Chapter 76 Unknown

Chapter 76 Unknown
~Unknown~ 

The hall had never known sunlight.

Darkness ruled here as naturally as breathing, broken only by rows of blue flames that burned without wood, oil or smoke. They lined the towering black pillars that disappeared into a ceiling too high for the eye to follow. Ancient statues stood on both sides of the chamber, each depicting warriors kneeling with their heads bowed, their faces worn away by time as though history itself had tried to erase them.

Silence lived here. Not the comforting silence of peace, but he suffocating silence of something waiting and remembering. 

At the end of the endless hall stood a throne unlike anything the kingdoms above had ever seen. It was carved from a single slab of black stone, enormous enough to make any man appear insignificant upon it. Strange silver veins ran through the rock like frozen lightning, pulsing faintly beneath its surface.

I sat upon it.

My back faced the entrance and my eyes remained fixed upon the portrait hanging before me.

Even after all these centuries… I still found myself staring at it and waiting.

The heavy stone doors groaned open behind me and footsteps echoed through the chamber.

His footsteps were careful and afraid. 

The doors slammed shut again. The sound rolled across the hall before silence reclaimed everything.

The footsteps stopped and I heard cloth brush against stone.

His body lowered itself completely onto the cold floor,  his face to the earth and hands stretched forward.

No one entered this hall standing. No one dared. 

"Speak."

My voice rolled through the chamber like distant thunder.

It was enough to make him tremble. "My King..."

His forehead pressed harder against the stone.

"Tell me." I commanded. 

He swallowed loudly. "She killed them all, My King."

For the first time in what felt like forever… I moved. I rose from the throne and the sound of my boots striking the stone echoed through the hall.

"How?" There was excitement in my voice now. A dangerous excitement.

The messenger never lifted his head. "Animal Magnetism, Your Majesty."

I froze and he continued.

"The moment her power awakened… They all stopped. They dropped their weapons and fell to their knees."

His breathing became uneven. "It wasn't fear, my King. It was..." He hesitated. "Worship."

A smile slowly spread across my face. It wasn’t surprise, but recognition. ‘At last.’

I turned back toward the portrait. For two thousand years… I had looked upon it.

And now… "It is true."

The words escaped me almost as a whisper. "The Crowned Moon has returned." A quiet laugh escaped my throat, and then another. Soon it echoed across the entire chamber.

It was deep and hoarse, almost inhuman. The messenger's body trembled even harder. He dared not move.

When my laughter finally settled into silence, I stepped closer to the portrait.

"I only sent those men because I needed certainty." My fingers brushed the edge of its ancient frame.

"Rumors are worthless, and stories become exaggerated. Legends grow larger every generation."

I tilted my head. "But power… Power never lies." I smiled.

"They never stood a chance. I knew they wouldn't. They were never meant to kill her. They were merely the question. And she..."

I let out another satisfied breath. "...gave me the answer."

My eyes lingered on the painted figure before me.

"So… You truly awakened."

A long silence followed. One that stretched so long the messenger probably wondered if I had forgotten he existed.

Finally… I spoke up again after what seemed like forever.  "And the bodies?"

His answer came immediately.

"Before we could retrieve them… they vanished."

My eyes narrowed.

"So..." I slowly nodded to myself. "Kael Draven." The name tasted familiar.

Bitterness crept into my smile. "King of Valerith."

A low chuckle escaped me. "He is exactly like his father."

The chuckle became laughter once again. "So certain he understands the game. So eager to protect what was never his. So blind."

The messenger remained perfectly still. He knew better than to interrupt.

I walked slowly across the vast hall. My footsteps echoed between the pillars.

"His father believed destiny could be rewritten." I stopped walking. "He was wrong."

I continued.

"The debt his bloodline owes… has not been forgotten."

The messenger finally spoke again. "What are your orders, my King?"

I folded my hands behind my back. "No." My answer came without hesitation.

"I have no use for those bodies. They served their purpose. The dead belong to yesterday. My eyes remain fixed on tomorrow."

The messenger nodded. "And the Queen?"

I smiled.

"She walks exactly where I need her to walk. Every step she takes… brings her closer."

I looked once more at the portrait. "All roads lead back here."

A strange calm settled over me. "There is no need to chase her. She will come willingly. Not because I force her, but because this..."

I slowly spread my arms, gesturing to the ancient hall around me. "...is where she belongs."

My voice softened, almost reverently. "This is her rightful place."

I stared into the portrait for another long moment. "...beside me."

The messenger's breathing hitched. "And King Kael?"

This time… I laughed, not loudly but just enough for the sound to bounce endlessly around the chamber.

"When the hour arrives… I shall repay the debt his father left unpaid."

I returned to my throne. Each step echoed like a countdown.

I lowered myself onto the ancient seat and the black stone welcomed me once more.

"I have waited two thousand years." My fingers tightened around the armrests. "What is a little longer?"

I leaned back slowly.

"Patience..." A smile crept onto my face. 

"...has always been my greatest virtue."