Chapter 37 – The Heir of Time and the Forbidden Pact

The night draped its obsidian cloak over the Academy, but sleep was the last thing on Leon's mind.

From his balcony, he watched the twin moons cast their silver glow over the ancient spires. The Academy, usually a beacon of knowledge and power, now felt like a prison built of silent whispers and lurking eyes.

Ever since the assassination attempt, nothing had been the same.

Where once there were murmurs of curiosity about the boy from the Lower Abyss, now there was only fear... and dread.

And it wasn't just the students.

The High Elders, the instructors, the hidden sects watching from the shadows—they had all started to see him as more than just a talented newcomer.

Leon had become a variable.

An unknown.

A potential calamity waiting to ignite.

And yet, despite the looming threats, his focus remained steady.

"Selene," he said softly, his voice carried by the night wind. "The void inside me… it's getting stronger."

[Selene]: "As it should. But you're right to worry. With power like this comes attention you are not ready for."

Leon exhaled slowly. "I never wanted to move so fast. I was meant to grow, to learn quietly. But now..."

[Selene]: "Now they fear you. And fear forces the hand of even the wisest."

Behind him, the soft rustle of fabric made him turn.

Celeste stood in the doorway, her golden hair shimmering under the moonlight. But tonight, something in her gaze had shifted—something deeper, older.

"Leon," she whispered, as if afraid the night itself might overhear. "I... I remember."

He stiffened. "Remember what?"

Celeste placed her hand over her heart. "The life before this one. The life I lived... before the betrayal. Before the abyss. Before we were torn apart."

A long silence fell between them.

Then she smiled, bittersweet and radiant. "I knew you. I loved you. Before all of this."

Leon felt his heartbeat slow, then quicken all at once. The past he had only dreamed of reclaiming was no longer just his own fantasy—it was real, alive within her.

And yet, Selene's voice cut sharply into the moment.

[Selene]: "Careful. Recovered memories are fragile... and dangerous. Especially if others learn of them. There are forces that would destroy her for knowing too much."

Leon nodded. "We say nothing for now. But... Celeste, stay close to me."

She stepped forward, their hands finding each other without thought. "Always."

But the night wasn't done with its surprises.

Before Leon could say more, a pulse rippled through the air—a wave of ancient energy that even the void inside him seemed to acknowledge.

A low hum reverberated through the Academy grounds.

Leon and Celeste turned in unison.

And there, standing at the gate, was a figure draped in silver and black, robes marked with the spiraling runes of the Chrono Sages—a sect believed to have vanished millennia ago, lost to the rivers of time itself.

The guards didn't stop him. No one dared. Time itself seemed to bend around him as if reality hesitated to disobey.

By the time Leon descended to the courtyard, the figure was waiting.

"You are Leon," the man said, his voice deep and echoing with unnatural weight. "Bearer of the Void. Heir to the Forbidden Path."

Leon's eyes narrowed. "And you are?"

The figure slowly removed his hood, revealing a face unmarked by age, eyes swirling with fragments of countless timelines.

"I am Arcanis," he said. "Chrono Sage of the Lost Epoch. And I have come with a warning... and a proposal."

Leon tilted his head. "Go on."

Arcanis looked skyward as if expecting something—someone—to be watching.

"The Void is stirring, boy. And when it fully awakens, it will draw the attention of not just this realm, but of Heaven, Hell, the Abyss, and worlds beyond even your wildest nightmares."

He stepped closer, lowering his voice. "You have two paths. Submit... or conquer."

Leon's smirk was cold and sharp. "You already know which path I'll take."

Arcanis chuckled. "Good. Then listen carefully. The Celestial Realms are preparing. They've already sent their agents. The Void War is coming, whether you're ready or not."

"And what do the Chrono Sages want?"

Arcanis met his gaze. "To make a pact. Time itself bends for those who can wield the Void. Help us restore the Lost Epoch, and in return... we will make you untouchable, even to the gods."

Behind him, Selene's voice echoed in Leon's mind.

[Selene]: "Do not trust him blindly. Time is the most treacherous of allies."

Leon smiled. "Good. I like my enemies honest and my allies dangerous."

The wind howled, as if fate itself were listening.

This was no longer just survival.

This was destiny.

And Leon was ready.

The Voidborn Legion would rise.

The Academy would kneel or burn.

And the multiverse... would finally know his name.