Dust kept falling from the ceiling in thin streams while silver fractures spread across the ancient stone walls like veins of light beneath cracked glass. Somewhere above them, the chained creature continued roaring through the broken heavens.

And beneath them...

Something answered.

Mason stumbled as another violent tremor rolled through the underground corridor.

Draca’s hand immediately caught his arm before he could lose balance completely.

"You need to stay behind me."

"Unfortunately," Mason replied breathlessly, "the terrifying underground prison monster seems emotionally attached to me specifically."

"That is not comforting."

"It’s also not my fault."

Athlian remained tense inside him.

No teasing. No sarcastic comments. Just fear.

Real fear.

That worried Mason more than the collapsing palace.

The hidden chamber beneath the capital stretched endlessly ahead of them now.

Ancient black pillars lined the circular pathway while enormous silver chains wrapped around the walls and ceiling in massive spirals.

Some of the chains had snapped.

Others were still trembling.

The deeper they descended, the colder the air became.

Behind them, Seraphine led the remaining guards cautiously while Zereth’s shadows moved silently across the floor ahead like living scouts.

Assura walked silently to the front.

Honestly Mason had reached the point where seeing the ancient nightmare man nervous would probably cause immediate psychological collapse.

Saleem was still alive somehow.

Barely.

The poor man looked one scream away from spiritual retirement.

"This place should not exist," he whispered while clutching several sacred charms in one shaking hand.

Mason glanced sideways. "You know, you saying that repeatedly is not improving morale."

"It is true!"

"That somehow makes it worse."

Another metallic dragging sound echoed through the massive chamber.

Closer now.

Several guards visibly flinched.

Even Seraphine’s grip tightened slightly around her spear.

Athlian’s voice finally returned inside Mason.

’The seal is almost fully awake.’

"Again," Mason muttered internally, "that sentence means nothing useful to me."

She hesitated.

’This prison was not made for mortals.’

"...Wonderful."

Draca glanced toward him immediately. "What is it?"

Mason blinked. "Apparently we’re trespassing inside divine trauma."

Seraphine frowned. "You’ve become increasingly unhelpful under stress."

"I was never particularly helpful to begin with."

Fair point honestly.

The circular pathway widened suddenly into a massive underground sanctum.

Everyone stopped.

Mason stared upward slowly.

The ceiling disappeared into darkness far above them.

Thousands of silver chains stretched across the cavern in every direction, all connected to a massive sealed gate embedded directly into the stone wall ahead.

The gate itself looked ancient.

Covered in moving symbols that shifted slowly like living scripture.

And right at the center...

A single fracture glowed faintly.

Athlian froze.

Mason felt it instantly.

’No...’

That single word carried genuine dread.

Draca stepped slightly closer beside him again.

"Do you recognize this place?"

Mason opened his mouth but words couldn’t form.

Because technically he didn’t.

But Athlian did.

Fragments of memory kept pressing against his thoughts now.

Golden fire. Screaming gods. Chains tightening around something enormous beneath the heavens.

None of it felt human.

And none of it felt safe.

Assura finally stopped walking.

His crimson gaze remained fixed on the massive gate.

"It opened faster than expected."

Mason rubbed his forehead tiredly. "At this point I would really appreciate one sentence tonight that doesn’t sound like a prophecy."

"No."

"Of course not."

Zereth moved closer toward the gate slowly.

His shadows curled upward along the chains while his eyes narrowed thoughtfully.

"This seal was built using Tribunal scripture."

Saleem looked horrified immediately. "The Tribunal sealed something beneath the capital itself?!"

Assura answered calmly. "Yes."

"That feels like information the royal family should have known centuries ago!"

"The royal family was not trusted with the truth."

Mason immediately pointed weakly. "See? Every answer somehow creates political problems too."

Draca’s attention remained fixed on the gate.

"The fracture in the center..."

"It wasn’t there before," Zereth finished quietly.

Wonderful.

Athlian’s emotions twisted painfully beneath Mason’s thoughts.

Fear. Recognition. Something dangerously close to guilt.

He lowered his voice internally.

"You know what’s inside."

’I know what was sealed.’

"That is a terrifyingly specific distinction."

Before Athlian could answer, another violent tremor shook the entire underground sanctum.

The chains above them rattled violently.

And suddenly...

The fracture in the center of the gate widened slightly.

A whisper echoed through the chamber.

"Mortal..."

Every guard froze instantly.

