The place was covered in shadows, a place where evil was worshipped in silence and whispers. The air itself felt heavy, carrying a strange coldness that pressed against the skin. The ground was damp, as if it had soaked up centuries of sorrow and fear. From the corners of the hall, faint murmurs and chants drifted like restless spirits, creating a rhythm that echoed with darkness. Behind the veil of silence, something daunting lingered. An ancient evil, hidden but waiting, lying in the gutters of chaos. It was feeding on the fear, the hatred, and the negative feelings that humans carried deep in their hearts. Every doubt, every sin, every curse was fuel for its rise. In the center of the hall stood a massive statue. A cross of stone, towering and unshaken, reaching upward as if to pierce the heavens. Upon it was a figure. Its arms were spread wide, nailed into place. The legs were bound downward with cruel spikes, the body stretched into the shape of a cross. The face tilted up toward the unseen sky, frozen in a silent scream. Strange light shimmered from its chest, where a symbol of darkness pulsed like a living flame. Its eyes glowed with an endless fire, burning with a hunger that no mortal could endure. The glow cast long shadows across the walls, shaping them into twisted forms that seemed to dance and bow. Before the statue, the followers gathered. They were dressed in black robes, their faces hidden beneath heavy hoods. They knelt on the cold stone floor, their heads lowered, hands pressed together in solemn worship. Their lips moved in unison, carrying hymns that rose and fell like waves of poison in the air. The voices mixed, echoing until the entire hall seemed to tremble. The sound was not beautiful. It was haunting. It was a call, a prayer to something that should never awaken. As the chanting grew louder, the air thickened. A strange force filled the hall. The statue seemed to breathe, its chest rising faintly with the rhythm of the hymns. The glow in its eyes brightened, throwing a crimson hue across the faces of the worshippers. Then something bizarre happened. One by one, the robed figures lifted their heads. Beneath the shadows of their hoods, sharp smiles spread across their lips. It was the same expression on every face, an evil smile that carried both devotion and cruelty. New ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄhapters are published on NoveI★Fire.net Their leader stood at the front, close to the statue. His voice cut through the hymns, deep and steady. "Yes, my Lord," he said with reverence. "Your wish will surely be fulfilled." Another voice followed from the crowd. "Years of planning have already borne fruit." And then a chorus rose together, countless voices speaking as one. "The world will soon be overtaken by chaos. The gods will stand in shock, powerless to stop what is coming." The air quivered with their words. The dark hall pulsed with an energy that felt alive, waiting. The worshippers bowed once more, their smiles sharper than ever.In that moment, evil itself seemed to breathe. "Feast the depravity of the abyss." The dark chamber grew heavier as the black-robed figures kept chanting in unison. Their voices echoed like a dreadful hymn, filling the air with a coldness that made the stone walls tremble. At the center, the towering statue of the cross loomed, its shadow stretching across the floor like a dark curse. The carved figure nailed into the cross seemed almost alive, its burning eyes casting a wicked glow. Suddenly, the stone began to crack. From the chest of the statue, something vile emerged. Thick, twisted tentacles slid out slowly, wet and wriggling, glistening as if they were born from the depths of rot. They moved with a hunger of their own, slithering down toward the kneeling devotees. The robed men and women kept chanting, their heads bowed, unaware of what was about to come. But before they could react, the tentacles lunged forward, forcing themselves into their mouths. Screams tore through the chamber. The sound of pain was sharp and raw, echoing like broken glass. The devotees clawed at their throats, eyes wide with horror as the writhing black tendrils shoved deeper, choking them, sliding down into their bodies. Their cries turned into gurgles, their faces twisted with agony, veins bulging, sweat pouring from their skin. One by one they collapsed, their bodies hitting the cold ground with dull thuds. Silence fell, but only for a moment. Then their limbs twitched. Their fingers curled. Their heads snapped upright, and from their mouths came a twisted laughter that shook the air. It was high-pitched, wild, and full of madness. Their eyes, once human, now swirled