<<<>>>>>>

Kaden smiled subtly at the sight of his stats. He always liked to see them progress and improve steadily. It wasn't that he couldn't feel the difference internally, within every movement and thought but having a visual sense of it always made it easier to grasp.

He noticed that only Will had reached 1000 stat points, refusing to go any further. The other six hovered around the 700 range.

Noticing this, Kaden didn't even need Death to tell him that 1000 was the limit for all Masters, stats-wise.

The difference between each rank continued to grow wider.

At Intermediate, the limit was only 500. Now, it had doubled to 1000. What would it be at Grandmaster? Kaden wisely decided not to think about it yet. When the time came, he would face it naturally.

And yet, he wasn't worried. He had far too many ways to gain stats beyond quests alone. He could obtain them through his Will, or through Synthesis. Both were wonders, cheats in their own right, in both worlds.

Added to that were his Death Coins... Kaden truly was abnormal.

A faint smile basked his face before melting away into a focused, neutral expression. He still needed to assess the saturation of his Origin Core.

He breathed slowly, exhaling and inhaling until perfect balance settled within him. The cores beneath him began to pulse, matching his rhythmic breathing. And not only that, the entire room seemed to fall into sync with him, the air growing strange and mystical.

Sinking deep into his inner world, Kaden examined his core. It was round in shape, glowing with an intense red, almost black light, the unmistakable mark of his Origin. But part of it — around seventy percent — shone brighter, more profound in hue than the rest.

That alone told him what he needed to know: he was missing just over thirty percent before full saturation. Something he could achieve with the white core of Goremaw alone, let alone the thousands of others surrounding him.

"Huhhhh..." Kaden exhaled, a satisfied smile touching his lips before he opened his eyes again.

"Perfect. I'll saturate my core today, leaving only the Grandmaster Quest before I step into that rank," he muttered under his breath, a quiet giddiness lighting his features.

He wondered what being at that rank would feel like. He also wondered what kind of Quest he would receive.

He already possessed a mythical stone... but he still needed to find a myth. Something he didn't expect to be as straightforward as the encounter with The Slave, but still...

Kaden had a lead. Not one actually, but two.

If even one of them proved true, he would meet another bloody myth.

And that...that was something he was eager for.

Because meeting a myth meant learning something about the worlds and their secrets.

And as all sensible people acknowledged...

...Knowledge is power.

And yet... he knew he wouldn't go back to Fokay so soon. He still needed to stay here until Waverith became functional and stable once again. All of that to avoid any unforeseen event where even the advantage of dying and rewinding time would become more difficult to use.

But first, before saturating his origin, Kaden felt the need to do something with all the fire he had recently obtained.

At his thought, five different types of fire burst into reality around him, circling him gently like stars orbiting a vast cloud of dust. They were black, blue, pink, red, and white.

Each of these flames had its own specific characteristic.

The black fire was his signature, everyone knew it by now. The blue fire was one he already had hidden within the black, it was a flame that could burn mana itself. The pink fire touched emotions, capable of either burning them away or igniting them into something consuming and maddening. The red fire was pure destruction, unfettered and primal, meant for nothing but annihilation.

And the white one... the white was special. It was the hottest among them all, hot enough to burn even space itself. The very air around it seemed to quiver and recoil from its heat.

Yet it was also a fire that could heal, a paradoxical flame of destruction and rebirth.

All of these fires were interesting, versatile in their own ways. Kaden's mind was already flashing through countless possibilities for their use. But then, another thought came to him...instead of having all these different attributes scattered across separate flames...

Why not combine them into one?

He smiled faintly. "I'm a simple guy, and I like simple things. Let's just do it."

"Synthesis, my dear child, let's get back at it again," he said softly, before adding, "and I swear, if one day I ever get the chance to give one of my traits a physical body, I'll give you one."

He chuckled under his breath. "You want to be a boy or a girl? I prefer a girl, personally. I want to spoil my princess and kill any boys who come near her. And also..."

A hint of melancholy curved his lips. "You'd get along with Asael's daughter too... you two would be best friends, right? Pretty nice, huh?"

Thinking of that made him realize how much he missed his friend.

He missed Asael, deeply.

'I wonder where you are... are you doing okay, Asael? Or did you find yourself trapped in another dungeon again?' He added that last part with a quiet, joking laugh.

He truly hoped Asael had reunited happily with his daughter. And more importantly...

'I hope you said good things about me, Asael... don't slander my name!'

He truly hoped so, otherwise, he'd kill that guy and then kill himself just to rewind time.

