The palace court of the Dark Order was a coliseum of luxury and menace.
High obsidian walls dripped with soul-forged banners, and nobles whispered behind silver masks. Every throne, every stair, every inch of the floor felt like it had seen blood—and still remembered the taste.
Renji stood at the center. Shackled in shadowsteel cuffs.
Mira stood close, baring her tiny fangs at every noble who dared glance her way.
Zach sauntered in behind them like it was a tea party, carrying a small chest wrapped in frostvine silk.
Lilith sat on the high throne, legs crossed, eyes dead cold.
"The exiled child returns," she said, voice calm and laced with disdain. "What a day."
Zach raised the chest. "We brought a gift. A peace offering. Found it in the Bonecrag Hills."
Lilith arched a brow. "A gift?"
Zach smiled. "A cursed crown once worn by the last venom-scale dragon. Thought it might suit your charming collection."
Lilith didn't even blink.
She snapped her fingers.
And Zach's arm exploded.
Blood hit the floor like spilled wine.
Mira screamed. Renji's eyes went wide.
Zach?
Zach barely flinched.
He stared at the stump, sighed like someone who just spilled their coffee, and began calmly picking up his own torn fingers like scattered legos. With eerie calm, he reassembled the arm—bone locking into bone, muscle snapping into place like reverse origami.
Lilith leaned on her throne, bored. "Still using parlor tricks, I see."
Zach smirked, flexing his reattached hand. "Only when the host is a psychopath."
Renji growled. "What the hell is your problem?!"
Lilith rose.
"My problem?" she purred, descending the stairs like a queen made of shadow. "You, dear nephew. You are my problem. A stain left by a foolish sister. A walking halfbreed curse."
She raised her hand.
From the shadows stepped a tall, armored figure—blond hair, crimson eyes, and a wicked grin carved across his face.
"This is my son, Drake," Lilith said. "A prince. A true heir."
She turned to Renji.
"Fight him. Or I'll let the court rip you apart for fun."
Renji stood in the center of the dueling ring, fists clenched.
Drake cracked his knuckles, smirking. "Don't worry, cousin. I'll go easy on your corpse."
The fight began with a blur. Drake was fast—too fast. Renji barely blocked the first blow before getting smashed into the obsidian floor.
Pain flashed red.
He rolled, dodged, tried to counter—but Drake's strength was monstrous. Every strike felt like it carried the weight of a kingdom's hate. The court cheered like vultures circling fresh meat.
Then—In the middle of the chaos.
He heard it.
A voice. Silky. Sweet. Ancient.
"Renji..."
It wasn't Lilith. It wasn't Mira. Not even Zach.
"Come back to me. To the Exile. I've waited so long…"
Renji's body trembled. His eyes flickered with violet light. Something within him clawed to awaken. Something… beautiful and horrifying.
But it was too late.
Drake's fist crashed into his chest, sending him flying.
Renji hit the wall hard, blood in his mouth, vision spinning.
Lilith stood above him, unimpressed.
"Disgraceful."
She turned away.
"Get him out of my sight."
They dumped Renji outside the palace like garbage.
Bloodied. Bruised. Ego shattered.
He lay on the black stone path, barely able to breathe. The nobles laughed behind the gates. The court moved on.
Mira rushed to his side, her little hands glowing faintly as she tried to stop the bleeding.
Zach stood behind them, quiet for once.
"I'm sorry," Zach finally said, voice low. "I knew she hated you. But I didn't know she'd humiliate you like this."
Renji didn't answer. He just stared at the ground—jaw clenched, soul burning.
Zach looked toward the south, past the jagged mountains where the Exile lands whispered.
"She's right about one thing," he muttered. "You're not whole."
He knelt beside Renji and said, "But I know where to find the missing piece."
Renji turned his head slightly, blood on his lips, "Where?"
Zach's eyes glowed faintly silver.
"The Exile. Deep in the center. Where it all began."
The wind howled across the outer courtyard as Renji tried to stand, body trembling, blood dripping from his nose.
Zach exhaled—long and slow—and for the first time, his smirk vanished.
He raised a single hand.
The air cracked.
A massive circular glyph burst to life beneath them, spinning with silver light and infernal script. The obsidian beneath their feet splintered from the sheer pressure.
A teleportation ring.
Renji blinked, still reeling. "You—you could've done that this whole time?!"
Mira's ears shot up. "Wait, WHAT?!"
She leapt up, fur bristling, claws ready. "You smug silver-haired twig! You made us walk through a plague swamp! I almost got eaten by shadow slugs!"
Zach didn't even flinch. "Ah, memories."
Renji grabbed him by the collar. "Why didn't you use this before?!"
Zach met his eyes, cold fury barely contained. "Because I needed you to see what we're up against. I needed you angry."
The portal pulsed.
Zach stepped in first, then paused, turning slightly.
"You still want to be merciful?" he asked. "Or do you finally feel like ripping the throat out of that b*tch aunt of yours?"
Renji wiped the blood from his mouth and grinned, wild and broken.
"I'm not stopping at her throat."
They stepped into the light.
And vanished.