NOVEL NEXT Chapter 100: The Crimson Pact
A storm churned above the Obsidian Conclave, a roiling mass of unnatural fury. The sky bled in violent swirls of crimson and violet, clouds twisting as though alive, their edges jagged with the weight of something ancient and wrathful. Lightning cracked, not born of nature but summoned by ritual—a jagged omen of a world teetering on the edge of collapse. The air itself thrummed with a low, guttural pulse, as if the earth beneath the Conclave groaned under the strain of forbidden magic.
Inside the Grand Hall, Valerian stood at the center of a formation circle carved into the obsidian floor. Black runes pulsed beneath his boots, glowing with a rhythm like a heartbeat, each throb sending faint tremors through the chamber. His long coat, bloodstained and scorched at the edges from the recent battle in the Ascendant Wraith's tomb, swayed faintly in an unseen wind. The weight of that fight still lingered in his bones—his ribs ached, his left arm bore the faint scar of spectral claws, and his mind echoed with the wraith's final, venomous curse. Yet his gray eyes burned with unshakable resolve, fixed on the ritual circle as it hummed with growing intensity.
Seraphine stood at the circle's edge, her hooded cloak casting shadows over her silver-blonde hair, which fell in a cascade over half her face. Her single visible eye, sharp and pale as moonlight, never wavered from Valerian. Her fingers twitched at her side, betraying the tension she tried to mask.
"You're really doing this," she said, her voice soft but laced with an edge of disbelief.
Valerian's jaw tightened. He nodded once, curt. "If I don't, the Emperor will unleash the Crimson Heralds across the borderlands. Entire cities will burn just to draw me out. I won't let that happen."
Lira, standing a few paces away, stepped forward, her boots clanging against the stone. Her dark hair was pulled back tightly, her face a storm of frustration and fear. "You're walking into a deal with the Crimson Court, Valerian. That's not a bargain—it's suicide."
Valerian glanced over his shoulder, his expression unyielding but not unkind. "Good. Let them think I'm desperate."
The chamber's towering pillars trembled, dust sifting from their ancient carvings. A low hum rose from the high dome above, where star-like glyphs flickered in sync with the runes below. The air grew heavy, oppressive, as if reality itself were bending under the weight of what was to come. Then—silence. A stillness so profound it felt like the world held its breath.
And from that silence, a tear in reality ripped open.
Red light poured from the rift like blood from a wound, bathing the hall in a sickly glow. Chains clinked, their metallic song echoing with menace. From the rift stepped a figure wreathed in flowing crimson and black, its form both regal and grotesque. Six blade-like wings, jagged and gleaming, sprouted from its back, each edge dripping with a viscous, molten substance. A crown of thorns sat upon its head, each thorn weeping blood that hissed as it touched the floor. The emissary of the Crimson Court had arrived.
"I am the Pactkeeper," it intoned, its voice a chorus of whispers and screams, layered as if spoken by a thousand mouths. "State your offering, Valerian."
Valerian's voice was cold, unyielding. "My blood. My authority. And the name of the Emperor."
The air grew colder. Even the shadows recoiled, as if the very walls of the Conclave feared the weight of his words. Seraphine's breath hitched, her hand tightening on the hilt of her dagger. Lira's eyes widened, but she said nothing, her silence louder than any protest.
The Pactkeeper tilted its head, its faceless visage seeming to peer into Valerian's soul. "You offer betrayal. A name that carries the weight of empires. And in return?"
Valerian stepped forward, his boots grinding against the runes. "I want the Crimson Heralds bound to my command," he said, each syllable deliberate, carved from iron will. "Unleashed only when I give the word. And…" He paused, his voice sharpening like a blade. "I want knowledge of the Forbidden System Node beneath the capital."
Seraphine stiffened, her cloak rustling as she shifted. Lira's mouth opened, but no words came. The Pactkeeper's wings twitched, a low hum emanating from their metallic edges.