Mason stared at the gate.

"...Nope."

The whisper came again.

Closer.

"Mortal carrying divinity..."

Athlian’s fear surged.

Draca immediately stepped in front of Mason without hesitation.

The whisper laughed softly.

"He hides behind fragile flesh."

Several guards backed away immediately.

Saleem nearly dropped his sacred charms.

Seraphine lifted her spear sharply. "Show yourself."

The voice ignored her completely.

Instead the fracture in the gate pulsed brighter.

And Mason suddenly felt something pulling at him.

Not physically.

Something deeper.

Like the thing behind the gate recognized him.

Or worse...recognized Athlian.

His chest tightened painfully.

Athlian sounded shaken.

’Do not let it touch the soul bridge.’

"Fantastic," Mason thought rapidly. "Now there’s apparently a soul bridge."

’Mason.’

"No, seriously, your world has terrible terminology."

Another whisper echoed outward.

"She remembers us."

The moment those words reached the chamber...

Assura moved.

For the first time since entering the underground sanctum, the ancient being reacted instantly.

Crimson symbols exploded across the floor beneath him.

Reality distorted violently.

"Silence."

The single word slammed through the chamber hard enough to shake the chains overhead.

The whisper stopped immediately.

Everyone stared.

Even Zereth looked mildly surprised.

Interesting.

Apparently Assura actually hated whatever lived behind the gate.

Good to know.

Terrible overall but good to know.

Mason slowly raised one hand.

"So hypothetically speaking..."

Nobody looked away from the gate.

"...Are we dealing with another imprisoned ancient horror or is this somehow still the same cosmic problem?"

Assura answered without turning.

"They are connected."

"...I hate this world."

Seraphine stepped toward the gate cautiously.

"The chained creature above the capital is trying to free whatever is sealed here?"

"No," Zereth replied quietly.

His silver eyes remained fixed on the moving scripture.

"It’s trying to open the fracture."

Mason blinked. "Which means?"

Nobody answered immediately again.

Draca suddenly looked toward Assura.

"You knew this existed."

The ancient being finally turned slightly.

"Yes."

"And you said nothing?"

"It remained sealed for thousands of years."

"That is not an explanation."

Tiny tension filled the chamber.

Mason noticed several guards subtly stepping farther away from Assura now.

Reasonable survival instinct honestly.

Assura’s crimson eyes narrowed slightly.

"If I had revealed the truth centuries ago, mortals would have attempted to weaponize it."

Nobody argued with that.

Mostly because he was probably correct.

Human history honestly had a terrible relationship with forbidden power.

Athlian stirred softly inside Mason.

’He is not wrong.’

"Please don’t defend the terrifying ancient man right now."

’You defend Zereth constantly.’

"I absolutely do not."

’You enjoy his sarcasm.’

"...That’s different."

’How?’

"Because Zereth looks emotionally exhausted all the time and I relate to that."

Athlian laughed quietly.

Mason hated how relieved he felt hearing it.

The chamber suddenly trembled again.

Harder this time.

Several chains snapped overhead with explosive metallic cracks.

Guards shouted.

One broken chain crashed into the stone floor nearby hard enough to shatter the ground.

Seraphine moved instantly, shoving two soldiers aside before debris crushed them.

Draca grabbed Mason’s shoulder at the same moment.

"Stay close."

"I feel like you say that every ten minutes now."

"Because you keep walking toward danger."

"In my defense, danger keeps emotionally pursuing me."

Fair argument honestly.

Then suddenly...

The fracture in the gate split wider.

A hand emerged.

Not fully.

Just pale fingers wrapped in silver markings.

The entire chamber froze.

Athlian’s terror slammed through Mason hard enough to make his knees weaken.

’Impossible.’

The fingers dragged slowly against the edge of the fracture.

And then the voice returned.

"She still lives."

Mason immediately hated the way it said that.

Draca noticed his reaction instantly.

"What is wrong?"

"Everything," Mason replied honestly.

The marked fingers twitched again.

Silver symbols spread outward across the gate itself.

Zereth’s shadows recoiled violently.

Even Assura’s expression darkened further.

Apparently this situation had finally become severe enough to bother everyone equally.

Equality through terror.

Saleem suddenly whispered something under his breath.

Seraphine looked toward him sharply. "What?"

He swallowed hard.

"I’ve seen those markings before."

Everyone turned.

Even Assura.

Saleem looked like he regretted speaking immediately.

