The sky above the ruined realm burned crimson.​Ash drifted through the air like dying snow, covering the shattered corpses of demons, great beasts, dragons, and Sovereign warriors alike. Mountains had collapsed into black oceans of molten stone, while the once-great banners of Thalyria and the other realms in the mortal world had collapsed.​The age of sovereigns was coming to an end.​And Emrys Valin stood at its grave.​Blood poured from the corner of his lips as he tightened his grip on the hilt of his blade. The silver-white hair that once carried the pride of House Valin now hung in ragged strands over tired eyes.​Before him stood the final gate of ascension, his final trial.​“Get ready, men!” Luther Valik roared, standing right behind Emrys, holding his scepter.​Emrys' lips quivered, looking ahead. His eyes on the gate, his mind racking all the possibilities.​“Luther…” he called calmly, his mind racing. “...this is the chance for you to back out and leave, you are

“Are you serious?”​“House Croft was trying to deceive one of the nine sovereign houses!?”​“Dont they know that it is a fate worse than treason, they are deceitful and vile if that was what they did…!”​Diane’s body shook as if she were looking at a ghost. It was a terrifying position to be in, and there wasnt anything she could do to cover the shame.​Simon slowly crept back, determined to protect his house's reputation and ensure that no one would make them feel inferior amidst the fallout.​But now?​Their mind games had been discovered!​Diane slowly broke down, desperately attempting to cover her tracks to prevent the situation from implicating her house further, fearing the potential fallout.​“Emrys…dont….do…this…”​Diane tried to hold Emrys again, but he moved back, trying to make sure they would stay feet away from each other.​“Save me the useless drama,” Emrys sounded bitter, voice cold and distant. “You knew exactly what you were doing, acting like a child when

HOUSE CROFT​Diane, Bohrin, and Siere Croft returned home to stand before the Croft patriarch.​Matias Croft…​Matias Croft worked tirelessly to elevate House Croft's name.​"He didn't sign the contract?" Matias's voice cut through the silence, cold and biting.​Diane glanced nervously at her father, her lips trembling as she tried to speak.​“He…didnt…but I was—”​“You had one job: get him to sign the contract and not suspect a thing…I even told you that if you were to throw your hands around him, then you should have done it!!”​Matias's harsh voice reverberated through the hall. Diane trembled, her legs wobbled, and she could barely stand.​“Now, not only did you fail, but you also got your brother to fall into this failure of yours!!”​Standing silently before their father, Diane, Bohrin, and Siere were unable to comprehend what would happen next.​None spoke about the events. They knew nothing would resolve what had happened.​The doors of the Manor shot open, and thr

​Urin and Kito's aether shot through the roof as they looked at Reed.​Eyes locked on Reed, they were like bloodhounds.​“You know,” Reed twirled his spear, looking at them with a smile on his face.​“There isn't going to be a chance in hell you would be able to hurt me…even if there are two of you…”​Reed spoke, his mind calm as he kept his gaze dimmed. His mind relaxed as he slowly released his aether, and the air around him began to crackle like fireworks everywhere.​Urin snarled as the green aura covered the entire place, his eyes turning black as he got ready to attack.​“This will be your END!”​He blitzed for Reed; his body flickered like a light bulb.​Reed had a smile on his face, almost like he had lured him in.​“Pathetic, now come to your death…”​The next moment, Urin and Reed were having a clash as they began clashing around. The room had traces of red and green; it wasn't clear, but Reed was evasive, trying to keep the man attacking him from getting too close

“This isn't acceptable!” Horatio Yui roared. Certain Houses of Thalyria had come together to have a meeting; they were the ones who wished to take no part in letting any Sovereign House rule above them. “Matias and his family had one job!” Jiron Sol growled. “But their stupidity brought us back to the beginning of all the struggles we had managed to fix !” “Easy there, Jiron,” A calm but sadistic voice echoed from the other side of the room. Everyone turned back to see the man sitting in the shadows, a cold look on his face. Morgan Dinoris, his eyes darted around the room as if he were some kind of child in distress. There was something about him that felt off and eerie. “The reports about the attack on the Crofts, they said the boy was moving like a Wraith, his movements were unpredictable and cruel. Almost like he had become his father, the horror in Matias’ eyes told us everything we needed to know…” The room fell silent; they had imagined that they would have the Valins in