The news of my awakening spread through the Shadow Realm faster than wildfire in a cursed forest.
By nightfall, the entire realm was in chaos.
Ancient banners that hadn't seen the light of the stars for centuries were raised again. Entire legions of forgotten clans crawled out from their hidden domains—some to pledge loyalty…
But most came to challenge the so-called Final Heir.
I stood at the highest balcony of the Shadow Queen's fortress, overlooking the battlefield forming below.
Thousands of shadow beasts gathered—massive, twisted creatures formed from pure nightmare and ambition.
Behind them stood their masters—the Old Houses of the Abyss:
House Varion, the bloodthirsty warlords.
House Nevaris, masters of forbidden shadow magic.
House Kareth, ancient traitors who once led the rebellion against the last Shadow King—my ancestor.
Their leaders stood at the front, their auras so powerful that the ground beneath them cracked and bled darkness.
The Shadow Queen approached from behind me, dressed in full ceremonial armor forged from living shadows.
"Your first war, King Liam," she said, her voice calm but edged with tension.
I exhaled slowly, gripping the balcony's cold stone.
"I'm still not sure I'm ready for this…"
She stepped closer, her lips brushing against my ear.
"A king isn't defined by readiness. He's defined by how he stands when the world demands he fall."
I turned to her, eyes hardening.
"Then I guess it's time I prove I'm not here to fall."
An hour later… the battlefield.
I stood at the head of a small force—the loyal few who had already sworn allegiance.
Veylor, the horned demon lord, stood at my left, resting a massive hammer across his shoulders.
Lady Eira stood at my right, frost magic swirling dangerously around her hands.
And behind me… the Shadow Queen herself.
"Your move, King," she whispered.
The leaders of the Old Houses stepped forward, their gazes dripping with disdain.
"You are no king," spat Lord Kareth, his voice a guttural snarl. "You're a mortal boy playing dress-up in a dead empire!"
The armies behind him roared in approval, their war cries shaking the very fabric of the realm.
I stepped forward alone.
"My name is Liam Zhang," I called out, my voice amplified by the shadows themselves. "And if you think I'm going to kneel—TRY ME!"
With that, the sky split open again.
But this time…
The power was under my control.
My shadow exploded outward like a tidal wave, forming massive wings behind me, dark and terrible, stretching across the battlefield.
The storm roared, the ground shook, and for the first time since the fall of the last Shadow King…
A true ruler stood against the Old Houses.
"Come," I said coldly. "Let's finish this."
To be continued…