Chapter 6: The Dominion’s Response

The Wake of the Sovereign

In the heart of the Eternal Dominion, a land cloaked in layers of mystic fog, the high citadel of Celestis towered above the world. Its spires pierced the clouds like jagged teeth, radiating an aura of divine authority. The fortress was both a symbol and a prison—one that held the very will of the gods and mortal rulers alike. Within its marble halls, discussions of the Ashen King's return were not met with mere fear but with something much darker: fury.

The Elder of Judgment sat at the center of the Council of Celestials, her eyes glowing with a bitter anger as she addressed the assembly. Her voice carried the weight of ages, cutting through the murmurs of the gathered divinities.

"He dares to defy us," she said, her voice low but full of malice. "The Ashen King is not only a threat to the gods, but to the very foundation of our rule. We must act before his power consumes us all."

To her left, the Elder of Time stood still, his gaze focused on an intricate globe that spun before him. It shimmered with the countless threads of fate, weaving a path toward an uncertain future. Yet one thing was clear—the Ashen King's return had altered everything.

"We cannot destroy him outright," the Elder of Time said, his voice grave. "His power stems not from the Rift alone, but from the very fabric of existence itself. The Voidforged Sovereignty is an anomaly that no power in our domain has the capacity to confront."

His words fell heavy on the room, and the gods shifted uneasily. The Ashen King was no mere rebellious sovereign; he was a catalyst—a being that transcended the laws of their existence. He had already begun to tear at the very essence of reality, threatening to unravel all that they had built.

The Seraph of Purity, who had remained silent thus far, finally spoke. Her voice was the faintest whisper of wind, but it carried an undeniable clarity.

"There is a chance," she began, "but it comes with great risk. The Sovereign's power is an affront to the gods, yes, but there is a part of him that I once knew. Before he was lost to the Rift, the Ashen King was a protector—he wielded light, even if now he has turned to the shadows."

The Elder of Judgment sneered, unwilling to entertain any idea that strayed from their preordained path.

"You still cling to the hope that he can be saved, Seraph?" she hissed. "He is an abomination—a plague on the realms, and he must be destroyed before he becomes a force we cannot contain."

But the Seraph was not swayed. Her eyes were distant, focused on something only she could see. "I have seen the truth of the Rift," she murmured. "The Sovereign is not our enemy. He is a reckoning—and only by understanding what was lost can we defeat him."

The room fell silent, the gods watching her with a mixture of disdain and curiosity. The Elder of Time looked up from the globe, his expression thoughtful.

"Perhaps there is a way…" he muttered, his voice barely audible.

---

The Silent March

Elsewhere, in the Hollow Vale, the Ashen King and the Harbinger had begun their march. The ground beneath them shifted with every step as they moved forward with unrelenting purpose. The Ashen King's Voidforged Sovereignty glimmered with an eerie light, the power of the Rift echoing around him. Beside him, the Harbinger burned with silver flame, his every stride causing the very landscape to tremble.

"You're certain about the Dominion?" the Ashen King asked, his voice resonating like thunder.

The Harbinger's silver flame flickered, reflecting the determination in his eyes. "The Dominion is the heart of the corruption. If we strike them down, the rest will fall. Their influence reaches deep into the hearts of every kingdom, every city. It is time for their rule to end."

The Ashen King nodded, his hand outstretched. He could feel the pressure of time itself closing in. The gods and their puppets had held power for too long, bending reality and mortals to their whims. Now, it was time to shift the balance, to bring forth the inevitable chaos. "Once we break their chains, we will rebuild."

"And you'll do it with fire," the Harbinger muttered with a dark grin.

The two continued their march in silence, but as they approached the edge of the Hollow Vale, something began to shift in the winds. A new energy rippled through the air—a force that seemed to have been drawn toward the impending battle. The Voidforged Sovereignty hummed, an almost imperceptible vibration running through the Ashen King's core.

"It has begun," the Ashen King muttered under his breath.

The Harbinger's silver flame flared, and his voice took on a low growl. "They are coming."

The first of the Eternal Dominion's champions appeared—like shadows emerging from the mists. These were no mere soldiers; they were Divine Sentinels—warriors empowered by the gods, forged from the very essence of creation. Each one was a living weapon, a blend of divinity and force.

There were three of them: Cassiel, the Spear of Purity, whose blade burned with the light of the Seraphs; Veldros, the Titan of Judgement, a hulking behemoth wreathed in divine armor; and Astraea, the Watcher of the Veil, whose eyes could see beyond the boundaries of time itself.

The Ashen King's amber eyes locked onto the group, a sense of familiarity gnawing at him. He had not expected them to appear so soon, but it mattered little. The time for subtlety had passed.

"Let's see if their gods can protect them," the Harbinger said with a smile that was anything but kind.

---

The Clash of Divinity

Cassiel, the Spear of Purity, lunged forward, her divine spear crackling with the energy of a thousand stars. Her blade pierced the air, aiming for the Ashen King's heart, but with a single gesture, the Voidforged Sovereignty erupted around him like a shield. The spear collided with it, but the force was absorbed into the darkness, like light swallowed by the void.

"You cannot stop me," the Ashen King said, his voice filled with the weight of a thousand years. "Your gods are fading. And soon, I will take their place."

Cassiel's eyes burned with divine fury, but she could sense the truth in his words. The power she wielded was no longer enough to defeat him. She stepped back, her spear raised in a defensive stance.

Veldros roared from behind her, and the ground shook beneath his steps. The massive titan's divine armor gleamed as he charged forward, his fists crackling with the power of the gods. He swung with the force of a mountain, but the Harbinger intercepted him, his silver flame igniting like a comet streaking through the sky.

The clash sent shockwaves through the Hollow Vale, shaking the very earth itself. The battle was upon them, and the world would never be the same.