A Bloodied Revelation
Ashver shot to his feet, the ancient text forgotten as it tumbled to the floor. "Reteow—what the hell happened to you?"
The old man staggered forward, clutching his side. His breath came in ragged gasps, his usual composure shattered. "No time… They're coming."
Ashver grabbed his arm, steadying him. "Who's coming?"
Reteow's grip tightened like a vice. "The Eclipse Sect. They've infiltrated the castle." His eyes, wild with urgency, locked onto Ashver's. "And the queen—she bears their mark."
Ashver's blood ran cold. "What?"
Before Reteow could answer, the distant sound of armored footsteps echoed down the hall.
Reteow shoved a small, curved dagger into Ashver's hand. "Hide. Now."
Ashver hesitated. "I'm not leaving you—"
"Fool boy," Reteow hissed. "If they find you, everything is lost!"
The footsteps grew louder.
Ashver gritted his teeth and slipped into the hidden alcove behind the tapestry—a secret passage Reteow had shown him weeks ago.
Just in time.
The door burst open.
---
The Queen's Betrayal?
Through a gap in the fabric, Ashver watched as three armored figures stepped inside, their faces obscured by silver masks engraved with crescent moons—the sigil of the Eclipse Sect.
And behind them—
Queen Liora.
Her emerald eyes were cold, calculating. No trace of the woman who had trained him, pushed him, looked at him in the baths with that unreadable gaze.
"Where is he?" one of the masked figures demanded.
Reteow coughed, bracing himself against the desk. "Gone. You're too late."
The queen stepped forward, her voice smooth as poisoned honey. "Reteow. Did you truly think you could hide him from us forever?"
Ashver's pulse roared in his ears. Us?
Reteow spat at her feet. "You disgrace the throne."
The queen's hand lashed out, striking him across the face. Reteow crumpled to the ground.
"Search the castle," she ordered. "Tear it apart if you must."
The masked figures bowed and dispersed.
For a heartbeat, the queen stood alone, her back to Ashver. Then—
She turned slightly, just enough for the candlelight to catch the edge of her sleeve as she adjusted it.
There.
A mark, dark as ink, coiled around her wrist—a serpent swallowing its own tail. The same mark Reteow bore.
The mark of the Eclipse Sect.
Ashver's stomach twisted.
Then the queen strode out, leaving Reteow bleeding on the floor.
---
Renui's Warning
Ashver waited until the footsteps faded before slipping out of hiding. He dropped to Reteow's side, pressing a hand to the old man's wound. "Stay with me."
Reteow's fingers trembled as they grasped Ashver's wrist. "Listen carefully. The queen… she plays both sides. But she is not your enemy."
Ashver scoffed. "She just handed me over to the Eclipse Sect!"
"Appearances deceive," Reteow wheezed. "Find Renui. Trust only her."
Ashver's jaw clenched. "Why?"
Reteow's grip tightened. "Because she is my daughter."
Ashver's breath caught.
Before he could respond, Reteow's eyes fluttered shut.
"Damn it!" Ashver shook him. "Reteow—!"
A soft creak of the door.
Ashver spun, dagger raised—
Renui stood there, her silver eyes wide. "Ashver…?"
For once, there was no teasing in her voice. Only fear.
---
The Escape
Renui moved quickly, pressing a cloth to Reteow's wound. "He'll live. But we need to go. Now. "
Ashver hesitated. "The queen—"
"Is buying us time," Renui snapped. "Those weren't her guards. They're Eclipse enforcers. She let them in to pretend compliance."
Ashver's mind reeled. "Then why—"
Renui grabbed his arm, yanking him toward the door. "Later. Move. "
They slipped through the castle's hidden passages, the same ones Reteow had shown Ashver in secret. The air grew colder as they descended into the undercroft, where the castle's roots dug deep into the mountain.
"Where are we going?" Ashver demanded.
Renui didn't look back. "Somewhere they won't find you."
A crash echoed above them—the sound of doors being forced open.
Renui cursed under her breath. "Faster."
They reached a narrow tunnel, its entrance concealed behind a crumbling statue. Renui pressed her palm to the stone, murmuring something under her breath.
The ground trembled.
A hidden door slid open.
Ashver stared. "Since when does this castle have magic doors?"
Renui smirked, though it lacked her usual mischief. "Since always. Now get in."
Ashver stepped through—
And froze.
The tunnel wasn't empty.
Queen Liora stood in the shadows, her arms crossed. Waiting.
Ashver's hand flew to his dagger.
The queen sighed. "Must we do this every time?"
Renui stepped between them. "Enough. He knows."
The queen's gaze flicked to Ashver. "Then you understand why I had to act as I did."
Ashver's voice was low, dangerous. "I understand nothing."
The queen's lips thinned. She pushed back her sleeve, revealing the Eclipse mark—but now, up close, Ashver could see faint scars cutting through it, as though someone had tried to carve it away.
"This mark is not by choice," she said quietly. "I was born into the Eclipse Sect, just as Reteow was. Just as Renui was."
Ashver's eyes darted to Renui.
She didn't deny it.
The queen continued. "But we left . And now, they want us back. All of us." Her gaze bore into Ashver. "Including you."
Ashver's throat tightened. "Why?"
