Chapter 62: A Throne Unclaimed
Sai stood in the ruins of the Abyssal Throne Room, his body aching from the final trial. The weight of everything he had endured pressed down on him—physically, mentally, **existentially.** His breath came in slow, controlled inhales as he steadied himself, trying to process what had just happened.
He had defied the Abyss.
He had refused to kneel.
And yet, the Abyss had **accepted him anyway.**
The pulsing darkness that had once tried to consume him had **recoiled**, recognizing him not as an enemy but as something it could not control. He had faced the Abyss, had looked into the depths of what it wanted from him, and had chosen **his own path.**
But what did that mean now?
The Betrayer stood beside the still-smoldering throne, watching him with an unreadable expression. His golden abyssal eyes flickered with something that **wasn't quite disappointment, but wasn't approval either.**
"You did it," the Betrayer said finally, his voice even. "You survived."
Sai wiped blood from the corner of his mouth. "Yeah. Barely."
The Betrayer tilted his head slightly. "And yet, you did not take the throne."
Sai clenched his fists. "I never wanted it."
A low chuckle. "That's what I said, too."
Sai's gaze snapped to him. "And yet, you took it anyway."
The Betrayer's smirk faded. "Because in the end, I had no choice."
Sai narrowed his eyes. "There's **always** a choice."
The Betrayer's expression darkened. His golden abyssal aura pulsed slightly, flickering like a dying star. "Then tell me, Sai—what happens next?"
Sai exhaled sharply, rolling his shoulders. "I leave."
The Betrayer raised a brow. "And go where?"
Sai hesitated.
Where **could** he go?
He had stepped into the Abyss, passed its trials, seen **glimpses of a forgotten world and the truth buried within it.** If he returned to the surface now, would anything **ever** be the same?
But there was still unfinished business.
The **Hidden Order** would come for him.
The **Hunter Guilds** would never leave him alone.
And the **Betrayer's past**—the truth of what really happened—was still just out of reach.
"I go back," Sai said finally. "I finish what I started."
The Betrayer watched him carefully. "And if the Abyss calls for you again?"
Sai clenched his jaw. "Then I'll deal with it."
A beat of silence.
Then, for the first time, the Betrayer **laughed.**
Not a cruel or mocking sound—just **quiet amusement.**
"You remind me of myself," he murmured. "Before I lost."
Sai frowned. "Lost what?"
The Betrayer didn't answer.
Instead, he **raised a hand.**
The Abyss **responded instantly**, the mist swirling, shifting, coiling around the space between them. A portal formed—a **doorway back to the surface.**
Sai took a slow breath.
He turned toward the throne one last time, staring at the **seat of power he had refused.** The Abyss pulsed faintly, as if **watching. Waiting.**
Then, without another word, **he stepped through the portal.**
And the Abyss **let him go.**
---
### **The Return to Chaos**
The moment Sai's feet touched solid ground, the air **felt different.**
The suffocating pressure of the Abyss was gone, replaced by the cold, crisp bite of reality. The sky above was dark, the ruins of the Abyssal Gate looming in the distance, abyssal mist still curling at its edges.
The world hadn't changed.
But **he had.**
Lena's voice snapped him out of his thoughts.
"Sai?!"
He barely had time to react before she crashed into him, grabbing his shoulders, her expression torn between **relief and anger.**
"You were gone for—what the hell even happened in there?!"
Sai blinked. "How long was I gone?"
Lena pulled back, searching his face. "A week."
Sai's stomach **dropped.**
A **week?**
To him, it had felt like **hours.**
His system flickered with notifications.
**[Time Distortion Effect Ended.]**
**[Seven Days Passed in External World.]**
Sai inhaled sharply. Seven days was more than enough time for **everything to go wrong.**
He turned quickly, scanning the ruins. The abyssal mist was still thick, but the area **wasn't empty.**
Kael stood nearby, his massive sword resting against his shoulder. Ezren was further back, golden abyssal eyes watching him carefully. Several abyssal warriors and lost hunters had gathered as well, waiting—**but for what?**
And then Sai saw **why.**
A figure stood at the edge of the ruins, surrounded by **armored warriors clad in silver.**
The **Hidden Order.**
And at the center of them all—
**Inquisitor Valeria.**
Sai's breath slowed.
So.
**They had been waiting for him.**
---
### **The Inquisitor's Demand**
Valeria's silver robes **were pristine**, untouched by the dirt and blood of battle. Her golden eyes locked onto Sai's the moment he stepped forward, unreadable but **calculating.**
"You're alive," she said.
Sai rolled his shoulders. "Seems that way."
Her gaze flickered toward the Abyssal Gate, still pulsing faintly behind him. "And the throne?"
Sai narrowed his eyes. "Still empty."
For the first time, Valeria's expression changed. A flicker of something **he couldn't quite place.**
Then, she exhaled slowly.
"You should not exist."
Sai smirked. "A lot of people keep telling me that."
Valeria took a step forward, her hand resting on the hilt of her silver blade. "The Abyss has chosen you, whether you accepted it or not. That makes you a threat. One I cannot allow to walk freely."
The warriors behind her **tightened their stances.**
Sai's fingers twitched toward his daggers. "You want to fight me?"
Valeria didn't blink. "No. I want you to surrender."
Sai's system flashed.
**[New Objective: Survive the Hidden Order's Judgment.]**
Sai sighed. "Of course it's never easy."
Lena stepped up beside him, her chakrams already glowing. "We're not running."
Kael cracked his neck. "I was hoping for a real fight."
Ezren smirked. "Well. This should be interesting."
Sai took a deep breath, rolling his shoulders.
He had survived the Abyss.
Now, he had to **survive the world.**
Valeria's blade **left its sheath.**
And the battle **began.**