The entire sanctum froze.

Even the gate stopped moving for a single terrible second.

Mason slowly looked upward toward the shattered ceiling while silver light continued spilling through the underground chamber like bleeding moonlight.

"...Absolutely not," he whispered.

The unfamiliar voice echoed again.

"By decree of Heaven... the fracture will now be judged."

Athlian’s fear surged so violently through Mason that his knees nearly buckled.

Draca immediately steadied him again.

At this point the man was becoming emotionally responsible for his structural integrity.

"You’re pale," Draca said quietly.

"Fantastic observation. We may be getting cosmically arrested."

Above them, the fractured ceiling trembled as slow footsteps started approaching.

Each step echoed unnaturally through the sanctum despite the chaos around them.

Seraphine raised her spear immediately.

"Defensive formation!"

The remaining guards obeyed instantly, though several looked one emotional inconvenience away from retirement.

Assura’s expression had gone completely still now...it was dangerously blank but observant.

The prisoner behind the gate watched the ceiling carefully. "They arrived faster this time."

Mason pointed weakly toward the gate. "You saying ’this time’ feels deeply concerning."

Another section of the ceiling cracked open above the sanctum.

Silver light poured downward.

And then someone descended through it.

A figure stepped slowly through the fractured air itself, untouched by gravity.

White robes drifted around them without wind. Their faces remained hidden behind a smooth silver veil, while faint glowing symbols moved endlessly across the fabric like living scripture.

The entire chamber fell silent.

Even the prisoner beyond the gate stopped smiling.

Athlian went completely rigid inside Mason. ’Tribunal.’

"Oh good," Mason thought weakly. "The terrifying cosmic government finally arrived personally."

The figure landed lightly on the broken stone floor.

Then the veiled stranger slowly turned toward the gate.

Toward the prisoner then finally toward the goddess.

Mason immediately disliked everything about this situation spiritually.

The Tribunal figure spoke again. "The seal continues degrading."

Assura stepped forward before anyone else could answer.

"You were not invited here."

The veiled figure tilted its head slightly.

"Heaven requires no invitation."

Everybody in this world really enjoyed threatening each other with maximum dramatic energy.

Seraphine lowered her spear slightly but did not relax.

"You are interfering within royal territory."

"Royal authority does not supersede divine judgment."

Well...that sounded politically explosive.

Mason quietly leaned toward Draca.

"I miss when my biggest problem was pretending to understand noble etiquette."

"You never understood noble etiquette."

"Thank you for noticing my suffering."

Draca’s mouth twitched faintly again.

Athlian whispered. ’You keep making him smile.’

"I survive through emotional support comedy."

’Alright Mason.’

The Tribunal figure suddenly looked directly toward Mason.

The silver veil concealed its expression completely, but he still felt something cold crawl down his spine.

"The resonance around you has intensified."

Oops.

Mason forced a weak smile. "I have that effect on emotionally unstable situations."

Zereth moved subtly closer now...not protectively but observantly.

His silver eyes remained fixed on the Tribunal messenger with careful attention.

Interesting tension immediately spread through the sanctum.

The prisoner behind the gate suddenly laughed quietly.

"The heavens still hide behind masks."

The Tribunal figure ignored it completely.

"The chained one remains contained."

"For now," the prisoner replied.

Tiny silence followed.

Then the messenger finally stepped toward the gate.

Silver scripture spread beneath its feet instantly.

The broken sanctum trembled harder.

Athlian panicked immediately. ’No.’

Mason stiffened. "You recognize them."

"Yet again she kept mute at the most trivial moment" Mason hissed inwardly.

The Tribunal figure raised one hand slowly toward the fractured doorway.

The silver markings across its veil began glowing brighter.

And suddenly...the entire gate screamed.

Not metaphorically but Actual screamed.

Ancient metal groaned like something alive while the broken prison doors violently shuddered against the spreading scripture.

Several guards recoiled in horror.

Saleem nearly dropped to his knees.

Mason personally felt that reaction was emotionally valid.

The prisoner’s expression finally shifted slightly...in annoyance.

"You still use those chains."

"They remain effective."

"Barely."

The messenger’s voice never changed emotionally.

"The old failures will not repeat."

Athlian recoiled sharply inside Mason again.

She felt guilty about something.

The emotions tangled together so tightly Mason almost couldn’t separate them anymore.

"You know exactly what they’re talking about," he realized internally.

A long pause followed.

’Parts of it.’ she responded.

"Your commitment to vague answers continues emotionally exhausting me."

Draca’s hand briefly brushed against his wrist again.

Tiny movement but grounding.

The panic inside Mason eased almost instantly.

Athlian noticed...of course she always does, it doesn’t escape her.

’You calm down whenever he touches us.’

"I calm down because someone here behaves like a functional person."

’Lying Human’

Before Mason could mentally defend himself, the Tribunal messenger suddenly turned toward Zereth.

"Shadow bearer."

Zereth’s expression remained unreadable.

