The screen darkened, and then boundless radiance flooded into view.
It was the Erdtree, towering and magnificent, its light illuminating the entire Lands Between.
The camera drew closer, passing through the swaying, luminous branches and leaves, sweeping over Leyndell's layers of magnificent walls and buildings, before finally settling on the highest point-the Elden Throne.
The throne was ancient and plain. A metal crown rested quietly upon it.
A deep narrator's voice slowly sounded, with a barely audible aria in the background:
[This is an absurd choice...]
The camera shifted slightly upward, passing over the throne to focus on seven tall seats arranged around it.
Their styles differed wildly. They stood silent.
[...But the goddess has no other recourse...]
A hand entered the frame and steadily picked up the crown from the throne.
Its owner had yet to be fully revealed; only strands of silver hair showed on the screen.
He turned around, facing the camera and the seven empty seats.
The crown seemed light in his hand, yet heavy beyond measure.
The narrator's voice dropped even lower, carrying a certain guidance and challenge: [New master of the Elden Ring... it is time to proclaim your Law...]
Horace's face held no expression. He did not even glance down at the crown in his hand, merely tossing it aside.
The crown traced a brief arc and fell past the edge of the Elden Throne, the symbol of supreme authority.
The camera raced after the falling crown. It tumbled and struck the cold floor, breaking into several irregular pieces of metal with a crisp yet chilling crack.
[The so-called heroes of this world are nothing more than dice They casually cast...]
The screen gave the Crown a close-up: the fragments of the shattered crown.
A shaft of sunlight falling from the high dome