late autumn, year 02 – ruins beneath eryndor
the under-city was quiet now.the mirror-soldiers were gone, their shards swept into glittering dunes of dust that shimmered like silver frost under torchlight.
daniel flipped one between his fingers. "think we can sell this?"laora sighed. "it's cursed.""so double price, then."acheron exhaled. "idiot."lumiel chuckled. "he's not wrong."
their laughter filled the silence, a brief echo of life in the ruins.
kain stood apart, staring at the half-broken mirror throne rising from the chamber's center — a relic of the Aeon's trials. it pulsed faintly, silver veins twisting through black glass.
acheron joined him. "it's still active.""i know," he said softly. "it's calling me."
1 – the call of the aeon
as he approached, the throne reacted — reflections crawling across its surface until his own image stood before him.it smiled — cold, calm, infinite.
"welcome back, heir."
the voice wasn't spoken aloud. it filled the air like thought.
acheron's hand went to her weapon. "ix…"
the reflection turned its eyes toward her.
"thunder child of foresight, you see futures that cannot exist. yet you cling to them."
she stiffened, lightning crawling up her arm. "don't test me."
the reflection smiled wider. "i test no one. i reveal."
then it looked back at kain.
"you've tasted the domain, but you still fear the flame's hunger. tell me, prince — what is nihility?"
kain's voice trembled but steadied. "the mirror that shows truth."
"and if that truth devours you?""then i devour back."
the throne pulsed — the hall rippled into darkness.
2 – trial of the throne
the world around him shifted. the others vanished.kain stood within the mirror realm, endless and silent. silver mist coiled at his feet.
his reflection walked beside him now, not ahead.
"each aeon births a throne. this one is yours — the seat of reflection. to ascend, you must accept your blood and your void."
the reflection extended a hand.
"your blood is hunger. your void is peace. can you unite them?"
the air turned cold. silver mirrors cracked open, revealing visions — his family, his companions, each one reflected in crimson light.he saw their fears: acheron dying in his arms, lumiel turning cold, daniel betraying him, laora crying over a ruined forge.
his pulse quickened; fangs itched against his lip. bloodlust.
the reflection whispered:
"one drink, and their fear becomes your strength. that is how the first blood dragon ruled."
kain's flame roared — half black, half silver."no," he said. "the first blood dragon was alone. i'm not."
the mirrors shattered — silver and red merging into one color.
3 – the crimson echo
the domain stabilized. the throne reformed behind him, glowing silver streaked with red veins.acheron appeared first, dropping to one knee. "you vanished again—what happened?"
"i met ix," he said simply. "and made a choice."
she looked at the throne, eyes narrowing. "it's changed."
he glanced back. the mirror throne pulsed faintly crimson now, the reflection within smiling not as a god, but as himself.
"acceptance," whispered the Aeon's voice, fading. "reflection devours fear; blood devours reflection. now, walk the line between."
lumiel approached cautiously. "you've stabilized the domain field. the corruption levels dropped to zero."laora smiled weakly. "so… you're still you?"kain laughed softly. "depends who's asking."
4 – family council
they gathered around the broken reactor chamber. maps, shards, and mana readings spread across a cracked stone table.
daniel spun a dagger. "so, we stop vorseth's under-city war, take his throne, and you casually inherit an aeon's seat. busy week."yoriko smirked. "we should start charging for saving the empire."selene smiled, wings glowing faintly. "or we could rest."acheron nudged kain's arm. "you, rest? impossible."
he met her eyes, tone playful but weary. "i might surprise you."laora laughed. "if he does, i'm writing it in the alchemy journal."
the laughter spread again, even amid the exhaustion.
but deep inside, kain felt the crimson pulse still beating in his veins. it wasn't hunger exactly… more like a heartbeat from something vast waiting to wake up.
he looked at the ceiling where cracks let in moonlight.
"one war ends," he murmured, "another begins."
5 – the promise
before leaving, he turned to the mirror throne once more. the reflection within lifted its hand, and a single phrase echoed in his mind:
"when the blood turns silver, the worlds will align."
he didn't understand it yet — but he felt its weight.
acheron noticed his silence. "what did it say?""prophecy," he said quietly. "one i plan to break."
they climbed back to the surface, where the first snow of winter began to fall over eryndor.
the sky empire drifted above the clouds, its lights faintly silver, waiting.
and for the first time, kain felt it — the pull of other worlds beyond the horizon, calling him upward.
[status update]
name: kain machiavelli
race: half aeon • half blood dragon (vampiric mutation stage 2)
level: 33 exp: 6 210 / 7 000
tree rank: gevurah (3rd sphere)
guiding aeon: ix – aeon of nihility
unique skill: shadow nihility flame lv 9
domain: nihility domain – silver-crimson form (stable)
title gained: heir of reflection
objective: prepare the empire for world traversal and awaken the first vampire blood's full resonance.
end of chapter 21 – the mirror throne