The Devourer's Dominion

The wind carried a heavy silence. Aetheron stood motionless, his senses sharpening as Valteris's words settled in.

They're watching.

He had known this was coming. The way the Sovereign's Hunters moved, the way they tested him—it was never random. Now, with the Hunter's Mark lingering in the air like a silent claim, they had made their move.

But Aetheron didn't like being hunted.

Valteris took a step forward, crimson eyes gleaming under the dim light. "You can feel it, can't you?"

Aetheron didn't respond, but he did.

A shift in the atmosphere. A weight pressing in from unseen corners.

They weren't here yet.

But they would be.

Valteris smirked. "You should be honored."

Aetheron's gaze stayed cold. "Yeah? And why's that?"

Valteris chuckled. "Not many get this far. Most don't even realize they're being judged before it's too late." His fingers flexed slightly. "But you… You've forced them to acknowledge you."

Aetheron exhaled slowly. He wasn't sure if that was a good thing.

Then—

A whisper of movement.

Too fast.

Aetheron barely had time to react before something sliced through the air, a silver blur flashing toward him.

Not an attack. A message.

He tilted his head just enough, letting the object whip past his ear before it embedded itself into the ground beside him.

A dagger.

Thin. Elegant.

Marked with an insignia he recognized immediately.

Aetheron's jaw tightened.

They're already here.

Valteris's smirk widened. "Told you."

Aetheron ignored him, eyes locking onto the blade. The way it was thrown—no intent to kill, just to remind him.

They weren't waiting anymore.

They were calling him out.

Aetheron reached down, gripping the dagger's hilt. It was colder than it should have been, pulsing with a faint energy that pricked at his skin. A test. An invitation.

Or maybe just a warning.

He pulled it free from the dirt, twirling it between his fingers before looking up.

The silence stretched.

Then—

They moved.

Shadows flickered. Not from the light, but from something deeper. Space itself bent as figures emerged, stepping forward with an eerie, synchronized grace.

Three of them.

Dark, muted armor. Masks covering their lower faces. Eyes sharp, predatory.

Aetheron's grip tightened around the dagger.

Sovereign's Hunters.

The one in the center took a step forward, their presence heavier than the others. Aetheron couldn't see their full face, but he could feel the weight behind that gaze.

They stopped a few feet away, tilting their head slightly.

Then, a voice. Low. Calm. Dangerous.

"You took something that doesn't belong to you."

Aetheron twirled the dagger once more before flipping it in his grip, holding it loosely. "Did I?"

The Hunter didn't move. But the air around them seemed to press inward, like the space between them was shrinking.

"You know what I mean."

Aetheron didn't blink. He knew.

The remnants of the shattered blade. The ability he had taken back. The shift happening within him.

It wasn't just his power anymore.

It was something more.

Something they didn't want him to have.

Aetheron exhaled through his nose. "So what? You here to take it back?"

The Hunter didn't answer immediately. Then—

"No."

Aetheron raised a brow. That was unexpected.

The Hunter's fingers twitched at their side. Not a threat. A signal.

"The Sovereign has taken interest in you."

The moment the words left their lips, Valteris let out a quiet laugh. "Ah… now this is getting interesting."

Aetheron ignored him, his focus locked on the Hunter.

The Sovereign.

The entity they followed. The force that dictated their existence. The reason they hunted, judged, and decided who was worthy.

And now, that force had turned its attention to him.

Aetheron rolled his shoulders. "That supposed to mean something to me?"

This time, the Hunter did move. A single step forward.

"Yes."

The pressure in the air deepened.

"You have one choice."

Aetheron's expression didn't change.

The Hunter's voice was steady, absolute.

"Come with us."

Aetheron scoffed. "And if I don't?"

For the first time, the Hunter's gaze sharpened.

"Then you won't have a choice anymore."

The words were calm. But Aetheron understood the meaning.

This wasn't an invitation. It was an ultimatum.

Valteris hummed. "Oh, I like this."

Aetheron ignored him again. His fingers flexed around the dagger once before flipping it, letting it rest against his palm.

He looked at the Hunter.

Then at the other two standing behind them.

Then, finally, at the dagger in his hand.

Aetheron exhaled slowly.

A choice.

But not really.

If he went with them, he'd be stepping into something deeper than he was prepared for.

If he refused…

They wouldn't let him leave.

His eyes flickered up.

"Guess I'll have to disappoint you."

The moment the words left his mouth, the Hunter moved.

No hesitation. No warning.

Just pure, lethal intent.

Aetheron barely had time to react before the air snapped, their figure vanishing in a blur of speed.

Fast.

Aetheron twisted, raising the dagger just as a blade aimed for his throat. Metal met metal, the impact sending a shockwave through the ground.

The force behind it was heavier than expected.

Aetheron's feet slid back slightly, but he gritted his teeth, holding firm.

Then—

Another movement.

The second Hunter lunged.

Aetheron barely ducked in time, feeling the blade slice through the air just above his head.

Too precise. Too controlled.

They weren't just attacking.

They were testing him.

Valteris let out a low whistle. "Well… this should be fun."

Aetheron didn't have time to respond.

The third Hunter moved.

Aetheron turned just in time to block, his blade clashing against theirs, sparks flying from the impact.

Three against one.

And they weren't even going all out yet.

Aetheron exhaled.

Fine.

If they wanted to test him—

He'd show them exactly what they were dealing with.

His grip tightened. The energy within him surged.

And then, with a single step forward—

He vanished.

The battle truly began.