Suddenly, he paused, sensing an emotion transferred by Synthesis.

"Oh... you want to be a boy?"

He clicked his tongue in disappointment. "Tch. Then what about you, Soulbrand?"

But Soulbrand wasn't advanced enough yet, and no hint of emotion rose in response.

Kaden shrugged reluctantly. "A boy then. Now, my boy, do your thing."

His smile spread, quiet and determined.

"Combine all these fires into one. A fire unique to me."

Synthesis glowed with both energy and excitement, then enveloped all of Kaden within a white cocoon.

The process began, and pain flooded his senses from every direction. This time, his expression didn't falter, not a single grunt escaped his mouth.

He felt something deep within him begin to shift, transforming into something entirely new. It was... inside his heart.

Or perhaps, it was his heart itself.

Here, his eyes bulged wide open, his crimson irises tainted by every color as his heart began to change...to become something else entirely.

Soon, multicolored tears streamed down his pale, smooth skin, splashing on his knees and patting softly against the cores beneath him.

He gasped, feeling his heart stop for a heartbeat, a heartbeat too long for Kaden, who caught the shadow of Death glancing at him from the edge of his vision, before it started again just as the process reached its end.

The white dome burst apart, melting into streams of light that dispersed with the wind swirling through the room.

Kaden coughed, falling backward into the mountain of cores, and suddenly a vision flashed through his mind. It lasted only an instant, yet he felt it linger far longer than that.

He found himself in a wisp-like state, floating above a place that stirred no memory within him. Before him stood a massive, apocalyptic tree — so vast his mind could not fathom its scale — rooted deep within a black-and-white river that flowed endlessly upon itself, its branches large enough to cradle worlds within them. Its bark was an immaculate black, and its leaves were hearts set ablaze...hearts and flames of every shape, color, and rhythm imaginable.

Kaden gazed at it for barely a second before it all dispersed like mist, leaving him back in the room, his breath ragged.

Raising his head, he looked toward the panel flickering before his eyes.

[Your Heart has been changed. Your Seed of Fire has been changed.]

[Seed of Fire → Seed of Prometheus.]

[You have created a new fire: Fire of Prometheus.]

Kaden stared at the notifications and then, something burst within him, shrouding his whole body in a radiant, protective embrace. He raised his hand and watched as a magnificent crimson-gold fire, laced with hints of white, pink, blue, and black, shimmered across his skin like constellations carved in flame.

"Now... this is something," he muttered, feeling the immense power throbbing within that flame.

'Prometheus, huh...'

His lips curled upward. 'Another beside Pandora, I see.'

He shook his head, and the flame retreated into his body but not before weaving itself into a new set of crimson-gold garments that wrapped around him, hiding his once-bare form.

Reditha clicked her tongue in disappointment inside his mind.

Kaden laughed softly at her reaction, then turned his gaze back toward the cores, his smile shifting into something more wry. "Another pain incoming. Ah, dear Mother Nature..." he said quietly, and then...

"My boy, go on."

Synthesis responded immediately.

And soon, Kaden synthesized two Epithet Realm cores, saturating his Origin Core completely and...

...seemed to have completely forgotten the vision of the Black Tree.

Chapter 286 – Binding

"Oh, I now understand why my daughter fell for you," Lydia said, her heterochromatic eyes — one golden, one sticky-red — calmly observing Asael, who was looking at her as if holding himself back from snapping her neck in a full three-hundred-and-sixty degrees.

That made her laugh.

Asael didn't bother responding to her words.

They were inside the throne room, painted in a shade of red so deep one might believe it had been forged from blood itself. Lydia Drought sat calmly upon her crimson throne, her red hair combed into a single massive knot behind her head and pinned in place by a red dagger. She wore a striking black dress that flowed past her knees, hiding the luxurious heels beneath her feet.

She sat cross-legged, resting her chin upon her right fist, her eyes locked on the chained Asael standing several steps below her.

He was bathed and healed now, wearing a black suit that fit perfectly against his pale, almost gray skin, his shadowy black hair and eyes completing the look of cold restraint.

His gaze was icy.

"I do not have time to entertain you, boy," Lydia said, her voice carrying a faint note of amusement. "So you either start talking and have a nice discussion with your mother-in-law... or you go back to the prison and wait for your death."

"Death?" Asael finally spoke, his voice like the low growl of a fiend. "I would have chosen that option long ago if it were only me." He spat in anger.

"I would have preferred never to see the light of this world if it meant being your slave."

