rastq12

A world ruled by Sovereigns, beings of absolute power bound by an eternal cycle. Every 1,000 years, reality resets, and history is rewritten. The strong ascend, the weak are erased, and none remember what came before.

Except for one.

When he awakens in a shattered battlefield, marked as “Forsaken,” he knows something is wrong. Fragments of past cycles burn in his mind. He remembers dying—again and again—fighting against a fate he could never escape. But this time, something is different.

His power is corrupted, broken beyond recognition. His existence is an anomaly, rejected by the world itself. The cycle should have erased him, but he remains.

Now, hunted by immortals who do not remember their crimes, he must uncover the truth behind the Pantheon of Sovereigns, the Architect who designed this prison, and the lost history of those who defied fate before him.

For the first time in eternity, the cycle is fracturing.

And he is the one breaking it.

Sovereign of the Forsaken Realm

The wind howled through the ruins of Veyrith, a name lost to time—just like everything else here.

He exhaled slowly, his pulse still unsteady. The Hunter was gone, but something told him this wasn't a victory.

The stranger studied him for a long moment before speaking. "Tell me, what is your name?"

For a moment, something slipped through his mind—a memory half-formed.

And then, as if it had been waiting to be spoken, he found himself answering.

The stranger's gaze sharpened. **"Kael…"**Their voice carried weight, as if tasting the name, testing it against something unseen.

Kael's brows furrowed. "Fitting for what?"

The stranger turned away, hands slipping into the folds of their dark cloak. "For someone who was never meant to be."

A flash of irritation sparked in his chest. "You keep saying that. If I wasn't supposed to exist, then why do I?"

The stranger chuckled. "That is the right question. But the wrong time to ask it."

They tilted their head toward the ruined sky. Dark clouds churned, and a faint, unnatural hum filled the air.

Kael's mark throbbed again. He looked down at his palm—the faint golden glow still etched into his skin.

The stranger's gaze followed his. "That mark… you don't know what it is, do you?"

A pause. Then, for the first time, the stranger's expression turned serious. "It is the Mark of Aetheris."

The name sent an unexplainable shiver through Kael's spine.

"The ones who control the cycle…" the stranger continued, voice low, "They have another name for it."

Kael swallowed. "And what's that?"

A gust of wind swept through the ruins, carrying the stranger's answer like a whisper.

Chapter 13: The Mark of Aetheris