The moon no longer bled, but the sky still held its scar.
Kael stood where the Vault had vanished, the dust settling like a veil over history. The Crown of the Ashborn King now flickered beneath his skin, each pulse a heartbeat echoed through the Codex.
Behind him, the Crownless watched in reverent silence.
Gorn knelt first, head bowed.
Selena followed, placing her blade in the dirt.
Even Kiri dropped her hood.
They had seen what rose from the Vault.
And they understood what it meant.
Kael said nothing. The Codex spoke for him.
[Godbreaker Codex – Tier 2 Access Unlocked]
· New Page: Sovereign Flame II
· Passive Gained: Flame of Rebellion
· Allies resist divine suppression in your presence
· Mortals gain bonus stats in range
· Celestial blessings disabled nearby
· Void Synchronization +27%
· Sovereign Affinity +61%
He turned his eyes to the horizon.
[Warning: Divine Envoy Descending Soon]
· Target: Kael
· Class: Archon of Order
· Time Remaining: 72 Hours
---
[The Campsite – Outer Ashborn]
The Crownless had grown.
Thirty when they entered the Wastes.
Sixty when they left.
Now, a hundred and twelve.
Nomads. Exiles. Sorcerers. Runaways.
People who'd lost everything to the gods.
People who saw Kael, not as a king—
But as the fire that would burn the thrones.
They sat in silence as Selena unrolled a scorched sky-map.
"The Archon will descend in the southern ash fields," she said.
"Same pattern as when they razed Emberlight City."
Kiri traced the old fault lines. "There's no cover. No leyline advantage."
"Exactly," Kael said. "They expect us to run."
He placed a single bone token at the center of the crater etched into the map.
"We won't."
---
[Sovereign Domain Prototype]
[New Skill: Ashen Reversal – Domain Prototype]
· Battlefield becomes Sovereign Ground
· Divine passives nullified
· Suppression effects inverted
· Codex skill regen increased
· Duration: 3 Minutes
· Requirements: Voidmark + Ashborn Crown Charge x1
Kael closed the Codex and looked at the campfire.
"If we hold the crater for three minutes," he said,
"I can change the rules of war."
Gorn whistled. "We've got two days to prepare."
Kael's eyes didn't move.
"We have one."
---
[That Night – The Mirror Tree]
Kael sat beneath the skeletal remains of a once-holy tree.
Its bark was scorched. Its roots had fused with bone.
It reeked of forgotten rituals and burned offerings.
He stared at the Codex.
And the mirror shard he'd taken from Aetharion's throne.
The shard glowed.
"They will send Order to silence you," Aetharion's voice echoed.
"But it is doubt that unravels Sovereigns."
Kael whispered without fear.
"Then I will make belief louder."
Aetharion's laugh was soft flame.
"Then burn them properly."
---
[Sovereign Title Selection]
[Choose Sovereign Title]
· Ashborn Sovereign
· Voidflame Monarch
· Breaker of Thrones
· [Custom Entry Available]
Kael answered without hesitation.
"Breaker of Thrones."
[Title Acquired: Kael, Breaker of Thrones]
· All divine-class enemies suffer morale debuff
· Title is now visible to Realmwatch
· Fatepaths disrupted: +2
· New Prophecy Triggered
The sky rumbled.
Somewhere far across the continent, a newborn cried with ash in its lungs.
A High Priest convulsed mid-sermon.
And a god woke from slumber… with Kael's name burning in their mind.
---
[Day One Ends]
Kael stood at the edge of Blackthorn Crater.
The wind stung his skin.
The ashes danced in spirals, as if drawn to him.
Selena stepped beside him.
"They'll send everything."
Kael didn't blink.
"Then I'll return it."