The shimmering object hovered silently before the throne, its facets twisting and folding in on themselves with impossible geometry. In a flash of crimson light, it collapsed and reformed into a perfect cube the size of a human head. A single glowing red lens pulsed at its center like a watchful eye. The air around it hummed with ancient, restrained power.
Its resonant, genderless voice filled the vast throne room, echoing from every surface at once. "Greetings, Tyler. Or should I say… Sovereign?"
Tyler rose from the hovering throne, power crackling faintly around his clenched fists. "What is this place?" he demanded. "Why have you trapped me here? The battle… the Golden Palace… I remember winning. I remember the surge of victory. Then everything went blank."
