---
The chamber was ancient—hidden beneath the original ruins of Sector Nine.
Discovered only hours after Jayden's successful Nullborn subjugation, it pulsed with a cold, forgotten energy.
Jayden stood at its center.
All around him, shadows twisted unnaturally, coiling not just in reaction to his presence… but in recognition.
---
[Echobound System Alert]
> You have entered an Unclaimed Dominion Locus.
Resonance Detected: 93% Compatible.
System Request: Forge Your Throne.
---
Jayden's heart pounded. Even without knowing what it truly meant, the word echoed with power.
A Throne wasn't just symbolic — it was the physical core of a Dominion-user's realm.
An anchor for their Echo signature. A node of absolute authority.
---
Commander Lys stood at the ruined entrance behind him, speaking through the intercom:
> "Jayden, we're reading wild fluctuations in your shadowfield. Whatever you're about to do… either stop it, or finish it fast."
Jayden knelt and touched the obsidian circle etched into the floor.
The shadows responded.
Not like a tool.
But like a kingdom recognizing its king.
---
System Prompt:
> To forge your Dominion Throne, you must imprint your Echo Signature.
Warning: This act is irreversible. It will declare your presence to all high-tier Echo entities.
Proceed?
---
Jayden inhaled deeply, and whispered—
"Proceed."
---
The ground shuddered.
Dark tendrils exploded from the cracks in the stone, spiraling upward into a twisted spire of black crystal and whispering mist.
The throne began to form—not smooth or regal—but jagged, alive, and sentient.
It wasn't a chair.
It was a gateway.
A living altar of command.
---
[Dominion Throne Imprinted]
> You have forged the First Throne: "Abyss Root."
Shadow Territory: 300m radius.
Living Shadows may spawn within this range autonomously.
Void Constructs may be issued standing orders.
Throne Control Interface unlocked.
---
Jayden collapsed to his knees as the System core flared white-hot in his chest.
The pain was unlike anything he'd ever felt — but beneath it, a whisper.
Not the usual System voice.
Something older.
"You walk where even the Monarchs hesitated. Be ready to rule, or to fall."
---
Jayden opened his eyes.
And found himself in two places at once.
The chamber...
…and a domain.
A mirror realm of endless darkness, filled with floating fragments of broken cities and chained Echo beasts writhing across vast black plains.
He'd entered the Shadow Dominion Plane.
---
System Notice:
> Welcome, Thronebearer.
You now control one Anchor of the Dominion Plane.
From this place, you may:
— Issue commands to your Living Shadows
— Manifest Shadow Constructs at will
— Absorb and seal captured Echo entities
— Forge new Shadowborn units using harvested Echo Cores
— Infuse your Throne with traits: "Fear," "Loyalty," "Pain," or "Memory" (TBD)
---
Jayden reached out.
With just a thought, a shadow warrior pulled itself from the domain floor — a skeletal blade-wielder, fully autonomous.
A second thought, and it knelt before him.
---
Back in the real world, Lys stepped into the throne chamber, pausing mid-step.
Dozens of newly-formed Living Shadows stood silently around Jayden, watching her with hollow, glowing eyes.
She blinked. "Jayden…?"
Jayden looked up from the black throne, shadows swirling in his palm.
"I think I understand now," he said quietly.
"This isn't just a power."
"This is a kingdom."
---
[System Achievement Unlocked]:
> Thronebearer — Rank I
You are now considered a Monarch-Level Variant among Echo users.
Warning: Apex Council and Nullborn High Priests have taken notice.
---
The camera feeds at Sovereign Arc HQ went static.
Somewhere far away, Nullborn Prophet Whispersong hissed, her reflection fracturing across a mirror.
"The boy just claimed his First Throne."
And in a sealed chamber, Nyxorath opened his eyes.
A shadow smile stretched across his face.
> "So… the game truly begins."