"Messenger."

"You were instructed to remain outside the capital."

Very interesting.

Mason’s eyes narrowed slightly. "Oh we’re doing suspicious history with him too now."

Zereth crossed his arms slowly. "The capital nearly collapsed."

"And yet the seal still weakens."

Something sharp and cold flickered through Zereth’s gaze at that.

The messenger continued. "Heaven requested observation. Not interference."

"That request became unrealistic."

Honestly fair.

The sanctum suddenly trembled again.

This time from beneath them.

Silver cracks spread across the floor around the gate while ancient symbols flickered wildly along the walls.

The prisoner smiled faintly. "The fracture awakens further."

The messenger finally looked toward Mason again.

And for the first time, Mason felt genuine danger.

Not from the chained creatures or from the collapsing sanctum.

But from this thing.

The Tribunal messenger stepped closer slowly.

Silver scripture followed every movement.

Athlian sounded terrified now. ’Do not let it touch us.’

"You keep saying that in situations where preventing it feels emotionally impossible."

Draca immediately stepped between them.

The commander’s voice remained calm.

"The goddess requires rest."

The messenger stopped.

Its veiled face tilted slightly toward Draca.

Interesting silence followed.

"You place yourself between Heaven and judgment?"

Draca didn’t move. "Yes."

Mason stared at the back of his head blankly.

Emotionally illegal behavior honestly.

Athlian went quiet too.

The messenger studied Draca silently for several seconds.

"How human."

Mason immediately pointed toward the messenger. "Okay, an emotionally unnecessary statement."

Seraphine looked like she wanted everyone in existence to stop talking.

Relatable honestly.

Assura suddenly stepped forward again...his usual crimson symbols spread harder across the sanctum floor.

"The seal must close before dawn."

The messenger finally looked toward him.

Recognition flickered beneath the silver veil...an ancient recognition.

"You remain here still."

Assura’s expression didn’t change.

"Unfortunately."

Interesting...

Nobody in this room had normal relationships with each other.

The prisoner behind the gate laughed again.

"None of you escaped the old war."

Silence followed.

Mason rubbed his forehead tiredly. "I desperately need someone to start explaining things before my brain resigns."

Unexpectedly, the messenger answered.

"You are not prepared for those truths."

"Fantastic. Love being emotionally underqualified."

The messenger ignored the sarcasm.

Then suddenly...

The silver veil shifted slightly.

Only for a second but Mason caught it.

An eye.

Just one.

Completely silver with no pupil.

And the moment he saw it...pain exploded through his head.

A memory slammed into him violently.

White skies tearing apart.

Golden towers collapsing into endless clouds.

Athlian screaming.

Chains wrapping around something enormous beneath Heaven itself.

And standing above everything...a circle split down the center.

The same symbol from the sanctum walls.

Mason gasped sharply but Draca caught him before he stumbled.

Honestly they should start charging emotional rent at this point.

"Mason."

Oops.

Silence hit the chamber instantly.

Seraphine froze.

Saleem looked horrified.

Zereth’s gaze sharpened dangerously.

Athlian went completely still inside him.

Wonderful...absolutely wonderful.

Mason’s brain scrambled desperately.

"In my defense," he said weakly, "everyone keeps aggressively using names around me."

Nobody looked convinced.

Especially not Zereth.

The silver-eyed immortal watched him carefully now.

The messenger’s attention shifted fully toward Mason.

"The resonance deepens."

Assura’s voice turned sharp immediately.

"Enough."

Crimson light exploded across the sanctum.

The pressure in the chamber spiked violently.

Even the Tribunal messenger paused slightly.

The prisoner behind the gate smiled wider.

"You fear the awakening after all."

Assura’s gaze hardened. "I fear stupidity."

"Then you should fear Heaven."

The messenger finally spoke again. "The Tribunal already does."

Heavy silence followed that sentence.

Athlian’s emotions twisted painfully beneath Mason’s thoughts.

Fear again and anger.

Old anger.

"You hate them," Mason realized.

This time she answered immediately.

’Yes.’

Before Mason could process that further, another tremor shook the sanctum.

But this one felt different.

The gate behind the prisoner suddenly pulsed with black light instead of silver.

Everyone noticed instantly.

The prisoner’s smile faded for the first time.

The messenger turned sharply toward the gate.

"The lower boundary weakens."

Assura swore under his breath.

The first time Mason had ever seen that happen...which felt spiritually alarming.

The black light spread slowly through the fractures beneath the gate, not upward but

downward.

As if something beneath the prison itself had moved.

Athlian’s fear surged harder than before.

’No.’

Mason’s stomach tightened. "What is it this time, Athlain?."

No answer.

Then suddenly, the prisoner looked directly at Mason again.

And for the first time since appearing...

It looked genuinely serious.

"The thing beneath the chains has awakened."

The entire sanctum went silent.

Then somewhere far below the underground prison, something enormous knocked once against the darkness beneath them.