with pure darkness, empty pits of the abyss. "Kekeke..." the sound of their laughter mixed with the crackling torchlight, making the room feel more unholy than ever. One of the robed figures, now completely overtaken, raised his arms to the sky. His voice was no longer human but carried a thick, echoing weight. "The abyssal void has been opened. Prepare the abyssal summons. Let us crush those fools of Heizen!" The others roared in agreement, their voices warped into a chorus of insanity. The stone floor itself seemed to shake with their cries. Madness had consumed them all, and the chamber became a nest of darkness ready to spill into the world outside. Back In Veydrin Mansion in the Capital. In the quiet hall of the estate, Ruth and Emilia sat side by side. The air between them was heavy and sharp, the silence broken only by the faint sound of the wind brushing past the windows. Across from them sat Adele. Her face was stiff and cold, her eyes burning with anger. Emilia, though nervous, tried to speak. She wanted to ask for forgiveness. She wanted to explain, even though she already knew words would not be enough. Before she could even form her apology, Adele cut her off with venom. "I don’t need your pathetic excuses, you dumb fool." "Adele!" Ruth’s voice cracked through the room like ice, his tone filled with warning. "Watch your tongue." Adele’s anger flared hotter. Her hand slammed down on the armrest of her chair, the sharp sound echoing in the chamber. "What do you mean watch my tongue? She has done so much to us and I cannot even speak the truth? Tell me which of my words are a lie. Is it a lie that she toyed with my feelings and threw me aside?" Her voice shook with both rage and pain. Emilia opened her mouth, her lips trembling as if she wanted to defend herself. She wanted to say she had not been in her right mind at that time. That she had been blind, lost, and weak. But the words stuck in her throat. Deep down, she knew they would sound like excuses. She knew it was her fault. Saying anything now would only make her look more pitiful. Adele leaned forward, her anger spilling into every word, but before she could speak again, the doors swung open with a violent kick. The sound slammed into the silence like thunder. Kael walked in. His steps were slow, his expression cold as ice. The weight of his presence filled the hall. "Where are your manners?" Ruth roared at him, his patience breaking. Kael’s gaze slid toward him, calm but sharp. "Manners? I don’t remember you ever showing me any. Have you?" A thick vein bulged on Ruth’s forehead. His jaw clenched, his fists tightening at his sides. For a moment he wanted to drag both Adele and Kael to the ground and thrash them like unruly children. His own blood, yet so wild and impossible to control. Adele’s eyes locked on Kael. Kael met her stare. For a breath, it was as if sparks snapped between them, filling the air with an unspoken challenge. "So, you finally came back home," Adele said, her voice curling into a smug smile. "I thought you would hide away in fear." Kael’s lips twisted upward. His smile was wide, cold, and evil. "Hehehe... Why would I ever need to do that? You are misunderstanding something, my dear sister." With slow, steady steps, Kael moved closer to her. He squatted down so his face was level with hers. Then, without hesitation, he grabbed her chin in his hand. Adele froze, startled by his sudden touch. Before she could react, his voice exploded like thunder. The whole room shook. The floor trembled, the windows rattled. A dense and bloody aura erupted from Kael, filling the chamber like a storm. The force of it pressed against Adele’s body, stripping her of strength, crushing her beneath its weight. Her purple eyes, once fierce and sharp, met his pale white gaze. In that instant, her mind shattered. Hallucinations tore through her vision. She saw a battlefield stretched out as far as her eyes could see. Corpses piled high, their blood soaking into the earth. The air reeked of iron and death. And standing on a mountain of bodies was a man cloaked in blood-red intent. That man looked down at her with a twisted, demonic smile. His eyes were empty, merciless, and cold. His voice cut through her heart like blades. "I don’t fear. I am the very embodiment of fear. This vert truth will be soon carved itself into your heart until you cannot lift that fucking head of yours before me. I will crush the arrogance and pride that you cling to, and crush them into nothing." Adele’s breath caught in her throat. Her body shook. The world around her blurred, and all she could feel was that crushing weight. For the first time, she could not hold her own against him.