The queen stepped closer. "Because of what you are. Divine Systema is not just a power—it's a key. And the Eclipse Sect wants to use it to open something that should never be opened."
A horn blared in the distance—the castle's alarm.
The queen's expression hardened. "They're here."
Renui grabbed Ashver's hand. "We have to go."
The queen nodded. "Take him to the Obsidian Spire. Reteow will meet you there."
Ashver balked. "You're not coming?"
For the first time, something like regret flickered in the queen's eyes. "I have to stay. If I flee, they'll know I helped you."
Ashver opened his mouth to argue—
The queen silenced him with a look. Then, unexpectedly, her hand brushed his cheek, her touch fleeting but warm.
"Don't die, Ashver," she murmured.
Then she turned and walked back into the darkness.
The Council of Seven Kings – A War Brewing
Deep within the obsidian halls of Vermillion Keep , the seven monarchs of the Hell-World convened. The air was thick with the scent of sulfur and ambition, the torches casting long, flickering shadows across the jagged throne room.
King Vorath , a towering figure with skin like cracked lava, slammed his fist onto the armrest of his throne. "Enough delays. The three queens' realms are ripe for the taking—Liora's mountain stronghold, the Ivory Citadel of Queen Sylpha, and the Shadow Marshes of Queen Nirah. We strike now, before their sorcerers grow stronger."
A murmur of agreement rippled through the gathered kings.
King Dain , his form shrouded in living smoke, leaned forward. "And what of the Eclipse Sect? They've already infiltrated Liora's court. If they unlock the Divine Systema's power before we do—"
Queen Sylpha's spies have confirmed it," interrupted King Morvain , his voice a serpent's hiss. "The Eclipse Sect seeks the Obsidian Spire . If they reach it first, they will awaken The Devourer —and then none of our kingdoms will matter."
A heavy silence fell.
King Vorath's molten eyes gleamed. "Then we take the queens' lands and crush the sorcerers beneath our heels. No more games. No more shadows."
The kings rose as one, their pact sealed in fire and blood.
---
Reteow's Past – The Eclipse Sect's Betrayal
[Flashback – 30 Years Ago]
A younger Reteow , his hair still dark, knelt in the Sanctum of the Eclipse , his wrists bound in chains. Before him stood Grandmaster Zelroth , his face obscured by a mask of void-black steel.
"You were our finest," Zelroth said, his voice echoing unnaturally. "Yet you dare defy the Sect's will?"
Reteow spat blood onto the sanctum's floor. "I will not sacrifice children to your damned rituals."
Zelroth's hand lashed out, gripping Reteow's jaw. "Then you will watch as we take your daughter instead."
Reteow's roar of fury shook the chamber. That night, he fled with Renui , barely a babe in his arms, as the Eclipse Sect's hunters pursued them relentlessly.
He found refuge in Queen Liora's court —another exile, another soul marked by the Eclipse.
[Present]
Reteow's breath was labored as he staggered through the tunnels beneath the castle, his wound still bleeding. He had to reach the Obsidian Spire before the Eclipse Sect did.
Before they did.
---
Queen Liora's Gambit – Playing Both Sides
Back in her chambers, Queen Liora peeled back the sleeve of her gown, staring at the cursed mark on her wrist.
She had been born into the Eclipse Sect, raised as a weapon. But she had seen the truth—the horrors they worshipped, the abomination they sought to unleash.
A knock at her door.
"Enter," she commanded.
A masked figure stepped inside—one of Zelroth's enforcers.
"The boy escaped," the figure hissed.
Liora's expression remained impassive. "Then find him."
The enforcer lingered. "Grandmaster Zelroth grows impatient. If you fail him again—"
Liora's dagger was at the enforcer's throat before they could blink. "Tell Zelroth," she whispered, her voice venomous, "that I do not answer to him. Not anymore."
The enforcer fled.
Alone again, Liora exhaled shakily. She had bought Ashver time—but for how long?
---
Renui & Ashver – The Road to the Obsidian Spire
The tunnels beneath the castle gave way to a treacherous mountain pass, the wind howling like a vengeful spirit.
Ashver kept close to Renui, his grip tight on the dagger Reteow had given him. "You've known all along," he accused. "About the Eclipse Sect. About me ."
Renui didn't look at him. "Yes."
"And you didn't think to mention it?"
Renui whirled on him, her silver eyes blazing. "Would you have believed me? Or would you have run the second you heard 'sorcerer cult'?"
Ashver opened his mouth—then shut it.
Renui's shoulders slumped. "We're trying to save you, Ashver. All of us."
Ashver exhaled sharply. "From what?"
Renui's gaze darkened. "From becoming what the Eclipse Sect wants you to be. A key to the end of everything."
A distant roar echoed through the mountains—not the wind. Not natural.
Renui paled. "They're here."
The Hell-World Sorcerers' Dark Ritual
Far below, in the Pits of the Sundered , a circle of Eclipse sorcerers chanted in a tongue long forgotten. The air itself writhed, reality fraying at the edges as a massive, clawed hand tore through the veil between worlds.
Grandmaster Zelroth raised his arms, his voice a thunderous command.
"Bring forth the Devourer. Let the Hell-World tremble."