The silence that followed was heavy. Julius could still feel the phantom traces of Cherie Lancer's sorrow lingering in the air, the final remnants of her suffering dissipating like morning mist under the sun. The contractor—now a crumpled heap on the ground—had lost all strength, his life force drained after the contract was forcefully severed.
Casper approached, his keen eyes assessing the situation before settling on Julius. "You actually did it," he murmured, a hint of something unreadable in his tone. "I don't know how, but you broke a contract that shouldn't have been breakable."
Julius exhaled, his fingers curling slightly. The weight of the ritual still lingered in his body, but he forced himself to meet Casper's gaze. "I told you," he said, his voice laced with exhaustion yet firm. "Destroying the doll wasn't the only way."
Casper let out a low chuckle. "Fine, you win this one." Then his expression darkened. "Now, what do we do with this bastard?" He nudged the contractor's limp form with his foot.
Julius cast a glance at Caleb, who stood frozen at a distance, his small hands clenched into fists. "We take him to court," he said. "This is the real murderer—the one who framed Caleb's father."
Caleb's head snapped up, his blue eyes wide with hope and disbelief. "R-really?"
Julius nodded. "Yes. It's time we clear your father's name."
The courthouse was filled with an oppressive tension. A large crowd had gathered, and the air buzzed with whispered accusations. **Caleb's father knelt before the execution platform**, hands bound behind his back, his eyes shadowed with the resignation of a man who had already accepted his fate.
The rifles of the firing squad gleamed in the dim light. The executioner's voice rang out, steady and merciless:
"On the charge of murder, the accused is sentenced to death. Final preparations—"
"Wait!"
Julius' voice **cut through the tension** like a blade. The murmurs intensified as he stepped forward, dragging the restrained contractor behind him.
The judge's eyes narrowed. "Who dares interfere with court proceedings?"
Julius didn't flinch. "I have proof of the real culprit."
The audience erupted into a frenzy of gasps.
The judge scrutinized him for a moment before gesturing for silence. "You claim to have the real murderer? Present your evidence."
Julius **threw the contractor onto the floor**. The man groaned, struggling weakly, but he was too drained to resist.
"This man," Julius declared, "was the true orchestrator behind the murders."
The courtroom fell into stunned silence.
Julius wasted no time. He meticulously **recounted the details**—the cursed doll, the contract, the ritual circle that had ensnared Williams, and the previous victim, Lady Marla's fiancé. He even revealed how the artifact had been manipulated to frame Caleb's father.
For a moment, **doubt lingered**. The judge's expression remained impassive as he turned to Casper.
"Can you confirm these claims?"
Casper nodded. "I was there. Everything he said is true."
The weight of those words sent ripples through the court. The once-condemned father looked up, his lips trembling.
Caleb ran forward, his voice **cracking with emotion**. "Father!"
The judge raised his hand, silencing the court. Then, with a heavy sigh, he gave the final ruling.
"…The accused is **innocent**."
The rifles of the execution squad lowered.
Caleb's father collapsed, overwhelmed by relief. The courtroom **exploded into chaos**, half of the crowd cheering while the other half erupted into protests.
Julius stepped back, watching the **justice he had fought for unfold**.
That night, as the storm of the trial settled, Caleb stood before Julius, his small hands clutched together.
"Thank you," he whispered, tears glistening in his eyes. "You saved my father… I don't know how to repay you."
Julius was about to dismiss it when **Caleb suddenly dropped to his knees**.
With eyes filled with reverence, he clasped his hands together and **began to pray**.
"Oh, great Shadow Sovereign… The god who sent this savior to us… I offer my gratitude."
A cold shiver ran down Julius' spine.
Something **stirred** within him.
His mark—the **seal on his arm—burned fiercely**, as though reacting to the child's sincere plea.
Julius inhaled sharply, feeling **an invisible force** pulling at him. **Something was calling him.**
He turned away before anyone could notice. His mind reeled.
The **seal… was reacting**.
Did this mean—?
No time to think. The burning intensified. He **activated the seal** instinctively—
And the world around him **vanished**.
When Julius opened his eyes, he was no longer on the mortal plane.
Instead, he sat upon a **majestic throne**, towering over an endless expanse of **glittering stars**. The celestial void stretched infinitely, and the very air hummed with divinity.
He was **no longer just Julius**.
Here, upon this throne, he was something **more**.
The whispers of the void greeted him. Countless murmurs of prayers drifted through the cosmic expanse.
