Chapter Sixteen – The King Who Never Died
By Frimpong Boateng Richmond
The ancient doorway opened wider.
Golden light spread across the temple floor.
Nobody moved.
Nobody spoke.
The figure standing behind the doorway slowly stepped forward.
He wore a long black robe decorated with golden symbols. His silver hair fell over his shoulders, and a golden crown rested upon his head.
His face looked young, yet his eyes carried the weight of thousands of years.
Two golden circles glowed in his palms.
The symbol of the Two Suns.
Kwaku felt something stir inside his chest.
His blood was responding to the stranger.
Beside him, Kwesi tightened his grip on his sword.
Adwoa couldn't look away.
Even Kojo, who had spent years searching for the secrets of the Blood Crown, seemed unable to believe what he was seeing.
The man stopped before them.
His eyes moved from Kwaku to Kwesi.
Then they settled on Adwoa.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"At last."
Their father dropped to one knee.
"Your Majesty."
The words escaped his mouth before he could stop himself.
Kwaku turned toward him.
"Father?"
Their father lowered his head.
"The First King."
Silence swallowed the temple.
Kwaku stared at the man.
"The First King is supposed to have died thousands of years ago."
The ancient king looked at him.
"That is what your ancestors wanted you to believe."
Kwesi stepped forward.
"Then how are you still alive?"
The king glanced toward the Guardian.
"Because death is not always the end of a king's story."
The Guardian lowered its enormous head.
For the first time since its awakening, the creature appeared peaceful.
The First King placed a hand upon its golden armor.
"You have done well, old friend."
The Guardian released a low rumble.
The sound echoed throughout the temple.
Adwoa finally found her voice.
"Why did you call us your children?"
The king turned toward her.
For a moment, his expression softened.
"Because you are."
Adwoa shook her head.
"That doesn't make sense. We have parents."
"Of course you do."
He looked toward their father.
"And they have protected you better than I expected."
Their father remained silent.
Kwaku noticed something strange.
His father was trembling.
Not from fear alone.
It was as though he was standing before someone whose judgment could destroy everything he had spent his life protecting.
"Father," Kwaku said quietly, "what aren't you telling us?"
Their father raised his head.
Before he could answer, the First King spoke.
"Your father has carried enough secrets for one lifetime."
He lifted his hand.
A golden light spread across the floor.
Images appeared within it.
A vast kingdom rose beneath two golden suns.
Golden towers stretched toward the clouds.
Rivers of light flowed between magnificent palaces.
Thousands of warriors marched through the streets, their armor shining like the stars.
At the center of the kingdom stood a colossal golden tree.
Beneath it stood the First King.
But he wasn't alone.
Three figures stood beside him.
A young warrior with a sword of fire.
A woman surrounded by three glowing circles.
And a man whose hands held a crown made of blood-red crystals.
Kwaku stepped closer.
The young warrior looked exactly like him.
Kwesi stared at the image of the second warrior.
"That's me."
Adwoa's breathing became unsteady.
"And that woman…"
The First King nodded.
"Your first incarnation."
The images shifted.
The kingdom was burning.
Black smoke covered the skies.
Warriors fought in the streets.
The golden tree was breaking apart.
And beneath the tree stood Kojo.
Except this Kojo wore royal armor.
His eyes burned red.
In his hands rested the Blood Crown.
Kwaku turned sharply toward the real Kojo.
"You betrayed the kingdom."
Kojo said nothing.
The First King continued.
"The three bloodlines were created to protect the kingdom. Each carried a different power."
He pointed toward Kwaku.
"The First Bloodline possessed the power of creation and destruction."
Then he looked at Kwesi.
"The Second Bloodline possessed the power of judgment and control."
Finally, his eyes settled on Adwoa.
"The Third Bloodline possessed the power to command the ancient forces that connected the kingdom to the world beyond."
Adwoa stared at her hands.
"Then why were we separated?"
The First King's expression darkened.
"Because one of you was destined to destroy everything."
