Chapter 153: Dominion of the Lower Realm

Eden’s eyes narrowed.

’Mendax again?’

Nyx continued.

"To understand why we descended, however, you must first understand what happened after Zephyro was banished."

She raised one hand.

The white expanse around them shifted.

For an instant, Eden glimpsed the silhouette of a colossal tree, its branches stretching across a star-filled void. Waves of darkness surrounded its trunk, swallowing the light that touched their surface.

Then the image faded.

"When Zephyro was removed from his throne, the strongest among the twelve Rulers assumed control of Caelestia. His authority was so overwhelming that none of the others could challenge him openly."

Nyx’s voice became colder.

"He is known as the Ruler of Fate."

Eden remained silent.

"The Ruler of Fate had been the one who united the twelve against Zephyro. He convinced us that the Supreme God had become a threat to both realms, that his rule would eventually bring ruin to everything we had sworn to protect."

She lowered her hand.

"Many believed him. Others simply followed because they feared what would happen if they refused. And some, blinded by ambition or convinced of their own righteousness, willingly participated."

Her expression grew distant.

"After Zephyro was banished, the Ruler of Fate took his place. The twelve Rulers bent their knees before him, and Caelestia entered an age of prosperity."

Eden tilted his head.

"An age of prosperity."

"Yes."

"And was it?"

Nyx paused.

Then she gave a faint, humorless smile.

"That depends on whom you ask."

She looked away.

"For a long time, the Ruler of Fate maintained order. Caelestia flourished under his rule, and the twelve Rulers governed their respective domains. There were few conflicts, and the realm remained stable."

She took a slow breath.

"But peace did not satisfy him forever."

Eden could already guess where this was going.

"The Lower Realm," he said.

Nyx nodded.

"Eventually, the Ruler of Fate began to desire more. Caelestia was no longer enough. He wanted to extend his dominion over the Lower Realm, to rule not merely the heavens but every world beneath them."

Nyx’s eyes hardened.

"His ambition had become insatiable. And those of us who understood what he intended knew that another war was inevitable."

Eden crossed his arms.

"So five of you decided to oppose him."

"Yes. In secret."

Nyx’s expression softened slightly, though regret remained visible in her eyes.

"We had already committed an unforgivable wrong by participating in Zephyro’s banishment. Some of us had acted out of fear, others out of conviction. But whatever our reasons, the result was the same."

She lowered her head.

"We had betrayed the being we were meant to serve."

For a moment, the white expanse seemed to grow colder.

"We could not undo what we had done. We could not bring Zephyro back. But we could attempt to correct our mistake by protecting the Lower Realm from the fate the Ruler of Fate intended for it."

Eden watched her quietly.

"And you thought five Rulers would be enough to prepare an entire realm for a war against Caelestia?"

"No," Nyx answered without hesitation. "We knew it would not be enough."

She raised her gaze.

"But doing nothing would have guaranteed our failure."

Eden couldn’t argue with that.

He knew better than most what it meant to fight an opponent who was stronger than him. Sometimes, the difference in power was so great that victory seemed impossible.

But doing nothing was simply another way of accepting defeat.

Nyx continued.

"We began searching for a way to descend. We studied the World Tree, investigated the Void Sea, and exhausted every method we could devise. Nothing worked. The barrier was too powerful, and forcing our way through would have risked destabilizing Caelestia itself."

Eden had a faint idea on what happened next.

"And Mendax happened to conveniently appear out of nowhere?"

Nyx nodded.

"Yes."

Eden sighed.

"Of course he did."

"You seem to have developed a particular opinion of him."

"You have no idea."

He thought back to the first time he had encountered Mendax.

Back then, Eden had believed Mendax was giving him an opportunity to escape the helplessness that had defined his first life.

Now, the picture was becoming considerably more complicated.

Nyx continued.

"Mendax was able to devour a small portion of the Void Sea surrounding the World Tree. It was an extraordinary feat, one that should have been impossible even for the Supreme God himself."

Eden raised an eyebrow.

"He used Gluttony."

"Yes. That was the nature of his power, as far as we understood it."

For a moment, neither spoke.

Eden couldn’t help thinking of the crimson Essence that had become his own defining ability.

The resemblance was difficult to ignore.

Nyx resumed her explanation.

"By consuming part of the Void Sea, Mendax created an opening through which we could descend. It was narrow, unstable, and dangerous, but it was enough."

She looked at Eden.

"That was how the five of us reached the Abyss."

"Five," Eden repeated. "You, and the other four."

"Correct."

Nyx raised her hand, and five faint lights appeared in the white expanse.

"The first was myself, Nyx, the Ruler of Sorcery."

One light shone a pale green.

"The second was Imperius, the Ruler of Adversity."

A deep crimson light appeared beside it.

"The third was Aurelion, the Ruler of Equilibrium."

The next light glowed gold.

"The fourth was Exyra, the Ruler of Remembrance."

A soft violet light emerged.

"And the fifth was Astraea, the Ruler of Order."

The final light shone white.

The five lights floated together for a moment before slowly fading.

Eden considered the names.

"So those were the five who descended into the Abyss to prepare the Lower Realm for war."

"Yes."

"And how did that work out?"

Nyx’s expression became solemn.

"Poorly."

Eden waited.

"By the time we arrived, Zephyro had already passed away."

The words hung in the air.

Eden’s expression shifted.

"...Passed away?"

"Yes."

Nyx lowered her eyes.

"Zephyro had been cast into the Abyss, and separated from the realm he had once governed. He remained there for ages, Aeon’s perhaps.

She paused.

"Even a being like him could not endure forever."

Eden fell silent.

He had heard the story of Zephyro before. The Supreme God who had been betrayed by the twelve Rulers, banished into the Abyss, and eventually died after being separated from his realm.

Nyx continued.

"When we arrived, the first generation of Archdukes had already risen to power. The Abyss was no longer a realm governed by its rightful ruler. It had become a world of its own, ruled by beings at constant war with each other, with no intention of surrendering their territories."

Eden rubbed his chin.

"There’s something I don’t understand."

Nyx looked at him.

"You mentioned five Rulers, but Mendax wasn’t among them. You said he made your descent possible, yet you didn’t include him in the group."

"That was intentional."

"Why?"

"Because Mendax did not descend with us."