The underground cavern was deathly silent.
The dark mages remained frozen on their knees, bodies trembling under the invisible, crushing pressure of Absolute Judgement. Their violet eyes were wide with terror. The portal had completely collapsed, leaving only faint wisps of dark energy fading into the stone.
Draven stood motionless in the centre, Soulreaver still gripped tightly in his hand. Thorne, Elowen, and Sylara flanked him, breathing hard, weapons ready but no longer needed. Sero, the little silver dragon, had taken shelter on Draven's shoulder, his tiny body pressed close, violet eyes watching everything with quiet alertness.
Then the ancient voice spoke again — calm, measured, and filled with absolute finality. It echoed through the cavern as if the very stone itself was listening.
"Suitable punishment has been determined."
The words hung in the air like a death sentence.
"These beings have sought to claim power that does not belong to them. They have interfered with the natural order of the lineage. They have attempted to harm the designated bearer. For these transgressions, the punishment is… erasure."
The pressure in the cavern intensified tenfold.
One by one, the dark mages began to scream.
Their bodies convulsed as invisible forces tore at them from the inside. Black energy — the same dark magic they had wielded moments ago — turned against them. It seeped out of their pores like smoke, burning away their flesh and essence. Their screams rose in pitch, echoing horribly off the stone walls, before being cut short as their bodies disintegrated into fine black ash.
There was no blood. No gore. Just a clean, terrifying erasure.
The first mage to fall was the one who had commanded the attack. His body crumbled into dust mid-scream, his robes collapsing empty onto the stone floor. The others followed rapidly — some trying desperately to crawl away, others simply collapsing where they knelt. Within seconds, the entire group of dark mages had been reduced to nothing but scattered piles of black ash scattered across the cavern floor.
The pressure lifted as suddenly as it had come.
The cavern fell into complete, ringing silence.
Draven slowly lowered Soulreaver. His heart was pounding, but not from fear — from the sheer overwhelming power he had just witnessed. This was Absolute Judgement. This was the Rule of Code in action. A force so absolute that even the System itself could only call it by a safer name.
Thorne exhaled shakily, lowering his axe. "By the gods… I've never seen anything like that."
Elowen's voice was barely a whisper, filled with both awe and fear. "That was not magic. That was… law. The law of reality itself enforcing its will."
Sylara stared at the piles of ash, bow still half-drawn. "They didn't even have time to beg."
Sero chirped softly from Draven's shoulder, pressing closer as if seeking comfort.
Draven looked down at the sealed iron box lying on the stone floor where the lead mage had dropped it. It looked ordinary now — just a heavy, unmarked iron container. But he could feel the power humming inside it, ancient and waiting.
He walked forward and picked it up. It was heavier than it looked, but it didn't resist him. The moment his hands touched it, the box pulsed once — warm, almost welcoming.
The System's voice spoke quietly in his mind:
[The Sealed Box has been secured. Its contents are stable. Further analysis recommended upon return.]
Draven turned to his team. "We're done here. Let's go home."
They didn't linger.
The group made their way back through the underground tunnels, the iron box carried carefully between them. The detection spell Draven had placed at the entrance had never been triggered — no one else had entered while they were fighting below.
They emerged back into the auction house through the iron grate. The main hall was still in chaos from the earlier smoke bombs and panic, but the guards were starting to restore order. No one noticed the small group slipping out through a side exit.
They moved quickly through the streets of Merol under the cover of night, heading straight for Brase's residence to collect their things and say a brief farewell.
Brase was shocked when they returned so soon, but Draven gave him a simplified version of events — that the box had been recovered and the threat dealt with. Brase didn't ask too many questions. He simply thanked them again and wished them safe travels.
By midnight, they were back on the road — riding hard toward the direction of Berakh Kingdom.
The journey back felt different.
The box was secured in Draven's saddlebag, wrapped carefully. The group rode mostly in silence for the first few hours, each processing what they had witnessed in the cavern. Absolute Judgement had not only saved them — it had delivered a punishment so complete and terrifying that it left a deep impression on all of them.
Draven rode at the front, Sero perched on his shoulder. His mind kept returning to Seraphina and their unborn child waiting back at the palace. The mirror in his pocket felt warm, a silent reminder that he could reach out to her anytime.
Thorne eventually broke the silence as they made camp for a few hours before dawn.
"I've fought a lot of things in my life," he said gruffly, staring into the small fire. "But I've never seen anything erase people like that. No blood. No body. Just… gone."
Elowen nodded slowly, her voice soft. "It wasn't destruction. It was judgement. Like the universe itself decided they no longer had the right to exist."
Sylara sharpened an arrow, her movements precise. "Whatever that power is… it's on our side. For now. But I don't think we should rely on it too much. Powers like that… they have a price."
Draven stared into the flames. "I know. The System called it Rule of Code. We call it Absolute Judgement because we're not worthy to speak its true name. But it saved us tonight. And it will save us again when we need it most."
They rested only a few hours before continuing the long ride back to Berakh.
The journey took several days, but the group moved with purpose. They avoided major roads when possible, stayed alert, and spoke little of the box. Draven checked on it every night — it remained sealed, but he could feel the ancient power inside it pulsing gently, almost patiently.
As they finally crossed back into familiar territory and the walls of Berakh Kingdom appeared on the horizon, Draven felt a deep sense of relief.
He was coming home.
To Seraphina.
To their child.
And to whatever new challenges the second treasure would bring.
The chapter ends here — on the group riding back toward the palace, the sealed box secured, the memory of Absolute Judgement's terrifying punishment still fresh, and the promise of reunion waiting just ahead.
To be continued…