Chapter 14 — The Seven Guardians
1675 Words
Golden light covered the sky.
Arin stood at the center of the ruined temple while seven symbols floated above him.
For the first time, the Golden Core inside his chest was completely silent.
No voice.
No warning.
No command.
Only power.
Kael stood beside him, the golden symbol glowing on his hand.
Lyra watched the other symbols carefully.
“There are seven.”
Arin nodded.
“Seven Guardians.”
Darius stepped forward.
“But there are only four of us.”
Arin looked at the remaining symbols.
“One belongs to Seraphine.”
Kael frowned.
“After what she did?”
“She betrayed my mother,” Arin said. “But she also saved my life.”
Lyra looked at the sixth symbol.
“And the last one?”
Arin stared at it.
The final symbol was black.
It felt different from the others.
Cold.
Ancient.
Dangerous.
“I don't know.”
Before anyone could speak, a massive explosion shook the valley.
A red wave of fire appeared on the horizon.
Darius looked toward it.
“The Fire Realm has fallen.”
Another explosion followed.
This time, blue light filled the sky.
“The Water Realm too,” Lyra said.
Arin's expression hardened.
“How fast?”
“Too fast.”
Kael looked at Arin.
“The First King is attacking all seven realms at once.”
Arin raised his hand.
The seven symbols moved closer together.
A map appeared in the air.
Seven realms.
Seven glowing points.
Six were surrounded by darkness.
Only one remained untouched.
The Golden Realm.
Arin looked at Seraphine's symbol.
“He hasn't attacked the Golden Realm.”
Lyra shook her head.
“Because that's where the Golden Throne is.”
Arin understood.
“He wants us to go there.”
Kael smiled.
“It's a trap.”
“Of course it is.”
“Then why go?”
Arin looked at the burning map.
“Because everyone else is trapped.”
He turned toward the temple entrance.
“We go to the Golden Realm.”
Darius raised his sword.
“What about the armies?”
“We don't have an army.”
Kael looked at the thousands of soldiers scattered across the valley.
“They're standing right there.”
Arin looked at them.
The soldiers of the Seven Realms were confused.
Some had lost their commanders.
Others had already abandoned their weapons.
Arin stepped onto a stone platform.
“People of the Seven Realms!”
His voice echoed across the valley.
“For generations, you were told that the thrones protected you.”
No one moved.
“You were told that the Heir would destroy you.”
The soldiers listened.
“But look around.”
Arin pointed toward the burning sky.
“Your kingdoms are already burning.”
He raised his hand.
“The First King doesn't care about your realm, your king, or your family.”
His golden aura spread across the valley.
“He wants one thing.”
The soldiers waited.
“The power of creation.”
A Fire Realm soldier stepped forward.
“And if we follow you?”
Arin looked at him.
“You might die.”
The soldier frowned.
Arin continued.
“But if you do nothing…”
He looked toward the burning horizon.
“You will definitely lose everything.”
Silence.
Then the soldier dropped his weapon.
One by one, others followed.
Thousands of weapons hit the ground.
Kael smiled.
“Looks like you have an army.”
Arin looked at him.
“No.”
He looked at the soldiers.
“They chose for themselves.”
Suddenly, the sky turned black.
A massive shadow appeared above the valley.
The First King's face formed among the clouds.
“How inspiring.”
Arin looked upward.
“Show yourself.”
“You think gathering soldiers will save you?”
“No.”
Arin raised his hand.
“Friends will.”
The First King laughed.
“Friends?”
His voice became darker.
“Then watch them die.”
The clouds opened.
Black creatures poured from the sky.
Thousands.
Kael raised his sword.
“Here they come.”
Arin turned toward the army.
“Defend the temple!”
The battle began.
Fire warriors created walls of flame.
Water mages summoned enormous waves.
Earth soldiers raised stone barriers.
Wind warriors attacked from above.
Lightning mages filled the sky with electric strikes.
Shadow warriors disappeared and reappeared among the enemy.
For the first time, the armies of the Seven Realms fought together.
Arin moved through the battlefield.
He wasn't fighting like before.
He could see every attack before it happened.
Every spell.
Every weakness.
Every movement.
The second layer gave him vision.
The third gave him energy control.
The fourth gave him earth.
The fifth gave him lightning.
And the sixth…
belonged to Kael.
Kael suddenly appeared beside him.
“Arin!”
A massive creature attacked.
Kael raised his hand.
The golden symbol on his palm exploded with light.
The creature froze.
Its shadow separated from its body.
Then the shadow disappeared.
