The sound of Ronan’s ribs breaking was louder than the thunder in the torn sky.Crack. Snap.The sickening noise echoed in his own ears, followed instantly by a wave of pain so intense it made his vision flash pure white. He flew through the air, thrown like a broken ragdoll, and crashed hard into the cold, wet mud.He tried to gasp for air, but his lungs refused to work. Instead of oxygen, a thick, warm liquid bubbled up his throat. He coughed, and dark red blood sprayed across his pale lips and down his chin. He was choking on his own blood.Above him, the sky was wrong. It was not the familiar dark blue of a midnight sky. It was a chaotic, bleeding purple. Great tears in the clouds swirled like bruised wounds, flashing with unnatural red lightning. The world had ended not long ago, and this sky was the proof. The Veil that protected their world had shattered, letting the nightmares in.The ground shook.Boom. Boom. Boom.Heavy, massive footsteps stepped closer. Ronan forced his hea

A shape began to form in the red light. It was the silhouette of a woman made of pure fire, floating in front of him. She reached out a burning hand and gently touched his cheek."My domain is born from intimacy. It is born from the bed. It is born from the deep, raw connection of flesh and soul. To use my power, you must find vessels. Women of magic, women of latent bloodlines. You must bind them to you. The deeper your physical and emotional connection with them, the more invincible you will become. They will be your chalices. Without them, my power will burn you alive from the inside out."Ronan’s mind spun. This was madness. He was dying in the mud, a giant troll about to smash his head, and this ancient entity was talking about passion and intimacy as the source of god-like power."It is a heavy crown," the voice whispered, noticing his hesitation. "Your enemies will hunt you. Other mortals have found different Seeds. Seeds of death, of war, of shadows. They are building kingdoms

Ronan carefully slid his glowing arms under Olivia’s body. He lifted her. She felt impossibly light, like a feather. Even though his body was breaking apart, his physical strength was still god-like.He held her tight against his chest and ran.He darted around the broken statues and leaped over deep holes in the floor. The Troll swung its giant club at him, but Ronan was already gone, leaving only a trail of golden sparks in the air. The club smashed into the ground where Ronan had been standing a second ago.Ronan reached the back of the sanctuary. The heavy iron doors to the crypt were half-open, leading down into total darkness.He rushed inside, carrying Olivia down a long, circular flight of stone stairs. The air down here was cold and smelled of damp earth and old dust. It was completely silent, a sharp contrast to the screaming monsters above.When they reached the bottom of the stairs, they entered a large, circular room made of solid black stone. Old stone tombs lined the wa

Ronan moved his hands down her arms, his glowing skin sliding against hers. Every place he touched, her bruises faded. Her cuts knit themselves back together without leaving a scar. He pressed his body heavily against hers, feeling the rapid beating of her heart matching the rhythm of his own.Olivia arched her back, letting out a soft moan that was swallowed by the loud banging from above. She felt her clothes burning away, turning into soft white ash as the heat between them grew. She pulled at Ronan’s torn shirt, throwing it aside. She wanted nothing between them. She needed to feel the absolute truth of this magic.Their bodies moved together in the dark, guided by a primal instinct older than the world itself. It was a desperate, urgent rhythm. Every breath they shared, every touch, every kiss forced the bond deeper into their souls."Yes," the ancient Voice whispered in Ronan’s mind, sounding deeply satisfied. "Yes. Claim your Chalice. Let the fire of your desire forge the chain

Before they could get up, Olivia leaped into the air. She threw a ball of pure, compressed fire from her left hand. It hit the ground between the two fallen monsters and exploded like a bomb, blowing them into tiny, burning pieces.The crypt was completely painted in demon blood and ash.Suddenly, a heavy, deafening roar shook the entire room.The Abyssal Troll had finally had enough.The giant monster pushed through the smoke. It was furious. It could not understand how two tiny humans were destroying its pack so easily. The Troll raised its giant stone club, holding it with both hands, and brought it down toward Olivia with all its massive strength.'Ronan!' Olivia’s mind screamed.Ronan was already moving.He leaped across the room, leaving a trail of abyssal fire behind him. He threw himself right between Olivia and the falling stone club.He did not try to catch it this time. Instead, he pulled his right arm back. His fist began to glow so brightly it looked like a miniature sun.