Aetheron stood in the dimly lit chamber, his body still tense from what he had just witnessed. The echoes of that battle, the Sovereign's fall, and the Entity's overwhelming presence still clawed at his mind. It wasn't just a vision. It was a warning.
He exhaled slowly, steadying his breath.
The masked figure watched him in silence.
"So now you know," the figure finally said.
Aetheron's eyes snapped to them.
"Know what?" he asked, his voice sharper than he intended.
"That this power you wield was never meant for you."
The words sank deep, but Aetheron didn't react. He was too exhausted to argue. Instead, he just asked the only question that mattered.
"Why show me this now?"
The masked figure tilted their head slightly. "Because the moment you took the Sovereign's mark, you became part of the cycle."
Aetheron frowned. "Cycle?"
"His will, his failure, his unfinished battle—it's all in you now. Whether you like it or not, the weight of his Dominion is yours to bear. And soon, the past you saw will no longer be the past."
Aetheron clenched his fists. The masked figure wasn't wrong.
That Entity... it wasn't dead.
It was still out there.
And the Sovereign's seal—it was breaking.
The Presence in the Dark
Aetheron took a step forward.
"Then tell me—" he started, but the words froze in his throat.
Something shifted in the air.
It was faint—like a whisper just outside his hearing.
His body tensed, instincts screaming.
He wasn't alone.
The masked figure turned, eyes narrowing beneath the hood.
Then—
A voice.
Soft. Amused. Wrong.
"You see it now, don't you?"
Aetheron's breath hitched. His eyes darted around the chamber, but there was nothing. Just shadows stretching unnaturally across the stone floor.
The masked figure didn't move. Did they hear it too?
"It's close," the voice continued, slithering through the air like silk. "The cracks in the seal... they're widening."
Aetheron gritted his teeth. He had heard this voice before.
Back when he devoured the Sovereign's mark.
Back when he first felt that presence lurking beneath his Dominion.
The Entity.
Not in full form. Not yet.
But a fragment of it—leaking through.
"You've taken something that was never yours," the voice purred. "And now, you will understand the cost."
Aetheron felt a chill creep up his spine.
Then—
The walls cracked.
Not physically—but in a way that defied logic.
Reality itself trembled.
The air grew heavier, pressing down on him like unseen hands.
And then—
Darkness moved.
Not just the absence of light—but something alive. Something watching.
Aetheron's heart pounded as the shadows slithered across the room, coiling like ink in water.
The masked figure finally reacted, stepping forward. "It's testing you."
Aetheron barely heard them.
His entire focus was on the shifting darkness.
Then—
The ground beneath him shattered.
Aetheron's instincts kicked in, and he leapt backward just as tendrils of pure void lunged at him.
They missed by inches, leaving behind a lingering cold that sent spikes of pain through his body.
His eyes darted to the masked figure.
"Is this real?" he demanded.
"No," they answered. "Not yet."
Not yet?
Then—
This was just a fragment.
Aetheron exhaled sharply. If this was only a glimpse of the Entity's power, then what would happen when the seal truly broke?
No. He didn't have time to think about that.
Right now—
He had to fight.
The Dominion Awakens
The shadows lunged again.
Faster. Smarter.
They weren't just attacking blindly. They were learning.
Aetheron's Dominion surged in response, instincts guiding him as he weaved between the tendrils. The moment he found an opening, his palm snapped forward—
BOOM!
A shockwave erupted from his hand, ripping through the darkness.
The void recoiled, retreating for a brief second.
Aetheron didn't wait.
He pressed forward, his Dominion expanding.
The air crackled around him, his power colliding with the unnatural presence.
The shadows hissed. Twisted.
Then—
They laughed.
"Not bad," the voice whispered. "But still... not enough."
Aetheron's pulse spiked.
Then—
Everything stopped.
The darkness, the weight in the air—all of it vanished.
Like it had never been there in the first place.
Aetheron stood frozen, chest rising and falling. His fists still clenched, power still humming in his veins.
But it was gone.
The masked figure exhaled. "Now you understand."
Aetheron turned to them, his mind racing.
That wasn't a fight.
It was a warning.
A reminder.
The Entity wasn't watching from afar. It wasn't some distant threat waiting for its moment.
It was already here.
Even if only in fragments.
The Next Step
Aetheron straightened, forcing his mind to focus.
"Tell me what I need to do."
The masked figure studied him for a long moment. Then—
"You already know."
Aetheron's jaw tightened.
If the Entity was breaking free, then he needed to master his Dominion before it did.
Before it consumed everything.
Before the past repeated itself.
The masked figure turned toward the chamber doors.
"Your training isn't over."
Aetheron followed.
His mind was clearer now.
No hesitation. No doubt.
Only one thing mattered.
He had to be ready.