Temporal Dominion

Darkness loomed over a desolate fortress hidden deep within the forbidden lands, far beyond the reaches of civilization.

The structure, a monolithic ruin of obsidian stone, stood against the raging winds, its jagged spires piercing the storm-lit sky.

Inside, a chamber bathed in crimson light housed a long, blackened table where figures in eclipse-marked robes sat in ominous silence.

At the head of the table sat a man cloaked in shadows, his face hidden beneath a hood. His voice was cold, sharp, and absolute.

"The Argent Dawn Academy is no more," he said.

A low murmur spread across the room.

"Phase one is complete," another figure spoke, their voice carrying an air of eerie satisfaction. "The world trembles. The academies strengthen their walls. The nations send their forces scrambling to prepare… yet none of them truly understand what is coming."

The hooded leader leaned forward.

"The culling is upon us."

Silence.

Then, a deep chuckle.

"You say that, but the real prey has yet to be claimed," a new voice spoke from the shadows. This one carried malice, edged with something far more sinister.

A single hand emerged from the darkness, tracing the eclipse emblem on the table.

"The boy. The one who defied the cycle."

Lucian Vale.

The name was unspoken, but they all knew who was being referred to.

"He survived where he should have perished. Awakened a power that should not exist. And now, he is evolving beyond what even we anticipated."

The air in the room grew heavier.

Another voice, calm yet laced with venom, spoke:

"The fight with the kinetic brat—Darren Voss—was a failure. He was supposed to be our first executioner, but he was… insufficient. However, the mark remains. His body was broken, but the seed is still within him. In time, he will serve his purpose."

Murmurs of approval.

"But Lucian Vale," the leader said, his voice dipping into something colder, "is no longer an anomaly we can ignore."

A sharp silence followed.

Then, another figure, taller than the rest, leaned forward.

"We should have erased him from the start."

"We didn't know he would survive his awakening," another responded.

"And now, he's changing again," a woman's voice interjected, thoughtful yet ruthless. "Whatever was sleeping inside him is waking up. If we let him evolve further, even we may not be able to control the outcome."

The hooded leader exhaled.

"It's too late for control," he said. "Lucian Vale must be eliminated before he becomes something beyond even us."

The room darkened.

Then—

A new presence entered the chamber.

A ripple in space. A cold wind. The flicker of something ancient pressing into reality.

And then, a voice—

One that did not belong to any of the figures at the table.

One that came from beyond.

"He is already beyond you."

Every figure froze.

A shadow detached itself from the darkness, taking the form of something neither man nor beast.

An entity—its shape shifting and breaking apart like a living void.

One of the true masters of the Eclipse.

"The child walks the path of the forbidden," the entity murmured, its voice sending unnatural echoes through the chamber. "Let him grow. Let him reach the precipice of his own power. Only then, in his greatest moment, will he understand… that time itself is nothing before us."

A low, chilling laughter spread through the chamber.

The hooded leader bowed his head.

"As you command."

The shadows twisted.

The Eclipsed Sentinels had made their decision.

Lucian Vale would not be killed immediately.

Instead—

They would let him rise.

And when the time was right…

They would break him.