The golden halls of the Star Sovereign's palace trembled under the surge of divine energy. Zayn stood at the center of the Grand Celestial Chamber, surrounded by thirteen celestial maidens—his trusted harem of goddesses. Each of them represented a law, an element, a truth of the universe. But now, even their divine presence could not calm the rising storm within Zayn.
He knelt on the obsidian altar, carved with markings that glowed faintly red seals that had not been touched since the beginning of time. The Forbidden Blood was no ordinary power. It was his final origin—the piece of his soul born from pure chaos, untouched by order, by light, by fate.
"Zayn," whispered Mira, the Goddess of Twilight, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. "If you do this, your soul may never return to its pure state. You will become something… other."
Zayn opened his eyes slowly. They no longer glowed gold. They shimmered with crimson and black—a sign that the blood inside him was stirring.
"I was born different," he said. "Even before I awakened the Star Sovereign's path, I was not meant to follow the world's rules. Now… I will become what I was always meant to be."
Lyria stepped forward, holding the Phoenix Chalice. Within it burned the God-Fire needed to unseal the forbidden blood. "We'll stand with you, Zayn. Even if the world burns."
He took the chalice, drank its contents, and the world… stopped.
For a moment, time itself refused to move.
Then, the seals shattered.
A howl ripped through the chamber as Zayn's body convulsed. Black fire erupted from his back. His veins turned into rivers of crimson lightning. His scream shattered the crystal sky above the palace. Every realm—every single one—felt the awakening.
He floated into the air, his form half-shadow, half-light, wings of dark fire spreading wide.
Memories not his own invaded his mind—ancient wars, voidborn creatures, a love lost before the stars were born. He saw a throne beyond creation, and himself sitting on it, alone, eternal, forgotten.
He saw a girl.
A voice.
"Zayn... come back."
It was Aelina.
Her words grounded him. Slowly, the madness retreated. The blood settled. The crimson marks on his skin glowed gently, no longer raging.
Zayn opened his eyes. This time, they were not the eyes of a Sovereign.
They were the eyes of something higher.
A Primordial.
"It's done," he whispered. "The blood is mine now. The Whisper won't be the only one with secrets."
The maidens gathered around him. No longer fearful, but in awe.
He had survived what no one could.
He had awakened the Forbidden Blood.
And now…
The real war would begin.