– The Siege of Vel’darun

The wind howled across the Blackstone Plateau like a warning, but Kaelen stood motionless, his cloak billowing behind him as the ancient city of Vel'darun came into view.

 What remained of the city was more ruin than stronghold, with broken towers, shattered gates, and remnants of obsidian walls created by the Shadow lords of the First Era. But beneath the rubble lied something much more valuable:

 The Shadow Throne.

 A sealed relic from the first Shadow King.

 Said to contain a fragment of Primordial Will.

 Kaelen's gaze narrowed. "This is where it begins."

Behind him stood his Court: Eira, calm and alert, her glaive drawn; Lyra, still pale from the Relic vision; and hundreds of newly recruited Shadow born warriors, dressed in armor made from abyssal iron and loyalty.

[ Quest: Claim the Shadow Throne – Begin ]Objective: Break the holy seal on Vel'darun. Survive the siege.Bonus: Unlock Evolution Path: Shadow lord Ascendant

The Seal of Light

Vel'darun originally served as the Shadow Kings' capitol. When the Holy Church conquered it 200 years ago, they sealed its center with heavenly glyphs and stationed relic knights to keep the barrier intact.

The symbols gleamed dimly above the throne chamber, warding off both gloom and life.

Kaelen moved forward, placing his hand on the air right before the seal. Sparks erupted.

❌ "Shadow Energy Rejected: Divine Seal Active"

❌ "System Interface Disrupted"

Kaelen hissed. "It's resisting even the system."

But Lyra took a step beside him. "I might know a way in."

The Assassin's Key

Lyra slipped into her coat and pulled out a dagger—the one she'd used as a Holy assassin. The blade was etched with saints' blood and blessed by the First Cardinal himself.

"I stole this back as I fled the Church. It is tied to their relic wards. If I use it in the center of the seal, I might be able to fracture it."

Kaelen gazed at her. "You'll be vulnerable."

Lyra smirked. "I am always vulnerable. "That is what makes me dangerous."

Kaelen gave the signal. "Do it."

Meanwhile… A Force Approaches

Three white-armored people stood on a cliff overlooking the ruins, far from Vel'darun, and watched the rite begin. They wore flowing silver sashes and halos carved with fire.

They were Seraphim-class Inquisitors, the Holy Church's highest-ranking executioners.

The tallest person, a woman with blindfolded eyes and six blazing wings, spoke:

"The Shadow King has reached the Gate of the Abyss. "We're done with this."

With a simple gesture, they began their fall, bringing with them a divine siege force of over 800 paladins and spell casters riding celestial wyrms.

The Siege of Vel'darun had started.

The Fracture

Lyra stabbed the central rune with her knife inside the throne hall. Light exploded, followed by a scream—hers.

But the glyph fractured.

⚠️ "Seal Fractured: 68% Integrity Remaining…"

⚠️ "Holy feedback detected." "Combat units are approaching."

Eira rushed forward, pulling Lyra back.

Kaelen did not hesitate. He raised his arm, and darkness erupted from him like a tsunami.

Skill Unlocked: Abyssal Dominion (Stage I)

Temporarily negates divine energy within a 100m radius

Effect: All Holy units within the radius experience confusion.

The symbol cracked. The seal cracked.

Below it, the Shadow Throne buzzed.

The Throne Awakens

When Kaelen stepped onto the dais, the throne responded. Shadows flowed around him, making a conceptual crown above his head rather than a metal one.

The system went silent for a breathless second before exploding with notifications.

✅ Claimed the Vel'darun Shadow Throne

✅ Unlocked the Shadow lord Ascendant Evolution Path (Stage 1)

✅ Class Upgrade is available

Choose one.

- Shadow lord Ascendant (command-based, area control, and mass buffs).

- Abyss blade Sovereign (Solo Combat, Void Techniques, and Life Drain).

- Eclipse Monarch (Hybrid Light and Shadow, Rare Path)

Kaelen just stared.

Then with a steady hand, he chose:

✅ Eclipse Monarch

New Evolution Achieved!

🔥 Class Advanced: Eclipse Monarch - Stage I

🔸 Passive: Light less Balance - Immune to all alignment-based debuffs

🔸 Active: Solar Void Blade - Converts divine strikes into shadow energy

🔸 Passive: Dual Affinity - Learn both Holy and Shadow talents.

The throne melted into his body. His armor changed to sleek black with dazzling gold trim. His eyes gleamed silver.

Kaelen was no longer only the Shadow King.

He represented something new.

Something the gods had not planned for.

Siege Begins

From outside the city, horns blared.

The Seraphim Inquisitors had arrived, leading their holy army like a tide of fire and fury.

Kaelen stood atop the cracked battlements of Vel'darun, his new power radiating like a black sun.

He raised his hand.

[ Shadow Domain: Eclipse State – Deployed ]Vel'darun is now under Shadow Sovereignty All Court Members gain +30% Combat Boost Holy Units suffer -20% Resistance

As the first wave of paladins descended from the sky, Kaelen gave a single command:

"Let them come."