Chapter 12: Ashes Beneath The Throne
The echo of falling stone rumbled above them. Kael tightened his grip on the Crown of Echoes, heart pounding. Lireen stood close, her hand on his shoulder, trying to steady him but the tremors weren't from the earth alone.
"Something's coming," Kael muttered.
A low hum vibrated through the floor.
Lireen looked around. "The city is collapsing. We need to get out of here—"
Before she could finish, a blinding light shot down from the ceiling above, carving a hole into the chamber. Through the opening descended a figure wrapped in silver and violet a man with silver hair, crimson eyes, and wings made of glowing runes.
"Kael Rivenhart," the figure spoke, voice calm but cold. "You've taken what was meant to remain buried."
Kael stepped forward. "Who are you?"
"I am Serathe, Warden of the Old Code. And by order of the Sealed Concord, you must be erased."
Lireen drew her blade. "Try it, and I'll carve your title off your bones."
Serathe raised a hand. The air split.
Kael felt the mana around them twist violently. Lireen screamed as the force knocked her back.
"Enough!" Kael shouted.
The feathers around him shimmered. White, black, and void spinning in defiance. The Crown of Echoes responded, hovering just above his hand.
"Then come erase me," Kael said, voice steady.
Serathe descended in a blur. Their clash shook the walls. Mana exploded in waves. Each blow Kael received revealed a new memory his body responding instinctively with the skills of lives long past.
"You're not Kael anymore," Serathe said. "You are a vessel."
"I'm both," Kael growled, slamming the crown into the floor. Shockwaves erupted, forcing Serathe back.
Lireen crawled to her feet. "Kael! Don't let it consume you!"
Kael's vision blurred. The Architect's voice rang in his head.
> "Burn what must be burned. Keep only truth. That is your gift... and curse."
Suddenly, another figure emerged from the shadows a girl with raven hair and a cloak made of stars. Her voice was like wind in winter.
"You shouldn't be here yet," she said.
Kael stared. "Who are you?"
"I am the Key to the Vault. And I'm here to delay your awakening."
She raised a staff, and the chamber twisted. Kael and Serathe were pulled into a pocket realm a reflection of Arcanhelm, but in ruins.
"This is your future if you fail," she whispered.
Kael turned to Serathe. "Do you still want to kill me?"
Serathe hesitated. "No. Now I want to understand you."
Lireen's voice echoed faintly through the realm. "Kael! Come back!"
Kael clenched his fists. "I will. But not yet."
He faced the girl. "Then show me. Show me everything."
The girl smiled sadly. "Very well. But remember truth demands a price."
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Teaser for Next Chapter:
> Trapped within the Vault's mirrored world, Kael must face the lives he's lived before and the crimes they committed. As Lireen searches for a way to reach him, a new enemy emerges, tied not to the future... but to Kael's origin.
Can he embrace his past without losing his soul?
📖 Chapter 13: Reflections of the Reclaimant
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🔥 Don't forget to: Like ✨ | Comment 💬 | Add to Library 📖 | Vote ⬆️ to support Kael's journey through fate, fire, and feathers!
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✨ Highlights :
Kael clashes with Serathe, Warden of the Old Code, in a fierce and explosive battle beneath Arcanhelm.
The Crown of Echoes begins to unlock fragments of Kael's buried power and buried memories.
Lireen fights to protect him, despite overwhelming odds.
A mysterious girl appears, calling herself The Key to the Vault, and warps Kael into a reflection realm of Arcanhelm's destruction.
The chapter ends on a powerful cliffhanger as Kael chooses to face the truth of his past knowing that truth comes at a cost.
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📢 Chapter Summary :
> Kael must battle a divine executioner while discovering that his power draws enemies from every corner of existence. A mysterious girl appears with a dire warning and a mirror to Kael's own soul.
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