The Throne of Shattered Hours loomed in the catacombs beneath mirrored Blackforge, its spires woven from rib cages and clockwork. Kael traced a finger along an armrest—*his own femur*, harvested from a timeline where he’d starved in the orphanage.  

*“Every betrayal,”* Original Kael’s ghost whispered, now translucent and fraying, *“every death, is here. This is what they’ve made of us.”*  

Kael’s reflection warped in the throne’s jagged chrome. *“And if I sit?”*  

*“You become the wound that never heals,”* the ghost said. *“You’ll rewrite time, but erase *her*.”*  

A vision seared his mind: Seraphina, *this* world’s Seraphina, dissolving as timelines collapsed—her laughter fading like smoke.  

*“Liar,”* Kael snarled. But his voice cracked.  

---

**The emissary returned at dusk.**  

Its skeletal fingers clutched a pulsing Core—*Alt-Kael’s Solar Core*, ripped from his chest. The Beast dropped it at Kael’s feet, grinning with too many teeth.  

*“A gift. For our king.”*  

Alt-Kael’s body lay broken in the square, townsfolk wailing as golden light leaked from his corpse. This world’s Liora screamed *“Brother!”* and lunged, but the Beast swatted her aside.  

*“You did this,”* Kael said, cold fury threading his veins.  

*“No.”* The emissary’s voice merged with Future Liora’s. *“*You *did. You hesitated. Weakness always bleeds.”*  

Kael’s Chrono-Blade ignited.  

Time fractured.  

---

**Seraphina’s arrow pierced the veil between worlds.**  

She landed in a storm of Void shards, her bowstring humming with borrowed time. The original timeline’s scars marked her face, her eyes twin voids.  

*“Found you,”* she hissed, aiming at Kael.  

The townsfolk scattered, but this world’s Liora ran *toward* the fight, clutching Alt-Kael’s lifeless hand.  

*“Stop!”* she begged. *“You’ll destroy everything!”*  

Seraphina paused, arrow trembling. *“You…?”*  

Recognition flashed—this girl was her echo, unbroken. A sob clawed from Seraphina’s throat.  

*“Don’t look at me,”* she whispered, firing.  

---

**The throne sang.**  

Kael’s hand hovered above it.  

*One touch*, and he could unmake the Beasts, revive Alt-Kael, purge the rot festering in time’s roots.  

*One touch*, and he’d become the monster Seraphina believed him to be.  

Original Kael’s ghost gripped his wrist, spectral tears bleeding into the throne. *“Mercy, brother. Not for them. For *us*.”*  

The emissary’s laugh echoed. *“Sit. Or she dies again.”*  

A vision: Original Seraphina, dagger in her heart, gasping his name.  

Kael sat.  

---

**Reality screamed.**  

The throne fused to his bones, tendrils of time burrowing into his flesh. Visions erupted—a thousand Kael’s dying, a thousand Seraphinas betrayed. The catacombs collapsed, replaced by a starless void where Eclipse Beasts knelt, chanting.  

*“ALL HAIL THE KING OF—”*  

A Solar arrow exploded through the throne.  

Alt-Kael stood in the void, his chest gaping, Solar Core reignited. *“Get. Off. My. Throne.”*  

The world shattered.  

---  

**TO BE CONTINUED...**