The forest was completely engulfed by the light. There was nothing but white, pressing in on his skin like fire, and for a breathless moment, Jared thought the world had ended again. The ground beneath his boots then reformed. chilly. Stone. old.Blinking against the light, he stumbled. They entered a huge room with walls adorned with sigils that seemed to move and bleed crimson light into the air. High above, lost in shadows that writhed like smoke, the ceiling arched.Emma's voice faltered. "Where are we, exactly?"Liam's eyes scanned the darkness as his hand tightened on his blade. "You mentioned a vault. It appears more like a grave."Jared did not respond. His eyes were already fixed on the middle of the room.There, encased in chains that twisted like snakes, loomed an obsidian throne. Above it swam a crown—shattered into sharp pieces, each shard circling indefinitely, dripping ink-like shadows.The voice of the system slithered through his mind.[Verified Location: Ruin Vault.

The forest lay in ruins. Smoke coiled from the splintered earth, the silence broken only by the hiss of settling debris.Emma’s hands shook as she steadied Jared against her shoulder. His body was heavy, limp, but not lifeless. His steel-grey eye flicked open weakly, locking onto hers for a heartbeat. Relief hit her chest—then froze when she saw the other eye.Black. Faintly glowing. Crown-light still smoldering inside it.Emma recoiled before she could stop herself. Jared felt the hesitation, the half-step of distance. Something inside him clenched tighter than the chains.Liam stepped closer, his expression hard. “He doesn’t look the same.”“Liam,” Emma hissed.“Don’t ‘Liam’ me. Look at him.” Liam pointed, voice sharp. “That thing—whatever sat on that throne—it’s in him now. You saw it.”Jared forced himself upright, pain lacing through every movement. “I’m still me.” His voice was hoarse, raw from screaming, but steady. “Whatever it was… I didn’t let it win.”Liam’s eyes narrowed.

Time slowed. The wolf lunged, jaws wide, fangs gleaming, and Emma's scream got stuck in her throat. Jared didn't think, didn't hesitate.He raised his hand.Black and jagged chains sprang from his palm like living shadows and coiled in midair around the beast's neck. As the shadow-forged links pulled the wolf down, its momentum abruptly stopped and its body began to flail violently. The wolf, pinned and choking, slammed against the dirt with a sickening crack.Everybody froze.Emma's blade drooped. Liam's eyes widened, his anger pierced by disbelief. As they witnessed the impossibility, the mercenaries stumbled in the middle of firing.The wolf's body broke in a shower of black flame as the chains tightened and writhed as though it were alive. Ash was all that was left after the smoke cleared.Against the blazing black eye, Jared's steel-grey one wavered wildly. In his iris, the crown mark glowed dimly. He spoke in a low, distorted voice that sounded like two voices overlapping."Rem

At last, the city's outline emerged from the forest. Ahead, iron gates rose like teeth, delineating the boundary of Bai territory, while smoke still clung to the treetops. Emma decelerated, her arm supporting Jared's weight. "We're nearly there." Although she spoke steadily, her eyes darted anxiously in his direction. His breathing was shallow and his steps were erratic, but these were not caused by his wounds. The chain was the culprit. Dark heat tightened around his chest, and every movement sent a pulse through his veins. He dared not show them the depth of the bite.Liam walked ahead, sword drawn, scanning the shadows. His jaw clenched each time Jared stumbled. Finally, he muttered, not looking back, “How long are you planning to keep lying to us?”Jared’s hand twitched. The chain answered instantly.[Restriction Applied: Oath of Ruin.][Warning: Breach of Defiance detected.][Penalty Initiating…]Agony lanced through his ribs, so sudden his knees buckled. Emma caught him before

The Bai squad didn't think twice. Steel sang through the night and crossbows snapped at the leader's command. Bolts with venom tips sliced through the air, directly targeting Jared. Emma sprang forward and pulled him down. Too many filled the sky as her blade blurred, deflecting two. Liam whirled next to her, slicing through another, his eyes unreadable, his face taut. The others hit the earth, hissing as the black poison seeped into the ground. The Bai squad leader grinned. "Tonight is the last of your little tricks." Emma's blade caused her knuckles to turn white. "Then we sliced through them." She gave Jared a look that was demanding rather than begging or scared. "No more holding back."With his breath ragged and his chains burning like molten iron beneath his skin, Jared stumbled to his feet. His other eye glowed faintly black, while his steel-grey eye flickered. "You think I'm scared of you?" With their shields up, the squad charged forward, moving in unison. discipline dev