The blood red eclipse faded from the sky, leaving a vibrant and deep night sky in it's place.

Charlotte lead the group through a dark tunnel beneath the Abyssal Hive, she set her horns on fire to provide a light source for the group.

The flames flickered dimly as she walked on ahead beside Claude.

She slowed her pace and kept her head down. "I can't hear them anymore... T-the voices of the other Lieutenants... Demon horns work like antennas... N-Normally I can hear what they're saying... Hecate thought it was through the walls... b-but that's silly... Abyssal Walls don't exist... The other five Lieutenants have already disowned me from the group... I'm not one of them anymore..."

"I's just a little further... I can feel it calling to me..."

Charlotte suddenly fell to her knees and scratched at her head. She made pained sounds.

Her head throbbed with pain as she neared the chamber. Five voices echoed through her mind. The voices jeered and chanted. "Traitor!" "Traitor!" "Traitor!" Over and over.

She shook her head frantically and groaned.

"Charlotte, are you alright?" Claude quickly kneeled beside her, meeting her eye level with his own.

Charlotte glanced up at him weakly. "S-sorry... It's The Monarch's influence, he's... he was my master for centuries, I-I witnessed three reincarnations of The Monarch, each more terrible than the last... His influence still lingers a little, I'll be okay... I-I'll happily suffer forever, if it means I'm no longer under The Monarch's control... It's what I deserve... for what I... What Hecate and I did..."

Claude shook his head and gently placed his hand on Charlotte's shoulder to comfort her. "Hecate's actions aren't your own, yes you share a body, but your minds are separate, you're not Hecate, and Hecate isn't you."

Charlotte stood up slowly. "Y-you're right of course... I'm not Hecate... but, I still have to live with the consequences of what she does while she's in control..."

Charlotte sighed. "You're kinder to me than any previous one... Maybe this time will be different..."

Claude looked at her, a confused expression painted his face. "Different to the previous one? Well of course I'm different. I couldn't be more different to The Monarch of The Abyss, right?"

Charlotte nodded hesitantly. "I-I didn't mean... never mind, don't worry about it... what matters is you're giving me orders now... let's keep moving..."

Charlotte turned to Claude suddenly and smiled softly at him. "You've got an overwhelming authority... similar to The Monarch... b-but there's one big difference... I don't feel scared of you, I was terrified of The Monarch."

"I feel... I feel like a new era is finally dawning... Maybe I can say goodbye to The Monarch forever... I-Is it really okay for me to forsake him... I want to live in Arhke… with everyone else... I want to be safe..."

Claude nodded. "I won't force you to continue this fight, but with your strength humanity stands a fighting chance. This isn't an order, it's a request. Will you fight for our side now Charlotte?"

She glanced down at the floor. Lost in thought for a minute. Her head snapped up to face Claude, she gave a firm nod. "I will... I'll fight for humanity!"

She looked down at her right hand, a small flame formed in it. "These flames... they protect humanity now... no more humans will be burned by me... I promise... I want to atone for my past, even if this won't make things right."

Claude smiled. "You may end up fighting your fellow Lieutenants, are you certain you can do that?"

Charlotte nodded. "I'm not close to any of the Lieutenants... even Hecate was a bit of a loner, We're only connected through The Monarch, we're just associates... They've sinned too, I want to atone by wiping The Monarch's influence away forever!"

Charlotte spun around and continued down the dark tunnel. "It's just ahead... the Abyssal Crown..."

The tunnel gave way to a large circular chamber. The group entered the chamber and looked around.

The walls were adorned with strange markings and symbols, almost alien in nature. Charlotte approached the wall and traced a finger along one of the written passages. "The Crown of the Saviour, sealed below this chamber. Only to be retrieved by the chosen one."

Charlotte nodded to herself. "It's a passage written by the Abyssal Architect after this place was constructed. The Crown lies beneath us."

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She turned to Claude. "M-may I borrow some of your blood for a moment... it's important to open the passage... it requires the blood of the chosen one... t-the one who has Abyssal Authority..."

Claude extended his right hand, palm facing upwards towards Charlotte. "Do what you need to Charlotte. We need to get that crown before any of the other Lieutenants can take it."

She created a small blade in her hand using blood. She lightly cut Claude's hand, blood seeped from the small cut, she scraped some of it into her other hand and turned to walk towards a small raised platform at the back of the chamber.

Charlotte poured Claude's blood out of her hand onto the altar. It trickled along the floor and seeped into the tiles.

The ground shook and a small podium rose from the ground. The middle opened to reveal a sinister black crown, a black birdcage-like frame sat atop the base of the crown, the inside of the cage-like frame pulsed a sinister black colour several thorny dark vines snaked around the bars. Inside the cage suddenly formed a small translucent, purple smoky eye, it immediately glared at Charlotte. Piercing her soul, Charlotte felt her throat tighten, as if a vice was gripping her.

She coughed and began to shake. "T-there it is... the crown..." The flames on Charlotte's horns suddenly extinguished. "It's power is still overwhelming... e-even after forty years without a master..."

