THE LOST PRINCE
694 Words
"Prince..."
The Guardian's voice thundered across the ruined city.
Every participant heard it.
Every monster heard it.
The entire battlefield fell silent.
Patrick stood frozen.
His mind struggled to process the word.
Prince?
The giant Guardian stared directly at him.
Its glowing eyes contained neither hatred nor anger.
Instead, they held recognition.
As if it had finally found someone it had been searching for.
Scarlet slowly turned toward Patrick.
"What did it call you?"
Patrick swallowed.
"I don't know."
Unfortunately, everyone else had heard it too.
Whispers spread through the surviving participants.
"A prince?"
"Of what?"
"Who is he?"
The Guardian took another step forward.
The ground shook violently.
Nearby buildings collapsed.
Several participants stumbled to the ground.
A notification suddenly appeared.
---
Hidden Bloodline Detected
Verification In Progress
---
Patrick's eyes widened.
"No."
The notification continued.
---
Bloodline Status:
Unknown
Ancient Authority Detected
Verification Failed
---
Failed?
Patrick wasn't sure whether that was good or bad.
The Guardian lowered its massive head.
Its enormous gaze remained fixed on him.
Then it spoke again.
"The Heir has returned."
Those words sent chills through Patrick's body.
Images suddenly flashed inside his mind.
A golden throne.
A massive palace floating above clouds.
Thousands of people kneeling.
A crown.
Then pain.
Unbearable pain.
Patrick grabbed his head and screamed.
The vision vanished instantly.
His knees hit the ground.
Scarlet rushed toward him.
"Patrick!"
He could barely hear her.
More memories were surfacing.
A woman crying.
A man carrying a child.
A golden door.
Fire.
Darkness.
Then nothing.
The pain slowly faded.
Patrick breathed heavily.
Sweat covered his face.
"What is happening to me?"
Nobody answered.
Because nobody knew.
The Guardian suddenly roared.
Not in anger.
In warning.
Every monster in the city immediately retreated.
Even the Fatal-ranked creatures fled.
Fear.
The monsters were afraid.
A second later, the sky cracked.
Everyone looked upward.
A crimson eye appeared.
Then another.
Then dozens.
The Watchers had found them.
Scarlet cursed.
The Guardian's expression changed instantly.
Its gaze hardened.
For the first time, it looked angry.
Very angry.
The crimson eyes stared at Patrick.
The same way they always did.
Like hunters looking at prey.
A voice echoed from the heavens.
"We have found the Heir."
The city trembled.
Patrick's blood ran cold.
The Heir.
The Prince.
The Watched One.
Every title pointed toward him.
Yet he still had no idea who he really was.
The Guardian suddenly raised one enormous hand.
Golden energy exploded around Patrick.
A barrier formed.
Protective.
Ancient.
Powerful.
The Watchers immediately attacked.
Crimson beams rained from the sky.
The barrier shook violently.
Cracks appeared.
But it held.
For now.
A notification appeared.
---
Special Quest Triggered
The Heir's Trial
Objective:
Reach The Central Tower
Time Limit:
24 Hours
Reward:
Truth About Your Identity
Failure:
Permanent Death
---
Patrick stared at the notification.
The Central Tower?
He looked toward the horizon.
Far beyond the ruined city stood a massive structure.
A tower so large it disappeared into the clouds.
The Guardian pointed toward it.
"The answers await."
Patrick looked up.
"You can talk normally now?"
The giant creature almost seemed amused.
"For a short time."
Before Patrick could ask another question, the Guardian's body began glowing.
Its energy was fading.
The barrier protecting them weakened.
The Watchers intensified their attacks.
Cracks spread faster.
The Guardian looked at Patrick one final time.
"The throne waits."
Then its body transformed into golden particles.
And vanished.
Gone.
The protector of the First Door had disappeared.
Silence followed.
Then the barrier shattered.
The Watchers immediately focused on Patrick.
Scarlet grabbed her spear.
The remaining participants drew their weapons.
Everyone knew what was coming.
A battle.
A deadly one.
Yet before anyone could move, a new figure appeared atop a nearby building.
A young man.
Dressed entirely in black.
His eyes glowed crimson.
He smiled as he looked at Patrick.
A notification appeared.
---
Supreme Participant Detected
Rank: 1
Name: Unknown
Danger Rating:
Beyond Calculation
---
Nobody breathed.
Nobody moved.
The strongest participant in the entire Golden Zone had arrived.
The young man smiled.
"Hello, Patrick."
His crimson eyes glowed brighter.
"We've been waiting for you for a very long time."
- Writer