"Slave?" Lydia echoed, chuckling softly. "That's an ugly word, boy. You will simply be someone loyal and obedient to this Empire. Nothing more, nothing less."

She tilted her head slightly to the left, her golden eye glowing with an eerie light. "And tell me, isn't that a given? You are a noble of this Empire. Your loyalty and obedience were never things that needed to be discussed. They were never supposed to be the reason I chained you."

Asael shook his head slowly.

"Loyalty..." he began, taking a step forward, his black eyes deep as a bottomless void. "Loyalty is not given. Loyalty is earned. And you have done nothing — let me emphasize, absolutely nothing — to earn that from me."

"And another thing, you heartless woman. Loyalty is a two-way street. You cannot expect it if you are not ready to give it back."

He gritted his teeth until a deep creaking sound echoed through the throne room. "So how dare you talk about loyalty with me? Stop your act, woman."

"You don't care about loyalty. You care about obedience. You want someone to obey you without ever thinking of doing the opposite."

He paused, locking his cold, furious eyes onto Lydia's beautiful yet demonic gaze. "You just want a goddamn slave."

The room fell silent. Then a dry, rasping sound escaped Lydia's lips, like two stones grinding against each other. It was unpleasant.

And yet, it was supposed to be a chuckle.

"Heartless..." she whispered, tasting the word. "You are wrong, boy. I am not heartless, I just use my heart less."

"And tell me..." her voice shifted, becoming cold and demonic, a melody laced with malice,

"Will that change your situation, knowing that I want a slave?" she asked. "Will knowing that I do not care what you think, what you feel, or what you believe... make you feel any better?"

"Or will it only give you another reason to feed your hatred for me and to plan my downfall?"

"Tell me, Asael Shadeborn... what if I told you I want you as my slave? What if I told you that I want you to follow my orders like the obedient shadow you are... what would happen then?"

Asael's knuckles went pale as he glared at Lydia. Multiple thoughts — violent, cruel, tempting — whispered into his mind, begging him to give in.

But he knew better. So he held it in.

"See?" Lydia continued, her tone suddenly lighter. "It changes nothing. So let's do this as amicably as possible. After all..."

Her smile widened.

"You are my daughter's lover... and the father of my granddaughter."

"Do you even care about them?" Asael growled.

"I do," Lydia answered simply, then uncrossed her legs and lowered them gracefully onto the platform. She stood slowly, her body swaying with an effortless sensuality, each of her steps echoing sharply across the room.

Asael stood still, watching her as she approached him, step by step.

He didn't know why, but in that moment, he felt like a lost lamb frozen at the sight of a ravenous wolf.

"They are my blood," Lydia continued softly. "I care about them enough not to kill them after the incident with you. But..."

She took another step, and the distance between them vanished and in an instant, she was an inch of him.

Her perfume, rose and vanilla, struck his senses like a turbulent gust of wind.

"...this Empire needs to be elevated. And I will need every bit of help... even from a shadow."

Asael didn't respond. Looking at Lydia, assessing his current situation, he understood perfectly that acting angry or perturbed would not help him.

There was no need to feel that way. His fate had already been sealed the moment he willingly accepted the burden of a father.

Here, in front of Lydia, he was no longer Asael Shadeborn, Prince of Shadows.

Here, he was simply Asael, father of Valentine. A father who wanted nothing more than the happiness of his daughter.

He exhaled softly, letting his mind relax. In moments like these, he couldn't help but think of his one and only friend...

Kaden.

He asked himself what Kaden would do if he were in his place. Or rather, what would Kaden think of him if he witnessed this scene?

This scene of him accepting a collar. Accepting to be a slave.

Would he scorn him? Call him unworthy?

Or would he smile and tell him it was the right choice?

He wanted to know. No...he needed to know. He needed to know if he was still worthy of his friendship.

And ah...

'I miss you, my friend. The dungeon... I shouldn't, but I miss it because of you.'

He wanted to speak to him again. Because somehow, he was sure Kaden would find a way out of this. He didn't know how, but he was certain...if Kaden were here, he would not be trapped.

But he wasn't Kaden.

And Kaden wasn't here to guide him.

He was alone, like a lost lamb standing before a wolf. And like any lost lamb...

"As you will," Asael said finally.

...he was eaten.

But even a lamb has a will. And he would not fall alone.

Lydia's smile widened. "From now on, you are Asael, The Empire's Shadow."

"Swear your loyalty. Swear your obedience. Take your Oath. Shroud this Empire in your protective darkness, and drown our enemies in the depths of shadow."

