The Devourer's Dominion

Aetheron stood in the silence, the wind carrying the last traces of the battle's aftermath. His body still ached from the wounds, but he barely felt them. His mind was sharper now. The fight wasn't just about power—it had been a test. And the leader of the Sovereign's Hunters had gotten exactly what he wanted.

Aetheron clicked his tongue. Tch. Annoying bastard.

The remains of the broken blade still hummed with faint energy at his feet. Aetheron crouched, picking up a fragment between his fingers. It was warm—no, not just warm. It pulsed, like it was still alive.

He narrowed his eyes.

This weapon had been able to steal power, cut through the very essence of abilities. And yet, in the end, it had shattered.

He crushed the fragment in his hand.

It crumbled into dust.

But the feeling it left behind… Aetheron could still sense it.

Something was changing inside him.

Before he could process it further, movement flickered at the edge of his vision.

He turned, his senses sharpening.

A figure approached from the ruins beyond the battlefield.

Not the Hunter.

This presence was different—familiar, but not friendly.

Aetheron straightened, his expression neutral as the newcomer stepped into view.

Long silver hair, crimson eyes that carried an unsettling amusement, and a smirk that never quite reached his gaze.

Valteris.

"Now that," Valteris said, eyeing the shattered battlefield, "was quite the performance."

Aetheron didn't reply immediately. His gaze stayed locked on Valteris, watching every movement, every shift in expression.

Valteris wasn't just an observer.

If he was here, it meant something else was in motion.

Aetheron exhaled. "You always show up when things get interesting."

Valteris chuckled. "And yet, you never seem happy to see me."

Aetheron tilted his head slightly. "Can't imagine why."

Valteris stepped forward, his boots crunching against the shattered ground. He gestured toward the broken weapon. "That blade… it was designed to sever." His voice was calm, but there was a knowing edge to it. "And yet, you reversed it. Took back what was stolen."

Aetheron didn't respond.

Valteris continued, his smirk widening. "Most people would have been crippled by that technique. But you? You adapted. That's what makes you different."

Aetheron narrowed his eyes. "You're saying that like it means something."

Valteris gave a slow nod. "It does." He lifted a hand, and for the first time, Aetheron noticed something new.

A mark.

It glowed faintly on Valteris's wrist—a twisted insignia, pulsing with a familiar energy.

Aetheron's eyes darkened.

"…The Hunter's Mark."

Valteris smiled. "So, you do recognize it."

Aetheron clenched his fists. The energy in the air shifted, his body instinctively reacting.

The Hunter's Mark wasn't just a symbol.

It was a claim.

Aetheron had seen it before—used by the Sovereign's Hunters to mark those they deemed "worthy." It meant one thing.

They were watching him.

Tracking him.

Valteris let out a soft laugh, flexing his fingers as the mark pulsed. "It seems our interests are starting to align, Aetheron."

Aetheron didn't move. "What did you do?"

Valteris tilted his head, eyes gleaming. "Not me. Them."

Aetheron felt it.

A shift in the air—small at first, but growing. A ripple spreading outward, invisible but undeniable.

They were coming.

His body tensed. He had fought one of the Hunters already. If more were on their way—

"Relax," Valteris said, reading his thoughts. "They won't attack. Not yet."

Aetheron shot him a sharp look. "Why?"

Valteris's smirk returned. "Because they're waiting."

Aetheron's jaw tightened.

Waiting for what?

Valteris took a step closer. "They see you as an anomaly, Aetheron. An unpredictable factor. But more than that… they see potential."

Aetheron stayed silent.

Valteris's eyes gleamed. "You might not realize it yet, but you've already started stepping into their world."

Aetheron exhaled slowly.

The Sovereign's Hunters weren't just warriors.

They were something else.

A faction that existed in the shadows, operating beyond the reach of kingdoms, empires, or any form of authority. Their only loyalty was to power itself.

And now, they had turned their gaze to him.

Aetheron clicked his tongue. "Tch. Annoying bastards."

Valteris laughed. "You say that, but I wonder…" His voice lowered slightly, almost a whisper. "What will you do, Aetheron? Now that they've set their sights on you?"

Aetheron's expression didn't change. But inside, his thoughts were already moving.

This wasn't over.

Not even close.

And something told him…

This was only the beginning.