Kanah wasn't standing.
She was suspended.
Golden veins wrapped around her arms and legs, crawling up her spine like molten vines trying to fuse with her bones. The throne's fire pulsed through her, each beat matching her heartbeat, each surge tearing through her veins.
She screamed again, back arching violently.
"STOP—STOP—PLEASE—!!"
But the throne answered with a single, merciless whisper:
"MORE."
The flames seared deeper.
Kanah's breath shattered.
Her vision blurred into streaks of gold and darkness, her chest tightening as the throne forced emotion into energy.
Panic.
Fear.
Pain.
Need.
And beneath all of it—
Desire.
Not for power.
Not for domination.
To never be helpless again.
Kanah sobbed.
"That's not— power—!!"
The throne roared.
"THEN DEFINE IT."
Kanah's mind blanked.
Her heart hammered.
She gasped—
"This world keeps hurting me—
I want it to STOP—
I want to LIVE—
I want to CHOOSE—
I want—
I WANT—
TO FIGHT BACK—!!"
The throne trembled.
Accepted.
And the golden vines dragged her deeper into the core.
Owain Falls Toward Her
Owain plummeted through the darkness, body twisting violently as shadow winds clawed at him.
The reforged bond thrashed inside his chest—
screaming Kanah's fear
pulsing with her agony
echoing her heart's frantic pounding.
Owain bared his teeth.
"KANA—AHHH—!!"
Golden lightning exploded below him.
Owain's eyes widened.
He reached out—
"She's close—she's close—!!"
He dove harder, body spiraling like a falling meteor.
The shadows resisted, tightening around his limbs.
Owain snarled:
"GET—OFF—!!"
A pulse of amber burst from his chest, blasting the shadows away.
He fell faster.
"KANA—!! I'M COMING—!!"
The abyss tore open beneath him—
And he saw her.
Suspended in the air.
Screaming.
Wrapped in golden flame.
Held by the throne.
Owain's heart shattered.
"KANAH—!!"
He dove—
And smashed into an invisible barrier.
Hard.
The impact shocked the bones in his arms.
He shoved against the barrier, desperate, claws scraping against a transparent dome of molten gold.
"KANA—!!"
She didn't hear him.
She kept screaming, body convulsing as the golden energy forced itself deeper into her.
Owain slammed his fists against the barrier.
"LET ME IN—!! LET ME IN—!!"
The throne whispered:
"She Awakens."
Owain roared:
"SHE'S DYING—!!"
"She is transforming."
"LET ME GET TO HER—!!"
"Only she may enter the throne."
Owain's claws dug into the barrier, sparks flying.
"I don't CARE—!!"
He tore at it with feral desperation.
"KANA—LOOK AT ME—!!"
She couldn't.
The golden fire consumed her sight.
Sweat dripped down her temples.
Tears ran into her hair.
Her lips trembled through gasps.
Owain kept pounding.
"KANAH—!!"
Finally—
Her head turned.
Slowly.
Weakly.
Her eyes cracked open.
Golden fire reflected in them.
She breathed:
"…Owain…?"
His world broke.
"Kana—KANAH—! I'm here—!!"
She reached for him.
Her fingers trembled in the air.
"Owain… it hurts—"
Owain's throat tore with a sound between a sob and a snarl.
"I KNOW—I KNOW—I'm trying—I'm trying to get in—"
She sobbed softly.
"I can't—I can't—"
Owain slammed his entire body against the barrier.
"DON'T SAY THAT—!!
DON'T YOU EVER SAY THAT—!!"
She whispered:
"I'm scared…"
Owain pressed his forehead against the barrier, voice breaking.
"Then take my strength.
Take whatever you need.
Just—just stay with me—"
Kanah's hand trembled.
"Owain…
I don't want to be weak anymore…"
Owain choked.
"You're not—
you're NOT—!!"
But the throne answered instead:
"She will not be weak.
She will be Queen."
Owain's blood froze.
"What—!?
NO—NO—SHE DOESN'T—SHE DOESN'T WANT—!!"
The throne pulsed, golden fire swirling around Kanah's chest.