And among them, one voice stood out.
Caleb's voice.
"Oh, great Shadow Sovereign, I thank you for sending him…"
Julius' breath hitched.
The truth **crashed into him**.
The **prayers were directed to him**.
Because **he** was the Shadow Sovereign.
His fingers tightened over the armrest of his throne. **He had answered a divine call.**
And now…
He had a **god's duty** to fulfill
The celestial void pulsed with a rhythm Julius couldn't fully comprehend. The **starry expanse whispered to him**, voices swirling through the endless abyss like echoes from an unseen past. He could feel Caleb's prayer tugging at his existence, a delicate yet unrelenting force demanding an answer.
A god's duty…?
The realization settled over him like a suffocating shroud. **He had answered the call, not as a man, but as a being beyond mortal comprehension.**
Julius exhaled slowly, his grip on the throne's armrest tightening. He glanced down at his hands—**they no longer felt entirely his own.** A faint glow, dark as the deepest shadows yet gleaming with an ethereal sheen, traced along his fingers.
Then, the **prayer intensified.**
"Oh, great Shadow Sovereign… please… please let my father live a long and happy life… Let my savior be blessed for what he has done…"
Julius clenched his jaw. The burning seal on his arm pulsed, resonating with the plea. He could feel the weight of the words—not just as a wish, but as something **binding**.
He was being **compelled to act.**
For a moment, he hesitated. **Was this truly his role?**
He had sought power, knowledge, and control over his fate—but never **worship.**
Yet, the throne beneath him **welcomed it.** It demanded that he listen.
"…Tch." Julius clicked his tongue, his expression darkening. **Then so be it.**
He straightened his posture, his **form shifting into something more profound.** His voice, when he spoke, was no longer merely his own—it carried a **resonance**, an ancient and unknowable weight.
**"Your prayer has been heard."**
The celestial void trembled. The moment those words were uttered, a connection solidified—**a thread bound Julius and Caleb together in a way beyond mortal comprehension.**
He could feel the ripples of power spreading. This wasn't mere acknowledgment—**this was a divine pact.**
Julius took a slow breath. If this was to be his path, he would tread it **on his own terms.**
With a simple thought, he **severed his presence from the starry realm.** The throne, though reluctant, released him.
And in the next instant—
Julius gasped as **reality slammed back into him.**
The air felt too thick, the ground too solid beneath his feet. His vision swam before stabilizing, revealing the familiar setting of the **courthouse steps** where he had stood moments ago.
But something was different.
Caleb **stared at him in awe.** His small body trembled, his hands still clasped together.
"Y-you… you answered…" Caleb whispered, eyes wide with reverence.
Julius' breath hitched. **The boy had felt it.**
Not just a vague sense, not a hopeful belief—**he had truly felt the response of a god.**
Julius forced a smirk, attempting to brush it off. "Guess your prayers are pretty powerful, kid."
Caleb's expression didn't waver. If anything, **his reverence deepened.**
Julius sighed inwardly. **This… is going to be a problem.**
Later that evening, after ensuring Caleb's father was safely reunited with his family, Julius found himself standing alone in a quiet alley, leaning against the cold stone wall.
Casper appeared beside him, his usual smirk absent. Instead, his gaze was sharp, calculating.
"You disappeared for a moment back there," Casper noted casually.
Julius rolled his shoulders. "Did I?"
Casper's smirk returned, but his eyes remained unreadable. "Don't play dumb. I felt it—**something shifted.**"
Julius didn't answer immediately. He let the silence stretch before exhaling. "…It's nothing."
Casper hummed, unconvinced.
Then, with an almost lazy motion, he flipped a **silver coin** in the air, catching it deftly. The coin bore an intricate symbol—**one Julius recognized.**
A mark of the Church of Evernight.
Julius' eyes narrowed slightly. "Where did you get that?"
Casper twirled the coin between his fingers. "Word is spreading," he said lightly. "Some are saying a **new power has awakened.**"
Julius' jaw tightened. **So soon…?**
Casper finally pocketed the coin, then flashed a sharp grin. "If I were you, I'd tread carefully. Gods are fickle, after all."
With that, he walked away, his figure melting into the night.
Julius remained still, his hand absently brushing against the seal on his arm.
**A god's duty… huh?**
He exhaled slowly, his shadow stretching unnaturally under the moonlight.
**Things were about to get much more complicated.**