The Sovereign Chronicles novel Chapter 8

He was originally the heir of The Stormhold Citadel, born to parents who served as honorary elders of The Azure Sky Sanctum. From a young age, he had enjoyed immense privilege and status. Loved by his family, adored by his people, and blessed with a sweet younger sister, his life was practically perfect.

Back then, his parents often brought him to the Sanctum. Elders would smile, pinch his cheek, and call him a bright child. Some would even clap their chests and proudly declare that he was destined to be their Prime Initiate.

Kaelen had looked upon this place with awe, his heart burning with a thirst for the martial path.

And then...

One night of sudden upheaval shattered it all.

A catastrophic event completely erased his perfect life.

His parents vanished, their fates unknown, and the Sanctum's apocalyptic wrath descended upon The Stormhold Citadel.

As the heir, Kaelen was violently apprehended and dragged to the Sanctum. Stripped of his rank, he was condemned to suffer as a Servitor—a glorified hostage. His relatives in the ruling estate, alongside the entire population of the city—over two hundred thousand souls—were exiled in chains to the deep, grueling mines of The Ironcrag Quarry.

He was only seven years old at the time. Terrified, he stared at the hostile alien world around him, drowning in despair as he endured endless mockery and abuse.

Eight years vanished in the blink of an eye. Kaelen shed his innocence, surviving on sheer grit.

From crushing despair to hardened resilience, his path had been a grueling march through hell.

In those eight years, he saw the true faces of many, and learned the bitter truths of the world.

He had once naively screamed at the heavens, demanding to know why life was so unjust. Now, he understood the most brutal law of reality: the strong prey upon the weak, and only the fittest survive.

His young heart had permanently etched his father's words into his soul: *"The weak are denied a good death, while the strong are denied a peaceful life."*

And so, he kept his chin stubbornly raised, facing every humiliation and sneer with unbreakable defiance. Through relentless struggle, he had forged his own philosophy on life and the martial path.

Kaelen knew no savior was coming for him. He was the only one who could answer for his own fate. He swore to become a Gold-Crest Paragon, to seize his own status within these walls, to earn the power to rival that very elder, and to liberate the suffering masses of The Stormhold Citadel.

"Endure for one more year. Master another Martial Arts codex. A year from now, I will reach the Ninth Phase of the Spirit Warrior Tier."

He set his target. The faster his strength grew, the more the Sanctum would be forced to value him.

It was past midnight when he finally returned to the storehouse. He had circulated *The Genesis Mantra* a few more times before heading back, leaving him in decent condition. But his clothes were in tatters, stained with blood, and soaked from the freezing rain, clinging tightly to his lean, highly defined musculature.

He was starving and planned to throw together some food, but the moment he stepped into the courtyard, he froze. "Who is that?"

Someone was standing inside the storehouse. It wasn't the Old Man; it looked like a tall, slender girl. The dim glow of the firelight flickered across her perfectly proportioned silhouette.

Moria? No, the shape was completely wrong.

Kaelen immediately went on high alert. Had Moria sent someone else to finish the job? Choosing a rainy night like this... she really couldn't wait.

Inside, the girl stood with her back to Kaelen, speaking in a low, urgent tone.

"The Covenant Master's injuries are worsening. I fear he won't last much longer. He ordered me to bring you back at all costs."

"With all the factions eyeing us like vultures, The Netherward Covenant needs someone to hold the line."

"You are the only one who can shoulder the Covenant. You are the only one the tens of thousands of Bloodsworn will follow."

...

She seemed to be speaking to thin air, pleading with someone in the dark.

*Snap!*

Kaelen accidentally stepped on a twig. The faint crack instantly drew the girl's attention.

She cast a cold, indifferent glance toward the courtyard, ready to dismiss him. But Kaelen's current, battered state was too striking, and her gaze locked onto him.

Three throwing knives were already clenched in Kaelen's hands. Erratic arcs of lightning surged across his body, the harsh, flashing light illuminating his cold, chiseled face. His brow furrowed as he watched her, scanning the perimeter as he slowly approached the storehouse. "Miss, you're in the wrong place. You can't just wander into a man's room. Step outside and let's talk."

