Chapter 1: **The Last Chain**

59 7 4
                                    

Lambert, the lamb who was once small and weak, was now a powerful figure. In his hooves, he carried the weight of the lives he had taken, and within him pulsed the power he had absorbed from the hearts of the four fallen bishops: Leshy, Heket, Kallamar, and Shamura, ancient guardians of the Old Faith. Each of them had represented an obstacle, a trial by fire that Lambert had overcome with ferocity, cunning, and above all, devotion to the will of his new god. Now, the lamb had arrived at the Velo, the place beyond the physical world, where reality itself began to fracture and fade.

The air in the Velo was thick, laden with a dark and tangible energy. Before him, chained to the limits of the Velo, was Narinder, the true God Lambert had sought since the beginning of his journey.

Narinder was both a majestic and terrifying being. His fur, black as night, seemed to absorb the very light, and three eyes protruded from his forehead, one of which always appeared to gaze beyond the present. Though he was chained, there was not a trace of weakness in his posture. His chains were thick, twisted from dark metal, a symbol of the betrayal by his own brothers, the bishops that Lambert had defeated. Each had served to keep Narinder captive, his power contained.

Lambert approached with a steady step, knowing that everything he had done up to this moment had led him here. Narinder said nothing at first, only observing him with his three eyes, evaluating the little lamb who now wore the crown of a god. The lamb knelt slowly, in a gesture of absolute devotion, and carefully removed his crown, offering it to Narinder with an almost reverent calmness. He knew what was coming; he had known from the beginning. There was no fear, only the certainty that his sacrifice was necessary. The chains of Narinder would disappear, and that thought filled Lambert with a strange peace.

"The crown... my power, my legacy," said Narinder, his voice resonating in the air like a distant echo. "My brothers were fools. They thought they could challenge the inevitable, that their fate was not sealed from the start. The prophecy was always clear: their defeat was your rise. And now, here you are."

Lambert raised his head for a moment and looked Narinder in the eyes. There was no hesitation in him. His devotion was so pure that, although he knew the price he must pay, he accepted his fate with a slight trace of satisfaction. He would be the instrument to free his god, and that was enough. It did not matter what happened to his life, or the sacrifice. All that mattered was Narinder, and the freedom he would soon have. His chains were already trembling.

"You brought me what is mine by right. Inside you, you have the power of the hearts of my brothers; part of their powers now flows through you. You are almost ready to free me, but there is one last thing," Narinder continued, extending one of his skeletal front legs, almost caressing the crown that Lambert held firmly.

Narinder tilted his head to one side, his three eyes sparkling with unfathomable malice.

"One last sacrifice, Lambert. One more, and my liberation will be complete. The last chain will be broken... but it won't be easy."

Narinder's words were cold and indirectly direct. Lambert felt a fleeting moment of fear. He knew this was his final purpose. The chains of Narinder, binding him to the Velo, shook slightly, as if they were also reacting to Lambert's presence and his will to give his life to break them.

"What must I do, master?" Lambert asked, his voice filled with calm and surrender, without a trace of doubt. Despite everything he had accomplished, at that moment he felt more at peace than ever. His life, his sacrifice, all had been for Narinder.

The black cat smiled, revealing its sharp fangs, and the eyes on his forehead glowed with an unnatural light.

"The last chain that must be broken... with your sacrifice."

Narinder extended a claw toward Lambert's heart, not with violence, but with a lethal gentleness. Lambert felt something inside him crumble, but instead of pain, a sense of liberation washed over him. He knew that his sacrifice was the true purpose of it all.

With one last breath, Lambert dropped the crown at Narinder's feet. The prophecy had been fulfilled.

Chains of VengeanceWhere stories live. Discover now