Chris sat in his dimly lit chamber, the heavy silence wrapping around him like a cloak. The room was vast, yet empty of anything unnecessary. He had stripped it down to the essentials—just like he had stripped himself of the throne.
A single candle flickered on the ornate desk in front of him. Papers lay untouched. Reports from Ethan's reign. His mind absorbed every detail, yet his hands never moved to interfere.
He had given Ethan absolute rule. That was the deal.
Yet, as he stared at the latest reports—Skylar's confrontation with Ethan, Christiana's quiet maneuvering, and the whispers growing in the shadows—Chris knew one thing for certain.
A storm was brewing.
And no matter how much he had promised to stay in the background, no matter how much he had declared Ethan unquestionable…
A god did not remain silent forever.