Valoria, Naurus, Year 18, Second Era

  ———Hail———

  I drag Domnik's lifeless body up the jagged staircase, every step weighing heavier than the last. When I finally reach the wooded edge outside the cave, I collapse onto the ground, my breath coming in sharp, ragged gasps. The cool evening air brushes against my skin as I stare at the horizon, the sun dipping below the trees, bathing the forest in a crimson glow.

  For a moment, I sit there, letting the ache in my body subside. My mind races. I did what I set out to do, what I've wanted for years. I killed him—Vermidia's son. But instead of satisfaction, an emptiness gnaws at me.

  Why doesn't it feel like enough?

  I thought this would ease the weight of Mia's death. That getting revenge on someone tied to Vermidia's atrocities would bring me peace. But all I feel is... hollow.

  Then I feel it—a shiver through my mind, cold and invasive, like claws digging into my thoughts. Her presence washes over me, cruel and familiar.

  "Oh, Hail," Vermidia's voice coos, her tone dripping with mockery. "Did you really think this would break me? That killing my son would devastate me?"

  I leap to my feet, my hand going to my sword, but before I can draw it, she manifests in front of me, her form like a living nightmare.

  "All you've done," she continues, her blackened lips curling into a grin, "is bring him closer to me. Back into my hands."

  "No!" I snarl, gripping my sword tightly, but before I can attack, she waves her hand. Domnik's body rises into the air, and with a snap of her fingers, she vanishes, taking him with her.

  "You fucking—!" I scream, my voice echoing into the twilight.

  Her laughter rings through the void, cruel and haunting. "Thank you, Hail, for helping me regain control over my son. You've done more for me than you could ever know."

  Her voice fades, leaving only silence in its wake. I stand there, seething, my knuckles white around the hilt of my blade. My chest tightens as the full weight of what I've done crashes down on me.

  I handed him back to her. I played right into her hands.

  Panic flares in my mind, but then another thought cuts through the haze: Red.

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  If Vermidia has Domnik, Red will be next. He has to be warned, protected.

  I turn on my heel and sprint back toward the cave. My legs scream in protest, my feet raw against the stone staircase, but I force myself to keep going. Down, deeper into the labyrinth.

  When I reach the pit, the freezing water greets me like needles piercing my skin, but I push through it, pulling myself to the edge, gasping and shivering. My boots skid on the slippery stone as I drag myself upward, forcing my legs to carry me to the one place that might hold answers: the Celestial Gate.

  I burst into the chamber, the rainbow staircase spiraling upward to the shining portal. The air hums with energy, the gate's horizon glowing like a living storm.

  Standing at the base, I steel myself, staring into the swirling expanse. My fists clench, determination replacing doubt.

  "Here goes nothing," I mutter, and step forward into the unknown.

  The Veil of Reveries, Malice

  ———Ogre———

  "I'll assume Muthos was plotting to overthrow me?" Vermidia's voice cuts through the silence as she stands before the vertical glass chamber. Her son's lifeless body floats within, suspended like a grim artifact. Her hands are clasped tightly behind her back, her piercing gaze never leaving the chamber.

  "He wanted the blade for himself," I reply, my tone even. "He was scheming to take the throne now that Udis has... perished."

  Her lips curl in a faint sneer as she turns to face me. "And yet, you didn't deem it necessary to inform me?"

  "You weren't here," I snarl, my patience fraying. "You blame me for Udis's death, for Galagon's fall, yet where were you? Off chasing shadows while the world burns."

  "I was pursuing leads, Moragon," she snaps, her voice cutting like a blade. The sound of my true name—the one I haven't heard in centuries—hangs in the air, a reminder of her audacity. "I've been in contact with someone... someone from beyond this world. He's one of His."

  I stiffen, the weight of her words sinking in. "A sound god? Alive? I thought they were eradicated centuries ago."

  Her lips press into a thin line, her tone lowering. "They were," she admits, her eyes narrowing. "But he survived—or perhaps he was created anew. The details are... murky. Yet his power is undeniable, unmistakable."

  I stroke my chin, the implications swirling in my mind. "If such a being still exists and learns of your son—"

  Her voice rises, sharp and unyielding. "My son, Domnik, lies dead in this chamber!"

  I meet her fury with a cold stare. "You and I both know that won't remain the case for long."

  Her expression shifts, her lips curling into a sly grin, as if impressed by my calculation. "You always were the cleverest of us, Ogre. So tell me, oh wise one, since you claim to know so much—what is my next step?"

  "Stall the Court," I say, my voice low and deliberate. "Inform them of Red's escape through the Celestial Gate. Dangle that knowledge as bait, make them pay a steep price for it, and keep them distracted from your true intentions. Resurrect your son... and use him as leverage to resurrect Iridian."

  She nods slowly, a calculating gleam in her eyes. "And what of you? What will you do?"

  "I will sow chaos," I say, my voice hardening. "With Stormcrown dead and the escape of Smith and Magnus, Amerei lies vulnerable. Defenseless. I will tear it apart and deliver it into your hands."

  Her grin widens, sharp as a knife. Her laughter is soft but menacing, her satisfaction palpable. "Do not fail me."

  I bow my head slightly, the glint of malice in my eyes meeting hers. "I wouldn't dream of it, my lord."