Chapter Thirty: Three Men and a Queen
The temple floor shattered.
Stone erupted upward in a violent ring, throwing dust, roots, and ancient bones into the air.
Jay screamed from the lower camp.
Cicilia’s voice echoed below.
Bosco was already moving.
“Stay with the boy!”
He leapt down the stairs before anyone could answer.
The island shook harder.
And from the black-lit crater at the center of the temple, something climbed.
*****
Malrec Reborn
King Malrec Varik rose slowly through the broken floor like a nightmare remembering its name.
His body was changed.
No longer flesh entirely.
Silver-black veins pulsed through skin like molten metal.
His eyes burned white.
Clawed hands dragged across stone, carving trenches with casual strength.
When he smiled, the air around them ch