Kael stared at his hand.
“I can control shadows.”
Arin smiled.
“Looks like your new power is useful.”
Kael laughed.
“I'll take that as a compliment.”
A dark blade suddenly appeared behind Arin.
Kael pushed him aside.
The blade struck Kael's shoulder.
He fell.
“Kael!”
Arin caught him.
Blood covered his armor.
Kael gritted his teeth.
“I'm fine.”
Arin looked at the wound.
The blade carried black energy.
The First King was trying to enter Kael again.
Arin placed his hand over the wound.
Golden energy flowed through it.
The darkness disappeared.
Kael breathed out.
“That was close.”
Arin looked furious.
“He won't touch you again.”
A voice whispered inside his mind.
You cannot protect everyone.
Arin looked upward.
“I don't have to.”
His eyes glowed.
“They protect each other.”
The army roared.
The black creatures began retreating.
Then the First King's voice echoed one final time.
“Come to the Golden Realm.”
The sky closed.
The battle ended.
Arin looked at the soldiers.
“We leave now.”
Hours later, they reached the Golden Realm.
But it wasn't what Arin remembered from his visions.
The great golden city was empty.
No citizens.
No guards.
No lights.
Only the Golden Throne stood at the center.
Arin walked through the silent streets.
Kael followed.
“This feels wrong.”
Lyra nodded.
“It is.”
They entered the throne hall.
Queen Seraphine stood alone.
Her crown was missing.
Her white cloak was covered in blood.
Arin approached.
“Where is everyone?”
“Gone.”
“Where?”
“The First King took them.”
Arin looked around.
“Why are you still here?”
Seraphine looked at him.
“Because he wanted me to stay.”
“Why?”
She slowly pointed toward the throne.
Arin stared.
A black symbol had appeared on the Golden Throne.
The same symbol as the final guardian.
Lyra's face became pale.
“The seventh guardian.”
Seraphine nodded.
“He is here.”
“Who?”
She looked toward the darkness behind the throne.
“My son.”
Silence.
Arin froze.
“Your son?”
Seraphine's eyes filled with tears.
“The First King took him twenty years ago.”
A figure stepped from the shadows.
A young man.
He had silver hair.
Golden eyes.
And a black symbol on his forehead.
Arin stared at him.
Something inside the Golden Core screamed.
The young man smiled.
“Hello, brother.”
Arin's heart stopped.
Kael raised his sword.
“Brother?”
Lyra whispered:
“The First King's vessel…”
The young man looked at Arin.
“I've been waiting for you.”
Arin couldn't speak.
He felt a strange connection.
Not magical.
Not from the Golden Core.
Something deeper.
Blood.
The young man stepped closer.
“My name is Auren.”
Arin stared at him.
“Who are you?”
Auren smiled.
“I'm the other son of Queen Elara.”
Arin's eyes widened.
“No.”
Seraphine lowered her head.
“He is telling the truth.”
Arin turned toward her.
“My mother had another son?”
“Yes.”
“Why didn't she tell me?”
“Because the First King wanted both of you.”
Auren laughed softly.
“He got me.”
Arin looked at him.
“What happened to you?”
Auren's smile disappeared.
“He made me his first vessel.”
Dark energy appeared around him.
“I spent twenty years fighting him.”
“And now?”
Auren looked at the black symbol on his forehead.
“Now I have lost.”
The doors of the throne hall slammed shut.
Black energy surrounded the room.
The First King's voice echoed.
“Seven Guardians.”
Auren raised his hand.
“One Heir.”
Arin's Golden Core began glowing.
The First King continued:
“And two brothers.”
Arin looked at Auren.
Auren looked back.
Then both felt the same power awakening.
The seventh symbol appeared between them.
The symbol of creation.
But instead of glowing gold…
it split into two.
One half moved toward Arin.
The other half moved toward Auren.
Lyra stepped backward.
“This is impossible.”
Kael stared.
“What does it mean?”
Lyra whispered:
“The power of creation was never meant for one person.”
Arin looked at his brother.
“Then why did the First King want me?”
Auren answered:
“Because he doesn't want the power.”
Arin frowned.
“Then what does he want?”
Auren looked toward the throne.
“He wants us to destroy each other.”
The First King laughed.
“Exactly.”
The throne cracked.
Darkness exploded through the hall.
Arin raised his hand.
Auren raised his.
Golden energy met black darkness.
The entire Golden Realm shook.
And for the first time in thousands of years…
the power of creation awakened in two living vessels.
The final battle had begun.
To be continued…
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