THE KINGDOM BENEATH THE MOON

Chapter 5: The Seven Crowns

The palace shook again.

A roar rolled beneath the floor, so deep that Elyan felt it in his chest before he heard it.

Books fell from shelves.

Stone cracked.

Dust poured from the ceiling.

For several seconds, nobody moved.

Then King Aldric shouted:

"Everyone out!"

The guards rushed toward the doors.

Lyra grabbed Elyan.

"Come on!"

Elyan looked toward the shattered window.

Beyond the palace walls, Valen was in chaos.

People were running through the streets.

Soldiers shouted orders.

Horses screamed.

The palace bells rang continuously.

Above everything hung the black moon.

Silver cracks spread across its surface like fractures in glass.

Elyan couldn't stop staring.

"What is happening?"

Lyra pulled him away from the window.

"The seal."

"You said it was breaking."

"It was."

"What's different now?"

Lyra looked at him.

"Now it's broken."

They ran through the palace corridors.

Seraphine appeared from a side passage.

"What happened?"

Lyra answered.

"The crown shattered."

Seraphine's eyes widened.

"My father?"

"Alive."

"Where?"

"In the archives."

Seraphine turned.

"I'll find him."

"No."

Lyra grabbed her arm.

"You can't."

"He's my father."

"And he's going to try to kill Elyan."

Seraphine looked at Elyan.

"Why?"

"Because he knows what Elyan is."

Seraphine's expression changed.

"What did he say?"

"That I'm the last key."

Seraphine became silent.

Then she whispered:

"He knows."

"Knows what?"

Seraphine looked at Lyra.

"The prophecy."

"What prophecy?"

Before either could answer, an explosion shook the palace.

A section of the ceiling collapsed behind them.

Seraphine grabbed Elyan.

"This way!"

They ran.

They reached a narrow staircase leading beneath the palace.

Elyan looked at Seraphine.

"Where are we going?"

"Somewhere my father won't follow."

"Does that place exist?"

"Hopefully."

They descended.

The staircase continued downward.

The deeper they went, the colder the air became.

Eventually they reached an enormous stone door.

Seraphine pressed her palm against it.

Nothing happened.

She tried again.

Still nothing.

Lyra stepped forward.

"Your blood."

"What?"

"The door recognizes the royal bloodline."

Seraphine frowned.

"How?"

"Your ancestors built this place."

Seraphine cut her palm with her dagger.

She pressed it against the stone.

The door opened.

Beyond it was a chamber filled with ancient statues.

Elyan stopped.

There were seven statues.

Each wore a crown.

But the seventh statue was different.

Its crown had been removed.

The statue's face was broken.

Elyan approached.

"Who is this?"

Seraphine looked at it.

"The Moon King."

Elyan stared at the statue.

Aethron.

The man from his vision.

The supposed villain of history.

"Why is his statue here?"

"Because the seven kings who defeated him built this chamber."

"To celebrate their victory?"

"No."

Seraphine looked around.

"To remember what they had done."

Elyan frowned.

"That doesn't make sense."

"That's what I thought."

She walked toward a wall covered in writing.

"My father told me never to come here."

"Why?"

"Because he said the truth would destroy the kingdom."

Lyra examined the inscriptions.

"This isn't a memorial."

"What is it?"

"A warning."

She brushed dust from the stone.

Words appeared.

Elyan stepped closer.

The inscription was written in an ancient language.

Lyra translated it.

When the Moon is broken, the imprisoned kingdom shall rise.

Another line.

When the seven crowns fall, the Moon King shall return.

Another.

When the final Moonbound opens the gate, the worlds shall become one.

Elyan looked at Lyra.

"That's me."

She nodded.

"Yes."

Seraphine shook her head.

"No."

Elyan turned.

"What?"

"There is something missing."

She pointed toward the final line.

"Look."

The inscription ended abruptly.

The rest of the wall had been destroyed.

"We don't know what happens after the worlds become one."

Elyan stared at the broken inscription.

