Titanion Realm, Stoneheart City.

In the morning, a soft, ethereal glow suffused the castle. The air was so saturated with elemental energy that it formed a fine mist, which now caught the dawn sunlight in a breathtaking display of shimmering color.

Orion pulled his gaze from the window, looking down at the devastatingly beautiful face nestled in his arms.

A soft smile touched his lips. He didn't call out the fact that the Moon Elf Isilra was already awake. The subtle flutter of her eyelashes gave her away. His gaze drifted downwards, taking in the soft curves revealed by the sheets, a landscape made breathtaking by the gentle morning light.

"Isilra," he murmured, his voice a low rumble. "Aren't you cold?"

Ah!

Her eyes snapped open, wide and curious, a little confused. Orion didn't speak, just dipped his chin slightly. Isilra followed his gaze and saw herself.

Ahh!

With a sharp squeal, she yanked the covers up and scrambled away from his embrace. Orion knew better than to tease her now. This was all new to her, a world of intimacy she was still learning to navigate.

He closed his eyes, a lazy smile on his face as he replayed the events of the previous night.

It had been an experience unlike any other. Moonlight had blessed the whole of Stoneheart, but it had seemed to pool in the castle, in Isilra's bedchambers. When they had come together, he'd felt as if he were bathing in moonlight, as if he himself had become an elf.

The moon, the candlelight, a night of stolen passion.

***

The Sixth Layer of the Abyss, Foundry Citadel.

While Orion was claiming his bride-to-be in his own realm, a monumental shift was occurring in the abyss.

On this day, the Deathly Soul-Reaper sat in silent meditation atop a high tower, gazing down upon the ongoing construction of the Foundry Citadel. The original ruins had vanished, replaced by a nascent fortress-city rising from the blighted earth. It was far from prosperous, but its four colossal walls stood like a line drawn in the sand, granting the citadel a tangible sense of security.

Through the combined efforts of the Scourge Wardens, the Wraith Knight armies, and a portion of the first army, the walls were finally complete. Their existence gave the Conquest Legion the foundation it needed to repel its enemies.

Of course, this was only the beginning. Next, under Eparus's direction, the Scourge Wardens would begin the arduous process of carving defensive runes and enchanting the massive fortifications. This was to be the Conquest Legion's base of operations. The start of everything.

"My lord, Commander Bidalun has been gone for a month with no word," a voice said beside him.

It was Ashreign, commander of the Wraith Knight armies. He had earned his place atop the tower by being the first among Orion's commanders to ascend to the rank of archlord. Orion had expected Eparus, Holrivus, Thronlis, or Xalathar to be the first, but Ashreign had unexpectedly surged ahead, claiming the right to reside in the citadel's spire.

The tower was a four-sided pyramid, built first according to Orion's specifications, a command post from which one could survey the entire Foundry Citadel. At first, only Orion and the archlord Standard-bearer, Vex, had been worthy of residing there. Now, Ashreign had joined them.

"They're fine. Just a little far afield," Orion said, opening his eyes and glancing into the oppressive darkness of the horizon. In truth, he couldn't see anything, nor did he know Bidalun's exact location. He only knew they were alive through the contract and soul bound to his war banner.

The Conquest Legion had been relentlessly busy since establishing their foothold in the sixth layer. Outwardly, their mission was twofold. First, construct the Foundry Citadel to defend against local threats and the coming of the Unhallowed. Second, scour the surrounding area. Bidalun himself was leading this effort, pillaging every resource and capturing every living being he could find, pressing them all into service as drones for the citadel's construction.

At first, Bidalun had been conservative, sticking to the immediate vicinity. But once Orion confirmed the death of the resident calamity lord, he had given a new order: sweep through and claim all of the former lord's territories. The Conquest Legion would swallow Zareth's entire domain before any of the other neighboring powers had a chance to react.

In reality, the other abyssal lords of the Calamity territory had no intention of exploring. The gray world was about to descend, bringing with it an invasion of the Unhallowed. Every faction was consolidating its power, preparing for the onslaught.

Only the Conquest Legion, blissfully unaware of the true scale of the coming doom, was racing against time for a different reason.

"Ashreign, about your Wraith Knights…"

Orion was about to ask a question when the world itself seemed to hold its breath and then shatter. The very fabric of the sky changed. The black mist, the gray fog, the clouds of blood—all were violently torn away. The heavens ripped open to reveal a single, colossal, and utterly monstrous Demon face.

As the terrifying visage appeared, a voice of absolute authority boomed across the realm, echoing in the minds of every living creature.

"I am the new Abyssal Ruler of the Sixth Layer. Henceforth, this world is under my dominion… this is my territory, and you will obey my will… Together, we shall repel the outer foe and extinguish the Unhallowed… So I have decreed! Let it be known!"

The celestial omen remained for a full fifteen minutes before fading away.

As Ashreign and Vex stood in stunned silence, Orion let out a long, slow breath he hadn't realized he was holding. It was a sigh of both resignation and profound relief.

Though the Deathly Soul-Reaper had sat calmly atop the tower, Orion had been plagued by constant anxiety. He knew that ever since the previous Abyssal Ruler, Alveron, had transformed, the sixth layer had been without a master—a power vacuum that could have spelled disaster at any moment.

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