Chapter 5 (Continued): Echoes of the Throne Room
The wind howled across the shattered plains of the Silver Bastion, but Kairo barely heard it. His eyes were glazed, staring into nothingness. But within his mind — something stirred.
A memory. Not his.
A voice. A throne. Fire... and war.
---
FLASHBACK: The Eternal Throne Chamber
The thrones of the divine pantheon hovered above a limitless sea of stars. Ten seats of unimaginable power — representing ten primal races of the known cosmos. Each throne glowed in its unique divine aura: crimson for the Phoenix Flamegod, obsidian for the King of Demons, sapphire for the Lord of Oceans, and a pure white radiance from the Throne of Humans... empty now.
A gathering had been called.
"We are approaching convergence."
The voice came from the Ether Queen, goddess of the Celestial Elves. Her silver eyes scanned the others. "The prophecy speaks clearly. One among the mortals will rise. The Protocol will activate. The God Key must remain sealed."
"And yet... it's already gone," snarled Vorthan, the Dragon Warden, flames flickering from his scaled mouth. His eyes blazed with ancient fury. "One of us has broken the pact."
They turned.
To the throne of man.
Empty.
"Evalof," the Phoenix Flamegod muttered, wings folded behind his burning form. "That mortal-turned-legend. We made the mistake of raising him too far."
"He reached the Threshold... he earned the Trial," spoke the Titan King slowly, his stone voice grinding like tectonic plates. "We cannot deny the Law."
"But he took the Key," the Demon Lord hissed, darkness curling at his feet. "That was no trial. That was treason."
"Perhaps not," the Ocean Lord said calmly. "Perhaps he saw something. A coming tide we don't."
A silence fell. Heavy. Eternal.
Then the Ether Queen spoke again. "He was last seen crossing the Veil — entering the World-Seed. The primitive realm. The Earth."
"Then we retrieve him," Vorthan growled. "No matter what."
"And if he's passed the Key on?"
They said nothing.
Only the stars trembled.
---
PRESENT: Earth – Dungeon Perimeter, Outer Wall District
Kairo gasped, falling to his knees. Sweat drenched his back. His hands shook.
"What... was that?"
He could still hear them — not the words, but the weight of them. The divine judgment. The ancient betrayal. A name...
Evalof.
And somewhere, deep within him... that name didn't feel unfamiliar.