Royal Cathedral ke dhamake ki gunj ab bhi hawa mein tharthara rahi thi. Dhuye aur raakh ka ek vishal baadal Astrum City ke upar mandra raha tha, jo kabhi shaan-o-shaukat ka markaz (center) hua karti thi. Kaelen Vance, jiska sharir zakhmon se chur tha, lartkharate hue malbe se bahar nikla. Uske hath mein Prince Julian ka toota hua sunehra taj (crown) tha—ek aisi sultanat ki nishani jo ab dhal chuki thi.
Dur pahadi par, Astra (Griffin) ne Elara aur Liora ko niche utara. Elara ki aankhein ab bhi us safed roshni se chamak rahi thi jo Kaelen ne uske andar jagayi thi. Wo ab sirf ek Princess nahi thi; wo 'Moon-Guardian' ban chuki thi.
"Kaelen!" Elara ne chillakar uski taraf doud lagayi.
Kaelen ne use dekha aur uske chehre par ek thaki hui muskurahat aayi. Isse pehle ki wo girta, Elara ne use thaam liya. Uska sunehra mana Kaelen ke thande sharir mein garmi bharne laga.
"Tumne kar dikhaya," Elara ne rote hue kaha. "Lekin tumne sab kuch khatam kar diya... Cathedral, Palace... sab kuch."
"Wo sab pehle hi khatam ho chuka tha, Elara," Kaelen ne thukte hue kaha, uske muh se ab bhi khoon nikal raha tha. "Wo imaratein ab sirf Void ka ghar thi. Humein naye sire se shuruat karni hogi."
The Aftermath: The Scattered Kingdom
Suraj nikalne tak, poore Astrum Kingdom mein ye khabar phail chuki thi: Sovereign ne Capital par kabza kar liya hai. Lekin haqiqat ye thi ki Kaelen ke paas ab koi shahar nahi bacha tha. Shahar ke log dar ke maare aas-paas ke janglon mein bhag gaye the. Prophet gaayab ho chuka tha, aur Royal Army ke bache-khuche tukde ab bhatak rahe the.
Garreth ne apne mercenaries ko ikatha kiya. "Sovereign, humein yahan se nikalna hoga. Iron-Hold ke raste se reinforcement aa rahi hogi. Hum yahan khule mein nahi reh sakte."
Kaelen ne dhalta hua suraj dekha. "Hum wapas North nahi jayenge. Hum 'Mist-Valley' jayenge."
"Mist-Valley?" Liora chounk gayi. "Lekin wahan toh purane zamane ke 'Ancient Mages' ki roohein (ghosts) rehti hain! Wahan koi zinda insaan nahi jata."
"Wahi hamara naya base hoga," Kaelen ne dridh nishchay (determination) ke saath kaha. "Prophet ko lagta hai ki usne mujhe hara diya hai kyunki mere paas ab koi shahar nahi hai. Use ye nahi maloom ki ek Sovereign ko deewaron ki zaroorat nahi hoti, use sirf wafadar dilon ki zaroorat hoti hai."
The Journey to Mist-Valley
Agle char dinon tak, Kaelen ki bachi-khuchi fauj—lagbhag 800 yoddha aur mages—ne mushkil raston se safar kiya. Kaelen ne raste mein har us kabile (tribe) aur gaon se mulaqat ki jo King ke zulm se pareshan the.
Ab Kaelen sirf ek rebel nahi tha. Usne Elara (Moon-Guardian) ko apne saath rakha tha. Log jab Princess ko ek devta ki tarah chamakte hue dekhte, toh wo khud-ba-khud Kaelen ke aage jhuk jate.
"Ye meri taqat nahi hai, Kaelen," Elara ne ek raat campfire ke paas baithte hue kaha. "Ye wo umeed hai jo tumne inke dilon mein jagayi hai. Lekin main darr rahi hoon... ye shakti mere andar itni tez hai ki mujhe lagta hai main khud ko kho doongi."
Kaelen ne uska hath thama. Uska silver mana aur Elara ka sunehra mana jab milte, toh ek sukoon dene wali roshni paida hoti. "Main tumhe khone nahi doonga. Humne waqt ko piche moda hai, Elara. Hum kismat ko bhi mod denge."
The Hidden Sanctuary
Jab wo Mist-Valley pahunche, toh har taraf ghani safed dhund (fog) thi. Ye dhund jaaduwi thi; ye dushmanon ko rasta bhatka deti thi aur unki saari mana drain kar leti thi.
