The ruins of Hollowrest still smoldered when the sky cracked open once more—not with lightning, but with light. A soft, golden shimmer poured from a breach in the western cliffs, forming a staircase of glassy stone leading into a hidden cavern long lost to time.
Lyra was the first to notice it.
"That wasn't there before."
Kael turned, blades humming low and steady. The energy radiating from the path was different—neither corrupted nor divine. It pulsed with something older.
"This place is waking up," Kael said. "And it's not just the Veilspawn that heard our battle."
Darric cursed, wiping ichor from his blade. "What now? More ghosts?"
"No," Kael replied. "Something worse."
The path led them deep underground.
The air grew warmer, heavier, laced with cinders that floated like dying stars. They passed murals carved into the walls—depictions of a long-forgotten era, where crimson-eyed kings sat upon thrones made of fire and chains. The architecture was twisted, yet noble—formed not by man or elf, but by the Ashborn, a race thought extinct.
"I thought this place was myth," one of the Flamebound whispered.
"So was I," Kael muttered.
At the base of the stairs stood a massive obsidian gate, sealed with four burning symbols that resembled Kael's Mark. As he approached, each rune flared, then extinguished in turn—recognizing his presence.
The gate groaned open, revealing a grand hall lit by braziers of black flame.
At its heart stood a throne of jagged red stone—and upon it, the desiccated corpse of a king, crowned with thorns of ash.
And behind him, the shadows stirred.
A figure stepped from the veil—draped in robes made of dying embers, a face obscured by a veil of smoke. His voice was both young and ancient.
"At last… the blood returns."
Kael stepped forward. "Who are you?"
"I am Ashuron, last Warden of the Dark Court. Keeper of the Ashen Throne. And you… you are unbound."
Kael gripped Duskrend tighter. "I didn't come here to bend the knee."
Ashuron chuckled. "Good. Only tyrants demand kneeling. We were not tyrants—we were judges. Executioners. Our court ruled not by law… but by flame."
Lyra stepped beside Kael. "Why now? Why show yourself after all these centuries?"
"Because the Sovereign's blood walks again," Ashuron replied, his smoke eyes fixed on Kael. "And the throne stirs. The court was sealed when the last Vowbreaker died—but you carry two blades of their kind."
Kael's aura flared. "You want my power."
Ashuron raised a hand.
"No. I offer more."
Suddenly, the braziers roared to life. The floor beneath them shifted into a circle of runes. Ashuron's voice echoed:
"Prove you are worthy to wield what was lost. Survive the Trial of Embers."
The court exploded into flame.
Shadows peeled from the walls—spectral warriors of ash and wrath, wielding crimson spears and black axes. They charged Kael from every direction.
Kael didn't flinch.
He unsheathed Ashrend, the blade roaring with fire. With Duskrend already drawn, he became a whirlwind of molten fury.
"Ashrend Waltz!" he called, unleashing a spiraling dance of flame-laced cuts.
"Duskrend Crush!" A savage downward strike shattered a phantom knight in one blow, its armor turning to glass.
The spirits swarmed—but Kael's companions fought at his side.
Lyra danced through the ranks like a shadowed storm, her daggers finding heart after heart.
Darric met a phantom general head-on, his shield deflecting thunderous blows as he shouted, "Kael! Take the throne!"
As the last of the spirits dissolved into smoke, the throne pulsed with fire.
Kael stepped forward. The Mark on his chest burned, echoing the ancient runes carved into the obsidian seat.
Ashuron knelt before him.
"You are not a king. But you are the sword of kings to come."
Kael placed both blades across his shoulders.
"Then give me what I need to kill the one who rules now."
Ashuron raised his hand—and the flames of the throne spiraled into Kael's body, searing ancient knowledge and power into his soul. When the flames vanished, Kael opened his eyes—burning red, crackling with threads of black.
Ashen Judgment: When wielding both blades, Kael may unleash a storm of fire and shadow that strikes all enemies within his field of vision, ignoring magical defenses. This ability strengthens further if his companions are nearby, drawing from their bond.
Ashuron faded into cinders, whispering, "When the sky bleeds again… we will watch."
As the Court fell silent, Kael turned to his allies.
"Let's go. We're not done yet."