THEY THREW ME INTO THE ABYSS, SO I DEVOURED EVERYTHING

THE SHATTERED ORB

The cold marble hit Felix so hard his back teeth clicked together.

Light blinded him, sharp and white, burning away the black smoke that still clung to his clothes. He lay flat on his stomach, gasping for air that tasted of sweet incense and hot candle wax instead of mud. Below him, the smooth white stone stretched out in a polished circle, reflecting the grand vaulted roof above.

"Look at the stage floor!" someone shouted from the high tiers. "Where did he come from?"

Felix pushed himself up on shaking arms. His leather tunic was torn, stiff with dried mud, and stained with dark water from the ravine. Thousands of people filled the surrounding balconies, their gold jewelry and silk robes catching the light of a dozen massive chandeliers. Banners featuring silver griffins and golden lions hung from the pillars.

A few feet away, Julian took a sharp step back, his hand dropping straight to his sword hilt. His mouth hung open.

"You," Julian breathed, his voice cracking slightly. "How are you standing?"

"You missed the heart, Julian," Felix said. His chest throbbed with a strange, heavy heat, but the deep knife wound was gone.

Sarah stepped up beside Julian, her white velvet cloak completely clean. She stared at Felix's muddy boots, her pale eyes narrowing into tight slits. Her fingers twitched against the silver trim of her sleeves.

"You should be dead in the dirt," Sarah whispered, her voice dropping so low the crowd could not hear. "If you open your mouth about the deeds, I will have the guards cut your tongue out before you leave this ring."

"Try it," Felix said, taking a step toward her. "Do it right here in front of the council."

"Quiet!" Julian hissed, darting a nervous glance toward the high balconies where the city elders sat. "He is bluffing. Look at him. He has no weapons. He has no magic."

"Silence on the floor!" a voice boomed across the hall.

The High Priest stepped forward onto the central dais, his gold-threaded robes rustling against the stone. He held a long wooden staff topped with a glowing, fist-sized crystal. He looked down at Felix with deep disgust, his heavy eyebrows pulling together.

"You are late, boy," the Priest snapped. "The house of Vane has already been called. Step back into line or be removed by the wardens."

"He was delayed by private family business, Your Grace," Sarah said smoothly, sliding into a flawless bow. Her face transformed instantly, softening into a warm, gentle smile. "He is ready to take his turn."

"Very well," the Priest said, waving his staff. "We proceed. Lady Sarah of the Northern Reaches, step forward to the Pact Orb."

Sarah stepped up to the pedestal in the center of the ring. A clear glass sphere sat on a carved stone pillar, swirling with soft gold light. She took a slow breath, smoothed her skirt, and placed her right palm flat against the glass.

The sphere flared instantly. A blinding column of yellow fire shot upward, tearing through the air and striking the central dome. The crowd let out a collective gasp that turned into wild cheering. Above her head, the light shaped itself into a massive, winged lion made of pure golden flame. It let out a silent roar before melting into her skin.

"A Tier-Four Sun-Griffin!" the High Priest shouted, his voice echoing off the stone walls. "A divine blessing for the Northern Reaches!"

Sarah bowed to the cheering balconies, her eyes sparkling with pride. As she stepped back toward Julian, she leaned near Felix's ear.

"That is what real blood looks like," she whispered. "Now go up there and show them your empty hands."

"Felix of the Vane house," the Priest called out, his voice flat and bored. "Step up."

Murmurs broke out across the balconies.

"Is that the coreless one?" a woman asked from the second tier.

"He looks like he crawled out of a sewer," a noble man scoffed, adjusting his wire-rimmed glasses. "Why is he allowed on the sacred floor?"

Felix walked toward the stone pillar. His boots left wet, brown prints on the clean marble floor. With every step, the dark mark beneath his collarbone pulsed, hot and heavy, like a trapped fist beating against his ribs.

Touch it, a voice rasped inside his skull. It was low, wet, and ancient. Feed it to me.

"Place your hand on the glass, boy," the Priest said, leaning on his staff. "Do not waste our time."

Felix reached out. His fingers were stained with dirt, his knuckles bruised from his fight with Julian in the manor hall. He pressed his palm flat against the smooth, warm surface of the orb.

For a second, the gold light inside the sphere flickered.

Then it turned jet black.

The blackness did not just fill the glass. It burst outward, swallowing the light from the overhead chandeliers. The bright hall plunged into a cold, twilight shadow. The temperature dropped so fast that Felix could see his own breath turn to white steam in the air.

Shatter, the voice commanded from deep within his blood.

A sharp crack echoed through the silent hall. Long, spiderweb fissures tore across the face of the orb. The glass groaned, bubbled, and burst into a cloud of fine black dust that settled over Felix's shoes. A wave of heavy, cold pressure rolled off the pedestal, knocking the High Priest off his feet. The old man fell hard on his hip, his golden staff clattering across the marble floor.

Screams erupted from the high balconies. Nobles scrambled over each other to reach the exit doors.

Julian drew his longsword, his hands shaking violently as he pointed the blade at Felix. "What did you do? What kind of dark trick is this?"

Sarah backed away, her face pale, all her calm grace completely gone. "His core is corrupt. Look at his skin!"

Black veins were crawling up Felix's neck, spreading outward from beneath his collarbone like thin ink lines under his skin.

The High Priest scrambled backward on his hands and knees, pointing a trembling finger at the dust on the floor. His face was twisted in complete terror.

"A void defect!" the Priest shrieked, his voice breaking into a high scream. "He carries an unholy parasite! Wardens! Kill him before it spreads!"

Heavy iron gates slammed shut around the perimeter of the grand arena with a deafening bang. From the side arches, fifty heavily armored wardens surged onto the floor, their silver blades sliding from their sheaths with a long, collective hiss as

they formed a tight circle around Felix.