The hall fell into an eerie silence as Zayn stood alone, his dark eyes scanning the remains of what had once been the Council Chamber. Rubble lined the floor. The shattered insignia of the High Lords lay at his feet, a relic of an old world now buried by betrayal.
The system notification flickered faintly in his vision, pulsing red:
[SYSTEM ALERT: Fatal Path Divergence Detected.] [Host Zayn Kairo has triggered: Devil’s Bargain Route.][Success Rate: 11%. Outcome: Unknown.]
Zayn didn’t flinch.
He had chosen this path.
Not because it was the smartest one—but because it was the only way to take control of his fate. The demons of his bloodline whispered at the edges of his mind, clawing their way to the surface, but he held them back.
Barely.
Behind him, a soft voice echoed.
“You summon