She leaned closer, her lips almost brushing his, their breaths intertwining like twin serpents.

"As for me...I will feed you. I will clothe you. I will give you every resource you need. Everything you desire...ask, and I will grant it, so long as it does not compromise the Empire."

Her voice was soft. Too soft.

"Now... swear your loyalty upon The Will. Not to me, but to the Empire."

Asael paused, then spoke, his tone cold and deliberate.

"If you want me to swear, then you must make sure that Rose and Valentine..." he said, each word dragging like iron, "...nothing must happen to them. If my daughter bears even a single wound on her body or even mental because of you or this Empire, my oath will be void and..."

He smiled. A cold, lifeless smile.

"I will destroy this Empire."

"Are you that capable?" Lydia taunted.

But Asael's smile didn't waver. "You'll know if that day ever comes. And believe me, Lydia..."

"At that time, nothing will stop me from sinking this Empire into depthless shadow." He leaned in closer, his breath brushing her ear as he whispered,

"On that, I swear it on my daughter's life and on my most cherished bond. And when this Empire you love so much is reduced to nothing..."

Here, his tone turned gentle.

"I will fucking kill you, bitch."

Lydia's smile widened, stretching unnaturally wide to reveal perfectly lined white teeth...the smile of a madwoman. Her heterochromatic eyes gleamed with wicked delight.

"Oh, son-in-law... do you wish to capture my heart too?" she asked, chuckling coldly. "How greedy of you. But..."

She placed both hands on Asael's shoulders, pushing him back slightly, forcing him to look directly at her.

"The threats of a chained man are worthless. One soon to be a slave, no less. Still, I shall remember your words, Shadow."

Asael clicked his tongue. Having nothing left to lose, he suddenly felt his heart emptied of all fear and apprehension toward Lydia.

She needed him. But he didn't need her.

And she knew it. She also knew that using his daughter as leverage any further would cost her more than she was prepared to lose.

Lydia Drought was no fool. She knew better than to corner a man who had no escape left. After all...

A cornered man with nothing to lose was more dangerous than anything this world could create.

And that was exactly why she would protect Valentine. And by protecting Valentine, she would inevitably protect Rose as well.

Because Asael wanted Valentine to never suffer from pain that could be avoided. And hurting Rose would cause exactly that, because Valentine loved her mother dearly.

Just as Rose loved her daughter.

And that was precisely what Asael swore.

"I will follow your orders and give my loyalty and obedience to the Empire. I will be its Shadow. And I will remain as such, for as long as my daughter remains free from harm. No matter if it comes from this Empire or its enemies. No matter the shape or form it takes."

Lydia's smile faltered slightly, but she knew pressing further would be unwise.

Only then did she realize that by binding Asael to her... she had also bound herself to him.

That realization made both of them smile... wide, deranged grins filled with madness and mutual understanding.

"Ah, Shadow, you are lucky I need you."

"Keep that need to yourself."

Lydia's grin only deepened as she spun on her heels, her voice echoing through the crimson hall.

"We will do many things together, Shadow. Now that you have submitted, we can begin."

She sat back upon her throne, eyes gleaming like blood and gold.

"But first..."

Her gaze fell to the shackles still binding Asael's wrists and legs.

"...let's not make my dear granddaughter see you in this state, shall we?"

Chapter 287 – Birthright

It had been months since Zaki had integrated into the Order Orion. He did not enter alone, though, his friends had accompanied him.

By doing so, they had immediately reached A rank inside the Underground Game of Freedom, granting them the privilege to live in the quarters reserved for members of the Order Orion. And that meant living with enough freedom to go wherever they pleased within the Underground.

But the rules hadn't changed. You still had to play the games.

And now that he was among the Orions... the games had doubled in lethality and cruelty.

It was no longer a game between wretched players seeking freedom, nor those who craved the thrill of blood staining their hands...no, not anymore.

These were games fought to obtain resources, to amass power, to expand influence. Games where Orders fought to place others beneath them. Games that directly concerned the interests of the Masters themselves.

And whenever interests were involved... the world always turned bloodier.

Now, Zaki was irreversibly involved in that world. But he couldn't care less about how bloody the path would become. He couldn't care less if his hands were drenched in the blood of those within the games.

He would simply do his job.

And that meant honoring Maryam's sacrifice...making sure it meant something.

And it would.

"Are you listening, Sky?"

A deep voice cut through Zaki's churning thoughts, forcing him to shake his head to disperse the fog in his mind and refocus on his interlocutor.

