Night eventually reached the broken city.
It wasn't real night. The sky didn't darken. The world didn't calm. The heavens simply dimmed like a dying machine, flickering like failing lights. The fractured sky breathed purple instead of blue. It felt… wrong.
People gathered around makeshift fires. Not for warmth.
For sanity.
For the feeling that something was still normal.
Aiden sat apart from them, back against a cracked pillar, hands shaking even though he tried to hide it.
He could still feel the woman's fingers slipping from his grip.
He could still hear her breath fading.
And he could still hear the laughter of that other Monarch.
The enemy didn't want control. He wanted to see Aiden break.
Someone approached quietly.
The girl again.
She sat beside him without asking, hugging her knees. She didn't say anything at first. Just watched the faint flames dance in front of them.
"You saved a lot of people today," she whispered.
Aiden didn't respond.
"You're… a hero."
His jaw tightened.
"I'm not."
She tilted her head. "Then what are you?"
Silence.
Wind blew through shattered buildings. Someone cried softly in the distance. Someone else prayed.
Aiden finally answered.
"I'm just the one who had to choose."
The girl looked down.
He expected her to hate him. He expected her to cry. He expected her to blame him.
She didn't.
Instead…
She leaned against his arm.
Her voice shook, but it was steady enough to mean something.
"If you weren't here… we'd all be dead. I don't know if what you did was right. I don't think anyone does. But… I'm glad you're here."
That hurt more than any wound.
Being needed was heavier than any crown.
He closed his eyes.
[Monarch Status Updating…]
[Emotion Stability: Strained]
[Territory Morale: Slowly Rising]
A faint laugh nearly escaped him.
Even the system sounded human sometimes.
Then—
The ground trembled.
Not violently.
Just enough to make fires flicker and hearts drop.
Aiden stood instantly, scanning the shattered skyline.
A new light burned in the sky.
Not purple.
Not red.
Gold.
Warm. Gentle. Alive.
The survivors gasped.
"So beautiful…"
"What is that…?"
The girl held tighter to his sleeve.
"Aiden…"
He stared upward.
Another presence.
But this one didn't feel cruel.
Didn't feel mocking.
Didn't feel hungry.
It felt… familiar.
Like something from the world before it shattered.
A soft chime echoed inside his head.
[Monarch Entity Detected]
[Alignment: Unknown]
[Designation: …Hidden]
[Approaching.]
Someone was coming.
Not an enemy.
Not a friend.
Something in between.
Aiden exhaled slowly.
"Everyone stay close. Don't panic."
People gathered around him automatically now.
Not because he demanded it.
Because they trusted him.
That was even scarier than monsters.
The light descended slowly, like a star falling into their broken world.
The girl whispered:
"Is it… another king?"
Aiden watched.
Eyes sharp.
Heart steady.
Voice calm.
"I don't know."
But he knew one thing.
Whatever was coming…
It wasn't coming peacefully.
The crown behind him burned brighter.
The world prepared to change again.
And Aiden Vale was ready to meet it.
Whether it came as salvation…
Or as another nightmare.