"Maybe that's what my mother was trying to prevent."

Lyra nodded.

"Maybe."

A sound came from above.

Footsteps.

Seraphine drew her sword.

"They found us."

Elyan looked around.

"Where do we go?"

"There."

Lyra pointed toward a tunnel behind the statues.

They ran.

The tunnel opened into a massive underground chamber.

At its center was a circular pool.

The water was perfectly still.

Seraphine walked toward it.

"This is the Mirror Well."

Elyan looked into the water.

Instead of his reflection, he saw a city.

Nymor.

But this time it wasn't empty.

People walked through its streets.

Children ran between buildings.

Merchants opened stalls.

Guards patrolled the roads.

It looked alive.

Elyan whispered:

"They're still there."

Lyra nodded.

"Yes."

"How?"

"The prison preserved them."

"All of them?"

"Not exactly."

Elyan looked at her.

"What does that mean?"

"Time doesn't work normally inside Nymor."

He looked into the water again.

A woman walked through the city.

She had dark hair.

She stopped.

Turned.

Looked directly at him.

Elyan's breath caught.

"Mother."

The woman smiled.

Then the image disappeared.

Elyan reached into the water.

The surface rippled.

"No."

Lyra grabbed his arm.

"Elyan."

"She was there."

"I know."

"My mother is alive."

Lyra didn't answer.

"Tell me."

Lyra looked at Seraphine.

Seraphine shook her head.

Lyra finally said:

"I don't know."

Elyan pulled away.

"You knew."

"I suspected."

"You knew!"

"I didn't want to give you false hope."

"You should have told me!"

"Elyan—"

"You all keep lying to me!"

His voice echoed through the chamber.

The water began moving.

Not because of him.

Something beneath it was rising.

Lyra stepped backward.

"Move."

A hand emerged from the pool.

Then another.

Elyan froze.

A figure slowly climbed out.

It was a man.

His clothes were ancient.

His skin was pale.

His eyes were silver.

Elyan recognized him immediately.

Aethron.

The Moon King.

But he looked different from the visions.

He wasn't old.

He wasn't wounded.

He looked exactly as he had a thousand years ago.

He stared at Elyan.

Then smiled.

"My sister's son."

Elyan couldn't breathe.

"Your..."

The Moon King stepped forward.

"Your mother was my sister."

Lyra raised her dagger.

"Stay back."

Aethron looked at her.

"You carry the Ashborne blood."

Lyra's grip tightened.

"You know my family?"

"I knew your ancestors."

He turned toward Seraphine.

"And you."

Seraphine raised her sword.

"You killed thousands."

Aethron's expression became sad.

"Your ancestors killed thousands."

Seraphine didn't respond.

He looked at Elyan again.

"You have her eyes."

Elyan stared at him.

"You know where she is?"

Aethron nodded.

"Yes."

"Where?"

"Alive."

Elyan took a step forward.

Lyra stopped him.

"Don't."

Aethron smiled.

"You've been taught to fear me."

Elyan said nothing.

"They told you I was a monster."

"Was it a lie?"

Aethron looked toward the ceiling.

"History is always written by the people who survive."

The chamber shook.

Aethron's expression changed.

"We don't have much time."

"Why?"

"Because your mother was right."

Elyan stared.

"Right about what?"

"The gate must not open completely."

"But you want Nymor free."

"I want my people free."

"What's the difference?"

Aethron looked at him.

"If the gate opens completely, something else will come through."

Lyra's face went pale.

"What?"

Aethron turned toward her.

"You know."

Lyra shook her head.

"No."

"You've read the old texts."

"I thought they were legends."

"They were warnings."

Elyan looked between them.

"What is coming?"

Aethron's voice became quiet.

"The thing that existed before the seven kingdoms."

The chamber went silent.

"Before Nymor?"

Aethron nodded.

"Before humans."

Another tremor.

The water in the Mirror Well began boiling.

Aethron looked at Elyan.

