It had been months since Zaki had integrated into the Order Orion. He did not enter alone, though, his friends had accompanied him.

By doing so, they had immediately reached A rank inside the Underground Game of Freedom, granting them the privilege to live in the quarters reserved for members of the Order Orion. And that meant living with enough freedom to go wherever they pleased within the Underground.

But the rules hadn't changed. You still had to play the games.

And now that he was among the Orions… the games had doubled in lethality and cruelty.

It was no longer a game between wretched players seeking freedom, nor those who craved the thrill of blood staining their hands…no, not anymore.

These were games fought to obtain resources, to amass power, to expand influence. Games where Orders fought to place others beneath them. Games that directly concerned the interests of the Masters themselves.

And whenever interests were involved… the world always turned bloodier.

Now, Zaki was irreversibly involved in that world. But he couldn't care less about how bloody the path would become. He couldn't care less if his hands were drenched in the blood of those within the games.

He would simply do his job.

And that meant honoring Maryam's sacrifice…making sure it meant something.

And it would.

"Are you listening, Sky?"

A deep voice cut through Zaki's churning thoughts, forcing him to shake his head to disperse the fog in his mind and refocus on his interlocutor.

It was Scarred himself, with his obsidian skin, bald head, and a beard that looked as if it had been ignited by crimson flames. He wore the same black hunter's attire that perfectly framed his bulky physique.

The same attire Zaki now wore.

With his celestial red eyes and hair, Zaki was striking, handsome in a way that drew too much attention. His angelic features had made him a sensation among the women of the Order Orion.

Pretty boy, they called him.

He nodded toward Scarred, eyes calm. "I'm listening," he said curtly.

They were inside an office room, its walls covered in beast skins and mounted heads displayed like trophies. The floor was carpeted with overlapping layers of fur, soft enough to feel luxurious beneath one's feets.

They sat face to face across a black marble table, smooth as a newborn's skin.

Behind Scarred's massive chair hung a grand painting of a magnificent black bow, with words etched beneath it:

Obedience through fear of the arrow.

The motto of the Order Orion.

Scarred studied him intently. "You're an A rank now. The games you'll play from this point on will be very different from what you've faced so far." His fingers tapped the marble table in a steady rhythm. "But remember, you're still only at the Awakened rank. No matter how strong or special you are, the moment you enter that kind of game… you're dead."

He paused, letting his words settle in. Then, without breaking eye contact, he continued.

"You've received a Legendary rank, haven't you?" he asked, though he already knew the answer.

"I did," Zaki replied flatly.

"Are you ready to start your quest?"

"I am."

"Then take it out and begin. Once you complete it, we'll train you…in our way."

He paused again, his eyes reflecting the faint shimmer of the torchlight at the far end of the table. "Our motto is: Obedience through fear of the arrow."

Immediately, as if the words themselves carried power, the atmosphere inside the room sharpened, cutting through the air like a whistling arrow.

Zaki's body trembled unconsciously. For a fleeting instant, he felt as though an unseen hunter was watching him, ready to loose an arrow through his skull at the slightest movement.

Fear slithered toward his heart like a living thing.

But he bit down hard on his lip, his crimson eyes glowing faintly with divine light as he whispered in his mind:

'I do not fear. I do not fear what I cannot see.'

Immediately, his trembling lessened, and his body became still as stone. His face grew cold, like sculpted ice. But he wasn't done yet.

'I am ice.'

He said it with enough belief and conviction that, for a brief moment, the temperature around them dropped sharply. Frost kissed the air as Zaki's expression hardened, his face turning into a celestial painting carved from ice itself.

Scarred watched him with a grin, his teeth so white they looked almost synthetic. "Sky, you are formidable. I don't know your Origin, and I won't ask, but it must be quite something for you to bear the weight of our motto as an Awakened."

Zaki didn't answer. He was ice.

At that moment, he could've been a statue, and none would have known the difference.

Scarred chuckled, amused, increasingly certain he had made the right choice by taking Sky under his wing.

"Our Order trains with the bow. It is our weapon," he said. "Still, I'm not asking you to abandon your daggers." He noticed the frost in Zaki's eyes deepen, so he continued, "But you'll have to learn the way of the Arrow. Because to us, obedience…"

"Obedience through fear of the arrow," Zaki finished his sentence calmly.

Scarred smiled. "You learn fast, Sky. Now take your quest."

Zaki nodded silently, then pulled out the Legendary Stone. He stared at it for a moment, recalling how he had obtained it. His knuckles tightened around the smooth surface until his fragile skin split, blood smearing across the stone.

