Aetheron stepped forward.
His boots barely made a sound against the stone floor, but he felt the weight of each step. The air was thick, almost humming with energy, and the strange glow from the walls pulsed in time with his heartbeat.
At the far end of the chamber, the doorway stood waiting. Unlike the unstable rift from before, this one was solid—an ancient gate of dark metal, covered in glowing sigils. It radiated power, like something immense was sealed behind it.
Aetheron stopped a few feet away, his gaze narrowing. "What's behind this one?"
The masked figure stood beside him, watching the door in silence. Then, after a moment—
"A choice."
Aetheron exhaled through his nose. "Why am I not surprised?"
The figure tilted their head slightly. "You've come this far. Do you still not understand?"
Aetheron glanced at them. "You love talking in riddles, don't you?"
The masked figure chuckled. "You'll see soon enough."
Aetheron sighed and turned back to the door. He could feel it.
Something was waiting.
Something powerful.
Something watching.
He reached out—
And the moment his fingertips touched the surface, the world changed.
The Forgotten Battlefield
Aetheron blinked.
The chamber was gone.
He was standing on a battlefield.
The sky overhead was crimson, swirling with dark clouds. The ground beneath him was cracked, scorched, and covered in the remnants of a war long forgotten. Weapons, shattered armor, and skeletal remains littered the earth, stretching out as far as he could see.
Then—
He heard it.
A deep, echoing heartbeat.
It wasn't coming from him.
It was coming from ahead.
Aetheron's body tensed as his gaze followed the sound.
And then—he saw it.
A throne.
Far in the distance, standing alone among the ruins, a massive black throne rose from the ground like an obsidian monolith. It was cracked and weathered, but its presence was overwhelming, as if it had been sitting there for eternity.
And sitting atop it—
A man.
No. Not a man.
Something more.
He was clad in ancient black armor, his face obscured by a sharp, angular helm. Shadows coiled around him, moving like living things, and his eyes—**piercing silver—**locked onto Aetheron the moment he appeared.
The heartbeat grew louder.
The figure on the throne leaned forward slightly. "You came."
His voice was deep, but calm.
Aetheron felt something stir inside him. This presence—
It was familiar.
Like a memory he had long forgotten.
Aetheron took a slow step forward. "Who are you?"
The armored figure tilted his head. "You already know."
Aetheron narrowed his eyes. "Do I?"
The figure slowly stood. The shadows around him flared, and the very air trembled under his presence.
Then—he raised a hand.
And the battlefield shifted.
Aetheron vs. The Sovereign's Shadow
Aetheron barely had time to react before the world exploded.
The sky darkened.
The ground shook.
And then—
The figure was in front of him.
Faster than thought.
Aetheron's eyes widened—but he moved.
His arm shot up—just in time.
BOOM!
The impact was like a thunderclap. Aetheron skidded back, his feet digging trenches into the cracked earth. His Dominion flared around him, absorbing most of the force—but it wasn't enough.
His arm ached.
The armored figure didn't stop. He moved like a storm, each strike faster than the last.
Aetheron dodged, ducked, twisted—barely staying ahead.
Then—a misstep.
"Tch—!"
Aetheron felt the shift too late.
The figure's foot struck his ribs—
And then—
Everything spun.
Aetheron's vision blurred as he was sent flying, smashing into the ground with enough force to shatter stone.
CRACK!
Dust and debris exploded around him.
Aetheron gritted his teeth, pushing himself up. Fast.
He barely had time to breathe before—
The next strike came.
Aetheron reacted on instinct.
His Dominion unleashed.
Aetheron vanished—
And reappeared above the battlefield.
Aetheron exhaled sharply. "Alright, you bastard." He rolled his shoulders, cracking his neck. "If you're gonna come at me like that, then—"
His aura flared.
And then—
He struck back.
The Clash of Dominions
Aetheron's form blurred.
He moved like a lightning storm, appearing and reappearing in flashes of pure speed, closing the distance between them in an instant.
His fist swung—
BOOM!
Aetheron hit first.
The impact shook the battlefield. The armored figure staggered, his foot grinding against the ground—but he didn't fall.
Instead—he laughed.
Aetheron's eyes narrowed. "What's so funny?"
The armored figure slowly lifted his gaze.
And his Dominion exploded.
The force was immense—a tidal wave of raw power.
Aetheron braced—
But even he wasn't ready.
The shockwave tore through him, hurling him backward. His body slammed into the ground—hard.
Pain shot through him, but he clenched his teeth. Not yet.
His fingers dug into the dirt.
He pushed himself up.
And then—
He stopped.
Because suddenly—he understood.
This wasn't just a fight.
It wasn't about winning or losing.
It was about acknowledgment.
The armored figure stepped forward, his aura still crackling with power.
Aetheron stared at him.
And then—
He lowered his fists.
The battlefield froze.
The armored figure tilted his head. "You see it now?"
Aetheron exhaled. "Yeah."
Silence stretched between them.
Then—the figure smiled.
And the battlefield faded.
The Gate Opens
Aetheron gasped, his body jolting—
And he was back.
Standing before the ancient gate.
The masked figure watched him, nodding slightly. "You chose well."
Aetheron didn't answer immediately. He turned toward the door—
And saw that it was open.
Darkness lay beyond it.
Waiting.
Aetheron exhaled. "And now?"
The masked figure stepped aside.
"Now, you enter."
Aetheron stared into the darkness for a moment.
Then—he walked forward.