Chapter 40 — The Voice of the Sovereign

The Sovereign’s hand hovered above Kael, its fingers stretching like roots through the air. The world bent beneath its gesture, the ground fracturing into spirals, the horizon warping like a reflection in broken glass.

Yet, instead of crushing him, the hand paused.

A voice—no, countless voices—poured into Kael’s skull. Male and female, young and ancient, whispers and screams layered into a single truth.

“We did not forget you, Kael. You were erased.”

Kael’s breath caught. The flames on his blade flickered.
“Erased… by who?”

The Sovereign’s shape shifted—crowned king, faceless priest, shadowed warrior—each image overlapping. Its words pulsed like heartbeats through the air.

“By belief. By faith. The world chose another hero. In the choosing, you were undone. You became a contradiction… a shadow without scripture.”

Kael clenched his jaw, rage burning through his fear.
“So that’s it. I was never weak—I was just unwanted.”

The Sovereign’s form leaned closer, its countless eyes narrowing.
“And yet you clawed your way back. You wield the forbidden tongue of Tsuyoi, bending the marrow of creation. You are proof that defiance breeds power.”

The silver-eyed girl stepped forward, bowing her head.
“Then let him join you, Sovereign. Let him be your vessel.”

Kael snarled, spitting blood at her feet.
“I’ll never be someone’s vessel again.”

The Sovereign’s gaze darkened, its presence becoming unbearable. The sky screamed as stars reignited and collapsed in the same breath.

“You misunderstand, child of the erased. This is not a request. This is reclamation.”

The air thickened, chains bursting from the rift, wrapping the ruins like veins. The Sovereign raised its hand again, this time not to pause—
but to strike.

Kael roared, black fire erupting around him, as the god’s shadow fell.