Episode 28
626 Words
The Black Ring
The dungeon beneath the Hidden Village was silent except for the sound of dripping water.
Torches flickered against the damp stone walls as Kael, Ronan, Eryx, and the High Elder stood outside the prison cell.
The assassin sat on the floor with his hands bound by enchanted silver chains.
His face remained hidden beneath a dark hood.
He had not spoken a single word since his capture.
Ronan frowned.
"I've questioned murderers, traitors, and mercenaries. Every one of them broke eventually."
He looked at the prisoner.
"But not this one."
Kael stepped closer to the iron bars.
"You entered our sanctuary."
"You tried to poison my Queen."
"Who sent you?"
The assassin slowly lifted his head.
His cold gray eyes met Kael's.
Not a trace of fear could be found within them.
Instead...
He smiled.
It was a smile that unsettled everyone in the room.
Eryx noticed it first.
"Something isn't right."
The High Elder tightened his grip on his staff.
"Stay back."
The assassin laughed quietly.
"You are already too late."
Before anyone could react, he bit down hard on something hidden between his teeth.
A sharp c***k echoed through the cell.
Blood spilled from the corner of his mouth.
Kael kicked the prison door open and rushed inside.
The assassin collapsed onto the stone floor.
His body convulsed violently before becoming still.
Ronan knelt beside him.
"He poisoned himself."
Kael cursed under his breath.
They had lost their only lead.
As Eryx searched the body, his fingers brushed against something hidden beneath the assassin's sleeve.
"There is something here."
He pulled back the fabric.
Wrapped around the assassin's finger was a black ring unlike any they had seen before.
Its surface was carved with twisting symbols that seemed to move whenever the light touched them.
At its center rested a tiny crimson gemstone.
The room suddenly grew colder.
The High Elder's face lost all color.
He took an unsteady step backward.
"No..."
Kael looked at him.
"You know this symbol?"
The elder nodded slowly.
"I prayed never to see it again."
He stared at the ring as though it carried the weight of forgotten nightmares.
"This belongs to the Circle of Eclipse."
Silence filled the dungeon.
Lyria, who had arrived moments earlier, looked at the strange ring.
"What is the Circle of Eclipse?"
The elder spoke carefully.
"Long before the Shadow Kingdom fell, there existed twelve elite servants who answered only to the Shadow King."
"They were feared more than entire armies."
"Their loyalty was absolute."
"They carried these rings as a mark of their oath."
Ronan frowned.
"You mean there are more assassins?"
The elder closed his eyes.
"If this ring is genuine..."
"There are eleven still alive."
A chill swept through the room.
Kael took the ring from Eryx.
The moment his fingers touched it, the crimson gemstone began to glow.
Dark smoke seeped from its surface.
The smoke gathered in the center of the cell until it formed the outline of a tall figure dressed in black armor.
Golden eyes opened within the darkness.
Everyone instinctively reached for their weapons.
The Shadow King.
Though only an illusion, his presence filled the dungeon with unbearable pressure.
He looked directly at Kael.
"So..."
"You have found one of my rings."
His voice was calm, almost amused.
Kael tightened his grip on his sword.
"You'll never take this kingdom."
The Shadow King ignored the threat.
Instead, his gaze shifted to Lyria.
For a long moment, he simply watched her.
Then he smiled.
"Moon Queen."
"I have searched for you for a very long time."
Lyria refused to lower her eyes.
"What do you want?"
"You."
The single word echoed through the dungeon.
"You carry something that belongs to me."
Confusion crossed
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