'Third point of view '
The twin moons of Ashkara hung low over the ancient obsidian city of Veylaris. Crimson light shimmered across the spires of black stone, casting long shadows that crawled like snakes through alleyways littered with the echoes of forgotten gods. In the heart of this forsaken empire, the Forbidden King returned.
Sebastian Vortheris. Exiled prince. War criminal. Lover of the damned.
His silhouette towered in the entrance of the shattered throne room, framed by broken pillars and bloodstained banners that once bore his crest — a serpent coiled around a burning sun. The chill of the palace cut through his open robe, but he welcomed it, letting it sharpen his senses.
A low hum pulsed beneath the floors. The palace was waking.
"So it begins again," Sebastian murmured, running a gloved hand along the scorched armrest of the obsidian throne. A spark of red energy crackled at his touch — ancient psionics responding to the bloodline magic that marked him as its rightful heir.
He had been gone too long.
Behind him, boots scraped stone.
"My king," came a voice like honey dipped in venom. Lilith. High Priestess of the Moon Cult. First of his chosen.
She stepped into the throne room, her white hair cascading like silk around her bare shoulders, tattoos glowing faintly under the moonlight. The high slit of her ceremonial robe did nothing to hide the blade strapped to her thigh or the heat in her eyes.
"You summoned me," she purred. "After all these years, I wondered if you'd ever claim what's yours."
Sebastian turned, his crimson eyes locking with hers. "I've come to rebuild. But not just the kingdom. The harem."
Lilith smiled, slow and dangerous. "Then let the others be called."
A gust of wind stirred the ashes around them. From the broken archways, three more figures emerged — the chosen women of prophecy.
Zira, the crimson rogue with fire in her blood, dressed in tight leather and arrogance. Her curved daggers glinted like her golden eyes.
Elyra, the gentle healer with the cursed voice. Even now, she walked barefoot, the hem of her azure robes glowing with enchantment, her steps leaving flowers in their wake.
And Kaine — not a woman by birth, but reborn through Sebastian's forbidden alchemy. A sin to the gods, a living masterpiece, her androgynous beauty blurred lines with every sway of her hips and flick of her silver hair.
Lilith raised a brow. "You brought them all back. Even her."
"She chose this," Sebastian replied. "They all did."
One by one, the women knelt before him, heads bowed.
"I have returned to claim this empire, and I will not do it alone." His voice echoed with power, laced with psionic command. "You are my harem — not slaves, not concubines — but warriors, lovers, and queens. Each of you bound to me by fate… and by fire."
Zira stood first, grinning. "Let's burn down the world together, then."
He smiled. "Not just yet."
The throne pulsed again. Beneath the city, the heart of Ashkara — a weapon buried by his ancestors — stirred in its chains.
Lilith glanced toward the shadowed altar behind the throne. "The seal is weakening. If you plan to unlock it, you'll need more than lust and loyalty."
Sebastian's expression turned cold. "Then we awaken the Gate."
Elyra gasped. "But that would summon—"
"I know what it summons," he said. "And I will control it."
Outside, the city rumbled.
The cultists stirred in the temple districts. Mercenaries and warlords watched the sky. And deep beneath the city, something ancient and hungry opened one glowing eye.
Sebastian walked toward the throne and sat, draping his robe over one shoulder, exposing the intricate tattoos glowing down his chest — marks of psionics, lust magic, and bloodline sovereignty. The throne responded, pulsing with dark light.
"It begins now," he whispered.
Suddenly, a scream ripped through the palace.
A young servant girl burst into the room, blood trailing from her mouth, her eyes wide with terror. "My king… it's here. The Archon… he's breached the veil—"
Her body convulsed mid-sentence, lifted by an invisible force. Her skin burned away into ash. Silence fell.
Sebastian stood slowly, eyes narrowing.
"He wasn't supposed to wake yet," Lilith said, stepping back, her hand on her blade.
From the corridor behind the girl, a shadow leaked into the room like smoke made flesh. Red lightning cracked across the ceiling.
Sebastian extended his hand, and the air around him distorted.
"Form the circle," he commanded. "This is not a battle. This is a test."
Zira and Kaine moved immediately. Elyra hesitated, but Lilith's glare brought her into place. Together, they formed a square around Sebastian as the air thickened.
The Archon entered — not a man, not a beast, but a being wrapped in torn celestial cloth and the faces of a thousand souls. Its voice was a chorus of grief and rage.
"YOU… WHO BROKE THE OATH… HAVE RETURNED."
Sebastian didn't flinch. "And I'm not leaving until I take back what's mine."
The Archon's many faces twisted.
"THEN BLEED, FORBIDDEN KING."
A bolt of soulfire shot toward him — but Kaine intercepted it with a spin of her blade, absorbing the blast with a scream.
Blood sprayed.
"Kaine!" Elyra cried.
"She's still breathing," Lilith growled. "Focus."
Sebastian's eyes narrowed.
He didn't come this far to fail. The seal, the harem, the throne — everything was falling into place. But now this? The Archon had crossed the veil early, which meant something was wrong.
Something had betrayed them.
He summoned a spear of psionic fire, his hand glowing with ancient runes.
"I don't know who you are," he said to the shadow, "but you've made one mistake."
"AND WHAT MISTAKE IS THAT?"
"You showed your hand too early."
Sebastian threw the spear.
The Archon screamed.
And behind the throne, the altar exploded.
From the rubble, a figure rose — not the Archon, but a woman cloaked in violet flame. Her eyes were as black as the void, and her smile was pure malice.
"Hello, Sebastian," she purred. "Miss me?"
Sebastian froze.
"…Seraphine?"
Lilith's voice trembled. "But… she died ten years ago."
Seraphine stepped forward, her presence warping reality itself.
"Did you really think your little kingdom would rise without me?" she whispered. "I was the first. And I'll be the last."