Chained Hearts: From Slavery to Sovereignty
Chapter 72: I have come. Now it’s your turn to show yourself...

Chapter 72: Chapter 72: I have come. Now it’s your turn to show yourself...

The ruins stretched far and wide, a broken world filled with notvhing but destruction. Once-great buildings now lay in pieces, with walls cracked and crumbling.

Tall pillars that once reached for the sky now stood shattered, like broken bones sticking out of the ground. Rocks and debris were scattered everywhere, as if the very earth had tried to shake them off.

The air was thick and heavy, filled with the smell of dust, ash, and something ancient. Everything was silent, except for the distant sound of stones falling, reminding anyone who might be there that even these ruins were slowly fading away.

But the most terrifying thing was the sky.

It was red—deep, dark red—as if the sky itself was bleeding. The color spread across the horizon, making the world below glow with a strange, eerie light.

Drops of what looked like thick, dark blood dripped slowly from above, falling silently onto the ground and staining the broken stones below.

Pools of this crimson liquid gathered in cracks and crevices, as if the earth was drinking it in.

Far away, where the sky touched the ground, the horizon glowed with fire, making it look like the world was burning.

From time to time, black lightning flashed across the red sky, lighting up the ruins for a few moments before everything went back to its haunting glow.

Each flash revealed more destruction, as if reminding the land of the tragedy that had taken place.

In the center of this devastated world stood a man, the red rain dripping from his wet hair and disappearing into his long black cloak. His face was dyed red, and a chilling aura emanated from him.

The man clenched his long sword, a heavy silver blade with an otherworldly glow. Burning blue flames enveloped the sword. It was the only glowing object in the vast ruin that spread across the horizon.

The man in the dark cloak dragged his sword and continued walking through the ruins, his blade making clinking sounds on the broken stones.

Cassian looked at the sword, and a chill ran down his spine.

He could not understand what this place was or where he was. How did he come here when he had been in the palace?

But his shock did not end there. As he looked around at the devastating ruin, the color drained from his face. Even though he didn’t know why, he had a feeling this place was once lively, bustling with crowds and the laughter of children.

But now, this place wasn’t just a ruin—it felt like a graveyard for dreams and hope. Everything here had been destroyed. The ground seemed to groan under the weight of sadness and regret, and shadows moved where no light should be.

Under that blood-red sky, it was clear: nothing had survived. Everything had fallen, and the sky wept for the world it had lost.

Cassian snapped out of his shock when the man dragging the sword passed through him as if he didn’t even exist. "Hey... you," Cassian exclaimed suddenly, but the man did not reply—or perhaps he didn’t even hear.

The man continued toward the horizon. Cassian immediately followed him; he didn’t want to lose sight of the only living person. He tried again to communicate. "Um! Hello, mister, can you hear me?" But the man didn’t respond and continued his pace.

Cassian felt irritated at being ignored twice. He ran in front of the man and tried to catch his attention. After all, he had to ask him what this place was. He didn’t want to stay here in this unknown, creepy place. He was scared.

Cassian stopped in front of the man and waved his hand, but the man didn’t lift his head. His head was hung low, drenched in the red rain.

But the most shocking thing happened when he passed directly through Cassian. Cassian almost yelped, thinking he was going to collide with him, but it didn’t happen—the man passed through him as if he didn’t exist.

Cassian looked back at the man and then at his own hand. He tried to grab him from behind, but his hand passed through the man. "What the hell?" he cursed loudly and looked at the man, who still didn’t respond.

A strange thought crossed his mind, and it was only confirmed when he looked around at the surroundings drenched in the red rain—yet not a single drop had touched him.

His face grew pale. What was actually happening? He didn’t know how he had ended up here or why he was now only a soul. That meant his body was somewhere else.

Cassian tried hard to think, but he couldn’t find an answer. So, he decided to follow the man. Maybe if he had been brought here, the only person he could see would have answers.

But suddenly, Cassian felt his head grow dizzy, and the world around him began to blur. When he opened his eyes again, he found himself in an entirely different place.

If the previous place was ruin, then this place was surely hell. He could see cruelty everywhere, and it looked like a place where the dead were punished in the most brutal ways.

Or maybe he was wrong, but he couldn’t explain what kind of place this was. Everywhere, red magma flowed, and atop a dark hill stood a castle—a castle that looked like it belonged to the devil himself.

It stood tall, like a symbol of supremacy over this world. The fear and chill it spread through one’s heart were more terrifying than anything else—the mere thought of stepping inside was enough to freeze one in place.

It was hauntingly beautiful, but it carried the promise of death, luring you into a trap from which you could never escape.

And then, the same man appeared in Cassian’s sight, still dragging his otherworldly sword.

Cassian felt a wave of sadness emanating from the man as he walked toward the castle gate. Cassian wanted to stop him but found his legs rooted in place. He couldn’t move an inch.

He had a gut feeling that whatever was about to happen would not be good. He didn’t want it to happen. He wanted to stop the man from taking another step, to persuade him to go back and never set foot in that castle, to never look back.

The same pain clenched Cassian’s heart, and he felt his breath grow more suffocating with each step the man took toward the gate.

But he was helpless—he could only watch as the man moved further and further away.

Cassian’s heart leapt into his throat when the man suddenly stopped and raised the sword in his hand.

With a powerful movement, the man buried the sword in the ground before the castle gate and spoke in a loud voice:

I have come. Now it’s your turn to show yourself..." The man paused slightly as his breathing became heavy, but still he continued.

"The Demon Lord."