The chamber trembled—not from storm or quake, but from revelation.
The pendant in Elder Solarin's hand glowed faintly, a heartbeat from a bloodline thought erased. Whispers cracked the silence like glass.
"It cannot be…" muttered Tharos, Lord of Lightning. "That sigil was shattered."
"No," rumbled the Sea King, his voice slow and heavy as the tide. "It belonged to the Asharim. A line we destroyed with our own hands."
But Elder Solarin's gaze cut through them.
"Not destroyed. Hidden."
The woman stood behind him, clutching her soaked cloak, her voice trembling but unshaken.
"Naemir gave it to his daughters. It is the only heirloom left of his house."
Murmurs swept the rulers. Shock hardened into suspicion. Fear into unease. For the truth was undeniable:
If Naemir bore the Asharim sigil, then Elder Solarin—his brother—was Asharim as well.
The Watcher of Worlds was not apart from the bloodline.
He was its living proof.
A tense silence stretched—until the God-King's voice cracked it.
"Aurelia," he said, tone sharp with command. "Did I not order you to watch Solarin? And to tell me if anything stirred?"
Her radiant eyes turned toward him, cold as starlight.
"And what makes you think you can order me around? You do not rule me. I do what I wish. If you have a problem with that… come and say it to my face. Or are you still as afraid as you were before?"
Shadows twisted as the Demon King leaned forward, voice like smoke.
"Tell me then, Sentinel… did you know?"
"Yes." Aurelia's voice was steady.
The Sea King rumbled. "For how long?"
"Sixty years," Aurelia said without hesitation.
The chamber erupted. Crowns shook, lightning cracked, ice split stone.
The God-King's fury deepened, his crown dimming with venomous light.
"Sixty years… and you stayed silent. I should have expected no more from the House of Elyndor."
He rose, his voice cruel.
"What should I expect of you after what happened to your brother?"
The Angel King tilted his head, golden feathers rustling.
"Your brother?"
The God-King's smile was thin, poisonous.
"He was fool enough to challenge Aelthar the Eternal. And what did it earn him? The loss of an arm."
Laughter split the silence.
The King of Beasts bared his teeth.
"Are you that stupid? He didn't lose an arm. He gained a scar. And he won."
Kaelthys, Warden of Ice, leaned forward, frost spilling from his breath.
"He is right.
Your brother bested Aelthar. Which means he stands your equal, God-King. Watch your words."
A cruel smile tugged at Kaelthys' lips.
"No… it is an insult. He is far stronger than you."
The King of Beasts roared with laughter.
"Truth at last! You wouldn't stand a chance against him, and you know it!"
The God-King's fury snapped. He lunged at Kaelthys, shadows tearing the air—
Only to freeze in place. Ice crawled over his body, locking him in crystal mid-stride.
The King of Beasts sneered.
"Why him and not me, God-King? Is it because he's easier prey?"
Kaelthys' eyes narrowed, voice sharp as frost.
"Call me weak again, beast, and you'll regret it."
The King of Beasts growled low. "Those were your words, not mine."
Lightning cracked. Fire roared. For a moment, the chamber seemed on the edge of collapse.
Then a shadow moved.
A figure appeared behind Kaelthys, whispering words unheard by the others. The Warden of Ice stiffened, rage flashing across his face. Without a word, he shattered his ice prison, freed the God-King, and stormed from the chamber, frost trailing in his wake.
The King of Beasts snarled in disappointment. He turned as if to leave—then stopped.
Because every ruler in the chamber froze at once.
Something pressed against them. Heavy. Ancient. Familiar.
A presence.
It rippled through the chamber, through the walls, through the universe itself.
Eyes widened. Crowns dimmed. Even the God-King's face hardened.
The rulers knew what it meant.
Someone had returned.
And for the first time in an age, the thrones of power felt fear.
End of Chapter 6 – The Pendant They Failed to Destroy