Chapter 22: The Awakened Judge

The moment Keth spoke those words, the world fractured into prismatic light. The massive eye beneath the ice dilated, its pupil swallowing the frozen lake whole. Keth felt the weight of its gaze pierce through them—not just their body, but every life they'd ever lived across seven cycles of the Mark.

Eregoth's armor began to crumble. "No," the warrior rasped as his helmet disintegrated, revealing a face that mirrored Valtheris's—but older, harder, with eyes like frosted steel. "This was never the plan."

The golden-eyed woman laughed—a broken, desperate sound. "There never was a plan. Only consequences."

Rhis collapsed to her knees, the golden mark now pulsing across her entire body. When she spoke, her voice echoed with the same layered resonance as the ancient beings around her. "The vessel is ready."

Keth tried to move toward her, but their limbs wouldn't obey. The scar on their chest had become a vortex, drawing in the very air around them. They realized with dawning horror what they'd done—they hadn't just become the Mark. They'd become the *conduit*.

Valtheris was the first to understand. "The judgment isn't yours to give," he said, stepping forward. Black ice still crept along his fingers, but his silver eyes were clear. "It's theirs." He pointed to the eye below.

The ground trembled. A voice older than mountains spoke from the depths:

**"AT LAST, A WORTHY BEARER."**

Keth's scar flared white-hot. Visions tore through their mind—

*The golden-eyed woman and Eregoth as they once were: not enemies, but guardians.

The first Blood King's betrayal, poisoning the well of power.

The endless cycles of violence, each Mark-bearer doomed to repeat the same mistakes.*

The voice continued: **"YOU SEE THE TRUTH NOW. CHOOSE."**

Eregoth reached for his fallen sword. "Don't—"

Keth made their decision.

They tore the scar from their chest.