The enormous fiery eyes that manifested above Morgoth's altar, reaching across countless dimensions, slowly swept their gaze over the land.
Even though it was only a glimpse of His will, the moment that gaze fell, the Ringwraiths, dark warlocks, and surrounding orcs were instantly plunged into bottomless terror.
Unable to withstand even a fraction of His presence, they collapsed to the ground, trembling uncontrollably.
Shrouded in black smoke and flame, Morgoth's gaze ignored these insignificant creatures. Instead, it locked directly onto the great burning eye atop Barad-dûr.
A cold, ancient voice echoed across the void:
"Sauron, my servant. Why have you disturbed me from the Void?"
Morgoth's will tore effortlessly through the fiery Eye, striking the spirit of Sauron hidden within the tower.
Even Sauron, master of Mordor, terror of Middle-earth, bowed with profound reverence before the presence of his former lord.
"Great Lord of Darkness, Morgoth! Since Your banishment to the Void, I, Your servant, inherited Your will to conquer all Arda and bring the world beneath Your dominion.
"But the elves and men, aided by emissaries of the Valar in the West, opposed me. I was grievously wounded, stripped of form and power, unable to carry out Your will. And so, great lord, I offered these sacrifices to call upon Your strength, that You may restore me.
"When I have conquered all Arda, I will break Your chains and welcome Your return to this world!"
Morgoth sneered, a low, mocking sound that resonated across the dark smoke.
"My most loyal servant, your tongue remains as sly as ever. I see clearly your ambition. You wish to rule the world yourself. You would rather I never return, more so than even those hypocrites in the West.
"You summon me now only because you stand cornered, and have no choice but to beg for my power."
Sauron's respectful mask dropped instantly. His ambition surged forth like a burning flame.
"Morgoth, let us make a deal. You lend me your strength so that I may rule Arda. In return, I will help sever your chains and bring you back from the Void."
Morgoth did not grow angry, if anything, he looked increasingly amused.
"So this is your true face, Very well. No wonder you rose as the second Dark Lord after my fall. I find myself admiring you more and more, Sauron."
Banished into the Void after the War of Wrath, Morgoth normally could not perceive the world.
But once the sacrificial array projected his will into Arda, he instantly absorbed all that had transpired since his exile.
And even as Sauron had betrayed him, Morgoth still regarded his former servant with a twisted sort of approval.
For Morgoth had commanded countless Maiar-level beings, but none had achieved what Sauron did.
Morgoth conquered through raw power;
Sauron, with only his cunning and sorcery, had drowned Númenor, nearly conquered all Middle-earth, and brought kingdoms to ruin.
Even the Dark Father of all evil found such achievements impressive.
Thus Morgoth answered:
"I accept your proposal."
Sauron's spirit trembled with triumph.
If Morgoth granted him power, even without the One Ring, he could regain his form and return to his peak, perhaps even surpass it.
But Morgoth's next words froze even Sauron's flame.
"However, I am in the Void beyond Arda. My power cannot reach you directly. If you wish to borrow my strength, you must offer far more sacrifices. Enough that my power may pierce the borders of the world and descend upon you."
"That is no problem," Sauron replied immediately.
"I can give you as many offerings as you desire."
He commanded nearly a million orcs, disposable fodder. Even if half were sacrificed, the loss meant nothing to him as long as he regained his strength.
But Morgoth dismissed the idea with scorn.
"I have no use for these flawed creatures you call orcs. The sacrifices I require must be the Children of Ilúvatar. Only their blood and souls can nourish me enough to breach Arda's walls and grant you my strength."
Sauron hesitated.
"How many sacrifices do you need?"
If it was hundreds or thousands, he could have them captured.
If tens of thousands, he could set war upon Gondor and Rohan.
But Morgoth's demand, exceeded even Sauron's darkest calculations.
"If you wish to regain your full might, to reclaim your body, then you must sacrifice no fewer than one million Children of Ilúvatar."
Even Sauron was momentarily stunned by Morgoth's demand.
The combined population of Gondor and Rohan likely didn't even reach a million.
To gather a million Children of Ilúvatar as sacrifices, even if Gondor and Rohan were wiped out to the last man, woman, and child, it still wouldn't be enough.
Only if he added the Eastern Barbarians, the Haradrim of the South, and every other human tribe under or near Mordor's reach would the number barely be attainable.
Such an atrocity would rival, or even surpass, the devastation of the Great Plague.
Yet Sauron, driven by overwhelming hunger for power and dominion, never even considered rejecting the idea.
If he could restore his strength, he could sweep aside all opposition, crush every kingdom, annihilate every enemy, and reclaim the One Ring.
With the Ring in hand, his power would surpass even his former peak.
He would become the supreme being of Middle-earth.
But the price…
Once the sacrifice was completed, while Sauron would receive a portion of Morgoth's power, the ritual would also allow Morgoth, far away in the Void, to reconstitute his own strength.
And eventually, Morgoth would shatter the chains of exile and return to Arda.
When that time came, Sauron would have no choice but to face the true Lord of Darkness, a being whose power far exceeded his own a thousandfold.
Sauron, who had once tasted the intoxicating sweetness of absolute rule, had no desire to bow again or return to servitude.
But in the hierarchy of creation, a Maiar, no matter how mighty, could never rival a Valar.
Still, Sauron did not, could not, concern himself with that future. For now he cared only for one thing: Regain power. Conquer the world. Claim the throne of Arda.
If he achieved that, perhaps he could devise a way to prevent Morgoth from descending.
And behind both Morgoth's and Sauron's ambitions lay a deeper secret:
The one who rules Arda holds dominion and authority unmatched by any other being.
Morgoth, the most powerful of the Valar, coveted Ilúvatar's authority itself. His attempt to dominate Arda was, at its core, an attempt to steal the Creator's place.
Sauron, as a Maiar, had no right to know such a truth.
But as Morgoth's closest lieutenant, he had absorbed fragments of his master's knowledge, and during his near-conquest of Middle-earth, he pieced together enough to glimpse the truth.
This is why Sauron pursued dominion at all costs.
This is why he disguised himself as Annatar, the Lord of Gifts,
why he deceived the Elves, why he forged the Rings of Power, and why he intended to bend Elves, Men, and Dwarves beneath his will so that he might one day rule the entire world and take for himself the throne Morgoth once sought.