A brilliant golden glow flooded the room, and lines of text appeared before him, written in shining letters of gold, adorned with ethereal white feathers drifting across the panel.

DING!

{Conditions have been met for an Evolution Quest.}

{Zaki Caelion, The Child of Heavens.}

{You are the Bearer of Myth, and being a Myth shall be your Fate for as long as you walk your path.}

{You have been unworthy of the weight of your talent until now, and you have lost again and again.}

{Take back your Honor. Take back what the world owes you.}

Then The Will paused. Zaki's heart began to beat faster.

{You have received your Quest, O Child of Heavens.}

{Kill a Master-ranked member of Order Draco.}

{Time limit: One week.}

{Be worthy of your birthright…or die without further shaming the Heavens.}

Zaki stared at the glowing panels for a long, silent moment before parting his lips. The voice that left him chilled the entire room.

"Organize a death duel with a Master-ranked member of Order Draco, please," he said and smiled faintly.

"If you want me to be of use to you, of course."

The favored one…

The Underground had yet to witness the horror of a Myth Bearer.

But they would.

Soon enough.

…

"Do I have no other choice, Rome?" Sora asked as she sat on the edge of her luxurious bed, her face buried in her hands. Her golden hair fell like a waterfall, hiding her face the way a cascade conceals the entrance to a hidden cave.

She didn't want to fight for the throne, but the world seemed intent on forcing her onto that path.

Every possible scenario besides that one felt impossible. Her father had made sure of it.

Rome, standing just in front of her, lowered his head in respect and devotion. "My Lady, the choice is in your hands," he said, voice low and respectful. "You have the mind, the wisdom to choose what's best for you."

"But what if I don't know?" Her voice came out softer than usual. Weak, even.

"I don't want the throne. I've said it so often even the deaf could hear me. But I cannot abandon my dream. And my father will never allow me to pursue it unless I accept his bidding , unless I accept to take over after him and fight my own brother for the right to rule."

She clenched her jaw tight, resisting the urge to curse the world.

Why couldn't it just leave her alone?

She only wanted to sing. To do what she loved. Why was that so difficult?

She couldn't understand.

But there was nothing to understand, it was simply the weight of her birthright. Sora had been born as the Sun… and she had no choice but to be the Sun of the Empire.

She had no choice but to accept her fate.

And by accepting her fate, it meant she would have to go against Kaden.

That thought alone filled her with dread.

Not only because he was too strong, far stronger than her parents could ever imagine, but also because…

'A friend…' Sora whispered inside her mind. She was too ashamed to say it aloud, but she couldn't help it. She couldn't stop herself from seeing him as one.

The one who had guided her path.

The only one who knew her dream and didn't scorn her for it. Instead, he gave her clarity, direction, motivation.

He was the one. He was her friend, even if he was a blackmailing bastard.

And now…

To realize the very dream he helped her believe in, she would have to hand him over to her father, knowing full well it would not end well.

Sora sighed heavily.

She bit her lip until it turned white, then red, as blood began to trickle down from her rosy lips.

Rome noticed and panicked. "My Lady! Please, don't hurt yourself!" he pleaded, though he didn't move from his place, aware of the limits of his station.

Sora didn't respond. She just lowered her head for several minutes, her thoughts loud and restless, and then…

"Did the Fireborn accept my brother's request?" she asked at last.

"From what I heard," Rome replied, "they haven't accepted yet. But trusting whispers is dangerous, my Lady. It's best to listen to them with only one ear."

Sora nodded, then slowly lifted her head, her golden eyes gleaming like the sun above the Celestial Empire.

"Rome, call them for me," she said, before pausing and shaking her head. "No. I'll go to them myself. Arrange it."

Rome was taken aback for a moment before asking carefully, "My Lady, forgive my ignorance, but… does that mean you'll participate in the game for the throne?"

Sora smiled…a small, painful smile.

"Do I have a choice, Rome? It's either that… or I forsake my dream."

"And I would no longer be Sora Asterion without it."

But even without Kaden… she was still Sora Asterion.

So her decision had been made.

"I'll follow your orders, my Lady," Rome said at last, bowing before leaving to carry them out.

Sora remained alone inside her ornate room, though at that moment, it no longer felt like a room.

It felt like a gilded cage. A beautiful prison designed to trap her and cripple her voice.

She needed to break it. And if doing so meant losing a friend…

She gave a strained smile.

"I'm sorry…"

—End of Chapter 287—

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