Everyone turned toward Kojo.
But the king shook his head.
"No."
He pointed toward Kwaku.
"It was you."
Kwaku froze.
"What?"
Kwesi immediately stepped between Kwaku and the king.
"That doesn't make sense."
The First King raised his hand.
"Look."
The golden images changed again.
Kwaku saw himself standing beneath the burning tree.
His body was covered in black markings.
Golden energy exploded from his hands.
The earth split apart beneath his feet.
Mountains crumbled.
Rivers evaporated.
The two suns disappeared behind a storm of darkness.
And standing before him was Kwesi.
His sword was broken.
Blood covered his face.
Adwoa stood behind him, crying.
"Kwaku, stop!"
But the Kwaku in the vision didn't listen.
He raised his hand.
A massive wave of darkness swallowed the kingdom.
The vision vanished.
Kwaku stumbled backward.
"No."
His voice was barely audible.
"That wasn't me."
The First King watched him carefully.
"Not yet."
Kwaku shook his head.
"I would never destroy my own people."
"Every destroyer believes the same thing before the destruction begins."
Kwesi raised his sword toward the king.
"Enough! You cannot accuse my brother of something he hasn't done."
The First King looked at him.
"And you cannot save him from a destiny you do not understand."
Kwesi's sword began vibrating.
Golden symbols appeared along its blade.
The First King smiled faintly.
"Ah. The sword remembers."
Kwesi looked down.
"What is happening?"
"Your weapon was forged from the heart of the Golden Tree. It was created to serve the Second Bloodline."
The sword suddenly released a burst of golden energy.
Kwesi nearly dropped it.
A voice whispered inside his mind.
THE JUDGMENT OF THE SECOND SON.
He staggered.
Kwaku caught his arm.
"Kwesi!"
Kwesi looked at his brother.
For one brief moment, his eyes turned completely golden.
Then the light disappeared.
"I'm fine," he whispered.
But he wasn't.
Something had awakened inside him.
And whatever it was, it had recognized Kwaku.
⸻
The Secret of the Crown
While the brothers struggled to understand what they had witnessed, Adwoa approached the First King.
"You said one of us would destroy the kingdom."
"Yes."
"Then why was the Blood Crown given to me?"
The First King looked toward the Crown Fragment lying beside Kojo.
"Because the crown was never meant to be a weapon."
He extended his hand.
The fragment rose from the floor.
It floated toward him, turning slowly in the air.
"The Blood Crown was created to bind the three bloodlines together. As long as it remained whole, no single bloodline could dominate the others."
Adwoa frowned.
"But Kojo wanted it for himself."
"Kojo wanted what the crown represented."
The king looked at the man standing beside the altar.
"Power without limits."
Kojo finally spoke.
"You make it sound as though I was the only one who desired power."
The First King turned toward him.
"You were not."
A strange smile appeared on Kojo's face.
"Then you should understand why I did what I did."
The king's expression hardened.
"I understand your hunger. I do not forgive your betrayal."
Kojo laughed quietly.
"Forgiveness? You imprisoned me beneath the kingdom for thousands of years. You stripped me of my birthright. You allowed history to remember me as a traitor."
He stepped forward.
"And now you expect me to kneel?"
The Guardian immediately rose to its full height.
A deep growl shook the temple.
Kojo ignored it.
"I have waited too long for this moment."
He extended his hand.
The Crown Fragment shot toward him.
The First King raised his palm.
The fragment stopped in midair.
For several seconds, two invisible forces pulled against each other.
Golden sparks filled the chamber.
Then the fragment cracked.
A sharp sound echoed through the temple.
Everyone froze.
The First King's eyes widened.
"Impossible."
The fragment broke into three pieces.
One flew toward Kwaku.
Another shot toward Kwesi.
The final piece disappeared into Adwoa's chest.
She screamed.
Golden light erupted from her body.
The three circles appeared around her head, spinning faster than ever before.
