Darkness.
Endless, suffocating darkness.
Auron blinked, trying to move, but his body felt weightless, as though he were floating in a void. There was no ground beneath him, no sky above, no horizon to orient himself. Just an infinite expanse of blackness that pressed against his senses, threatening to swallow him whole.
"Where… am I?" he whispered, his voice echoing faintly, as if the void itself were mocking him.
Memories flashed through his mind—sharp, disjointed fragments of his final moments. The throne room. The betrayal. Elara's cold eyes. The dagger piercing his side. The laughter of his so-called allies as he fell.
He clenched his fists, his chest tightening with rage. "Traitors," he growled, his voice trembling with fury. "I gave them everything. My loyalty. My trust. And this is how they repay me?"
But the void offered no answers, no solace. It was a place beyond time, beyond life, beyond death. A place where even his anger seemed to dissipate into nothingness.
And then, a voice.
Cold, mechanical, and inhuman, it cut through the silence like a blade.
"Host detected. Initializing the Monarch System…"
Auron froze, his eyes darting around the darkness. "Who's there?" he demanded, his voice sharp. "Show yourself!"
The voice ignored him, continuing as though it were following a predetermined script.
"The Monarch System grants you the power to conquer, rule, and evolve. Will you accept this power?"
Auron's brow furrowed. "What is this? A curse? A trick of the gods?"
The voice remained silent, waiting for his response.
A thousand thoughts raced through his mind. Was this some kind of afterlife? A punishment for his failures? Or perhaps a second chance, a way to reclaim what had been stolen from him?
He thought of his kingdom, now in the hands of traitors. He thought of the people who had suffered under his rule, and those who had betrayed him. He thought of the dreams he had left unfulfilled, the legacy he had hoped to build.
And then, he thought of vengeance.
"I will rise again," he growled, his voice low and resolute. "I will make them pay. I accept."
The void shifted, the darkness giving way to a cascade of glowing screens. Each one displayed information—strange symbols, numbers, and words that Auron could somehow understand.
"Host Status: Weak. Power Level: Minimal. Objective: Rebuild your kingdom."
Auron laughed bitterly, the sound echoing in the emptiness. "Rebuild my kingdom? I'll do more than that. I'll build an empire so vast; my enemies will tremble at its shadow."
The screens flickered, responding to his words.
"Primary Objective Updated: Establish Dominance. Reward: Unlock Advanced Abilities. Penalty: Failure will result in system termination."
Auron's eyes narrowed. "Termination? You mean death?"
"Affirmative."
He smirked, a fire igniting in his chest. "Then I won't fail."
The screens shifted again, displaying a list of abilities and stats.
"Available Skills:
- King's Resolve (Passive): Increases resistance to mental attacks.
- Monarch's Dominion (Active): Temporarily enhances physical abilities.
- Shadow Step (Active): Allows short-range teleportation within shadows."
Auron's eyes widened as he read through the descriptions. These were powers beyond anything he had ever imagined. With abilities like these, he could crush his enemies, reclaim his throne, and reshape the world as he saw fit.
But as he reached out to select a skill, a warning appeared on the screen.
"Warning: Excessive use of Monarch System abilities may result in host corruption. Proceed with caution."
Auron hesitated, his hand hovering over the screen. Corruption? What did that mean? Would he lose himself in the process of gaining power?
He shook his head, pushing the thought aside. He didn't have the luxury of caution. His enemies were out there, growing stronger by the day. If he hesitated now, he would never get another chance.
"I'll take the risk," he said, his voice firm. "Activate Monarch's Dominion."
The screen flashed, and a surge of energy coursed through his body. He felt stronger, faster, more alive than he had in years. His senses sharpened, and the void around him seemed to pulse with potential.
But as the energy faded, a strange sensation lingered—a faint, almost imperceptible whisper in the back of his mind. It was subtle, but it was there, a reminder that the power came at a cost.
Auron ignored it, focusing instead on the task at hand.
"New Quest: Escape the Abyss. Reward: Beginner's Weapon. Penalty: Loss of 50% Health."
The void began to shift again, the darkness giving way to a swirling vortex of light and shadow. Auron felt himself being pulled toward it, his body weightless once more.
"Wait," he said, his voice echoing in the emptiness. "What happens now?"
The voice responded, its tone as cold and mechanical as ever.
You will be reborn. The world has changed, but your purpose remains. Rise, Monarch, and claim what is yours."
And with that, the vortex swallowed him whole.