The eight throne
980 Words
Moonlight erupted from the crown.
Three streams of silver light shot across Prague, each finding one of the Shadow King’s portals.
The hospital.
The Charles Bridge.
Professor Marek.
The Shadow King’s smile vanished.
“Impossible…”
The silver light struck all three locations at once.
At the hospital, a glowing dome formed around the building as shadow creatures crashed harmlessly against it.
On Charles Bridge, frightened civilians watched as silver wolves made entirely of moonlight appeared, tearing through the living shadows before guiding people to safety.
Deep beneath the city, Professor Marek’s chains shattered into dust.
He collapsed to his knees, staring at the glowing woman standing before him.
Except…
No one was there.
Only moonlight.
The professor whispered through tears,
“Luna…”
⸻
Back at the cathedral…
The three beams returned to the Moon Crown.
Luna staggered.
Blood trickled from her nose.
Kael caught her before she fell.
“My Queen!”
She smiled weakly.
“I’m… okay.”
“No.”
Seraphina appeared beside her, concern filling her face.
“You’ve never used that much Moon Magic before.”
“I didn’t know I was using magic.”
“Exactly.”
Luna looked at her hands.
Silver cracks had appeared beneath her skin, glowing like veins of starlight.
“They hurt.”
“They’re not supposed to.”
Lucien stepped closer.
“She’s drawing directly from the Crown.”
Seraphina nodded.
“Without training.”
Alaric looked toward the Shadow King.
“Can she survive it?”
No one answered.
The silence was enough.
⸻
High above them…
The Shadow King began laughing.
Not in anger.
In admiration.
“You continue to surprise me.”
He slowly descended until he stood only a few feet from Luna.
For the first time…
He bowed.
Every vampire, wolf, and witch gasped.
“My Queen.”
Luna frowned.
“What game are you playing?”
“No game.”
He smiled.
“I’ve waited thousands of years to meet someone worthy.”
Lucien immediately stepped between them.
“Don’t listen to him.”
The Shadow King ignored him.
“I never wanted to destroy the world.”
Luna stared.
“What?”
“I wanted to save it.”
The cathedral fell silent.
Seraphina whispered,
“He’s lying.”
“Am I?”
The Shadow King raised one hand.
The air rippled.
A massive image appeared above Prague.
Not an illusion.
A memory.
The sky…
Burning.
Stars falling.
Entire continents swallowed by oceans.
Mountains splitting apart.
Something far larger than Earth itself descending from space.
It wasn’t a monster.
It was a moon.
A black moon.
Luna couldn’t breathe.
“What is that?”
The Shadow King’s voice became quieter.
“The reason I went to war.”
He looked directly at her.
“That…”
“…is the Devourer.”
The image grew clearer.
The black moon wasn’t made of rock.
It was alive.
Millions of glowing eyes opened across its surface.
A mouth large enough to swallow cities slowly smiled.
The cathedral shook.
Even Seraphina looked horrified.
“No…”
“You remember now.”
She closed her eyes.
“I prayed those memories would never return.”
Luna looked between them.
“What is it?”
Lucien answered.
“The first enemy.”
Kael whispered,
“The one that existed before vampires…”
Alaric finished the sentence.
“…before wolves…”
Seraphina looked at Luna with tears in her eyes.
“…before humanity.”
The Shadow King smiled sadly.
“I tried to unite the world.”
“No one believed me.”
“They called me a tyrant.”
“They called me a monster.”
“So I became one.”
Silence.
Luna’s heart pounded.
“If that’s true…”
“…why are you attacking us?”
His silver eyes softened.
“Because you keep fighting the wrong war.”
He pointed toward the black moon.
“It is coming.”
“When?”
“Soon.”
“How soon?”
He looked directly into her eyes.
“One year.”
The words echoed through the cathedral.
One year.
One year before whatever that thing was reached Earth.
Luna whispered,
“Can we stop it?”
The Shadow King smiled.
“Not divided.”
He looked at every leader gathered there.
“The vampires.”
“The werewolves.”
“The witches.”
“They’ve spent centuries preparing to fight each other.”
He slowly looked back at Luna.
“But only the Moon Queen can unite them.”
Lucien’s expression darkened.
“Don’t trust him.”
“I don’t.”
Luna answered immediately.
“But…”
She looked up at the image of the living moon.
“…I believe that thing is real.”
No one argued.
Because every immortal in the cathedral recognized it.
They had simply forgotten.
⸻
Suddenly…
The Moon Crown became scorching hot.
Luna cried out in pain.
A new vision seized her.
This one was clearer than all the others.
She stood in a magnificent throne room.
Not seven thrones…
Eight.
The first seven were occupied.
Vampires.
Werewolves.
Witches.
Dragons.
Spirits.
Guardians.
Sea Kings.
But the eighth throne…
Stood empty.
Above it was an ancient symbol.
One Luna had never seen before.
The symbol blazed with silver fire.
Then…
A voice echoed through the hall.
“The Eighth Throne awaits its rightful ruler.”
The vision shattered.
Luna gasped, falling into Kael’s arms.
“What did you see?” he asked.
She looked at him, still shaken.
“There aren’t seven kingdoms.”
Everyone stared.
“There are…”
“…eight.”
At that exact moment…
Far beneath the Atlantic Ocean…
Something impossible happened.
A palace hidden beneath the sea for over five thousand years lit up with silver light.
An ancient throne, untouched since the beginning of history…
Slowly awakened.
And someone sitting upon it…
Opened their eyes.
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