Kael froze
The cold hand remained on his shoulder.
Every instinct screamed at him to turn around.
But the warning echoed in his mind.
> Don't turn around, Kael.
If you do...
the trial ends.
The star-filled realm had become eerily silent.
Ahead of him, Queen Elara remained chained beyond the darkness.
Her terrified expression had not changed.
She continued shaking her head.
As if begging him not to do something.
Or not to trust someone.
Kael tightened his grip on the golden sword.
"Who are you?" he asked.
The voice behind him chuckled softly.
"I wondered how long it would take before you asked."
The hand disappeared from his shoulder.
Yet Kael could still sense the presence standing behind him.
Ancient.
Powerful.
Dangerous.
Far more dangerous than the Herald.
Far more dangerous than the Devourer.
A chill ran down his spine.
"Why can't I look at you?"
The voice became silent for several moments.
Then it answered.
"Because you are not ready."
Suddenly, the stars above began moving.
Thousands of constellations rearranged themselves.
They formed a single image.
A throne.
The Last Throne.
And behind it...
Nine shadows.
Not Seven Sovereigns.
Not Eight.
Nine.
Kael's eyes widened.
"What is this?"
The voice sighed.
"A forgotten truth."
The image shifted.
The Seven Sovereigns appeared.
Then Aurelion.
The First Sovereign King.
That made eight.
But the ninth figure remained hidden.
Its face could not be seen.
Its form seemed blurred.
Almost erased.
"Who is the ninth?" Kael asked.
The voice laughed.
"You ask questions whose answers could destroy kingdoms."
The stars suddenly trembled.
A crack spread across the Trial Realm.
Then another.
And another.
The entire dimension was collapsing.
> WARNING.
TRIAL REALM FAILURE IMMINENT.
Kael looked around.
"The realm is breaking apart!"
"I know."
"You don't sound worried."
"I'm not."
Kael frowned.
"Why?"
The voice answered calmly.
"Because this trial was never meant to survive."
Before Kael could ask another question, Queen Elara suddenly screamed.
"KAEL!"
The darkness exploded.
Chains shattered.
A crimson claw burst from the void and grabbed her.
"No!" Kael shouted.
He rushed forward.
But the ground beneath him disappeared.
The darkness swallowed everything.
The Devourer's eye opened wider.
For the first time, true anger appeared within it.
> You should not have awakened.
The entire realm shook violently.
Stars exploded one after another.
Reality itself began collapsing.
Then—
The mysterious voice behind Kael finally spoke with authority.
An authority that surpassed everything else.
Even the Devourer fell silent.
> Enough.
One word.
That was all.
Yet the darkness stopped moving.
The Devourer's gigantic eye narrowed.
For the first time...
It seemed cautious.
Almost fearful.
Kael's heart pounded.
Whoever stood behind him was powerful enough to make the Devourer hesitate.
The voice continued.
> The boy is not yours.
The Devourer laughed.
But its laughter sounded forced.
> He belongs to fate.
The voice replied immediately.
> No.
He belongs to himself.
A shockwave swept across existence.
Kael could barely remain standing.
Then the mysterious figure took a step forward.
For a split second, Kael saw a reflection in his sword.
And what he saw nearly stopped his heart.
The figure looked exactly like him.
Same face.
Same eyes.
Same appearance.
Only older.
Much older.
Before Kael could look closer, the reflection vanished.
The mysterious person sighed.
"Looks like I've already revealed too much."
Kael's mind raced.
Who was that?
A relative?
A future version of himself?
Something else entirely?
The answer never came.
Because the Trial Realm finally shattered.
CRAAAAACK!
The stars broke apart.
The darkness collapsed.
The Last Throne released a blinding burst of golden light.
Kael felt himself being pulled away.
The final thing he saw was Queen Elara reaching toward him.
And the final thing he heard was the mysterious voice.
> Hurry, Kael.
The Moon Festival begins tomorrow.
And that is where the real disaster starts.
The light consumed everything.
---
Kael's eyes snapped open.
He was back inside the Temple of Eternal Echoes.
Orion.
Aurelion.
The guardian.
All of them stood around him.
Relief appeared on their faces.
But before anyone could speak—
The temple alarms began screaming.
> EMERGENCY ALERT.
MULTIPLE HOSTILE SIGNATURES DETECTED.
LOCATION: MOON FESTIVAL GROUNDS.
Aurelion's expression instantly darkened.
"Impossible."
Then another message appeared.
> TARGET IDENTIFIED.
OBJECTIVE: ASSASSINATION OF THE TWO HEIRS OF ELYSIUM.
The entire chamber fell silent.
Because the Moon Festival...
Would begin in less than twelve hours.
To be continued...