"You ask for two heresies," it said, its voice now tinged with something like amusement. "The Emperor's downfall and access to the node that anchors this realm's fate. You would unravel the very fabric of this world."
Valerian's eyes narrowed. "I'm done reacting. I'm done letting Caelus dictate the terms of this war. You want chaos? I'll give you a throne carved in it."
The Pactkeeper moved without walking, its form gliding until it hovered mere inches from Valerian. Its clawed gauntlet reached out, tracing a line over his chest, stopping just above his heart. The air between them crackled with infernal energy, and Valerian felt a cold weight settle in his chest, as if the Pactkeeper's touch had marked him in ways he could not yet comprehend.
"Then let blood bind this pact," it said.
It extended a dagger—black glass with veins of lava pulsing through it, the blade radiating a heat that made the air shimmer. Valerian took it without hesitation, his fingers closing around the hilt. He sliced his palm in one swift motion, and the moment his blood hit the runes, the circle erupted in a blaze of crimson energy. Chains shot from the floor, their barbed tips piercing his back, his limbs, his spine. Agony seared through him, a white-hot inferno that threatened to unravel his mind. But then came the rush—an infernal power flooding his veins, twisting his senses, amplifying his strength until he felt like a storm trapped in mortal flesh.
**[System Alert]**
**New Skill Gained: Crimson Command – Herald Protocols Activated.**
**Warning: Pact signed with extra-planar sovereign. Conditions irreversible.**
Valerian's knees buckled under the weight of the power, his vision swimming with red. But he didn't fall. He forced himself upright, blood dripping from his clenched fist, his breath ragged but steady.
As the light dimmed, the Pactkeeper's form began to fade, its wings folding into the rift. "You have what you asked for, O Villain Crowned in Shadows," it said, its voice now a fading echo. "But be warned: when the final seal breaks, even you will bleed for this."
The rift slammed shut with a sound like a thunderclap, and the hall fell silent once more. The runes flickered out, leaving only faint scorch marks on the floor.
Lira ran to him, her voice sharp with panic. "Valerian—!"
"I'm fine," he lied, blood dripping from his lips as he steadied himself against a pillar. His body trembled with the aftershock of the pact, every nerve alight with the alien power now coursing through him.
Seraphine stepped closer, her voice low, almost a whisper. "You just changed the gameboard."
Valerian straightened, the system's new power crackling like static in his veins. "No, Seraphine. I just flipped it."
---
**Three Hours Later – Imperial Citadel**
In the throne chamber of Emperor Caelus Darnathi, the air was thick with the scent of incense and steel. The vast dome above glowed with the light of a false sun, its golden rays casting long shadows across the marble floor. Caelus sat upon his throne, his golden armor gleaming, his presence radiating an almost divine authority. His eyes, cold as winter, fixed on the messenger who stumbled forward, blood streaming from a ruined eye.
"Your Majesty…" the messenger gasped, collapsing to one knee. "The Crimson Court… they've broken neutrality. They've pledged to a third faction."
Caelus leaned forward, his gauntleted hand tightening on the armrest. "To whom?" His voice was calm, but it carried the weight of a blade held to a throat.
The messenger's voice trembled. "…Valerian."
A slow, terrible smile spread across Caelus's face, his eyes glinting with a predatory light. "Good. Let the villain draw every monster to his side."
He rose, his armor clinking softly, the false sun above flaring brighter as if in response to his will. Behind him stood Archmage Veridan, his robes shimmering with arcane sigils; General Arcturus, his scarred face unreadable; and a dozen cloaked figures of the Divine Blades, their eyes glowing faintly beneath their hoods.
"We proceed to Phase Two," Caelus declared, his voice resonating through the chamber. "Activate the Divine Ascension Protocol. If he wants monsters, I'll show him what a god looks like."
Veridan stepped forward, his staff tapping the floor. "My lord, the protocol is untested. If we unleash it now—"
Caelus's gaze silenced him. "Valerian has forced my hand. The time for restraint is over."
