Chapter 10: The Crown of Aether
701 Words
No one moved.
Every eye remained fixed on the floating crown.
Its silver frame shimmered with an otherworldly glow, while the sapphire at its center pulsed like a living heartbeat.
Even the air inside the chamber felt... alive.
Master Kael was the first to break the silence.
"No one touches it."
His voice echoed through the ancient hall.
"Not until we understand what it is."
The old scholar from Mystral slowly regained his composure.
"My king... if the ancient records are correct, the Crown of Aether was created before the kingdoms themselves existed."
King Aldren frowned.
"You mean before Azul?"
"Before Valeris."
"Before Drakhar."
"Before all of them."
The chamber fell silent once more.
---
Princess Seraphina stepped toward one of the towering statues.
Each warrior had a different expression.
Some looked proud.
Others looked sorrowful.
One statue, however, caught her attention.
Unlike the others, it had no face.
Only a smooth stone surface where its features should have been.
"Master Kael..."
She called softly.
"Was this damaged?"
Kael walked over and examined it.
He brushed centuries of dust from the pedestal.
An inscription appeared beneath it.
"The Seventh shall never be remembered."
A chill ran through the room.
"The seventh?" Brakus asked.
"I thought there were only six."
"So did I," Kael replied.
---
Suddenly, Nyx raised her hand.
"Listen."
Everyone fell silent.
Drip...
Drip...
Drip...
The sound of water echoed from somewhere deeper within the ruins.
"No..."
Nyx whispered.
"Those aren't drops."
"They're footsteps."
Before anyone could react, a figure emerged from the darkness beyond the statues.
He wore a long gray cloak, and his face was hidden beneath a weathered hood.
In one hand, he carried an old wooden staff.
The Royal Vanguard immediately drew their weapons.
The old man stopped several meters away.
Then...
He smiled.
"I wondered how long it would take."
Master Kael narrowed his eyes.
"Who are you?"
The stranger ignored the question.
Instead, he looked directly at Azul.
"So..."
"The bloodline still endures."
Azul exchanged a confused glance with Bashan.
"You know me?"
"I know your ancestors."
The chamber grew still.
---
Cassian stepped forward.
"If you've been hiding down here all this time..."
"Start explaining."
The old man chuckled.
"Still as impatient as the warriors of Drakhar."
Cassian blinked.
"You know my kingdom too?"
"I knew it..."
"Before it was called Drakhar."
Even the Mystral scholar stared in disbelief.
"That's impossible."
The old man shrugged.
"So I've been told."
---
Master Kael lowered his sword slightly.
"How old are you?"
The stranger smiled.
"I stopped counting."
Taren whispered to Brakus,
"I think we've officially entered the strange part of the story."
Brakus nodded.
"I think we passed that part three chapters ago."
Even Seraphina struggled to hide a smile.
---
The old man slowly approached the circular platform.
Surprisingly...
The floating crown lowered slightly, as though recognizing him.
"I have protected this sanctuary for longer than any of you can imagine."
He gently rested a hand on the crown.
"It has been waiting."
Azul frowned.
"Waiting for what?"
"For you."
The answer echoed through the chamber.
Not just from the old man...
But from the walls themselves.
The blue crystals suddenly glowed brighter.
Ancient runes illuminated across the floor.
The statues trembled.
One after another...
Their stone eyes opened.
Brakus instinctively raised his shield.
"They're moving!"
Massive cracks spread across the statues as pieces of stone fell away.
Beneath the rock emerged gleaming armor.
The statues were never statues at all.
They were guardians.
Sleeping for centuries.
Now...
Awakening.
The first guardian stepped forward.
Its voice sounded like grinding stone.
"Identity... unconfirmed."
A second guardian raised its spear.
"Initiating... Trial of Worthiness."
Every guardian in the chamber came to life.
Weapons lifted.
Blue eyes blazing.
The old man sighed.
"I was hoping they'd wait until after introductions."
Bashan smiled as he tightened his grip on his sword.
"Finally."
"A challenge worthy of legends."
Azul stepped beside him.
"This isn't a battle."
"Not yet."
The first guardian slammed its weapon against the stone floor.
The entire chamber shook.
Then, in perfect unison, all six guardians spoke the same sentence.
"Only the worthy may inherit the legacy of Aether."
The ancient trial had begun.
- Writer
