A Throne in the Dark

The beast remained motionless, its enormous shadowy frame coiled like a predator awaiting command. Its glowing eyes, vast as twin moons, reflected a primal submission he had never seen before.

A thousand thoughts raced through his mind, yet only one question truly mattered.

Why?

Why was this thing bowing to him?

Before he could speak, a notification appeared.

───

[Shadow Extraction Successful]

Your first Knight has been born.

───

His breath hitched.

This was Shadow Extraction?

But he hadn't done anything. No chant, no command—he simply existed, and this monster… no, this being, had knelt before him as if it were a law of nature.

"…Stand."

The moment the word left his lips, the creature moved.

A gust of cold wind swept through the cavern as the beast rose, its form shifting between mist and flesh. With every subtle motion, darkness rippled around it like a living tide.

"What… are you?" he asked.

The beast lowered its head.

"I am yours."

He frowned. That wasn't an answer.

Yet before he could push further, something changed.

A pulse.

Not from the beast, not from the cavern, but from himself. A slow, rhythmic beat, like a second heart—one that wasn't bound by flesh but by something far more ancient.

Then, he saw.

A world beneath the world.

An endless sea of darkness stretched before him, and within it, figures lurked—warriors clad in shadows, their silent eyes locked onto him. There were thousands… no, millions.

All waiting.

All kneeling.

The realization sent a shiver down his spine.

This wasn't just power. This was sovereignty.

He was no longer just a man.

He was a king.

And his kingdom had been waiting far too long.