The Final Test came without warning. The room changed — or maybe he did. Suddenly, he was strapped to the Obelisk — a vertical restraint that held him upright, arms wide, legs bound, nothing to protect the sensitive, pulsing cage…

Mistress Seraphine entered behind him, silent as ever. “You’ve forgotten your name,” she said. “Good. Names are for the outside. And you… will never go back.” He did not flinch. The Obedience Vault The Rebirth There were no windows in…

Hours Passed. Or days. He was blindfolded most of the time now. Spoken to only when necessary. He ate from her fingers. He pissed on command. He dreamed of nothing. But each time she entered, his body reacted. Not with…

The second strike was slower. She pressed her hand to his chest, grounding him, before slamming her palm upward with mechanical precision. The cage dug inward. Flesh compressed. He thought he might vomit — but didn’t. She wouldn’t let him.…

“You crawl well,” she said. “But posture is not obedience. Still too much pride behind your spine.” She circled him again. Always circling. He was her center. Her axis. Her specimen. “Today,” she said, “we begin the Ritual of Ash.…