Chapter 17
The Throneless Realm trembled… but not from Zereth Kaine's presence this time.
Far above the misty horizons of the forgotten void, a spiral colossal and pitch black slowly turned across the sky like a wound tearing open space itself.
The sages called it The Spiral of Slumber, a forbidden path connected only to the dream-realms of entities who had long been sealed away or erased from all divine memory.
And today… it stirred.
> "Something beneath it… is dreaming again," murmured the sage, his eyes reflecting terror and reverence alike.
Zereth Kaine stood on a floating monolith, hands behind his back, eyes closed. The wind did not dare disturb his presence.
Below him, even gods whispered amongst themselves.
> "That's… not possible. Isn't that spiral bound by seven layers of divine sleep?"
"Who could awaken it now? Not even the gods of war would attempt such a blasphemy."
A sudden ripple cracked the sky.
A gigantic chained coffin emerged from the spiral, rotating slowly. Its outer frame bore ancient runes each rune flickering, as if struggling to contain what lay within. Dozens of eyes blinked from its surface. Not physical eyes memories of lives devoured by the being entombed within.
Then, it groaned.
> "I feel it," Zereth whispered, cracking one eye open. "The sleeper is still dreaming. But someone… is tampering with its cage."
Back at the Spiral Citadel, a secret conclave of forgotten gods those who once ruled neighboring galaxies gathered in desperation.
> "This is our chance," spoke one draped in veils of starfire. "The being who chained us in fear has not returned in full."
"Zereth Kaine must be tested. That Spiral was a lock he placed long ago, not even using half his strength. If it awakens…"
"Then we all perish. But if we act now… if the Sleeper becomes ours…"
A decision was made.
They summoned a vessel.
A hybrid of god and devourer. Born from the echo of ancient spiral bloodlines. It stepped from the void, its body elongated and stitched together by realms that no longer exist. Its name: Mithros, the Spiral Herald.