It was Scarred himself, with his obsidian skin, bald head, and a beard that looked as if it had been ignited by crimson flames. He wore the same black hunter's attire that perfectly framed his bulky physique.

The same attire Zaki now wore.

With his celestial red eyes and hair, Zaki was striking, handsome in a way that drew too much attention. His angelic features had made him a sensation among the women of the Order Orion.

Pretty boy, they called him.

He nodded toward Scarred, eyes calm. "I'm listening," he said curtly.

They were inside an office room, its walls covered in beast skins and mounted heads displayed like trophies. The floor was carpeted with overlapping layers of fur, soft enough to feel luxurious beneath one's feets.

They sat face to face across a black marble table, smooth as a newborn's skin.

Behind Scarred's massive chair hung a grand painting of a magnificent black bow, with words etched beneath it:

Obedience through fear of the arrow.

The motto of the Order Orion.

Scarred studied him intently. "You're an A rank now. The games you'll play from this point on will be very different from what you've faced so far." His fingers tapped the marble table in a steady rhythm. "But remember, you're still only at the Awakened rank. No matter how strong or special you are, the moment you enter that kind of game... you're dead."

He paused, letting his words settle in. Then, without breaking eye contact, he continued.

"You've received a Legendary rank, haven't you?" he asked, though he already knew the answer.

"I did," Zaki replied flatly.

"Are you ready to start your quest?"

"I am."

"Then take it out and begin. Once you complete it, we'll train you...in our way."

He paused again, his eyes reflecting the faint shimmer of the torchlight at the far end of the table. "Our motto is: Obedience through fear of the arrow."

Immediately, as if the words themselves carried power, the atmosphere inside the room sharpened, cutting through the air like a whistling arrow.

Zaki's body trembled unconsciously. For a fleeting instant, he felt as though an unseen hunter was watching him, ready to loose an arrow through his skull at the slightest movement.

Fear slithered toward his heart like a living thing.

But he bit down hard on his lip, his crimson eyes glowing faintly with divine light as he whispered in his mind:

'I do not fear. I do not fear what I cannot see.'

Immediately, his trembling lessened, and his body became still as stone. His face grew cold, like sculpted ice. But he wasn't done yet.

'I am ice.'

He said it with enough belief and conviction that, for a brief moment, the temperature around them dropped sharply. Frost kissed the air as Zaki's expression hardened, his face turning into a celestial painting carved from ice itself.

Scarred watched him with a grin, his teeth so white they looked almost synthetic. "Sky, you are formidable. I don't know your Origin, and I won't ask, but it must be quite something for you to bear the weight of our motto as an Awakened."

Zaki didn't answer. He was ice.

At that moment, he could've been a statue, and none would have known the difference.

Scarred chuckled, amused, increasingly certain he had made the right choice by taking Sky under his wing.

"Our Order trains with the bow. It is our weapon," he said. "Still, I'm not asking you to abandon your daggers." He noticed the frost in Zaki's eyes deepen, so he continued, "But you'll have to learn the way of the Arrow. Because to us, obedience..."

"Obedience through fear of the arrow," Zaki finished his sentence calmly.

Scarred smiled. "You learn fast, Sky. Now take your quest."

Zaki nodded silently, then pulled out the Legendary Stone. He stared at it for a moment, recalling how he had obtained it. His knuckles tightened around the smooth surface until his fragile skin split, blood smearing across the stone.

A brilliant golden glow flooded the room, and lines of text appeared before him, written in shining letters of gold, adorned with ethereal white feathers drifting across the panel.

DING!

{Conditions have been met for an Evolution Quest.}

{Zaki Caelion, The Child of Heavens.}

{You are the Bearer of Myth, and being a Myth shall be your Fate for as long as you walk your path.}

{You have been unworthy of the weight of your talent until now, and you have lost again and again.}

{Take back your Honor. Take back what the world owes you.}

Then The Will paused. Zaki's heart began to beat faster.

{You have received your Quest, O Child of Heavens.}

{Kill a Master-ranked member of Order Draco.}

{Time limit: One week.}

{Be worthy of your birthright...or die without further shaming the Heavens.}

Zaki stared at the glowing panels for a long, silent moment before parting his lips. The voice that left him chilled the entire room.

"Organize a death duel with a Master-ranked member of Order Draco, please," he said and smiled faintly.

"If you want me to be of use to you, of course."

The favored one...

The Underground had yet to witness the horror of a Myth Bearer.

But they would.

Soon enough.

...

