The thunder did not fade when the divine light vanished. It continued rolling across the sky above Ardenthal as though the heavens themselves were unsettled. Soldiers in the outpost courtyard stared upward in unease, while inside the fractured chamber, Kael stood motionless.
Heat spread across his chest, not the violent burn of his cracked seal, not the chaotic surge of demonic power, this was different, controlled, and intentional. Eron saw it first.
His gaze dropped to Kael’s chest as a faint silver-gold line appeared beneath the fabric of his shirt. It did not resemble the divine script that once bound heroes to the Church. It did not resemble the demonic sigil that once marked Kael as king.
It resembled Eron’s new emblem but inverted.“Do not move,” Eron said quietly. Kael did not re
