As the forbidden words left Kael's lips, the atmosphere of the entire capital planet changed.
The sky, once a brilliant blue, turned a sickly shade of purple before plunging into absolute darkness.
BOOM!
The entire royal court started shaking.
Deep, jagged cracks spread out from Kael's feet, glowing with an unholy crimson light.
Deep beneath the foundations of the capital, in a secret chamber that had been forgotten by time, an ancient being opened its eyes.
For one million years, this creature had been trapped here.
It was a Great Demon that had once brought the Aetherion Empire to its knees.
Back then, it had taken the lives of three top-tier Immortal Kings and the combined strength of every sect in the star system to seal it away.
But seals are made of laws, and laws can be weakened by time.
Over the centuries, the seal had grown thin.
It had been waiting for a catalyst, a soul so full of greed, hate, and despair that it could act as a bridge.