A mark formed.
A sigil.
Glowing gold.
Kanah screamed.
Owain clawed harder.
"KANA—!! KANAH—!!"
The throne whispered:
"Do you choose life?"
Kanah gasped, voice trembling.
"I—I do—!"
The throne pulsed harder.
"Do you choose power?"
Kanah screamed.
"I choose—
not to die—
again—!!"
The throne accepted.
And all hell broke loose.
The Throne Awakens Fully
The abyss shattered—
light exploded—
and Kanah's body was lifted higher, engulfed in gold.
Owain screamed.
"KANAAAAHH—!!"
Her hair lifted in a halo of fire.
Golden veins crawled down her arms.
A crest burned across her chest.
The throne's voice boomed through the realm:
"THE QUEEN AWAKENS."
Owain slammed against the barrier again, teeth bared.
"NO—NO—NO—SHE'S NOT A QUEEN—SHE JUST WANTS TO LIVE—!!"
The throne ignored him.
Instead, golden fire surged again—
And Kanah's scream tore through the abyss.
Owain shuddered violently.
"STOP—STOP HURTING HER—!!"
But the throne hissed:
"Transformation is pain."
Owain roared:
"THEN LET ME TAKE IT—!!
LET ME TAKE ALL OF IT—!!"
The throne paused.
Owain froze.
Kanah gasped weakly.
"O…Owain…?"
He pressed both palms against the barrier, voice shaking.
"Give it to me.
Give me her pain."
Kanah's eyes widened.
"No—Owain—"
Owain ignored her.
"YOU WANT A QUEEN?" he shouted.
"FINE—THEN LET HER LIVE THROUGH IT."
He slammed his fists again.
"LET HER LIVE—AND TAKE IT OUT ON ME—!!"
The throne's golden pulse slowed.
Then—
"Why?"
Owain's voice cracked.
His throat trembled.
His breath shook.
He whispered, raw:
"Because I'm strong enough."
Silence.
Then the throne spoke:
"You would suffer for her?"
Owain breathed:
"I'd suffer anything."
"You would take her pain?"
"Yes."
"You would break?"
"Yes."
Kanah sobbed.
"Owain—stop—please—stop—!!"
He didn't.
"You would die?"
Owain swallowed.
And whispered:
"No."
The throne went still.
Owain lifted his head.
Amber eyes burning.
"I won't die," he said.
"Because she needs me alive."
Kanah's breath broke.
"Owain…"
He pressed his hand against the barrier.
"Send her back to me."
Kanah whispered:
"Owain… hold me…"
"I'm trying," he whispered.
"I'm trying with everything I have."
The throne hummed.
Then—
It cracked.
A line of gold split across the barrier.
Owain's eyes widened.
He shoved.
Hard.
It cracked further.
Gerrin's voice echoed from above:
"OWAIN—PUSH—KEEP PUSHING—!!"
Helion roared from somewhere distant:
"TEAR IT OPEN—!!"
Owain snarled.
"KANAH—HOLD ON—!!"
Kanah reached toward him with trembling fingers—
Her voice a broken whisper:
"Owain… don't let go…"
"I WON'T—!!"
He pushed—
And the barrier shattered.
Golden fire burst outward.
Owain flew through.
Kanah fell from the throne's grasp.
Owain caught her.
Hard.
Her body collapsed into his chest, weak and burning with power.
He lifted her in both arms, clutching her against him.
Her fingers curled into his shirt.
"Owain…"
He pressed his forehead to hers.
"I've got you," he said softly.
"I'm here. I'm not going anywhere."
She sobbed against him.
The throne trembled.
The Beast King appeared at the edge of the abyss, watching them.
A thin smile curved his lips.
"Well then," he murmured.
"It seems the throne approves of its Queen."
Owain snarled, holding Kanah closer.
"Stay away from her."
The Beast King's gold eyes gleamed.
"I wasn't speaking to her."
Owain froze.
The Beast King extended one hand.
And pointed at him.
"I was speaking to you…
Wolf King."
Owain's breath caught.
Kanah gasped weakly.
The abyss trembled.