Chapter 14: Abyss Crown
He sat upon the obsidian throne within the shattered palace hall Shadows coiled around black marble pooling upon cracked golden mosaics The corpse of the Empress lay at his feet Blood soaked her crimson robes Eyes frozen open in silent horror Her silver crown lay upon broken tiles glinting beneath pale dawn light
He reached down lifting the crown Shadows pulsed around his fingers as he turned it within his grasp The metal felt cold lifeless tarnished by her fear
He cast it aside
A crown forged from gold was worthless in a world consumed by shadows
He rose from the throne Shadows rippled around his feet following him down shattered steps as he descended the dais Flames flickered within broken chandeliers illuminating pale scars across his bare chest Each mark a memory of betrayal carved into flesh by gods and men
He walked through palace halls Shadows slithered across splintered pillars draped over collapsed statues Silent servants lay twisted upon cracked tiles Their eyes wide in frozen terror Mouths open in silent screams
He stepped beyond shattered gates into the silent city Towers burned beneath rising sun Streets lay empty save for broken corpses Blood pooled around fallen banners bearing symbols of gods now dead and forgotten
He walked alone Shadows flowing around him like a living sea With each step stone cracked under his feet Darkness seeped into marble streets swallowing radiant mosaics once carved by saints and scholars
At the city's edge rose the Grand Temple of Dawn carved from ivory stone crowned with seven golden spires Each spire burned beneath black smoke Flames licked sacred sigils etched into white marble melting prayers into silent ruin
He entered temple gates Shadows curling around colossal statues of gods in radiant poses Their eyes carved from sapphire and emerald glowed within pale light casting silent judgement upon bloodstained floors
He walked down the grand nave Shadows trailing behind him like silent armies Monks lay dead across prayer mats Robes soaked in crimson Books of sacred verses burned upon shattered altars Ash rained across ruined pews
At the end of the nave upon a dais of obsidian sat the High Priest clad in robes of gold and white His face hidden behind a mask of radiant silver etched with prayers against darkness His hands trembled around a staff crowned with burning sapphire
Ruvan approached Shadows curling across black marble steps
The priest raised his staff voice echoing through ruined halls
Stop demon This temple is sacred ground These stones were carved by gods themselves You cannot defile their sanctity
Ruvan tilted his head Shadows rippled in silent laughter
There are no gods here
He raised his hand Shadows exploded across the dais Devouring golden robes Crushing sacred sigils within silent black tendrils The priest screamed as shadows peeled away silver mask Skin burned away Bones snapped Blood sprayed across obsidian steps
When silence fell shadows withdrew leaving nothing but a pile of withered flesh and shattered bone The sapphire staff cracked upon black marble rolling into shadowed void
Ruvan turned away Shadows flowing after him like endless rivers of darkness
He walked through ruined streets toward the eastern gates Beyond them lay the Endless Plains stretching into grey horizon Rivers snaked through scorched grass reflecting pale sun Smoke curled above distant villages burning in silent despair
He stepped beyond city gates Shadows spreading across fields like a living tide Grass withered beneath his feet Rivers darkened into silent sludge Trees twisted upon themselves their branches clawing at pale sky
He continued walking Days passed under silent dawns and empty nights He crossed blackened plains climbed frostbitten hills descended into valleys choked with ash and bone
At the edge of the world rose the Abyss Mountains jagged peaks tearing into endless sky Winds howled across crumbling cliffs carrying echoes of ancient screams Shadows gathered at their feet swirling around shattered stones
He ascended silent slopes Shadows carrying him across broken granite Each step cracked stone beneath his bare feet Winds whipped around him tearing at bloodstained robes
At the highest peak rose the Throne of Void carved from obsidian and bone Its towering spires spiraled into storm wracked sky Lightning pulsed within black clouds illuminating the throne's silent form
He approached Shadows coiling around silent steps Bones cracked beneath his feet Skulls of kings priests gods embedded within obsidian walls Their hollow eyes stared upon him with silent judgement
He climbed the throne's steps Shadows rippled around him Each step rose into pale lightning filled sky Thunder rumbled across silent peaks carrying echoes of forgotten prayers
At the throne's summit sat the Avatar of Light clad in robes of golden dawn Her hair glowed like woven sun Eyes burned with radiant blue light Hands rested upon a staff crowned with white flame
She raised her gaze Voice echoing like distant bells
Shadow King Your reign ends here I am the last light of the gods The dawn that will cleanse this world of your darkness
Ruvan stepped forward Shadows surging around him like a silent tidal wave
There is no light only shadows dancing within greater darkness
She raised her staff White flames exploded across storm wracked sky Lightning tore through black clouds illuminating peaks in blinding brilliance
Ruvan raised his hand Shadows pulsed outward Devouring white flames Consuming golden dawn Light cracked Shadows sank into radiant robes peeling away woven sun Flesh burned beneath obsidian coils Blood sprayed across throne steps
Her screams shattered silent peaks Echoes carried upon howling winds until her voice fell silent Shadows dropped her corpse upon cracked obsidian Steps drank her blood Bones splintered Skulls split
He turned away sitting upon the Throne of Void Shadows gathered around him like endless oceans Storms raged above Lightning pulsed within black clouds illuminating pale scars across silent chest Eyes closed Shadows whispered around him in silent hymns of forgotten tongues
Today I burned your gods Today I erased your knowledge Today I slaughtered your kings Today I consumed your light
Tomorrow I will devour hope itself
And beyond hope I will teach you despair etched into dying bones
Beyond despair I will teach you oblivion
And beyond oblivion I will teach you the meaning of true nothingness
He opened his eyes
Dawn burned pale across silent mountains Shadows rose behind him like endless walls of darkness The empire trembled upon broken knees Echoes of silent screams carried upon dead winds
And they would teach the world the silence of an eternal abyss