Chapter 3: Chains of the Abyss
The void shattered.
Astra Noctis felt reality stitch itself back together as he was violently expelled from the nothingness. His body slammed onto cold stone, breath tearing from his lungs.
Crrrk—!
He rolled, coughing, palms scraping against rough ground. Dim crimson light flickered above him. When his vision cleared, he realized where he was.
A cave.
No—
a sealed abyss.
The air was heavy with ancient magic, thick enough to choke. Black crystals grew from the walls like veins, pulsing faintly—responding to the mark that now burned on Astra's chest.
The symbol the Void had given him.
> "You are not dead."
"You are chosen."
The words from Chapter 2 echoed in his mind.
A low, mocking laugh broke the silence.
> "So the Sovereign of Nothingness finally opens his eyes."
Astra froze.
Slowly, he turned.
At the deepest part of the cave stood a colossal stone pillar, wrapped in countless chains—some forged of shadow, others glowing with holy light. Embedded into the pillar was a figure.
Horns curved backward from his head. Torn wings hung uselessly behind him. Crimson eyes burned with rage… and amusement.
A Devil.
But not a common one.
The pressure he emitted rivaled the Void itself.
> "Who are you?" Astra demanded, instinctively summoning the power he barely understood.
The mark on his chest pulsed.
The devil smiled.
> "Veyrath Ignis."
"Former Devil King of the Lower Abyss."
"And your first mistake… is standing here."
The chains rattled as Veyrath tested them. Holy runes flared, burning into his flesh—but he laughed through the pain.
> "These chains were forged by angels."
"They feared what I could become."
Astra stepped closer, his shadow stretching unnaturally long.
> "Then why am I here?"
For the first time, Veyrath's smile faded.
> "Because the Void does not give power for nothing."
"It sends its Sovereign to free what even Heaven fears."
The cave trembled.
Images flooded Astra's mind—
angels descending in fire, devils slaughtered, a war erased from history. At the center of it all… a silver-haired angel, her eyes filled with regret as she sealed Veyrath away.
A future meeting.
A future bond.
A future kiss stained with destiny.
Astra clenched his fists.
> "If I free you… what happens?"
Veyrath's eyes gleamed.
> "You gain a companion."
"An ally."
"And an enemy called Heaven."
The mark on Astra's chest erupted in black light.
The chains screamed.
One by one, they began to shatter.
The cave roared as ancient seals collapsed, and for the first time in centuries—
A devil was free.
Veyrath fell to one knee, laughing breathlessly.
> "Hah… Sovereign of Nothingness."
"From this moment on… I am yours."
Astra looked at his trembling hands.
He didn't feel like a hero.
He felt like the beginning of a disaster.
And somewhere far above—
An angel opened her eyes.
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