The fires of Vehron had barely died before the winds shifted again.
Liam stood on a balcony high within the half-ruined basilica, now reclaimed as a place of healing. Below, the people chanted—not out of fear, but out of hope. His name, once whispered in secrecy, now rang through the streets like a war hymn.
But his eyes weren't on the people. They were fixed on the sky.
A black comet streaked across it, trailing shadow and sparks. It was no ordinary star. It pulsed, twisted, and warped the clouds as it passed.
"Rune," Liam said without turning. "What is that?"
Rune flickered into view, his ghost-blue glow dimmer than usual. "A sign."
"A sign of what?"
"That the next god has died."
Liam turned sharply. "What?"
Rune nodded, somber. "One of the true pantheon. A real, ancient god. Gone. Consumed. Replaced."
"By Xarnor?"
"No." Rune's gaze dropped. "By something worse."
Later that night, Elenari stood by the Sanctum Gate with her arms folded. The wind tugged gently at her silver-thread cloak, eyes fixed on the world beyond the holy city.
"You feel it too," she said as Liam approached.
"Yeah. Something's coming. Bigger than Vehron. Bigger than a cult."
He leaned against the stone post beside her.
"I used to think revenge would be enough," he said after a while. "That killing those who hurt my family would fill the hollow."
"It won't," Elenari said without looking at him. "But it gives shape to the fire."
Liam looked at her, half-smiling. "You always know what to say."
"I'm an elf. We live long enough to master words—or be devoured by silence."
He laughed softly. "Which are you?"
"I'm still learning." She looked up at him. "But I know I don't want to watch you fall alone."
Their eyes met. For a moment, neither said anything.
Then Rune appeared between them with no regard for timing.
"I found it."
Both turned to him.
"Found what?"
"The message."
They followed Rune back into the Citadel's war chamber. Maps and relics littered the grand stone table. In the center lay a crystal—black, cracked, and humming with residual divinity.
"It came with the comet," Rune explained. "But it isn't from Xarnor. It's from Eos."
Liam froze. "The Light God?"
Rune nodded. "Or what's left of him."
Liam touched the crystal.
It burned.
Images rushed into his mind: a battlefield beyond stars; a golden temple shattered; a divine being chained in red flame, screaming a name—
Liam.
Then the voice echoed:
"If you hear this… he has turned. He who was never meant to rise. The Cradle is broken. The Void stirs. Liam… you must find the Godheart. Only that can stop what comes."
The vision shattered.
Liam staggered back, sweating.
"Void…" he muttered.
Rune's face was pale.
"I thought it was legend."
Elenari's hand touched her blade. "You two want to explain what the hell that was?"
Liam turned to her, eyes hard.
"The Void isn't just a place. It's what existed before gods. Before creation. It's pure unmaking. If something from it is rising…"
Rune nodded grimly. "Then even gods can die. And you, Liam, might be the only one who can rewrite the story before the world ends."
By morning, Liam gathered his inner circle.
Garran, Elenari, Seraphina, Rune, and three of his newly formed angels—each wielding a sliver of his throne's essence.
"We leave tonight," Liam said.
"For where?" Seraphina asked.
Liam pointed to a new map Rune had drawn from the Etherfield's memory.
"The ruined sky-temples of Thar'Khell. That's where the Godheart was hidden. The last divine spark untainted by system, cult, or creation."
"But it's in the Glass Wastes," Garran growled. "We'll be hunted every mile."
"Good," Liam said. "Let them come. I need to know who's still playing pieces in this divine game."
They departed that night.
Outside the sanctity of Vehron, the world felt colder. Angrier. As if it knew Liam was coming.
And not far behind, from the remains of a crater left by the dying comet, a figure emerged—wrapped in black bandages, wearing the face of a dead god.
A mockery of Eos.
Eyes of abyss.
It whispered to no one:
"I see you, False Heir."
And began to walk.
System Notification:
New Quest Unlocked: The Godheart ProtocolDescription: Locate and retrieve the last uncontaminated divine source.Location: Thar'Khell (Glass Wastes)Threat Level: ???Estimated Time Limit: 7 days before Void Contact
Stat Increases (Liam):Strength: +13Speed: +14Endurance: +18Magic: +36Control: +28Charisma: +16
Faith Points: 141,200Followers: 2,430Angels: 11Demons: 4
New Ability Unlocked:Divine Echo – Message MemoryLets you replay and analyze divine-level messages. Can only store three at a time.
As the party descended the ridgelines toward the broken roads of Thar'Khell, Liam gripped his staff tighter.
This was no longer about cults.
No longer about demons.
This was about gods.
Dead ones.Twisted ones.And what comes after them.
End of Chapter 83