"Do I have no other choice, Rome?" Sora asked as she sat on the edge of her luxurious bed, her face buried in her hands. Her golden hair fell like a waterfall, hiding her face the way a cascade conceals the entrance to a hidden cave.

She didn't want to fight for the throne, but the world seemed intent on forcing her onto that path.

Every possible scenario besides that one felt impossible. Her father had made sure of it.

Rome, standing just in front of her, lowered his head in respect and devotion. "My Lady, the choice is in your hands," he said, voice low and respectful. "You have the mind, the wisdom to choose what's best for you."

"But what if I don't know?" Her voice came out softer than usual. Weak, even.

"I don't want the throne. I've said it so often even the deaf could hear me. But I cannot abandon my dream. And my father will never allow me to pursue it unless I accept his bidding , unless I accept to take over after him and fight my own brother for the right to rule."

She clenched her jaw tight, resisting the urge to curse the world.

Why couldn't it just leave her alone?

She only wanted to sing. To do what she loved. Why was that so difficult?

She couldn't understand.

But there was nothing to understand, it was simply the weight of her birthright. Sora had been born as the Sun... and she had no choice but to be the Sun of the Empire.

She had no choice but to accept her fate.

And by accepting her fate, it meant she would have to go against Kaden.

That thought alone filled her with dread.

Not only because he was too strong, far stronger than her parents could ever imagine, but also because...

'A friend...' Sora whispered inside her mind. She was too ashamed to say it aloud, but she couldn't help it. She couldn't stop herself from seeing him as one.

The one who had guided her path.

The only one who knew her dream and didn't scorn her for it. Instead, he gave her clarity, direction, motivation.

He was the one. He was her friend, even if he was a blackmailing bastard.

And now...

To realize the very dream he helped her believe in, she would have to hand him over to her father, knowing full well it would not end well.

Sora sighed heavily.

She bit her lip until it turned white, then red, as blood began to trickle down from her rosy lips.

Rome noticed and panicked. "My Lady! Please, don't hurt yourself!" he pleaded, though he didn't move from his place, aware of the limits of his station.

Sora didn't respond. She just lowered her head for several minutes, her thoughts loud and restless, and then...

"Did the Fireborn accept my brother's request?" she asked at last.

"From what I heard," Rome replied, "they haven't accepted yet. But trusting whispers is dangerous, my Lady. It's best to listen to them with only one ear."

Sora nodded, then slowly lifted her head, her golden eyes gleaming like the sun above the Celestial Empire.

"Rome, call them for me," she said, before pausing and shaking her head. "No. I'll go to them myself. Arrange it."

Rome was taken aback for a moment before asking carefully, "My Lady, forgive my ignorance, but... does that mean you'll participate in the game for the throne?"

Sora smiled...a small, painful smile.

"Do I have a choice, Rome? It's either that... or I forsake my dream."

"And I would no longer be Sora Asterion without it."

But even without Kaden... she was still Sora Asterion.

So her decision had been made.

"I'll follow your orders, my Lady," Rome said at last, bowing before leaving to carry them out.

Sora remained alone inside her ornate room, though at that moment, it no longer felt like a room.

It felt like a gilded cage. A beautiful prison designed to trap her and cripple her voice.

She needed to break it. And if doing so meant losing a friend...

She gave a strained smile.

"I'm sorry..."

Chapter 288 – Breathless sight

The test for becoming a Weeping Acolyte was hard and painful, but not for Rea. With her new distinction as the Sorrowful Bird and her renewed understanding of Fear, she cleared the trial with ease.

And by doing so with such unnatural grace, coupled with her Origin, one tailored to thrive within the Church of Sorrow, Rea had attracted attention.

And by attention, it meant not just the curiosity of her fellow Weeping Acolytes, but also the watchful eyes of the Disciples of Sorrow, and even... the Bright Priest himself.

With that sudden rise in recognition came a choice. The choice to remain neutral or to align herself under one of the factions ruled by the Disciples.

Here, Rea found herself at a crossroads.

Staying alone would mean a harsher start. The beginning would be a crucible of isolation and hostility, especially now that every influential figure in the Church had begun to weigh her worth. But if she endured, if she survived the first storm...the later road to becoming Saintess would open for her. She could then form her own faction, gathering her own believers, building her own power.

Yet there was a problem...or rather, several.

Her entry into the Church had not been through her own merit alone. She owed her initiation as a Weeping Acolyte to Mother Esmere, and Mother Esmere was a devoted servant of the Disciple of Loss, a woman renowned not only for her power, but for her cunning political skill.

To refuse her would be to defy the hand that had raised her to this place.

