The crimson eye hovered above the kingdom.
Every citizen of Elysium could see it.
Children stopped playing.
Merchants abandoned their stalls.
Even powerful mages felt fear creeping into their hearts.
It was not merely an eye.
It was a presence.
An existence so overwhelming that the sky itself seemed unable to contain it.
Inside the Temple of Eternal Echoes, Kael stared upward.
"What is that thing?"
Aurelion's expression darkened.
"The Devourer has begun awakening."
Orion clenched his fists.
"An eye alone shouldn't possess that much power."
Aurelion shook his head.
"That is not its true body."
The revelation sent chills through the chamber.
"Then what are we looking at?" Kael asked.
"A crack."
Everyone froze.
"A crack between dimensions."
"The eye is merely looking through it."
The entire temple fell silent.
If a single eye could create such pressure...
What would happen if the creature fully emerged?
Suddenly, the temple bells rang again.
A new message appeared above the crystal throne.
> EMERGENCY PROTOCOL ACTIVATED.
HEIRS OF ELYSIUM REQUIRED.
IMMEDIATE DEPLOYMENT AUTHORIZED.
The map of Elysium appeared once more.
This time, several locations glowed red.
"The corruption is spreading," the guardian whispered.
Aurelion pointed toward the largest red mark.
"The first breach has appeared inside the Forbidden Forest."
Kael immediately recognized the location.
It was where he had first heard the mysterious melody years ago.
Before anyone could speak, a royal knight rushed into the temple.
His armor was damaged.
Blood covered his face.
"Your Highness!"
He fell to one knee before Kael.
"The northern watchtower has fallen!"
"What?" Orion asked.
The knight struggled to breathe.
"Monsters... thousands of them."
The chamber became silent.
Elysium had not faced a monster invasion in centuries.
"Describe them," Aurelion ordered.
The knight's face turned pale.
"They look human..."
"But their eyes glow crimson."
"And they feel no pain."
Aurelion immediately understood.
"The corruption has started."
Kael looked at him.
"What corruption?"
"The Devourer's influence."
"Anyone exposed to it for too long loses themselves."
The knight lowered his head.
"We lost an entire battalion."
Kael's heart sank.
An entire battalion?
That was over a thousand elite soldiers.
Suddenly—
BOOM!
The temple shook violently.
Everyone looked outside.
Another crack had appeared across the sky.
The crimson eye seemed larger now.
Watching.
Studying.
Waiting.
Then a voice echoed across the kingdom.
A voice that did not belong to any living creature.
> I have found you.
Every person in Elysium heard it.
Kael froze.
The voice felt ancient.
Older than time itself.
The crimson eye slowly moved.
And stopped directly above the temple.
Aurelion's face immediately changed.
"No..."
The voice echoed again.
> The Sovereign of Sovereigns...
has finally appeared.
Kael's blood ran cold.
The creature was talking about him.
The entire temple turned toward the prince.
Even Orion looked shocked.
"What does it mean?" Kael asked.
Aurelion remained silent.
For the first time since his return...
The First King looked afraid.
The voice laughed.
The sound shook the heavens.
> I have searched for you...
across countless worlds.
The necklace of Queen Elara blazed with golden light.
Kael suddenly felt a strange power awakening deep inside him.
A power he had never felt before.
Golden symbols appeared across his arms.
The melody he had heard since childhood returned.
Only this time...
He could understand the words.
His eyes widened.
The song was not a song at all.
It was a warning.
A warning left behind thousands of years ago.
The final line echoed within his mind.
> When the Crimson Eye opens,
the Last Throne shall awaken.
The ground beneath Kael suddenly cracked.
Golden light exploded from his body.
The two royal thrones trembled violently.
But then—
A third throne began rising from beneath the temple floor.
A throne no one had ever seen before.
A throne made of starlight itself.
The guardian stared in horror.
Aurelion slowly fell to one knee.
Even Orion looked speechless.
Ancient words appeared above the throne.
> AUTHORIZATION CONFIRMED.
THE LAST THRONE HAS AWAKENED.
Kael's heart pounded.
The voice from the sky laughed once more.
> At last...
our final battle can begin.
To be continued...