Melverick, ever-dutiful, escorted Jae-Hyun through The Void to reacquaint him with its structure and denizens. Each of the fourteen floor Guardians awaited their king with reverence and newfound vitality, and each of their domains brimmed with immersive detail:
Eldra, Keeper of the Illusory Woods (Level 80,000) — Ruler of the first floor, a dense forest of shifting illusions that deceives and entraps its prey.
Krondus, Beast of the Infernal Depths (Level 85,000) — Guardian of floor two, a realm of molten lava and ceaseless infernos.
Lucraen, Weaver of Endless Night (Level 86,500) — The overseer of floor three, perpetually cloaked in impenetrable darkness.
Galvra, The Storm Titan (Level 90,000) — A titan who commands an unending tempest over the fourth floor.
Zerinth, Chrono Warden (Level 92,000) — The master of temporal chaos reigning over the fifth floor.
Silvara, Frost Queen of the Void (Level 88,000) — Presides over floor six, an icy wasteland with piercing winds.
Vorrak, The Undying Flame (Level 93,000) — Controls floor seven, a volcano-filled expanse with perpetually blazing fire.
Myrah, Siren of the Abyssal Sea (Level 84,500) — Her domain on floor eight is a boundless sea with whispering shadows.
Ferdros, The Living Fortress (Level 91,000) — Commands floor nine, a sentient castle with impenetrable walls.
Jardrix, Harbinger of Despair (Level 95,000) — The tenth floor is a desolate battlefield imbued with sorrow.
Luthen, Arbiter of Balance (Level 87,000) — Keeper of the unpredictable laws of nature on the eleventh floor.
Torvia, Mistress of Shadows (Level 89,000) — Ruler of the twelfth floor's realm of deceptive shadows.
Ignis, Phoenix King (Level 94,000) — Presides over floor thirteen's volcanic islands in the skies.
Kaelthar, Guardian of Eternity (Level 97,000) — Commands floor fourteen, an endless labyrinth filled with enigmas.
The reverence and individuality of each Guardian awed Jae-Hyun as he slowly realized the extent to which The Void had taken on a life of its own.