Resurrection in Chains

Nyphoros groaned beneath a blood-red sky, the land still whispering tales of the Demon King's fall even as his spirit stirred anew. In the shadows of the world, forces churned—forces that would awaken the soul of a betrayed king and remind him of the vengeance he swore.

A thousand years after his brutal end, Tolet awakened, gasping and disoriented, his breaths shallow, his body cold. His memories surged forward, raw and savage, a thousand images pressing upon him—his once-loyal soldiers falling, his power splintering, and then Lycus, his son, the betrayal in his eyes like a dagger’s edge. His chest heaved as he struggled to comprehend his new reality. The once-mighty Demon King was now encased in fragile, mortal flesh.

Pain shot through him as he raised his hand, noticing the shackles chaining him to the walls of a dark cell. The air was damp, thick with the scent of ancient mold and rot. With the faintest sliver of his once-divine senses, Tolet realized he was far beneath Nyphoros, in the forgotten bowels of the underworld.

A low, guttural laugh echoed from the cell across him, deep and mocking. "Awake at last, are we?"

Tolet squinted, forcing his new eyes to adjust. Across the cell, a hulking figure sat cloaked in shadow, only his eyes glowing—a sickly yellow, riddled with veins of black.

"Who are you to mock me?" Tolet growled, voice weaker than he intended. He despised the quiver in his tone, yet his rage forced strength into his words.

The figure leaned forward, revealing a weathered, scarred face with a broad, toothy grin. "I am called Drexal, once the Warden of these forsaken dungeons. You, on the other hand, seem to have fallen from your throne, little demon."

Tolet bared his teeth, but the familiar pull of power did not answer his call. His head spun with the realization—his strength, once an endless well of destruction and death, was barely a flicker. Clenching his fists, he tried to summon even a spark of the dark flame that once burned at his command. Nothing.

"Where are we?" he demanded, his tone sharp, hiding his rising panic.

Drexal’s laughter was a hollow, mirthless sound. "Far below the world you knew, Demon King. Lycus decreed that any soul found tampering with the forces of death itself would be bound in chains here—permanently." Drexal cocked his head, studying Tolet. “A pity that the great Tolet himself had to fall to such depths."

Tolet's eyes blazed with fury as Drexal continued, “And that Lycus—your own son—condemned you to it.”

"Speak his name again," Tolet hissed, "and I will carve it from your throat."

Drexal sneered. "Bold words from a chained king. But I can see it, you know. Even in this mortal skin, your eyes burn with vengeance. A dangerous thing… for one so powerless.”

Tolet’s rage simmered, controlled, calculating. He looked down at his shackled wrists, the ancient, runic symbols glowing faintly. They pulsed with a familiar, bitter magic—a ward forged from his own power, turned against him.

Drexal’s mocking tone softened, almost contemplative. “You could remain here, let your hatred consume you, and rot in these chains. Or…” He let the word linger.

Tolet's gaze shot back up, his eyes narrowing. “Or?”

Drexal stepped closer, his face half-lit by a faintly glowing torch outside their cells. “There are others, enemies of Lycus, ancient forces that would rally behind a Demon King bent on vengeance—if he can prove he’s still worth following.”

"And you, Warden?” Tolet sneered. “Would you rally behind the one you mock?”

A twisted smile stretched across Drexal’s face. “Perhaps. I have been chained here for centuries by Lycus's decree. My loyalty lies only in finding a worthy leader… and Lycus has grown too secure in his throne, too distant from the fires that forged him.”

Tolet’s lips curled into a slow, dangerous smile. “Then unlock these chains, Warden. Prove your loyalty to me.”

Drexal chuckled, but this time there was no mockery in it. “Oh, it won’t be that easy, Demon King. These chains are not mine to break. But there are rumors of an artifact hidden in the labyrinths beneath us—a shard of the very Eye of Eternity that granted you the curse of rebirth. It could hold the power to break your bindings… and perhaps more.”

A spark flickered in Tolet’s gaze. "Where can I find it?"

“Down here,” Drexal replied, his tone suddenly grim, “is a dark maze filled with twisted beasts—creatures cast away by Lycus and bound by spells so foul, they drive even demons to madness. If you think yourself ready, I can show you a hidden passage from here, one that will lead into the heart of the labyrinth.”

Tolet took a steadying breath, feeling the weight of his mortality—a reminder of the frailty he despised, yet an opportunity to prove himself once more. His gaze met Drexal's, a dangerous intensity sparking in his eyes. "Show me the way."

The cell door creaked open as Drexal guided Tolet through a series of winding passages that plunged them deeper into darkness. The walls were close, lined with symbols that pulsed with a sickly, green light, warning of wards that guarded the forsaken maze ahead.

They reached a grand archway etched with ancient script. Drexal motioned toward it. “Beyond here lies your path. And remember—once you step inside, you’ll find only death or freedom.”

Tolet did not falter. He crossed the threshold, entering a vast chamber where shadows writhed like living things. The air was thick with the scent of blood and decay, every step echoing in the silent darkness. Suddenly, a low growl rumbled from the far end, and a creature lumbered into view—a monstrous, half-serpentine beast with scales as dark as midnight and eyes that shone with a soulless hunger.

With no hesitation, the beast charged, jaws wide, revealing rows of glistening fangs. Tolet summoned his fury, raising his fists in a futile attempt to shield himself, but just as the beast lunged, a surge of familiar, intoxicating power ignited within him, crackling across his skin.

He met the creature’s charge, ducking low and driving his fist into its side with a strength he hadn’t felt since his former life. The creature hissed, recoiling, and Tolet seized his advantage, feeling a pulse of dark energy ripple from his core, filling him with primal rage.

“Is this all the underworld has to offer?” he snarled, voice resonating with newfound authority.

But his victory was short-lived. Three more creatures slithered from the shadows, their hungry eyes fixed on him. Tolet tightened his fists, allowing the raw, uncontained power of his anger to surge forth, flickering as he slammed his palm down into the ground. The tremor that followed sent two of the beasts stumbling back, their gnarled forms writhing in confusion.

The third, however, sprang forward with unrelenting ferocity, catching him off guard and tearing into his shoulder. Tolet grunted in pain, but he seized the beast’s neck, twisting with a sickening crack as he hurled it against the wall.

Panting, he surveyed the carnage, blood dripping from his arm. His strength was returning, but it was volatile, unpredictable. The Eye of Eternity had cursed him with rebirth, but it had left him incomplete, fragmented.

Tolet staggered forward, each step toward the shimmering light at the end of the corridor filled with a renewed, simmering resolve. Drexal had been right—if he could survive this maze, his vengeance against Lycus would be inevitable.

At last, he reached a stone pedestal at the corridor's end, upon which rested a crystal shard, shimmering with an ethereal glow—the shard of the Eye of Eternity. He reached out, his hand shaking as he touched it, feeling its cold power pulse through him.

Suddenly, visions overwhelmed him—moments from his former life, battles fought, victories savored, and Lycus’s smug, treacherous face laughing above his fallen body. Fury exploded within him, and the shard seemed to respond, blazing with a violent, dark light.

As he gripped it, his chains shattered, and power surged through him, the remnants of his demonic essence reforged in that moment of raw hatred. He roared, the sound echoing through the cavern, a warning to the realms above.

In that roar, he felt his purpose crystallize. Tolet, the Demon King, had returned, reborn in chains, but unbroken.

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***