The throne room was no longer just stone and flame. It had become a battlefield of darkness, lit only by the flicker of collapsing chandeliers and the eerie red glow radiating from Rath's transformed form.
His cloak had fused with the shadows around him, his skin veined with obsidian fire. The sword he carried no longer looked like metal—it pulsed like a living thing, hungry and ancient.
Kael stood beside Lyra, barely upright, his ribs screaming with every breath. Blood soaked the torn remains of his coat, but his grip on his blade did not falter.
"He's not human anymore," Lyra whispered.
Kael spat blood onto the ground. "Then I'll kill a monster."
Rise of the Rebellion
From the ruins of the hallway, Elira stumbled back into view, singed but alive. Behind her, Thorn dragged Merek by the collar, his beard smoldering, a grin split across his bloodied face.
"Looks like the bastard brought out his final trick," Thorn said, tossing Merek down beside Vess, who was already nocking another arrow.
Merek groaned. "Remind me to prepare an anti-demon ward next time we fight a cursed king."
"There won't be a next time," Kael said, stepping forward.
Rath raised his black blade and pointed it toward Kael. "You defy death itself. But you'll kneel before me—like your father did."
Kael froze.
The words struck deeper than steel.
Lyra's hand found his.
"You're not your father," she said quietly. "You're what he never became. You're his redemption."
Kael nodded, jaw clenched.
Hearts Aflame
Kael and Lyra surged forward together. Rath met them with inhuman speed. Steel clashed against shadow as Kael parried, spun, and struck, his blade glowing faintly with the magic he'd buried for so long.
Rath retaliated with a sweep that carved a crater into the stone. Lyra rolled beneath it and slashed at his calf, drawing blood—but even wounded, Rath's power only grew.
Vess's arrows rained from above, slowing his movements. Merek chanted, and bolts of lightning crashed into Rath's back. Thorn charged from the side, his axe catching flame as he screamed.
But Rath would not fall.
Not yet.
The Tether
As Kael's blade locked with Rath's once more, the tyrant leaned in close. "You think you're the hero of this tale. But all you are is the last of a cursed name."
Kael's voice was low, steady. "Then I'll carry that curse into hell… and drag you down with me."
Rath surged with a roar, flinging Kael back. He raised his sword to finish it—but Lyra leapt in front of Kael, arms wide.
"NO!"
Rath hesitated.
Just for a second.
In that second, Kael moved.
He ducked under Rath's killing blow and drove his sword—clean through the tyrant's heart.
To be continue...