THE SILENCE AFTER SACRIFICE...
Seraphina knelt beside Elias's body, her hands trembling as she pressed them against his chest.
He wasn't breathing.
His skin—once pulsing with life, with magic—had turned deathly pale. The glow that had once outlined his veins was gone. His body, which had once held the weight of a kingdom, lay still.
No heartbeat.
No warmth.
The silence pressed in on her, heavier than anything she had ever faced.
"Elias," she whispered, her voice barely more than a breath. "Wake up."
Nothing.
Behind her, Varian stood motionless. His gaze, usually sharp and unyielding, was distant—lost. When he finally spoke, his voice was hollow.
"He did it. He severed the throne's hold.
Seraphina barely heard him.
Because she knew the truth.
Elias wasn't waking up.
And that realization sent ice through her veins.
THE COST OF FREEDOM...
The throne had dimmed. The runes that once pulsed with ancient power had gone dark. The oppressive aura that had lingered over the chamber for centuries had vanished.
Elias had done what no Arcane King before him had dared to do.
He had broken the cycle.
But at what cost?
Seraphina's hands curled into fists as she stared at his unmoving form.
He couldn't be gone.
Not like this.
Not after everything.
She shook him harder, her voice cracking. "Come back!"
Still, nothing.
Varian exhaled, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Seraphina—"
She slapped it away. "No! He's not dead. He can't be!"
Varian didn't argue. He didn't say it was over.
Because he knew her too well.
And he knew that, if there was even a sliver of hope, she would tear the heavens apart to reach it.
A DESPERATE GAMBLE...
Seraphina had never been a healer.
She had never been one for gentle hands or soft words.
She was a warrior. A protector. A fighter.
And now, she had to fight for him.
Her magic flared to life as she pressed her palms against Elias's chest, ignoring the way her vision blurred.
Come back
She poured everything she had into him—every ounce of power, every thread of will.
Come back.
The magic wrapped around his heart, searching.
But there was nothing left to hold on to.
Tears burned at the edges of her eyes.
She had seen Elias stand against gods. She had watched him fight battles no man should have survived.
And yet—he had always returned.
Always.
But now…
No.
She refused to accept this.
She leaned over him, her forehead pressing against his.
"You told me you weren't ready to die," she whispered.
Her voice cracked.
"So prove it."
She clutched his lifeless hand.
"Come back to me."
The magic flared—
And suddenly—
The world shifted.
BETWEEN LIFE AND DEATH...
Elias drifted.
The weight of his body was gone.
No pain. No struggle.
Just silence.
It was… peaceful.
For the first time in his life, there were no voices. No Watchers whispering in his ear. No ancient kings pressing their will upon him. No gods lurking in the shadows.
Just him.
He should have felt relief.
Instead, he felt empty.
Was this death?
It felt so simple.
So effortless.
But something… something tugged at him.
A voice.
Faint. Distant.
"Come back to me."
Elias stiffened.
Seraphina.
The light around him flickered.
And for the first time, he realized—
This wasn't peace.
It was a prison.
A cold, perfect void. A place where nothing could reach him, where nothing could change.
He looked around, his heart pounding.
He wanted out.
And then—
A figure emerged from the endless light.
Tall. Cloaked in gold and shadow. Eyes burning with ancient fire.
A god.
"You do not belong here," the figure said.
Elias clenched his jaw. "Then let me go."
The god smiled. "Not yet."
A hand extended—not in kindness, but in command.
"You have broken the cycle. You have shattered the throne's will. But do you truly believe that means you are free?"
Elias's pulse pounded in his ears.
He felt it now—the weight of their judgment.
The gods had seen him.
They had felt his defiance.
And they would not let it go unanswered.
"Elias," Seraphina's voice echoed through the void.
The god tilted his head. "They are calling you back. But if you return… you will not be the same."
Elias took a slow breath.
"I was never the same to begin with."
And with that—
He fell.
THE RETURN OF THE KING...
Elias's eyes snapped open.
A deep, shuddering breath filled his lungs.
His body convulsed as magic slammed back into him, crackling through his veins like wildfire.
Seraphina gasped, her hands tightening around him.
"Elias!"
He coughed violently, his entire body trembling. Every nerve burned, every muscle screamed in protest.
His magic was still there.
But it was different.
Stronger.
Darker.
Like something had changed deep within him.
Varian exhaled sharply. "You really don't know how to stay dead, do you?"
Elias let out a weak chuckle. "Apparently not."
Then his gaze fell on Seraphina.
And for a moment—the world disappeared.
"You brought me back," he whispered.
She swallowed hard. "You didn't give me a choice."
Their eyes locked.
A thousand unspoken words between them.
Then Elias's vision swam.
His body collapsed back into Seraphina's arms.
And the world went dark again.
THE AFTERMATH...
When Elias woke again, the room was dim, the fires burning low.
Seraphina was still beside him, exhaustion clear in her eyes.
"You look terrible," he muttered.
She snorted. "Says the guy who just died."
Pain shot through him as he tried to sit up.
Seraphina moved instantly, steadying him. "Don't push yourself."
He exhaled. "What happened?"
Varian leaned against the doorway. "You broke the throne's hold. The magic backlash nearly tore you apart."
Elias clenched his jaw. "But I survived."
Varian gave a slow nod. "Barely."
Elias's fingers curled. "Then the cycle is broken."
Varian hesitated.
"The throne's hold is broken," he admitted. "But the gods… they know what you've done."
Elias's chest tightened.
Of course.
This wasn't over.
Not yet.
The gods had felt his defiance.
And they were coming.
For him.
For all of them.
War was inevitable.
THE GODS HAVE SEEN HIM...
The fire flickered, casting long shadows across the chamber.
Seraphina's voice was quiet. "So what now?"
Elias took a slow, steady breath.
Then he met her gaze.
"Now?"
He closed his fist.
"Now, we fight."