The Temple of Eternal Echoes was silent.
No one spoke after the assassination warning.
Kael had barely returned from the Trial Realm, yet another crisis had already appeared.
The Moon Festival.
The most important celebration in Elysium.
And now...
A battlefield waiting to happen.
Aurelion's expression remained grim.
"How many hostiles?"
The temple immediately responded.
> ANALYZING...
THREAT LEVEL: EXTREME.
CONFIRMED HOSTILES: UNKNOWN.
The guardian's face paled.
"Unknown?"
"That has never happened before."
Orion folded his arms.
"Meaning the temple can't identify them."
"Or they possess power beyond its records," Aurelion replied.
The answer made everyone uneasy.
Suddenly, another message appeared.
> ADDITIONAL WARNING.
ENEMY HAS ALREADY ENTERED THE CAPITAL.
Kael's eyes narrowed.
"They're already here?"
The temple glowed red.
> CONFIRMED.
A cold silence filled the chamber.
That meant the enemy could be anywhere.
Among the nobles.
Among the royal guards.
Even among the festival guests.
Aurelion immediately turned toward the princes.
"Listen carefully."
His tone was serious.
"The Moon Festival cannot be canceled."
"What?" Kael asked.
"We know assassins are coming."
"The kingdom doesn't know that," Aurelion replied.
"If we cancel the festival now, panic will spread."
Orion nodded.
"And our enemies will simply hide."
Aurelion smiled.
"Exactly."
Kael understood.
The festival would become a trap.
For both sides.
The enemy would try to kill them.
And they would try to uncover the enemy first.
---
Hours later...
Night covered the Kingdom of Elysium.
Silver lanterns floated across the sky.
Millions of magical flowers illuminated the capital.
The Moon Festival would begin at sunrise.
Yet despite the beauty...
A feeling of dread lingered in the air.
Kael stood alone on a balcony overlooking the city.
His thoughts drifted back to the Trial Realm.
To Queen Elara.
To the mysterious figure who looked like him.
And to the words he could not forget.
> The real disaster starts tomorrow.
Footsteps approached.
Orion stepped onto the balcony.
For several moments, neither brother spoke.
Finally, Orion broke the silence.
"You saw something in that trial."
Kael looked at him.
"What makes you think that?"
"You've looked troubled ever since you returned."
Kael sighed.
"I saw Mother."
Orion froze.
The usually calm prince looked genuinely shocked.
"Mother?"
Kael nodded.
"She might still be alive."
Silence followed.
Then Orion laughed softly.
"That would certainly explain why fate keeps getting more complicated."
For the first time in days, Kael smiled.
Then Orion's expression became serious.
"Do you trust Aurelion?"
The question surprised him.
"The First King?"
Orion nodded.
Kael thought for a moment.
"I don't know."
"Neither do I."
The answer hung in the air.
Aurelion had saved them.
Helped them.
Guided them.
Yet he had also hidden many secrets.
Too many.
Suddenly—
A scream echoed from below.
Kael and Orion immediately rushed to the edge of the balcony.
A crowd had gathered in one of the streets.
People were pointing toward the sky.
"What happened?" Kael asked.
Then he saw it.
His blood ran cold.
The moon.
It had turned crimson.
The entire capital fell silent.
Even the floating lanterns stopped moving.
A terrible pressure descended upon the kingdom.
And then...
The crimson moon cracked.
A giant fissure spread across its surface.
As if something inside was trying to break out.
BOOOOOOM!
The sky exploded with dark energy.
People screamed.
Guards rushed through the streets.
The festival grounds began shaking violently.
The temple's voice echoed throughout the entire capital.
> EMERGENCY ALERT.
THE MOON SEAL HAS BEEN BREACHED.
Aurelion suddenly appeared beside the brothers.
For the first time...
The First King looked truly alarmed.
"No..."
Kael looked at him.
"What is the Moon Seal?"
Aurelion's eyes remained fixed on the shattered moon.
His answer made their hearts stop.
"It is the prison."
"The prison of what?" Orion asked.
Aurelion slowly drew his sword.
His voice became barely a whisper.
"The Ninth Sovereign."
Lightning exploded across the heavens.
And from the crack in the crimson moon...
A shadow began emerging.
A shadow that had been imprisoned for ten thousand years.
Ancient chains wrapped around its body.
Each chain contained countless glowing runes.
Yet one by one...
The chains began breaking.
CRACK!
CRACK!
CRACK!
The sound echoed throughout the world.
The shadow slowly raised its head.
Its silver eyes opened.
The moment they did—
Every magical artifact in Elysium shattered.
BOOM!
Crystal towers cracked.
Protective barriers collapsed.
Even the Temple of Eternal Echoes trembled.
The being's gaze swept across the kingdom.
Then stopped.
Directly on Kael.
The shadow smiled.
And a voice echoed across heaven and earth.
> So...
The Last Throne has finally awakened.
Kael felt his blood freeze.
The stranger knew about the throne.
Worse...
It seemed happy about it.
Aurelion stepped forward, placing himself between Kael and the sky.
His sword blazed with golden fire.
"The seal should have held for another thousand years."
The shadow laughed.
A laugh filled with amusement.
> Did you truly believe a prison could hold me forever, Aurelion?
Kael's eyes widened.
The Ninth Sovereign knew the First King.
Personally.
Then the being raised a hand.
The sky cracked.
A massive portal opened above the capital.
Thousands of crimson lights appeared within it.
Everyone stared in horror.
They were eyes.
Thousands upon thousands of eyes.
Watching.
Waiting.
Hungry.
The Devourer's servants.
The invasion had begun.
The temple alarms screamed louder than ever before.
> CATASTROPHIC THREAT DETECTED.
ALL ROYAL FORCES MOBILIZE IMMEDIATELY.
LEVEL OMEGA EMERGENCY DECLARED.
The Ninth Sovereign looked down at Kael one final time.
Then spoke words that shook his soul.
> Find me before the Moon Festival ends.
Or watch your mother die.
Kael's heart stopped.
The shadow smiled again.
And vanished into the darkness.
The entire kingdom fell silent.
Because for the first time...
The enemy had made a personal move.
And the countdown to disaster had officially begun.