The Blade of Dawn turned completely black.

Lucien stared at it in disbelief.

"What did you do?"

Nethros shook his head.

"I didn't do anything."

The black flames around the sword grew stronger.

Aster stepped backward.

"It's true."

Seraphina looked at them.

"What is?"

Aster's eyes remained fixed on Lucien.

"The first darkness is inside him."

Lucien's grip tightened around the sword.

"No."

Nethros stepped closer.

"You felt it before."

Lucien remembered.

The strange moments when his sword had become heavier.

The whispers he had heard inside the Void Heart.

The darkness that had tried to tempt him.

He had believed it was gone.

But it had only been waiting....