Caine knew he didn't have much time. It was likely the Pope had left knowing the distraction was just that—a ploy. Caine had to act quickly before the man returned.
It wasn't that he was directly afraid of the Pope. No, Caine knew he could fight him. But he also knew that if he engaged in battle, he'd have to go all out. And in doing so, he wouldn't have the time or focus to search for his other half's egg. A full-scale fight would demand his complete attention, leaving no room for anything else.
'Let's see.'
Caine quickly scanned the hall, his sharp eyes noting its emptiness. Yet, his focus wasn't on the lack of objects or furnishings—it was the unsettling absence of qi.
The hall was utterly void of it. Even more concerning, Caine could feel his own blood qi flowing slower than usual, as though the space was suppressing it.
Without hesitation, he crouched down and ran his hand along the white marble floors. His eyes glowed faintly, reflecting his rings.
Activating them in conjunction with his blood qi, he pressed against the floor.
WHOOOSH!
A silver mist spread across the marble, revealing a deeply etched formation hidden beneath its pristine surface.
Suddenly, a sense of unease prickled at the back of Caine's mind. His heart began to race, a cold sweat forming as he looked up at the Pope's throne.
But it was too late.
The throne erupted, shattering into pieces as the formation beneath him activated in full force. The room, once void of qi, was suddenly filled with an overwhelming surge of energy.
Caine staggered, temporarily blinded by the sheer magnitude of qi flooding the space. The ground trembled violently, and then—
'Son of a bitch. He got me.'
—he was forcefully teleported.
WHOOOSH!
***
When Caine's vision cleared, he found himself… back in the same room.
He scanned his surroundings, his sharp gaze falling on the place where the throne once stood. Now, in its stead, hovered three eggs, each surrounded by layers of intricate formations far beyond anything Caine could hope to craft.
The formations were unlike anything he had ever seen, their complexity and craftsmanship transcending all his knowledge. For the first time in his life, Caine felt a tinge of awe.
The first egg was golden, adorned with flowing black runes. These runes merged seamlessly into one another, forming a tapestry of ancient, primal wisdom. Halos of silver and white light rotated peacefully around it, radiating an aura of serene knowledge.
The second egg was pitch black, covered in jagged red runes that exuded a primal, savage energy. Yet, despite their rawness, they were intricately woven together, creating a tapestry that seemed to recount the beginning and end of all things. Around this egg, rings of white and silver fire burned, so intense that Caine felt sweat drip down his back just from looking at it—even from a distance.
The third and final egg was ethereal, a convergence of all colors yet none at the same time—a shifting, indescribable phenomenon. Unlike the others, this egg bore no runes. Instead, within its translucent depths, an entire world seemed to exist.
Storms raged, volcanoes erupted, and tsunamis clashed in an endless, chaotic symphony. Surrounding it were rings of grey and golden clouds, rotating with a tranquil rhythm.
The sight was overwhelming. These eggs radiated an aura that transcended mortality.
They didn't just embody power—they felt like the embryonic forms of true gods.
It was maddening.
'Why… why are there three eggs…?'
The thought barely formed in his mind when the eggs trembled. In an instant, they shattered the formations around them and appeared directly in front of him.
Caine sucked in a sharp breath, shelving his confusion for later as he lowered himself into a cross-legged position.
These eggs—his other halves—were not merely objects. They were innate bonds, deeply intertwined with his existence. They were Caine, and yet, they were also independent entities.
Separated from them at birth, Caine now had to follow specific steps to reunite with them.
The first step was to open his Bond Space.
The Bond Space was a unique ability of the Velios lineage, granted at birth. It was a private dimension contained entirely within one's mind, accessible only to the Velios and their bonds.
Normally, a few days after birth, a Velios's eggs would be placed within this space, where they would incubate and eventually hatch. Without access to this dimension, the eggs would remain dormant forever, unable to awaken.
Opening the Bond Space was the simplest part of the process. In fact, Caine could have done it long before arriving in this fractured reality.
The real challenge was the Bond Forging process.
In the Velios lineage, royals were always born with their eggs. Both the child and the eggs shared the same womb, the same mother, and their talents were inherently mirrored.
Traditionally, for ten days after birth, the child and their eggs would be left alone in a specialized room. During this time, the eggs would attune themselves to the child's body, granting them unparalleled physical strength and latent abilities even before hatching.
Caine, however, had been denied this process.
Because of this separation, he now faced an excruciating alternative: he would have to pour every drop of blood from his body onto the eggs, allowing them to draw him back from the brink of death. Only at that point, where he danced on the edge of life and death, could the bond take root within the very kernel of his existence.
It was an incredibly dangerous procedure. No Velios was ever meant to be separated from their bonds in the first place.
But Caine had prepared for this moment.
His Celestial Taiyi Bones—his greatest creation—would ensure his survival.
'Let's begin.'
Caine exhaled deeply, his gaze unwavering. Unlike other meditative processes, this time he didn't close his eyes. Instead, he opened them wide, focusing his mind.
Opening the Bond Space was, in theory, simple. He only needed to imagine it, shape it in his mind, and bring it to life with a single command.
His voice was steady, filled with authority:
"I, Caine Lerouge Velios, first and only heir of this generation's royal line, demand my sovereignty."
"[Open…]"