The second knock came harder.

The entire underground sanctum shook violently.

Cracks spread across the floor beneath the fractured gate while dust rained from the ruined ceiling above them. Several guards lost their footing instantly. One priest screamed when black light burst briefly through the widening fractures beneath the prison doors.

Mason stared downward."...There is apparently a basement beneath the apocalypse."

No one answered.

Athlian’s fear churned violently inside him with recognition, the kind that carried memory attached to it.

’It should still be sleeping.’

"That sentence is somehow worse than everything else tonight."

The black light pulsed again.

Even the Tribunal messenger had stopped moving now.

The silver scripture around its feet flickered unevenly while the veiled figure watched the gate with complete stillness.

Interesting.

The terrifying cosmic authority figure looked nervous.

That felt spiritually concerning.

Assura’s expression darkened immediately. "The lower prison was never supposed to react."

Mason blinked rapidly. "LOWER prison?"

Nobody answered.

The prisoner behind the gate finally lost its faint amusement completely.

Its golden eyes narrowed toward the spreading black fractures beneath the floor.

"That seal is breaking faster than expected."

Seraphine stepped backward instinctively.

"There are multiple seals down here?"

"Yes," Zereth answered quietly.

Everyone looked toward him.

The silver-eyed immortal remained focused on the spreading darkness beneath the gate.

Shadows moved uneasily around his feet now.

Mason rubbed his forehead tiredly. "I desperately need this kingdom to stop hiding ancient horrors beneath important buildings."

Draca stayed beside him without moving away...protective as always.

Even now his attention kept shifting

between Mason, the gate, and the Tribunal messenger like he was trying to calculate

which threat would kill them first.

Honestly fair strategy.

Another tremor rolled through the sanctum.

This time the black light surged farther outward.

The ancient carvings along the walls flickered violently between silver and dark crimson.

Athlian recoiled hard enough to make Mason’s chest tighten painfully.

’Do not let them open it.’

"Again with the emotionally impossible requests."

’Mason.’

The fear in her voice caught him off guard.

Not goddess fear or immortal fear.

It was a personal and real fear.

And suddenly he realized something uncomfortable.

Athlian wasn’t afraid for herself...she was afraid for him.

That thought hit strangely harder than it should have.

Before he could process it properly, the Tribunal messenger stepped toward the gate again.

Silver scripture spread wider across the floor instantly.

"The lower boundary cannot awaken fully."

The prisoner laughed softly. "And yet Heaven weakened the seals first."

Silence followed.

The messenger did not answer immediately.

Seraphina’s expression sharpened slightly. "What does that mean?"

The prisoner’s gaze shifted lazily toward her.

"The Tribunal feared the fracture more than the prison beneath it."

Mason pointed weakly toward the messenger. "Okay. I officially dislike Heaven’s strategic planning."

The Tribunal figure finally spoke again.

"The fracture threatened reality itself."

"And now you threaten the locks keeping worse things contained."

Silence followed.

Nobody in the chamber looked reassured.

Saleem honestly looked one sentence away from fainting.

The poor man had survived exactly none of this emotionally.

Another knock thundered from beneath the sanctum.

Louder this time.

The stone floor buckled slightly beneath the gate.

Several guards stumbled backward in panic.

One soldier whispered, "Something is underneath us."

Mason immediately raised one finger.

"Technically several horrifying things are underneath us."

Seraphine looked ready to stab someone for emotional relief.

Zereth suddenly moved toward the glowing wall carvings again, his shadows spread outward carefully while silver eyes scanned the shifting symbols.

Then his expression changed slightly with real concern.

Assura noticed immediately. "What did you find?"

"The scripture changed again."

Mason sighed deeply. "Wonderful. The haunted walls are updating."

Ignoring him completely, Zereth touched one of the ancient carvings.

The symbols shifted instantly.

New text appeared beneath the older

layers.

Unlike before, this writing glowed black instead of silver.

Athlian froze. ’No.’

Mason stared harder at the symbols despite understanding absolutely nothing. 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

Unfortunately the writing itself seemed wrong.

The longer he looked at it, the more his head hurt.

Like the symbols resisted being understood.

Zereth’s voice lowered carefully. "This prison was not originally meant to contain the chained beings."

Silence crushed the chamber.

Even the Tribunal messenger turned sharply toward the wall.

Seraphine frowned. "Then what was it built for?"

Nobody answered immediately.

"The thing beneath them," Zereth said.

Absolutely wonderful.

Mason looked toward the floor beneath the gate.

"...I miss normal problems."

Draca glanced toward him briefly. "You never had normal problems."

Athlian’s emotions twisted painfully again with fear, memories and guilt.

"You know what’s down there," Mason realized internally.

A long silence followed before she responded.

’Not completely.’

"Your honesty continues to be emotionally selective."

The prisoner beyond the gate suddenly lifted one chained hand slowly.

Silver chains tightened around its wrist immediately.

The gate groaned harder.

"You should run."

