Chapter 9: The Eclipse of the Crown
The Holy Capital of Arcanos, Lumina, was bathed in a false radiance. Thousands of citizens lined the streets, waving flags of gold and white. Today was the coronation of Prince Victor and his union with the Saintess Servina—the day the "Light" would finally solidify its grip on the world.
High atop the balcony of the Grand Cathedral, Victor stood in his ceremonial white armor, looking down at the masses with a smirk of absolute victory. Beside him, Servina was a vision of divine beauty, her veil shimmering with enchantments of purity.
"The era of the Sun begins today," Victor whispered to her.
"And the shadow of the past is finally erased," Servina replied, her voice cold and perfect.
But as the High Priest raised the Golden Crown to place it on Victor's head, the sky suddenly... died.
It wasn't a cloud or a storm. It was as if a giant hand had reached out and snuffed the sun. A thick, oppressive purple twilight swallowed the city in seconds. The crowd's cheers turned into gasps of terror.
BOOM!
The massive heavy oak doors of the Cathedral square didn't just open—they were blasted off their hinges by a wave of obsidian fire.
Through the smoke and the shadows, a figure emerged.
Cyan Valerian walked calmly into the square. He wasn't the broken man they remembered. He wore robes of midnight silk, and his aura was so heavy it made the very stones of the plaza crack. Behind him walked three women, each a nightmare of fallen beauty: Elara, the Shadow Saintess; Isabella, the Corrupted Noble; and Clara, the Holy Maiden.
The sight of Clara—their beloved Maiden—walking behind the "Traitor" with violet eyes caused a wave of horror to ripple through the knights.
"Cyan..." Victor growled, his face contorting with rage. "You dare show your face here? Guards! Kill this abomination!"
Hundreds of elite Paladins lunged forward, their blades glowing with holy mana.
Cyan didn't even raise a hand.
"Kneel," he whispered.
[Skill Activated: Sovereign's Command - Tier 3.]
A shockwave of pure, unfiltered authority exploded from Cyan. The ground for a hundred meters shattered. The elite Paladins, men who had fought dragons, were slammed into the cobblestones as if an invisible mountain had fallen on them. Their armor buckled, and their swords snapped.
Cyan continued walking, stepping over the pinned bodies of the knights until he stood at the foot of the coronation altar.
"The crown looks heavy, Victor," Cyan said, his voice echoing with a haunting power that silenced the entire city. "Perhaps it's because it was forged from the blood of your own brother."
"You... you're a monster!" Servina screamed, her "Purity" flaring up in a desperate attempt to push back his darkness. "You've sold yourself to the Abyss!"
"The Abyss didn't buy me, Servina. It recognized me," Cyan replied, his violet eye locking onto hers.
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]
Massive Presence Detected: 100,000 Witnesses.
Sin Points Gained from Terror: +80,000.
Current Level: 20.
Target Locked: Prince Victor & Saintess Servina.
Cyan pointed a finger at the High Priest, who was trembling while holding the crown. With a flick of his wrist, the Golden Crown flew from the priest's hands and landed in Cyan's palm.
"A crown for a king of lies," Cyan said, and then, to the horror of everyone watching, he crushed the sacred relic into dust with his bare hand. "The age of the Sun is over. From this day forth, Arcanos belongs to the Shadow."
Victor, driven by a mixture of fear and ego, drew his holy sword and leaped from the balcony. "I will kill you again!"
Cyan's smirk grew wider. He didn't use a weapon. As Victor swung the blade, Cyan caught it between two fingers. The holy steel hissed and began to rot, the corruption spreading toward Victor's hands.
"You haven't learned, have you, brother?" Cyan whispered, leaning in so only Victor could hear. "I didn't come here just to kill you. I came to take everything you love. Watch."
Cyan turned his gaze toward Servina.
[Skill Activated: Eyes of Lust & Ruin - Sovereign Level.]
"Clara," Cyan commanded.
The fallen Maiden stepped forward, looking up at her former mentor, Servina. "The 'Light' you taught me was a lie, mistress. Let me show you the truth our King has given us."
The square erupted into chaos as the Corrupted Legion of Oakhaven began to teleport into the city through the shadows. The "Eclipse" had truly begun.