Maya's POV
Everything stopped.
The sword hung in the air between Kaden and Maya. Forty thousand survivors held their breath. The Sovereigns waited with infinite patience for him to complete the ritual.
Kaden looked at the blade in his hand.
Then he looked at Maya.
And he threw the sword away.
It clattered across the concrete and disappeared into the ruins. The sound echoed across the entire battlefield.
"No," Kaden said. His voice was small but it carried weight. "No. I reject your ascension. I reject your game. And I reject serving gods who think life is entertainment."
The Sovereigns' forms flickered.
For a moment, nothing happened.
Then they laughed.
It was the sound of breaking glass mixed with static. It was cruel and absolute and terrible.
"THEN YOU FORFEIT," they said. "YOUR KINGDOM WILL BE DISSOLVED. YOUR PEOPLE SCATTERED. AND YOU WILL WATCH MAYA CHEN DIE SLOWLY AS PUNISHMENT FOR YOUR DEFIANCE."
The portal above them began to expand.