Nobody moved.

Mostly because there was nowhere emotionally safe left to run to.

Assura’s crimson symbols flared violently again.

"The sanctum cannot be abandoned."

"Then all of you die here," the prisoner replied calmly.

Excellent motivational speech.

The Tribunal messenger stepped closer toward the widening fractures beneath the gate...Its silver veil shifted slightly in the black light.

And for the first time meeting them Mason noticed cracks spreading across the glowing scripture around the messenger itself.

Tiny, hairline fractures.

But definitely there.

The prisoner noticed too. "Heaven weakens."

The messenger’s voice turned colder.

"Careful."

The prisoner smiled faintly. "You are frightened."

That sentence changed the atmosphere instantly.

Because the messenger did not deny it.

Athlian reacted sharply inside Mason.

’That should not be possible.’

"Well apparently literally everything impossible keeps happening lately."

Another tremor exploded through the sanctum.

This one nearly threw Mason off balance completely but Draca’s strong grip caught his waist immediately before he fell.

Mason’s brain stalled briefly.

"No Athlian I don’t want to hear it, just keep mute about this" He muttered inwardly but the sassy Goddess already had what to say

’You stopped panicking, mmhm I love what I’m seeing Mason.’ She hummed.

"I’m still panicking."

’Not entirely.’

Draca looked down at him carefully. "Can you stand?"

"Emotionally? No. Physically? Debatable."

Despite everything happening around them, Draca exhaled softly through his nose again.

Another almost-laugh.

Mason was beginning to suspect the man secretly enjoyed his suffering.

Unacceptable honestly.

Before the moment could continue further, the black light beneath the gate suddenly erupted upward.

The fractured floor split apart.

A massive crack tore directly across the sanctum.

Guards shouted.

Several priests stumbled backward in terror. And from somewhere deep below...

Chains rattled.

Not the silver chains connected to the gate but different chains...they were lower and heavier.

Athlian’s fear slammed through Mason hard enough to make breathing difficult.

’It hears us.’

"Who hears us?"

No answer.

Wonderful...Mason was already losing.

The Tribunal messenger finally raised both hands toward the gate.

Silver scripture burst across the chamber walls instantly.

The ancient carvings glowed brighter.

For one brief moment, the black light beneath the floor stopped spreading.

The gate itself shuddered violently.

The prisoner looked upward sharply. "No."

The messenger’s voice remained cold.

"The lower seal will remain sleeping."

"You no longer possess enough authority."

That sentence hit hard.

Even Assura’s gaze sharpened slightly.

Interesting again.

The messenger slowly lowered one hand.

"...Explain."

The prisoner smiled faintly. "Heaven fractured long before the skies did."

Heavy silence followed.

Athlian went completely still inside Mason.

The emotions pouring through her became harder to separate from his own lately.

Fear mixed with grief.

Anger mixed with exhaustion.

And underneath everything lies deep regret.

Mason swallowed carefully. "You were involved in whatever happened."

A pause.

’Yes.’

Simple dangerous answer.

Before Mason could ask more, Seraphine suddenly turned toward the messenger.

"If the Tribunal knew these prisons existed, why hide them from the kingdom?"

The messenger answered calmly. "Mortals were never meant to know."

"Well that strategy is failing catastrophically," Mason muttered.

Nobody disagreed.

The sanctum shook again.

Another crack spread beneath the gate.

Black light flooded through it harder this time.

And suddenly something moved underneath the fractured floor.

Not fully visible, just huge movement.

Like an enormous shadow shifting beneath deep water.

Several guards recoiled immediately.

Saleem actually whimpered.

Draca’s grip on Mason tightened slightly.

Protective again.

’He chooses us first every time.’ Athlain observed.

Mason ignored that aggressively.

Healthy emotional repression remained

important during cosmic disasters.

Zereth suddenly stepped away from the glowing wall.

His expression had become colder now.

More resolved. "The lower prison is reacting to the soul bridge."

Silence crashed through the chamber instantly.

Mason felt every survival instinct inside him begin screaming.

Seraphine looked sharply toward him.

The Tribunal messenger turned fully.

Assura’s expression hardened.

Draca slowly looked down at the goddess with deep concern.

That somehow made things worse emotionally.

Mason immediately raised both hands. "In my defense, I still barely understand what that sentence means."

The prisoner behind the gate laughed softly. "But it understands you."

Athlian panicked again.’Stop speaking to

it.’

"I would LOVE that option."

The black light beneath the floor pulsed

harder.

Then suddenly Mason heard a voice.

Not physically but inside his head.

"...little fracture..."

His entire body went cold.

Athlian reacted instantly.

Pure terror exploded through the soul bridge hard enough to make Mason gasp.

Draca steadied him immediately. "What happened?"

Mason couldn’t answer right away.

Because the voice came again.

Closer this time. "...you returned..."

The floor beneath the gate cracked wider.

Something enormous shifted below.

And every silver chain connected to the sanctum began rattling at once.