Xanther stood at the altar, nervous energy radiating from him in waves. Behind him, Renaldo held the Book of the Dead—an artifact so ancient that even the Keepers whispered about its origins.
"She will come," Renaldo assured him, his voice carrying the weight of certainty. "She always does."
And then she appeared.
Relana began her walk down the aisle. Her white gown flowed like liquid moonlight, her long black curls cascading over her shoulders. But it was her silver eyes that held Xanther transfixed—eyes that had witnessed dimensions collapse and rebuild, eyes that belonged to an Agent of the Keepers.
created from Elder Dragon DNA, forged as a weapon of neutrality—
earned the devotion of someone who walked between realities?
The ceremony was simple. Words spoken. Vows exchanged. Two beings from vastly different origins choosing to bind their fates together.
When they kissed, the Waters themselves seemed to still.
But it was what came after that changed everything.
⚜️ TALVERAN'S BRACELET ⚜️
Renaldo stepped forward, producing a bracelet that gleamed with impossible light. Talveran's Bracelet—a relic that had not been seen since the dimension's founding.
"Talveran has agreed to bond with you," Renaldo said, his tone reverent and knowing. "This makes you his host. His vessel. His voice in this dimension."
"You are now King of Nexus."
Xanther felt the bracelet close around his wrist. Power surged through him—not his own, but something ancient, patient, and impossibly vast. Talveran's consciousness touched his, and in that moment, Xanther understood:
This was not a gift.
This was a burden.
This was responsibility without escape.
Relana took his hand, her silver eyes reflecting understanding. She had always known this would happen. The Keepers had always known. Even Renaldo—watching from the sidelines with the Book of the Dead cradled in his arms—had orchestrated this moment.
The King had been crowned.
And in the shadows at the edge of Nexus, something stirred.
Something that had been waiting for exactly this convergence of power, love, and cosmic authority.
Nexus's Shadow was beginning to fall.