Chapter 3
1024 Words
The castle trembled beneath another explosion.
Stone rained from the ceiling as servants screamed and fled through the corridors. Outside, the night sky burned crimson. Flaming arrows streaked through the air like falling stars, crashing into Blackmoor's outer walls.
Kael was already moving.
"Stay here."
Lyra scoffed.
"You've known me for less than a day, and you still think I'll listen?"
Before he could argue, she rushed after him.
The throne room erupted into chaos. Shadow Guards poured through the massive doors, bloodied but standing firm.
"The eastern wall has fallen!" one shouted.
"They brought siege mages," another added.
"And the Order of Dawn is with them."
Kael's face hardened.
"They came sooner than expected."
Lyra frowned.
"You knew they were coming?"
"I knew they would eventually."
"Why?"
Kael looked at her, his blue eyes darker than the storm outside.
"Because they've been hunting the Heartstone for fifteen years."
Outside the castle...
Thousands of soldiers surrounded Blackmoor.
Golden banners bearing the sun insignia of the Order of Dawn fluttered violently in the wind.
At their front rode a man in brilliant silver armor.
His white cloak billowed behind him like angel wings.
Commander Alaric.
To every kingdom, he was a hero.
Children played games pretending to be him.
Songs were written in his honor.
Statues stood in every capital city.
He raised his sword toward the castle.
"Bring me Kael Veyron."
His army roared.
"Bring me the Heartstone!"
Kael climbed the highest tower overlooking the battlefield.
Lyra followed close behind.
When she saw the army below, her breath caught.
"There must be..."
"Twenty thousand."
"They came to kill one man?"
Kael shook his head.
"They came to awaken something."
Another explosion thundered through the mountains.
The Heartstone pulsed beneath the castle.
Once.
Twice.
Then faster.
Lyra felt it.
A vibration beneath her feet.
The mountain itself was trembling.
"What is that?"
Kael closed his eyes.
"The seal."
"What seal?"
For several moments, he remained silent.
Then he spoke.
"When I was sixteen, my father took me beneath Blackmoor."
His voice was calm.
Too calm.
"He showed me what lay beneath the Heartstone."
"What did you see?"
"A god."
The word hung in the air.
"No..."
"Not the kind worshipped in temples."
Kael stared toward the mountains.
"Something older."
"Older than kingdoms."
"Older than magic."
His expression darkened.
"It was sleeping."
"And the Heartstone keeps it asleep?"
"Yes."
Lyra struggled to process everything.
"So..."
"The stories..."
"Were lies."
"Mostly."
"You aren't protecting your power."
"No."
"You're protecting everyone."
Kael finally looked at her.
"I told you."
"The stories were written by my enemies."
The castle gates shattered.
The enemy had broken through.
Steel clashed against steel.
Magic exploded across the battlefield.
Kael drew his sword.
Nightfall.
Its black blade shimmered with ancient runes.
The moment it left its sheath...
Darkness spread across the stone floor.
Lyra had never seen magic like it.
It wasn't evil.
It wasn't light.
It simply...
Existed.
Raw.
Ancient.
Alive.
Kael walked toward the battlefield.
"Where are you going?"
"To stop them."
"By yourself?"
"My soldiers are protecting the civilians."
"Then who's protecting you?"
He paused.
A faint smile appeared.
"I've never needed anyone to."
Then he disappeared into the smoke.
The battlefield fell silent.
Not because the fighting had ended.
Because Kael had arrived.
Thousands of enemy soldiers stared as the Black Sovereign walked alone across the shattered bridge leading to Blackmoor.
Rain poured over his black armor.
His cloak dragged through blood-soaked stone.
Commander Alaric smiled.
"So..."
"The monster finally leaves his castle."
Kael stopped several feet away.
"Go home."
Alaric laughed.
"You've grown arrogant."
"No."
"I'm tired."
The hero pointed his glowing sword toward Blackmoor.
"Surrender the Heartstone."
"No."
"You'd sacrifice your people for it?"
Kael's eyes became ice.
"I'd sacrifice myself."
The hero charged.
Their swords collided.
The impact split the bridge.
Magic erupted like lightning.
Shockwaves rolled across the valley, knocking soldiers to the ground.
Lyra watched from the castle wall.
She had seen warriors fight before.
This wasn't fighting.
It was destruction.
Alaric moved with breathtaking speed.
His blade radiated golden light.
Kael answered with shadows that danced around him like living creatures.
Light and darkness collided again and again.
Neither gained ground.
Until...
Alaric smiled.
"I was wondering when you'd notice."
Kael frowned.
Notice what?
Then he heard it.
A scream.
Not from the battlefield.
From beneath the castle.
His blood turned cold.
"The Heartstone."
This battle...
Had only been a distraction.
Deep beneath Blackmoor...
A small group of masked figures entered the Heartstone Chamber.
Unlike the army outside, they wore no colors.
No symbols.
Only silver masks.
One stepped forward.
"The seal is weakening."
"Good."
"The Sovereign has taken the bait."
Another produced a dagger carved from black crystal.
"The Heartstone can only be broken with this."
The leader smiled beneath his mask.
"Tonight..."
"The world begins again."
Lyra didn't hesitate.
She ran.
Ignoring every shouting guard, she raced through the castle toward the underground chamber.
Her lungs burned.
Her legs screamed.
But she kept running.
She reached the massive iron doors.
They were open.
Inside...
The masked figures surrounded the Heartstone.
One raised the crystal dagger.
"No!"
Lyra threw her own dagger.
It struck the assassin's wrist.
The black blade clattered across the floor.
Every masked figure turned toward her.
The leader tilted his head.
"Well."
"The little thief."
"You've become inconvenient."
Lyra pulled another knife.
"Get away from the Heartstone."
The masked man chuckled.
"You still don't understand."
"We don't need the Heartstone."
"We only need..."
He snapped his fingers.
One assassin lifted a terrified young servant from behind a pillar.
A child.
No older than twelve.
Lyra froze.
The assassin held his knife against the boy's throat.
"Drop your weapons."
She hesitated.
The leader smiled.
"Good."
"You're exactly the kind of person we hoped you'd be."
Reluctantly...
Lyra lowered her dagger.
The masked man picked up the crystal blade.
He walked toward the Heartstone.
Its light flickered wildly.
Then...
A voice echoed through the chamber.
Deep.
Ancient.
Powerful.
"...At last..."
The walls cracked.
The mountain shook.
The Heartstone dimmed.
And somewhere beneath the castle...
Something opened its eyes.
- Writer
