Chapter 56 Chapter 56
Sable's POV
The throne cracked.
Once then twice.
And the whisper coming from inside it wasn't the Creator.
It was older, colder and also felt oddly familiar.
Like a memory buried so deep in my blood that hearing it made my soul tremble.
The First Queen.
Waking.
The words echoed through the ruined arena like a curse.
For one long second—
nobody moved.
Nobody breathed.
Because we had just survived a war.
Sealed the Creator.
Destroyed his Hollow army.
And now—
the throne was telling us that the real nightmare had not even started.
The dragon's silver eyes widened.
And that terrified me.
Because the dragon feared almost nothing.
Leonidas pushed himself up beside me, grimacing in pain.
"What does that mean?"
The dragon's voice was low and heavy almost like something was weighing on its voice.
"It means the original soul bound to the throne has awakened."
Kael blinked.
"...Didn't we just deal with enough ancient problems?"
Nobody answered him.
Because the throne cracked again.
Silver light spilled out from inside it like blood from an open wound.
The Fallen stepped backward and for the first time since I met her, she looked afraid.
Real fear.
Not for herself.
For me.
I looked at her.
"What is it?"
Her eyes stayed fixed on the throne.
"The First Queen was never truly gone."
A chill slid down my spine.
"What?"
Zander folded his arms, blood still dripping from his sleeve.
"That seems important."
The Fallen swallowed.
"She was the first vessel."
The dragon nodded grimly.
"The throne did not create power."
His eyes moved to me.
"It preserved hers."
My chest tightened.
That did not make sense.
"The throne came before me."
The dragon's gaze sharpened.
"No."
My breath caught.
No.
No.
That was not possible.
The throne split wider.
And suddenly, different memories slammed into me.
Not visions.
Memories of a woman with silver hair and silver eyes standing beneath a blood moon.
A crown of living light resting on her head.
Power bending around her like it was worshipping her.
And beside her was the Creator smiling.
It was not the normal cold or cruel one he always show to me but a loving one I had never seen before—not before I sealed him and not in his memories that I saw.
My body locked.
Because I knew her not from history but from blood.
From soul.
The First Queen.
And somehow without me knowing I was connected to her.
The Fallen grabbed my arm.
"Sable!"
I gasped, stumbling forward.
Leonidas caught me before I fell.
His arms wrapped around me.
Warm and steady.
"What did you see?"
My voice shook.
"She knew him."
The Fallen's expression darkened.
"Yes."
Leonidas frowned.
"Knew him how?"
The dragon answered.
"She was his first love."
Silence.
The whole arena froze.
Even Caius looked stunned.
Kael stared.
"Wait."
He held up a hand.
"His lover became the First Queen?"
The dragon nodded.
"Yes."
Zander exhaled.
"Well."
His eyes darkened.
"That explains the obsession."
The throne cracked harder.
The sound was like bone breaking and then suddenly, a hand emerged.
A silver hand color that was pale but elegant.
My breath stopped as I could see the hand gripped the edge of the throne and then—
she pulled herself out.
The First Queen.
Her silver hair spilled over her shoulders like moonlight.
Her eyes were silver and endless with an ancient look.
Beautiful but terrifying.
She stepped down from the throne barefoot, her white dress untouched by blood or dust.
Like war itself had no right to touch her.
And when her eyes landed on me everything inside me stopped.
Recognition.
Not hers but mine.
It was like I was looking at myself but older, stronger and sharper version of myself.
The First Queen smiled.
And it was not a warm one at all.
"So."
Her voice was soft.
"But you survived him."
The Fallen stiffened beside me.
"You're awake."
The First Queen looked at her with disinterest.
Then amusement.
"You survived too."
The Fallen's jaw tightened.
Barely controlling her rage.
The dragon bowed deeply.
An ancient respect.
But the First Queen didn’t even acknowledge it.
Her eyes stayed on me.
"You are the latest."
Latest.
Like there had been many.
My skin crawled.
Leonidas stepped in front of me immediately.
Protective again as always.
The First Queen looked at him. And smiled.
"The wolf."
Her eyes narrowed.
"He chose well."
I stepped around him.
"Who are you?"
Her smile widened.
And somehow, it felt mocking.
"You know."
I shook my head.
"No."
She stepped closer.
And every step bent reality.
Silver cracks spread beneath her feet.
I could feel power that was raw and almost untouched.
Older than the throne itself.
"I am what you came from."
My pulse raced.
The dragon's voice dropped.
"She is the source."
Source.
Not vessel.
Not Queen.
Origin.
The First Queen looked around the ruined arena.
The dead Hollows.
The broken stone.
The blood.
And sighed.
"He always was dramatic."
The way she said it felt casual, personal andintimate.
Like she was talking about an old lover.
Not an ancient god.
Leonidas's voice hardened.
"The Creator is sealed."
Her eyes flicked to him.
"Temporarily."
That hit hard.
What?
The Fallen stepped forward.
"The seal was complete."
The First Queen laughed.
Softly.
"No seal is complete."
She looked at me.
"Not while his blood remains."
My stomach dropped.
Blood.
Me.
Her.
The line.
The throne.
The Creator was not fully sealed because we carried him.
There was still his fragments which would always remain forever—us.
The First Queen touched the throne.
Its cracks healed instantly as the twin throne obeyed her.
Not us.
Her.
And that terrified me.
Because it had accepted me.
But it still belonged to her.
The dragon stepped back.
The Shadow King's face tightened.
"This changes everything."
Caius looked at him.
"How?"
The Shadow King's red eyes stayed on her.
"Because if she wakes fully…"
He didn't finish.