A dangerous thing, as Rea knew exactly what kind of hell awaited those who turned their back on favors in the Church of Sorrow.

If she denied that allegiance, she would not be left alone. Every step she took would be shadowed, every ally might be turned into a spy. Even the dream of creating her own following would become nearly impossible.

Rea struggled with that decision intensely.

She could either suffer early, walk the lonely, painful road without support or resources, until she grew strong enough to stand as her own...

Or she could bow her head now and gain easy access to power, influence, and protection, only to be bound later by the very chains of the faction she chose to serve.

After all, every Disciple of Sorrow was a candidate for the position of Saintess.

"This... this is problematic," Rea whispered to herself, sitting inside the simple room the Church had provided her, a room that smelled faintly of candle wax and incense, the walls painted lifeless grey.

They had given her a week to decide. And today was the last day.

Mother Esmere had come to see her multiple times, calling upon her with that same motherly tone but Rea had always found an excuse, feigning illness, meditation, or prayer.

Doubtless, the woman was growing suspicious.

But for now, Rea didn't care. She needed silence. She needed to realign her thoughts and decide, once and for all.

Her goal was clear. She wanted to become the Saintess of Sorrow.

To say it simply was to underestimate the immensity of it, for the path to sainthood was a labyrinth where countless beings had lost themselves to sorrow and pain.

But if she wanted even to take one true step toward that throne, she needed direction. She needed a path.

And there were only two.

Each one steep, each one cruel.

So at the end, she just needed to choose the pain she was willing to endure, the price she was willing to pay.

And yet... she hesitated.

Fear coiled around her heart like a serpent, tightening its grip with each passing moment.

If she bowed now, she would live comfortably but die as another's shadow, used as a stepping stone to someone else's dream.

If she resisted, she might be crushed before she even began and used as a warning, an example for others who dared to stand alone.

She was trapped between the cold of Antarctica and the heat of Hell.

'But you have to choose, Rea... you have to choose,' she whispered inwardly, forcing herself to face the inevitable.

She bit her lip hard enough to taste blood, then slowly lifted her gaze toward the ceiling, toward the lifeless gray expanse above, where the painted figure of a weeping woman looked down upon her with eternal sorrow.

The Goddess of Sorrow.

She smiled faintly. "...Ah, how I wish I had someone to talk to," she whispered, a sorrowful smile curving her lips.

She longed for her father's advice. She longed for her fiancé's hard truths.

Maybe with them beside her, she would have seen the path ahead more clearly. Maybe with them, the future wouldn't seem so shrouded in that thick, lifeless gray fog that threatened to choke her breathless.

Yes... maybe.

But they weren't here. And she had no friends here. She had no one.

So she would walk alone. She would choose alone. And she would be ready to swallow whatever consequences came with it.

With that final thought, Rea slowly sank back onto her bed, her eyelids heavy after a week of sleepless nights and restless thoughts. Her breathing steadied, soft and rhythmic, as she slipped into the stillness of dreamland.

There, she stood once again before the weeping woman, but this time, her face was more real than ever. Rea looked upon her the way one gazes at something they have grown far too used to. Her eyes, too, were weeping, tears of pure black streaming down her pale face.

Rea smiled, it was a broken, mad smile. Her decision was crystallizing, clearer than ever.

"You won't obtain what you seek from me," she said to the weeping woman.

"I assure you..."

Her smile widened, her face twisting as her black tears fell faster, burning through the void between them.

"...You won't."

Because I will bring you to Hell with me if I must.

...

Darklore — Waverith

Kaden walked outside Waverith, dressed in his crimson-gold clothes woven by his fire. His hands were tucked into his pockets, Rory perched lazily on his head as if nesting there, while Meris and Inara walked on each side of him.

They moved calmly through the night air, their steps slow, their voices weaving into soft conversation. It was a rare moment of harmony, with Kaden speaking only occasionally, offering quiet interjections while listening to the two women's chatter.

Inara was her usual self, animated, sharp-tongued, her enthusiasm punctuated by curses every other sentence. Kaden was long used to that side of her by now.

Meris, on the other hand, was gentle, her silver eyes soft, her hand intertwined with Kaden's as she smiled lovingly up at him, unashamed to show her love for all to see.

The night was peaceful. The streets were empty, the folk of Waverith returned to their homes, sharing words with family or drifting into the comfort of dreams.

"When will you go back to Fokay, hero?" Inara asked as they completed their quiet circuit of the stronghold, stopping before the edge of the Pit.

