The sky stayed clear
But the silence was louder than thunder
Across the continent hidden thrones stirred
Eyes opened that hadn't blinked in centuries
The fall of the Epoch Judge wasn't just heard
It was felt
Deep underground beneath the ruins of Vareth
A circle of cloaked figures sat around a hollow throne
The one in gold whispered
So the sovereign boy erased a Judge
The one with the stone mask laughed softly
Then he's ready for the spiral war
Another with ink-black robes shook their head
He's not ready
He's dangerous
Above them a sigil spun on its own
Marking Azel as priority
In the desert spires of the Eastern Dominion a queen with six veils dipped her finger into water
It turned black instantly
So the timebreaker moves
We'll see how far his echoes reach before he drowns
In the frozen wastelands a forgotten king raised his sword
The blade hummed
Finally
A name worth remembering
Back at the Sovereign Core Azel stood at the edge of the seal
Sera still holding the Judge's memory thread
Echo looked up at him
You know they're gonna come now right
Not hunters
Not watchers
The real ones
The kings in the dark
Azel didn't blink
Good
I was tired of fighting shadows
Let them bring crowns
Outside the chamber an ancient flower bloomed
One not seen since the myth era
It only grew when true rulers returned
And it was blooming in bloodred