"The oldest temple records..." he continued nervously. "There were stories about prisoners abandoned by Heaven itself."

Mason stared. "...Your religion has bedtime stories about this?"

"They are forbidden texts!"

"That somehow sounds worse."

Saleem pointed shakily toward the hand emerging through the fracture.

"The silver markings were described as divine condemnation seals."

Athlian went silent again.

Very silent.

Mason noticed immediately.

"You know what those are?" He asked.

’They were used against immortals who betrayed Heaven.’

His stomach dropped.

"...Define betrayed ?."he requested but she kept mute.

Draca suddenly stepped closer toward the gate itself.

"Commander," Seraphine warned immediately.

"I need a better view."

Mason blinked. "Respectfully, your survival instincts remain terrible."

Draca ignored him completely.

The commander studied the fracture silently while the marked fingers slowly tightened around the edge of the opening.

Then he frowned slightly.

"...There are fresh blood markings."

Everyone looked closer.

He was right.

Dark crimson symbols spread across part of the gate beneath the older silver scripture.

New symbols.

Recently drawn.

Zereth’s expression sharpened instantly.

"Someone has been down here."

The room went still.

Seraphine cursed softly.

Saleem looked horrified again. "That’s impossible. This sanctum was sealed centuries ago."

Assura’s gaze narrowed.

"Not impossible."

Mason slowly pointed toward the blood markings.

"Could somebody please tell me we are not dealing with a secret cult situation too?"

Nobody answered.

"Oh come on."

Athlian stirred uneasily.

’There were always worshippers.’

"That sentence needs to stop existing."

The whisper behind the gate laughed softly again.

"Children still seek forbidden divinity."

The marked fingers pressed farther through the fracture.

Then suddenly, a guard screamed.

Everyone turned instantly.

One of the younger soldiers near the back of the chamber had frozen completely.

Silver markings were spreading slowly across his arm.

The same markings.

The exact same ones.

Seraphine reacted first. "Move away from him!"

The nearby guards stumbled backward immediately.

The infected soldier stared at his arm in horror.

"I didn’t touch anything!"

The silver markings spread farther.

Up his throat. Across his face.

Mason felt sick instantly.

Athlian sounded horrified.

’The seal is corrupting the chamber.’

"Wonderful. Love that for us."

The soldier suddenly looked upward.

And smiled.

"He remembers her," he whispered.

Draca moved instantly.

One clean strike with the flat side of his blade knocked the soldier unconscious before he could continue speaking.

The silver markings stopped spreading immediately.

Silence filled the sanctum.

Mason stared weakly. "...Okay. New rule. Nobody gets possessed tonight again."

"Agreed," Seraphine replied tightly.

Zereth crouched beside the unconscious guard slowly.

His shadows curled around the silver markings carefully.

Then his expression changed slightly. 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

Mason noticed immediately.

"You’ve seen this before?." he asked.

Zereth looked toward him.

A long pause followed.

Then he responded.

"Something similar."

Before Mason could press further, another massive tremor slammed through the sanctum.

The entire gate shook violently.

And somewhere far above them...

The chained creature roared again.

But this time the roar sounded closer.

Seraphine looked upward sharply. "The thing above the capital is descending."

Assura’s expression hardened immediately.

"The outer barriers failed."

Saleem looked moments from spiritual death again.

"That’s not possible."

"It is now."

Mason rubbed both hands down his face tiredly.

"I miss ordinary trauma."

Draca glanced toward him briefly.

Then said quietly. "You’re holding together better than most soldiers here."

Mason blinked.

"...That might be the worst compliment I’ve ever received."

To his surprise, Draca almost smiled again.

Tiny. Brief. Still devastating.

Athlian sounded smug immediately.

’You looked for that expression.’

"I looked for emotional stability."

’Liar.’

Before Mason could mentally defend himself, the fracture in the gate suddenly widened again.

The marked hand forced farther outward.

And this time...

A single golden eye opened in the darkness beyond the seal.

Everyone froze.

The eye stared directly at the goddess.

Recognition flickered slowly across the ancient gaze.

Then amusement.

And finally, the thing behind the gate smiled.

"Mason," it whispered softly.

The entire chamber went silent.

Athlian’s horror exploded through him.

Draca’s expression sharpened instantly.

Zereth looked toward Mason.

Seraphine stiffened.

And for one catastrophic second...

Nobody breathed.

Then the gate cracked open wider.