Chronicles Of The Shadow Sovereign

"What a coincidence—the Domains are about to open, and now a boy marked by one of us appears before us," one of them remarked.

"He is of my bloodline, yet I did not choose him. I have seen the fates of all who share my lineage," another responded, his voice tinged with unease.

"And in those visions, I beheld something terrifying—a man with a heart of blackened stone, devoid of even the faintest trace of emotion. A man whose strength stands equal to a Sovereign."

His gaze darkened as he turned toward the boy before them.

"And I believe... he is that very same boy still in his youth."

The atmosphere grew heavy as the weight of Levi's ancestor's words settled over the group. The shadows seemed to deepen, and the air itself felt charged with tension.

The idea that the boy marked by one of them could bear the curse of a dark heart, a heart devoid of emotion, a heart rivaling the strength of a sovereign—was almost too much to comprehend.

"Veyrathis, are you certain it was him?" one of the black shadows asked again, their voice trembling with a mix of disbelief and dread. "The marked ones are chosen for their potential to bring balance, not chaos. How could the fates have woven such a thread into our tapestry?"

Veyrathis, stood silent for a moment, his ancient eyes reflecting the flickering light of the ethereal flames around them.

His voice, when it finally came, was low and measured, carrying the weight of centuries.

"I have seen the threads of fate, and they do not lie. The boy before us carries the mark, but his heart... his heart is shrouded in darkness. It is not a mistake, but a convergence of destinies we cannot yet understand. The domains opening, his appearance, the black heart, it is all connected. The fates have chosen him for a purpose, even if we cannot see it."

Another shadow stirred, their form flickering like a dying flame. "But a heart with no emotion... a soul that cannot feel... how can such a being wield the power of the marked? How can he bring anything but destruction?"

Veyrathis turned to the speaker, his gaze piercing. "The absence of emotion does not always mean destruction. It can also mean clarity. A heart unburdened by love, fear, or desire can see paths we cannot. Perhaps this is what the fates intend, a force unclouded by the weaknesses of the heart, capable of making choices we would never dare."

The silence returned, thicker than before. The shadows exchanged uneasy glances, their forms shifting restlessly.

The idea of a marked one with a black heart was unsettling, but Veyrathis's words carried a strange, unsettling logic.

"Then what do we do?" another shadow finally asked, their voice barely above a whisper. "Do we guide him? Do we try to change his fate? Or do we... remove him before he becomes a threat?"

The Sovereign is the one who leads humanity, living for humans and dying for humans, with pure loyalty and a heart untainted by darkness.

He is the beacon of every generation, a paragon of righteousness, guiding humanity along the path of virtue and justice. His life is a testament to selflessness, his soul a flame that illuminates the darkest corners of existence.

But now, standing before them is a boy marked by the essence of a Sovereign, his soul bearing the indelible seal of destiny.

Yet, his heart is cold, devoid of emotion, a void where compassion for humanity should reside.

"What should we do now? We all know how the previous Sovereign fell, and we have already lost four domains to our enemy. The stakes have never been higher," one of them murmured, his voice trembling with both fear and resolve.

"But this time... it is different. If we choose this boy to be the Sovereign..." The speaker's words trailed off, hanging in the air like a storm cloud, heavy with unspoken dread. He knew the consequences of such a choice, the risks of placing the fate of humanity in the hands of one who might not even care for it.

Veyrathis, the wisest among them, stepped forward, his eyes piercing through the shadows of doubt. "Whatever you all decide, it will be his fate. But the first question that must be answered is this: Who marked him? Who saw the potential of a Sovereign in a heart so barren?"

"I marked him." The voice that responded was neither loud nor harsh, yet it resonated with an eternal, otherworldly power. It was a voice that felt both natural and alien, as if the very fabric of reality had spoken. "Do you have any objections?"

The scene shifted.

They now stood within a vast white castle, an expanse of endless halls and towers, all painted in shades of white, yet each surface held a different texture, a different brilliance, as if woven from light itself.