---
**Midnight – Somewhere Beneath the Capital**
Lady Selene opened her eyes in a pitch-black chamber, her wrists raw from the chains that bound her to the cold stone wall. Her magic, once a vibrant flame within her, was returning in faint pulses, like a heartbeat struggling to regain strength. Hours of captivity had left her weakened, but her spirit remained unbroken. Her emerald eyes gleamed with defiance as her captor stepped into the dim light.
He was an old man, his face lined with age, but his eyes burned with purple fire, a twisted smile curling his lips. "You were warned, High Lady," he said, his voice smooth as venom. "Aligning with the Villain would make you a target."
Selene spat blood onto the floor, her voice hoarse but unwavering. "I made my choice. You think Valerian won't find me?"
The man chuckled, the sound low and guttural, like stones grinding together. "Oh, he'll come. That's what I want."
Selene's gaze narrowed, her mind racing. "You're not with the Empire… are you?"
"No," he said, stepping closer, the purple fire in his eyes flaring. "I serve the True System. And you, Lady Selene, are going to help awaken the gate."
Her breath caught, her body going rigid. The True System. The words sent a chill through her, colder than the chains biting into her wrists. "You're mad," she whispered.
The man leaned close, his breath reeking of ash and decay. "No. I am the Keymaster. And your blood carries the coordinates."
Selene's heart pounded, her mind reeling. The gate. The True System. She had heard whispers of it in ancient texts, forbidden knowledge buried beneath layers of secrecy. If the Keymaster spoke the truth, the stakes were far higher than she had imagined. And Valerian, her ally, her friend—perhaps something more—was walking into a trap that could unravel not just the Empire, but the very fabric of their world.
---
**Capital – Top of the Sanctum Tower**
Valerian stood alone atop the Sanctum Tower, the crimson storm finally clearing to reveal a sky littered with unfamiliar stars. His body burned with the power of the Crimson Pact, a twisted, painful energy that felt like a blade lodged in his soul. Yet it was unstoppable, a force that made his blood sing and his senses sharpen to an almost unbearable degree. He clenched his fist, and across the ether, he felt the Crimson Heralds stir—monstrous, primal, waiting for the leash to snap.
The System's cold whisper cut through his thoughts:
> **[Warning: Hidden Objective Unlocked – Break the True Gate.]**
> **[Objective Conflict Detected – You are no longer the Villain. You are the Catalyst.]**
> **[Tracking both Factions: Hero Protocol / Destruction Seed]**
> **[True System watching...]**
Valerian's lips curved into a faint, defiant smile. Let them watch.
But the air grew heavier, the stars above flickering as if in warning. A new sensation prickled at the edge of his awareness—a presence, vast and ancient, stirring beneath the capital. The Forbidden System Node. The gate. And somewhere, he knew, Selene was caught in its shadow.
His smile faded. The Crimson Heralds were his now, but at what cost? The Keymaster's words echoed in his mind, unbidden: *Your blood carries the coordinates.* If Selene was the key, then the trap was already closing around him.
A faint tremor shook the tower, and the System's voice returned, colder than before:
> **[Alert: True System Activation Imminent. Anomalous Energy Surge Detected – Location: Beneath the Capital.]**
> **[Warning: The Catalyst's Path Converges. Choose: Open the Gate or Destroy It.]**
> **[Consequence Unknown.]**
Valerian's eyes narrowed, his hand tightening around the hilt of his blade. The Emperor's Divine Ascension Protocol. The Keymaster's gate. The Crimson Court's pact. And Selene, caught in the heart of it all.
He was no longer just the villain. He was the fulcrum upon which the world would turn—or break.
And as the stars above pulsed with an unnatural rhythm, Valerian felt the True System's gaze sharpen, its weight pressing against his soul. The final seal was weakening. The gate was waking. And somewhere, deep beneath the capital, the Keymaster's laughter echoed, a harbinger of chaos yet to come.