Kaelen aage badha aur apni talwar ka toota hua hissa hawa mein uthaya. "Sovereign's Command: Open the Gates of the Elders!"
Silver lightning ne dhund ko do hisson mein cheer diya. Samne ek vishal, chupi hui wadi (valley) dikhi jahan purane zamane ke safed patthar ke mahal aur jharne (waterfalls) the. Ye 'The Sanctuary of Chronos' tha—ek aisi jagah jo waqt ki dhaar se bahar thi.
"Yahan hum apni asli fauj banayenge," Kaelen ne Garreth se kaha. "In mahalon mein wo purane hathiyar aur scrolls hain jo sadiyon se dabe hue hain. Apne har aadmi ko training par laga do. Humein sirf yoddha nahi, 'Holy Knights' chahiye."
The Rise of a New Threat: The Dark Continent
Jab Kaelen apna base bana raha tha, tabhi dur, samundar ke us paar 'The Dark Continent' mein, ek aur halchal ho rahi thi.
Prophet, jiska sunehra mask ab toota hua tha, ek kaali jheel ke kinare khada tha. Uske samne ek vishal aaina tha jisme Kaelen ki tasveer dikh rahi thi.
"Wo jeet gaya, Lord," Prophet ne niche jhukte hue kaha.
Jheel ke andar se ek bhari, dhire-dhire bolne wali awaz aayi. "Kaelen Vance... wo sirf ek choti si rukawat hai. Usne portal ko band nahi kiya, usne sirf uska rasta badal diya hai. Ab humein shadi ki zaroorat nahi hai. Humein sirf uske 'Silver Blood' ki zaroorat hai."
Jheel se ek naya yoddha nikla. Uska sharir pure kaale kanch (glass) ka bana tha aur uske hath mein ek aisi talwar thi jo roshni ko nigal rahi thi. Ye 'The Void-Slayer' tha—ek aisa killer jise sirf Sovereigns ko marne ke liye banaya gaya tha.
"Ise bhejo," awaz ne kaha. "Use tabahi se darr nahi lagta? Toh use dikhao ki uske apno ki maut kaisi hoti hai."
The Sovereign's Awakening: Level 3
Mist-Valley mein, Kaelen ek gehri gufa (cave) ke andar meditation kar raha tha. Usne apne samne un 14 chapters ki yaadein rakhi thi jo usne is janam mein guzari thi. Use ehsas hua ki uska 'Sovereign's Internal Pulse' ab Level 3 par pahunchne ke liye taiyar hai.
"Argh!" Kaelen ka sharir hawa mein uthne laga. Uske charon taraf silver lightning ke vishal gole ghumne lage. Uska purana zakham jo Cathedral mein hua tha, wo ab bhar raha tha, lekin uski jagah ek silver nishaan (mark) ban raha tha—'The Mark of the True King.'
Uski aankhein khuli, aur unme ab sirf silver nahi, balki ek gehri neeli roshni thi. Usne hawa mein ek ungli ghumaayi aur deewar par ek gehra nishaan ban gaya, bina kisi physical touch ke.
"Main taiyar hoon," Kaelen ne dheere se kaha.
Lekin jaise hi wo gufa se bahar nikla, usne dekha ki Liora doudti hui aa rahi thi. Uska chehra darr se safed tha.
"Kaelen! Garreth... wo... wo mar raha hai! Kisi ne base ke andar ghus kar us par hamla kiya! Humne dushman ko dekha bhi nahi!"
Kaelen ki mutthi bheenchi gayi. Usne mehsoos kiya... ek aisi thandi aur kaali energy jo usne pehle kabhi nahi dekhi thi. Void-Slayer base ke andar pahunch chuka tha.
Jung ab sarakon se hatkar saayon (shadows) mein pahunch gayi thi. Kaelen ko ab samajh aaya ki Prophet ne use haraane ki koshish nahi ki thi, usne use 'Mist-Valley' mein phansaya tha taaki wo use akela pa sake.
Chapter End Note: Kaelen ne apni shakti badha li hai, lekin usne apne sabse wafadar dost (Garreth) ko khatre mein daal diya hai. Kya Level 3 Sovereign ek aise qatil (assassin) ko rok payega jo dikhta hi nahi?