Before them, near a still pond of water that shimmered with unspoken mysteries, sat a figure draped in black robes.

The contrast was stark—darkness seated in the heart of purity.

At once, every sovereign in attendance bowed, their voices united in reverence.

"We bow before Archangel Sophion, Lord of the Dream Realm, upon his return."

Levi, too, recognized the man in black.

How could he not? This was the being who once asked him a single question—"What do you desire?"

And Levi had answered without hesitation. "Eternal life."

That was when it began. The endless cycle. Life. Death. Rebirth. Over and over, he wandered through lifetimes, trapped in the ever-turning wheel of reincarnation.

Only much later did he come to a chilling realization.

It had all been a dream.

Yet what he did not know—what he could never have known—was when this dream would shatter.

And it would not break until he did the one thing that defied the cycle.

Until he saved the woman he manipulate.

Until he protected someone.

Now, Levi understood everything.

This being—the one who had trapped him, never intended to punish him. It had made him experience the highs and lows of existence, forcing him to wander through countless lives. And in the end, the key to awakening from the dream was not power, nor knowledge, nor even eternity.

It was emotion.

To care for something, to protect it, not for personal gain, not for self-preservation, but simply because it was worth protecting.

That was the essence of humanity.

Every human was born with it, this innate spark of selflessness. But as they grew, they changed—not by their own will, but by the world around them.

A child born among thieves would steal. A child raised by diplomats would think, speak, and act like one. People became reflections of the society that shaped them, molded into roles they never chose.

Levi had been no different. As a child, he had only faint traces of emotion for others. But as he grew, he realized that humans—everywhere—were creatures of feeling, driven by their passions, their desires, their fears.

And so, he used them. Manipulated them. Bent them to his will to achieve his own goals.

Then the man in black had come to him and asked:

"What do you desire?"

Without hesitation, Levi had answered as any rational man would: "Eternal life."

But reality had struck him harder than he could have ever imagined.

He had lived and died a hundred thousand times. He had watched suffering unfold—not just his own, but in the lives of everyone around him. And he saw the great deception of the world:

Humans, instead of embracing their true nature—to protect, to care, to cherish—became puppets. They believed they were free, that they lived in comfort and joy, but it was all an illusion. A mask forced upon them by the expectations of society.

And now, standing in this endless white castle, surrounded by sovereigns and in the presence of Archangel Sophion, Levi finally saw the truth.

A slow smile spread across his face. Then he laughed. Loudly. Wildly. Unrestrained.

The sound echoed through the vast halls, as if mocking the nature themselves.

He had suffered in the Dream Realm for a hundred thousand years, enduring agony, loss, rebirth just for this one revelation. The answer was vast, infinite in meaning, but he tried to distill it into a single truth.

And so, with the weight of lifetimes behind his words, Levi spoke:

"The purpose of human life… is to make this world worth living."

The man in the black cloak chuckled softly. His voice was like the rustling of pages in an ancient tome, both distant and ever-present.

"Congratulations," he said. "You have truly awakened from the dream."

"Do you understand now why I sent you to the Dream Realm?" the Archangel's voice was calm, yet it carried the weight of eternity. "It was never for your sake alone. This world needs humans like you."

Levi's gaze, sharp as steel, lifted toward the gathered sovereigns.

"Then let us begin," he said, meeting the eyes of those who ruled before him.

But hesitation lingered in the air.

"The question still remains," Veyrathis spoke, his voice laced with doubt. "He bears the mark of a Sovereign, but his heart is black."

Silence followed.

Then the Archangel's gaze fell upon him calm, unwavering, absolute.

"Do you question my judgment?"

The air turned heavy, the very fabric of the realm trembling beneath those words.

Veyrathis lowered his head.

The Archangel turned back to Levi, his voice resounding through the vast halls.

"He will become the greatest Sovereign of all."