As she drew closer her head throbbed. Her headache grew more intense as she advanced. She fell to her knees and trembled, tears streaked down her face as she fought the pain, crawling along the floor towards the crown.

Claude and the group attempted to approach but something seemed to repel them entirely.

Voices screamed at Charlotte. The voices of everyone she and Hecate killed. Charlotte covered her ears but the voices didn't stop. She curled up and cried out.

Claude shouted to her, his voice pierced her mind, louder than all the others screaming in her head. "Charlotte, The Crown has no control over you anymore. I am your master, not The Monarch. Stand up Charlotte!" The voices began to die down.

She nodded and stood up shakily. The grip she felt on her throat faded. Claude's authority had overwritten the crown.

Charlotte quickly scrambled to touch the crown. As her hand landed on it, six thorns jolted upwards. Each bearing a ring at the base, six colours. Orange, Red, Blue, Brown, Green and Pink.

Charlotte attempted to lift the crown, She struggled but the crown wouldn't budge.

Claude walked up and attempted to lift it, it felt like a feather as he picked it up and examined it. "Why did it look so heavy for you yet I can pick it up so easily?"

Charlotte looked at him. "The Monarch once told me that The Abyssal Crown is linked to one's sins... T-that's all he told me... I don't know how it counts sins or what the criteria is... but I've sinned a lot... so maybe that's why I couldn't lift it..."

She shrugged. "Oh wait... the orange ring... that represents my clan. " She pointed to her orange horns. "L-let me see that for a second."

She approached the crown and ignited a fire in her palm. She placed her hand beneath the crown and the orange ring burned away.

The thorn attached to it withered and died. "These are a failsafe... each Lieutenant can destroy the ring corresponding to their clan... T-these prevent The Crown using it's full power."

Claude stepped back with the crown. He tapped his earlobe and contacted Ghost. "Hey Ghost. I found the Abyssal Crown, small problem is that I need all the Lieutenants in order for it to be useful. Beyond that I do have a question for you. I'd like to know more about the Abyssal Authority if possible."

Ghost's voice echoed through his mind. "Oh, heya Claude. I'm glad you got back into contact with me, it's clear we have a lot to talk about. The crown can be brought back to HQ, I'll get it cleared with Mr Draven. As for the Abyssal Authority. All I know about it is that it's an incredibly rare ability, more akin to a curse. It gives the individual abilities that match the Demons. They become more powerful with Abyssal Energy, but... it alters them. Sometimes irreversibly. The Monarch used to have it. He somehow created a form of it that was even more advanced, allowing him to bend The Abyss itself to his command, I believe he called it Abyssal Dominion."

Ghost went silent for a minute before her voice rose again. "I've gotten you cleared to come back to Arhke. Bring Charlotte back, Mirage told me what happened, don't worry about a proper explanation until you're back. Captain Regent and Mei are already back in Arhke. You and the rest of your group please bring the crown back so that I can write a report for Mr Draven. Okay, see ya back at HQ soon!"

Meanwhile in an undisclosed location at Arhke. Five men sat in a dark room.

Four around a table and one at a desk in the front, their faces obscured by an eerie veil that darkened the room despite the lights being on, they were nearing the end of a meeting.

The man at the desk spoke first, his voice carried a sense of authority and command. "Gentlemen, This concludes our meeting for today. To end off I would like to ask Mr Draven. How is Project Arbiter coming along?"

A man sat in the corner rose from his seat, he was shrouded in shadow, only his bright red eyes visible. "I am ready to initiate the next phase. The one we require is exactly where I need him. He's performing well as a hero. I require your permission to keep the Abyssal Crown contained in the Hero Organisation. I believe this to be essential to the next phase of the plan. Beyond that I shall continue monitoring the subject."

The man at the desk nodded. "I grant you permission to keep the crown at the Hero HQ, I trust you to do what is needed to achieve the results we require. Humanity's future is at stake, do whatever it takes to make Project Arbiter a success."

Draven responded through the darkness. "I will be working in collaboration with Doctor Wright to examine The Arbiter as he returns from a mission, I have Ghost writing a full mission report. The Arbiter is growing faster than anticipated. Expect a further report in due time. Thank you Chairman Arhke. I do however have one final report."

Draven sighed. "A strange shadowy organisation has arisen in Arhke, they have proven to be enemies of the state and wish to put an end to Project Arbiter. They wish to steal our Arbiter for themselves. I have placed them on a priority list and shall report any further activity when I learn about it. That shall be all from me."

Draven bowed and sat down.

Chairman Arhke nodded. "Excellent, After The Golden Regent quit, I was concerned Project Arbiter wouldn't be able to go ahead. However it's clear I picked the right man for the job. The Golden Regent called my plan dangerous, a detriment to humanity. Yet without innovation we have no hope of survival. Meeting adjourned!" The room fell silent as the five men departed. Draven faded into the shadows while the four other men exited the building.