Kael frowned.
"Fully?"
The First Queen smiled.
"Oh."
She looked amused.
"I'm barely awake."
Great.
Perfect.
Exactly what we needed.
Another half–awake ancient monster.
Leonidas moved closer to me.
His hand brushing mine.
Checking and grounding me making sure I was alive.
And I held onto that, because everything else felt too unstable.
The First Queen studied us.
Especially me.
"You changed the throne."
Her voice held curiosity.
Not anger at least not yet.
I lifted my chin.
"Yes."
She smiled faintly.
"Good."
That surprised me.
The Fallen frowned.
"You approve?"
The First Queen looked at her.
"No."
Her smile vanished.
"But it was necessary."
Necessary?
For what?
The dragon spoke carefully.
"Why wake now?"
The First Queen's eyes darkened.
"Because he woke."
Simple.
Terrifying.
She looked at me.
"And because you called."
I froze.
"I didn't."
She tilted her head.
"The moment you balanced the throne."
Her eyes gleamed.
"You touched the original bond."
The original bond.
Her.
That meant the throne connected us together.
Not metaphorically.
Literally.
She stepped closer.
Close enough for her to touch me making Leonidas growled.
She looked amused.
"Possessive."
His claws extended.
"Try touching her."
The First Queen smiled.
"I wouldn't."
Her eyes shifted to me.
"Not yet."
Not yet?
That didn’t sound reassuring.
The Fallen moved between us.
Protective as well and that surprised me.
Because for someone who once wanted my throne—
she was protecting me now.
The First Queen noticed.
"How sweet."
Mocking.
The Fallen's voice sharpened.
"What do you want?"
The First Queen looked at her.
"Freedom."
My stomach dropped.
No.
No.
Not again.
The dragon growled.
"You are free."
She laughed.
"Awake isn't free."
Her hand touched her chest.
"This body."
Her silver eyes met mine.
"It's temporary."
I understood immediately and the horror hit me as well.
She needed—
a vessel.
Me.
The realization made me step back.
Leonidas moved instantly in front of me.
"No."
The First Queen smiled.
"Relax."
Her eyes glittered.
"I haven't decided."
That wasn't better.
At all.
Kael muttered beside Malrik,
"Why are ancient beings always insane?"
Malrik didn't answer probably because there wasn't an answer.
The throne pulsed again.
The First Queen turned toward it.
And for the first time—
I saw sadness.
Real sadness.
She touched it gently.
"I built this to save him."
The words stunned everyone.
Save him?
The Creator?
The Fallen’s voice cracked.
"What?"
The First Queen looked at us.
"He wasn't always what he became."
Her eyes darkened.
"He loved too deeply."
I frowned.
"That turned him into that?"
Her expression hardened.
"No."
Pain flickered there.
"Losing me did."
Silence.
The truth settled heavy.
The Creator became a monster because he lost her.
Not because he was born one.
Not an excuse.
Explanation.
And somehow, that made it worse than it was before.
Because tragedy always hurts more than evil.
The First Queen looked at me.
"You carry his blood."
Then the Fallen.
"And my power."
Her gaze sharpened.
"Both of you."
Wait.
What?
The Fallen stiffened too.
The First Queen nodded.
"He made the bloodline."
Her hand touched the throne.
"I made the throne."
The truth rearranged everything.
The Creator built inheritance.
The First Queen built control.
Together, they both built the world.
And then destroyed each other.
The dragon lowered his head.
"The war of origin."
The First Queen smiled sadly.
"Yes."
The first war.
The war every war came from.
Love.
Power.
Loss.
I hated that.
Because it felt too human.
Too real.
The First Queen turned back to me.
"You have choices now."
I laughed bitterly.
"Funny. Everyone keeps saying that."
Her eyes narrowed.
"Because choice is everything."
That sounded familiar.
The Creator hated choice.
She worshipped it.
The opposites as always.
Leonidas's hand found mine.
Warm and steady as always.
The First Queen noticed.
And her expression changed to something painful.
Like a memory that was buried deeply inside her.
"You love him", she said.
It was not a question.
A fact.
I looked at Leonidas.
And for the first time, I didn't hesitate to answer.
"Yes."
Leonidas's fingers tightened.
The First Queen looked away.
Like it hurt.
Interesting.
Then, her body flickered.
Silver light cracking across her skin.
The dragon stiffened.
"She's fading."
The First Queen sighed.
"Yes."
Her eyes returned to me.
"Not enough time."
For what?
She stepped closer fast.
Before Leonidas could stop her, her fingers had touched my forehead.
And memories exploded.
Memories that were not mine.
Hers.
The Creator before darkness.
Laughing.
Loving.
Building worlds.
Building the throne.
Their love.
Their war.
Their destruction.
And then—
something else.
Something hidden.
A third force.
Watching.
Waiting.
Manipulating behind thescene.
My eyes snapped open immediately.
I was breathless and terrified at what I saw.
Because the Creator was not the beginning.
He wasn't even the worst.
There was something else, something behind everything.
Something that was far worse than whatever we have been facing before.
The First Queen staggered.
Leonidas caught me.
"What happened?" he asked.
I stared at her.
"There's another one."
The arena went silent.
The First Queen smiled weakly.
"There it is."
The dragon looked horrified.
"What did you show her?"
The First Queen's body cracked with light.
"The truth."
Caius stepped forward.
"What truth?"
The First Queen's silver eyes burned.
"The one thing neither of us created."
My blood ran cold.
"What?"
Her body began breaking apart.
It was fading away.
And her final words shook the world—
"We were never the first gods."
Then she vanished.
And the throne screamed.