Kwaku fell to his knees as the fragment entered his chest.
Kwesi's sword shattered into thousands of golden particles before reforming around his hand.
The First King stepped backward.
"The crown has chosen."
Kojo stared at the three of them.
For the first time, genuine fear appeared on his face.
"No…"
He shook his head.
"No, this wasn't supposed to happen."
Adwoa slowly lifted her head.
Her eyes had changed.
One was golden.
The other was blood-red.
"What have you done to us?" she whispered.
The First King looked at her with something resembling sorrow.
"Nothing, child."
He lowered his head.
"The crown has finally remembered its true owners."
⸻
The Kingdom Above
Far beyond the underground temple, the golden symbol continued glowing in the sky.
Across the kingdom, ancient stones began to vibrate.
Buried statues opened their eyes.
Forgotten shrines released beams of golden light.
And beneath the royal palace, a sealed chamber shook violently.
Nana Kofi rushed into the palace courtyard.
Soldiers surrounded him.
"My king!" one of them shouted. "The ancient symbols are appearing everywhere!"
Nana Kofi looked toward the horizon.
Three beams of light rose from the earth.
One burned gold.
One burned white.
The final beam was blood-red.
His face became pale.
"The three heirs…"
He turned toward his royal guards.
"Send messengers to every province. Close the northern gates. No one enters or leaves the capital without my permission."
One guard hesitated.
"What about the temple, Your Majesty?"
Nana Kofi looked toward the mountains.
"Prepare the royal army."
The guard stared at him.
"Are we going to war?"
Nana Kofi's expression hardened.
"No."
He paused.
"We are going to prevent one."
A soldier rushed into the courtyard.
"Your Majesty!"
"What is it?"
The soldier fell to his knees.
"A stranger has arrived at the eastern gate."
Nana Kofi frowned.
"Who?"
The soldier swallowed.
"He claims to be the last surviving member of the Fourth Bloodline."
The entire courtyard fell silent.
Nana Kofi slowly turned toward him.
"That bloodline was erased from history."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"Then who is this stranger?"
The soldier raised his head.
"He says he has come to kill the First King."
⸻
The King's Warning
Deep beneath the earth, the First King stood before the three heirs.
The golden light surrounding them slowly faded.
Kwaku struggled to his feet.
His chest burned where the fragment had entered him.
"What happens now?"
The First King looked at him.
"Now, the real battle begins."
Kwesi examined his newly restored sword.
"Against Kojo?"
The king shook his head.
"Kojo is only one of your problems."
Adwoa stepped forward.
"Then tell us the truth. All of it."
The First King remained silent for several moments.
Then he looked toward the darkness beyond the temple.
"Before this kingdom existed, there were four bloodlines."
Kwaku's eyes widened.
"Four?"
"The First Bloodline created. The Second judged. The Third commanded. And the Fourth…"
The First King's voice dropped.
"…destroyed what should never have existed."
Kwesi tightened his grip on his sword.
"What was that?"
The king looked directly at Kwaku.
"The darkness that lives inside your blood."
Kwaku felt his heart stop.
The First King continued.
"Thousands of years ago, your ancestor made a terrible mistake. He opened a doorway between our world and a place beyond existence."
Adwoa whispered, "What came through?"
The First King's face became grim.
"Something that even the gods feared."
The temple trembled.
A distant roar echoed through the underground kingdom.
The Guardian immediately turned toward the darkness.
Its golden eyes widened.
For the first time, the ancient creature looked afraid.
The First King slowly closed his eyes.
"It has found us."
Kwaku stepped forward.
"What has?"
The First King opened his eyes.
And the words that left his mouth changed everything.
"The thing that killed the first gods."
A deafening crash erupted beyond the temple.
The golden pillars split apart.
A massive shadow spread across the ceiling.
Then a voice, older than the kingdom itself, whispered through the darkness.
"Little king…"
The First King clenched his fists.
The shadow grew larger.
"…you should have stayed dead."
To be continued…