The Devil's Bride by Rapwizzy Debaron.
---
Episode 92: The Sovereign's Trial
The Age of the Sovereign had begun—but with it came the first test.
Lucian stood atop the Throne of Embers, the Sovereign Flame burning above his head like a second sun. Seraphina stood at his side, radiant and calm, her hand resting in his. Around them, the great hall of the New Citadel pulsed with power—rebuilt from the remnants of the Veil, fused by fire, magic, and love.
But peace was a fragile thing.
The stars flickered unnaturally that night. Beneath the Citadel's foundation, old forces stirred—restless, unseen.
A messenger arrived.
She was young—barely more than a girl—her skin etched with celestial runes, her eyes wide with terror. She fell to her knees before Lucian and Seraphina.
"My Lord… My Lady… It's begun."
Lucian stepped down, his voice steady. "What has begun?"
She trembled. "The Trials. The Thrones beyond the Realms… they reject your reign. They've summoned champions. One from each forgotten realm. And they march… to take your crown."
A hush fell over the court.
Seraphina's voice cut through the silence. "Who are they?"
The messenger looked up. "They call themselves The Nine Flames. Ancient warriors bound by vengeance and divine order. Each was promised a piece of the Sovereign Flame… if they can take it from your ashes."
Lucian exhaled. "Then let them come."
But Balance appeared once again, cloaked in swirling ash.
"No," she said. "To be Sovereign, you must not wait. You must face each champion in their own dominion. If you do not meet them on their ground… the crown will be forfeit."
Gabriel, now a quiet shadow of his former self, stepped forward. "Then it's a pilgrimage of fire."
Lucian nodded slowly. "Where is the first?"
Balance lifted a hand.
A map formed in mid-air—burning lines tracing paths across stars and broken lands. One region pulsed crimson.
"The Ember Abyss," she said. "Ruled by Surtan the Scorcher. Once a god of suns, now a being of endless hunger. He feeds on rebellion."
Seraphina stepped beside Lucian. "Then we bring him a feast."
They prepared at once.
Seraphina donned her armor of silver flame, forged from fallen constellations. Lucian's blade, reborn by the Sovereign Crown, pulsed like a heart of obsidian and starlight.
Before they left, Lucian turned to the court.
"I do not fight to keep a title," he said. "I fight for love, for balance, for the world we almost lost. And I will walk through fire again and again… if it means we never lose it again."
The crowd bowed.
The gates opened.
And with a final glance at the sky, Lucian and Seraphina stepped into the first Trial—unaware of the shadow trailing them. A figure cloaked in midnight, neither ally nor foe, but something… older.
The trials had begun.
The fate of creation burned once more.
To be continued…
💬 Comment, ❤️ Vote, and 📌 Follow for the next blazing trial in The Devil's Bride. Episode 93 will descend
into the Ember Abyss… where gods fall and Sovereigns rise. 🔥🗡️👑