Deep beneath the Imperial Palace, where sunlight had not touched stone for a thousand years, a sealed chamber pulsed with strange, rhythmic heartbeats.
Boom. Boom. Boom.
Golden chains carved with heavenly runes coiled around a crystal coffin, each link humming with divine law. Six Archmage-level arrays floated in place, suppressing whatever lay within.
And yet, cracks were forming.
Outside the vault, the Empress stood motionless, flanked by ten Royal Guardians — cultivators at the peak of the Saint Realm.
Her expression was unreadable. Cold. Determined.
"Open it," she commanded.
The mages hesitated.
"Your Majesty… if he awakens too soon—"
"He's our only chance," she said, eyes gleaming. "Against him."
With a chorus of incantations, the seal was broken.
The chains shattered like paper.
The crystal coffin melted into mist, revealing a young man—no older than twenty—with hair as silver as moonlight and skin pale as frost. His eyes opened… not glowing, not red, not gold—but mirror-like, reflecting everything and nothing.
The Mirrorborn Prince had awakened.
[Name: Kael Arcanis Imperius][Status: Unstable | Suppressed Memories: 93%][Trait: Absolute Reflection – All powers used against him return to the attacker with doubled effect.][Condition: Past Hero of the Holy Church. Sealed after mass betrayal.]
He stood, barefoot, calm.
"I see… the throne is still stained," he whispered.
The Empress stepped forward. "You are needed again, Kael."
He turned his gaze toward her — and every Royal Guardian involuntarily stepped back.
"You mean, I'm to fight the one without a fate?"
She nodded. "The world is bending around him. If he is not stopped…"
Kael smiled. But it wasn't warm. It was the kind of smile that shattered glass.
"Then let this cursed world tremble again."
Scene Shift: Loyal Dog Headquarters
Priyanshu, seated on a throne of shadows, opened his eyes.
Far above, something had changed.
[System Warning: Mirrorborn Entity Detected – Natural Countermeasure to Chaos Path Users][Villain Tier: Threat Level — Apex]
Asha rushed in. "My Lord! Something has awakened beneath the palace!"
"I know," he said.
And he smiled — not in fear, but in anticipation.
"So, the Empress finally plays her final card," he murmured. "Let's see how sharp this 'Mirrorborn' really is."
[New Quest: Break the Mirror, Claim the Throne][Reward: Villain King Authority – 1/7 Keys of the End]