Recap:
After awakening the Sovereign Protocol, Kael Ardyn is declared the heir to a forbidden lineage known as the Shadowblood. Guided by Veris, a blind exile, and accompanied by Lyria, Kael journeys toward the forbidden ruins of Valemire Wastes—seeking answers about his true identity and the dark legacy etched into his very soul.
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The sky above the Valemire Wastes swirled with violet-gray clouds, thunder rolling like distant drums of war. Shattered statues jutted from the cracked earth—remnants of a forgotten civilization buried by time and divine decree.
Kael stood in silence before a colossal stone arch, half-collapsed and covered in eldritch runes. Lyria walked beside him, her eyes scanning the horizon with unease.
"This place reeks of old blood," she muttered. "The Nullbloods died here... or worse, became something else."
Kael placed his hand on the stone.
The Eclipse sigil on his chest pulsed faintly—answering the call.
The ground trembled. The arch flared to life.
And the sealed path opened.
They descended into the depths.
For over an hour, spiraling steps took them down into darkness. The further they went, the colder the air became. Shadows seemed to move even where no light touched. At the bottom, a massive vault door stood waiting—its center engraved with the very same Eclipse symbol Kael bore on his flesh.
As he approached, the door responded.
With a groan of shifting stone, it opened.
Inside was a vast chamber carved from obsidian and silver—an ancient sanctuary. Dozens of hooded figures stood waiting. All wore pitch-black robes. All bore pale, silver eyes.
At their center stood a tall woman, her hair white as flame, her face lined by time and war. The moment she saw Kael, her expression darkened—not with hatred, but with prophecy.
"So... the Heir breathes again," she said, her voice layered—like two people speaking at once.
Kael narrowed his eyes. "Who are you?"
"I am Syra, First Speaker of the Nullblood Rebellion. And you, child... are the last of House Ardyn."
The name struck him like lightning.
"I don't even know what that means," Kael said coldly.
Syra stepped closer and pressed two fingers to his chest.
His sigil ignited in black flame.
The Nullbloods dropped to one knee in unison.
"You are the final descendant of the Eclipse Sovereign. A bloodline not born of Heaven or Chaos... but from the Third Path—the Void Nexus. You are a threat to both gods and demons. That is why they buried your name."
Lyria gasped. "That name is forbidden even in ancient doctrine..."
Kael staggered back. Memories flickered—broken flashes of fire, screams, a crown of shadows.
"Why… why am I still alive?"
Syra's eyes dimmed. "Because we hid you. For nineteen years, we cloaked your lineage and sealed your essence. But the Sovereign Protocol chose to awaken. And now… the world will burn or bow."
Suddenly, a siren blared from the chamber's edge.
A hooded man rushed in. "Divine Sentinels have breached the surface! We're compromised!"
Kael clenched his fists.
A storm of black lightning flared around him, violent and unrestrained.
> [Sovereign Protocol: 67% Activated]
[New Skill Unlocked: Void Pulse]
[Title Progress: Eclipse Sovereign – Tier I Achieved]
"Give me a reason," Kael growled, "not to let this place fall."
Syra didn't flinch. "Because we know how to unlock the final tier of your bloodline. And without us, you will be hunted, caged, and broken before the war even begins."
Kael turned to the vault's ceiling.
The rumble of war approached.
He looked back at the Nullbloods—fugitives, rebels, heretics.
But maybe… also the last ones who truly understood him.
He took a step forward.
"Then teach me."
A cold smile spread across Syra's face.
"Let the rebellion begin."
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