The girl's expression turned icy, and she prepared to strike. But suddenly, a raspy voice echoed from the depths of the storehouse.

"Do not cause trouble in my home. It is late, and I am going to sleep. Leave."

"Patriarch..." the girl pleaded urgently.

But the storehouse fell entirely silent.

"For the Covenant Master, for The Netherward Covenant... please reconsider." The girl bowed deeply, then slowly backed out of the storehouse.

Kaelen finally got a clear look at her. A heavy black cloak draped over her entire body, revealing only an astoundingly beautiful face illuminated by the flickering firelight. Her skin was like flawless porcelain, her eyes deep as autumn pools, her nose elegantly straight, and her lips perfectly full. It was a beauty capable of toppling nations—so ethereal and flawless it was almost suffocating. Even Kaelen was momentarily stunned; a woman of such absolute peerless grace was incredibly rare.

He marveled at her beauty but was absolutely certain of one thing: this girl was not from The Azure Sky Sanctum.

It felt like swallowing liquid fire.

"Whoa, this stuff has a kick." Kaelen grimaced, coughing slightly. He had never had alcohol before. He frantically shoveled two mouthfuls of food to suppress the burning heat radiating from his core.

The Old Man completely refilled Kaelen's bowl, then threw his head back and drained his own again.

Kaelen had known the Old Man for eight years, and he had never seen him act like this. Did it have something to do with the girl? He looked at the liquor, gritted his teeth, and downed the entire bowl. The fiery heat surged up instantly, warming his entire body to the core.

Actually, after the initial shock, the taste was incredible.

The Old Man poured another round.

"Eat something, have a drumstick." Kaelen pushed the plate closer.

The old man and the teenager ate their simple meal in silence. Aside from Kaelen occasionally offering a word, the Old Man remained completely mute. Just as he always was.

Outside, the girl hadn't gone far. She had intended to leave, but when Kaelen yelled out 'Old Man,' she stopped dead in her tracks in the freezing rain, staring at their silhouettes cast against the storehouse window.

"Who is that boy?" Two cloaked figures materialized behind The Shadowed Maiden. The Male Emissary and The Female Emissary. Both possessed terrifying levels of power. The freezing drizzle didn't even touch their clothes; the raindrops simply evaporated against their invisible auras before making contact.

Beneath their hoods, their faces were etched with absolute shock. That boy was actually sharing a table and drinking with *him*?

They couldn't believe their eyes. That old man had a past built on mountains of corpses and seas of blood. His very name struck terror across the world. Who would dare sit at the same table as him?

"Only a Third Phase Spirit Warrior. Pitifully weak." The Maiden assumed Kaelen was just a pet Servitor. But what mere slave dared call him 'Old Man'? And what slave had the right to drink with him? Did the boy have some hidden identity? But if so, why was his power so pathetic?

The Male Emissary spoke in a low voice. "No one in The Azure Sky Sanctum, not even their Sanctum Master, knows his true identity. This servant likely doesn't either. He just treats him like an ordinary old man."

"He's been missing for ten years. The world assumed he was dead. If the Covenant Master hadn't specifically deployed us, we never would have known he survived." The Female Emissary glanced at The Unmarked Grave in the corner of the courtyard. Remembering the horrifying legends surrounding him, she let out a quiet sigh. Truly, there was nothing more tragic in the world than this.

The Male Emissary said, "The Netherward Covenant needs him. He should shoulder this burden."

The Female Emissary scoffed. "And if he outright refuses, what exactly will you do? Drag him back by force? You know his temper, and you know his power. If you irritate him, he could wipe us from existence with one hand."

The Maiden spoke softly. "We will wait. I believe he still harbors feelings for the Covenant."

"My Lady, we took immense risks infiltrating this far. We cannot stay long. If the Sanctum discovers us, we..."

"He will not make us wait long."