"The Moonbound were never created to imprison Nymor."

"Then what were they created for?"

"To guard the door."

"What door?"

Aethron pointed downward.

"The one beneath Nymor."

A deafening roar shook the chamber.

The walls cracked.

Seraphine stumbled.

Lyra grabbed her.

Aethron looked toward the ceiling.

"It's begun."

"What?"

"The awakening."

Elyan felt the silver mark burning.

The chamber filled with light.

Images appeared in the air.

A massive black shape.

Two enormous eyes.

A world covered in darkness.

Cities disappearing.

Mountains breaking.

The Moon King watched the vision.

"That is what the seven kingdoms feared."

Elyan whispered:

"What is it?"

Aethron looked at him.

"The firstborn."

The vision vanished.

Silence returned.

Elyan's voice trembled.

"How do we stop it?"

Aethron looked toward him.

"That is why you were born."

Lyra stepped forward.

"No."

Aethron looked at her.

"The prophecy doesn't say that."

"What does it say?"

Aethron smiled.

"It says Elyan will choose."

"Choose what?"

Aethron looked at the black moon through an opening in the ceiling.

"Whether this world survives."

Suddenly, the chamber doors exploded inward.

King Aldric entered with dozens of soldiers.

"Get away from him!"

Aethron turned.

For the first time, anger appeared in his eyes.

"You still cling to the same mistake."

King Aldric raised his sword.

"You will not take this kingdom."

Aethron looked at him.

"I don't want your kingdom."

"Then what do you want?"

"My people."

King Aldric shouted:

"Attack!"

The soldiers charged.

Lyra raised both hands.

Roots burst through the stone floor.

They wrapped around the soldiers' legs.

Seraphine drew her sword and moved forward.

Elyan stood frozen.

Aethron looked at him.

"Do not fight."

"What?"

"Watch."

Aethron raised his hand.

The entire chamber went silent.

Every soldier froze.

Not trapped.

Not restrained.

Simply unable to move.

Aethron walked through them.

He stopped before King Aldric.

"You inherited the crown."

Aldric stared.

"You inherited the fear."

Aethron leaned closer.

"But you did not inherit the wisdom."

He touched the king's forehead.

A flash of silver light appeared.

Aldric collapsed.

Seraphine caught him.

"Father!"

Aethron turned toward Elyan.

"Come with me."

Elyan shook his head.

"Where?"

"Home."

"My home is here."

"No."

Aethron pointed toward the Mirror Well.

"Your home is beneath the moon."

Elyan looked at the water.

He saw his mother again.

She was standing at the gates of Nymor.

Waiting.

Elyan stepped toward the pool.

Lyra grabbed him.

"Don't go."

"She's alive."

"We don't know that."

"I saw her."

"It could be an illusion."

Aethron said nothing.

Elyan looked at him.

"Is she really alive?"

Aethron nodded.

"Yes."

"Then I'm going."

Lyra stepped between them.

"You can't trust him."

Aethron smiled.

"She is right."

Elyan stared.

"What?"

"You cannot trust me."

He turned toward the tunnel.

"Neither can I trust you."

"Then why are you helping me?"

Aethron stopped.

"Because your mother asked me to."

Elyan froze.

"What did she ask?"

Aethron looked back.

"She told me that if the Black Moon ever returned, I should protect her son."

He disappeared into the darkness.

Elyan stood motionless.

Lyra came beside him.

"What are you going to do?"

Elyan looked at the black moon.

Then at the underground passage.

Then at the place where Aethron had disappeared.

"I'm going to find my mother."

Lyra sighed.

"I knew you would say that."

Seraphine helped her unconscious father stand.

"We can't go through the palace."

Lyra looked toward the tunnel.

"Then we go beneath it."

Elyan nodded.

Together, they entered the darkness.

Above them, the seven kingdoms prepared for war.

Below them, Nymor opened its gates.

And far beneath the forgotten kingdom, something older than kings and kingdoms slowly opened its eyes.