The darkness surrounding them was deep, heavy, yet even through it, they could clearly see one another's eyes.

Kaden's crimson gaze burned like ignited blood. Inara's green, slitted eyes gleamed with the predatory light of a monster poised in the stillness of the hunt. And Meris's silver eyes reflected them both, polished and perfect, like a mirror of the world itself.

Three beautiful beings. Beautiful in a way that was almost unfair.

"Fokay?" Kaden echoed, his crimson eyes glinting faintly under the dim light. "Not so soon. I need to get used to some of my power first and wait for Waverith to rise again, to stand stable once more."

"Oh, so you'll still be here when I come back!" Inara said, her voice filled with enthusiasm, afraid she might miss him once she left.

"Come back?" Kaden tilted his head, glancing sideways at her.

"I'm going back to Fokay to become a Master!" she declared proudly, her grin wide and defiant. "I can't accept you being ahead of me."

Kaden chuckled, the sound low and amused. "I've always been ahead of you, crybaby. You think that's going to change now... or even later?"

Meris chuckled softly beside him, while Inara's lips twitched in irritation.

"You're underestimating me," Inara muttered under her breath, sulking immediately afterward.

Meris smiled openly, her expression the picture of teasing, a silent mockery that made Inara's lips twitch harder, until finally...

"I'll go too," Meris added, her tone calm but her smirk victorious. "I've been Intermediate long enough, and I'm ready to become a Master." Her smile deepened as she added, "Besides, I received a Legendary Stone from my mother this time, so wait for me, my love. I'll be quick."

"Wait for me too," Inara added quickly, refusing to be left behind.

Kaden turned his head left, then right, looking at both of them with a small, quiet smile.

"I can't promise you anything," he said honestly. "There are things I must do as well. Still... I'll stay here and wait for you for as long as I can."

Both women smiled together.

Rory, as if struck by sudden clarity, suddenly flapped her wings and flew up, circling high above Waverith, her small body glowing faintly under the moonlight.

As if that simple act was a cue, Meris leaned toward Kaden, her breath unsteady, placing both her palms gently against his cheeks. The instant her skin touched his, she trembled.

His body was scorching hot. So hot she felt as though her flesh might melt away, as if she were a piece of wood set upon a holy fire meant to consume her completely.

But instead of retreating, Meris leaned closer. She embraced that heat, let it swallow her whole, let it melt her down to her bones as her lips found his.

Kaden saw everything — every twitch, every hesitation — and he could have avoided her touch a thousand times over, but he didn't.

He smiled faintly and accepted her ice, her coldness that couldn't match the magnitude of his inner fire.

Their lips met. It wasn't deep or long, closer to a soft smack than a real kiss, yet it was enough. Enough for Meris, enough to prove something.

When she pulled away, her breath was shallow, her heart racing, but her eyes gleamed with satisfaction. She looked over Kaden's shoulder then and saw Inara frozen, face red, hands covering her mouth as she peeked between her fingers with one eye.

She was mortified.

Meris smirked, a confident, triumphant smirk, before whispering into Kaden's ear, loud enough for Inara to hear, "I'm your favorite, right?"

Kaden's lips curved into a crooked smile. "I'm a fair man. I love equally."

A clean dodge.

Meris clicked her tongue, but still leaned against him, melting into his warmth.

Inara, after several seconds of flustered silence, finally broke out of her embarrassment and inched closer. She clung to Kaden's arm shyly, the blush still vivid on her cheeks, and the moment her skin touched his, she felt that same heat and she too began to melt.

Kaden exhaled with a wry smile.

Meris snarled lightly. Inara snarled back.

Each woman held one side of him, left and right, glaring at each other like two jealous cats fighting for the affection of their master.

Kaden didn't react. If he understood what was happening, his face betrayed none of it.

He just lifted his gaze to the sky, to the dark heavens of Darklore, and noticed that tonight...

...it was a starry night.

A faint smile tugged at his lips, almost invisible. But the two women beside him saw it immediately, and without speaking, they followed his gaze.

They looked together at the endless sea of stars, scattered like diamonds across the black expanse, glowing softly like distant souls watching from afar.

And for that single moment, they didn't speak. They didn't think.

They just stood there, warm bodies, peaceful hearts, silent minds, watching the world above them with quiet reverence.

It was rare moment of peace.

And only in that moment, beneath that celestial canopy, did they all realize...that life, no matter how hard, how cruel, or how heavy with suffering, was not always bleak.

Even when the world drowned in darkness... there would always be light to guide you through the storm.