Chapter 13: The Price of Power

The moment Kael knelt before the Forsaken Throne, the abyss reacted.

A storm of black fire erupted around him, swirling like a maelstrom. The air became heavy, charged with an energy so ancient it felt like the whispers of forgotten gods.

Then—

Chains.

They shot up from the ground, wrapping around his arms, his legs—his throat. Cold, suffocating, yet pulsing with something alive.

A test.

A trial.

A contract.

"You dare claim the throne?"

The voices of the past kings roared in unison, a deafening chorus of judgment.

"You are unworthy."

The chains tightened. Kael's vision blurred, his body feeling like it was being crushed by the weight of countless generations.

But then—he smirked.

"Unworthy?" His voice was hoarse, but defiant. "Then why are you afraid?"

The abyss shuddered.

And the voices—hesitated.

For the first time in an eternity, someone dared to talk back to them.

Kael pulled.

With everything he had.

The chains snapped.

One by one, they shattered into shards of darkness, dissolving into the void. The abyss screamed, a shriek of defiance from the forgotten kings who sought to keep their throne sealed.

But Kael was not one of them.

And he would not be bound.

He took his seat.

And the moment he did—

The world changed.

The throne accepted him.

The power rushed in.

A tidal wave of abyssal energy, memories, knowledge—everything that had been locked away for centuries poured into him.

Kael clenched his fists as he felt it carve into his very soul.

The weight of kings before him. The throne's endless hunger.

The price that must be paid.

This power is not free.

And now, it belongs to you.

Kael's eyes snapped open, now burning with a darkness deeper than the void itself.

He understood.

He had won—but the throne had changed him.

Forever.

---

Elsewhere – The Hunt Begins

"He took the throne."

The words were spoken in the dimly lit chamber, voices hushed with urgency.

The cloaked figures surrounding the long table shifted uneasily.

"That's impossible," one of them muttered. "No one should have been able to—"

"And yet, he did."

At the head of the table, the golden-eyed man leaned back in his chair, watching his subordinates with an expression of mild amusement.

"I told you. We should have killed him sooner."

The room fell silent.

Then, the man's lips curled into a smile.

"It doesn't matter. He has power, yes—but does he know how to use it?"

"Find him." His voice turned cold.

"And bring me his head before he learns the truth."