The Black Palace did not just sit upon the mountain; it breathed with the weight of the Abyss. Giant glass pillars, darker than a moonless night, rose into a court where the air tasted of ancient secrets and cold iron.
On the wide obsidian stairs sat a boy of fifteen. He was quiet, his silver-black hair falling over eyes that had not yet decided whether to settle on his father's gold or his mother's violet. In his lap lay a hilt wrapped in tattered white cloth.
Footsteps approached—measured, regal, and heavy with the authority of a Queen.
The Queen of Darkness says: You're awake early.
Adrian says: Couldn't sleep.
The Queen of Darkness speaks softly: You never could, when something is about to change. (She stops beside him, her gown of shadows flowing like water.)
Adrian glances at the wrapped hilt and says: It keeps humming. It feels… restless.
The Queen of Darkness smiles without showing teeth and says: Your father's last mistake. Or perhaps, his only mercy.
Adrian asks: Which do you think it is?
The Queen of Darkness touches his hair and answers: Both. (She gestures to the weapon.) Unwrap it, Adrian. Let the light see the dark.
Adrian's fingers moved with practiced grace, loosening the cloth. As the steel was revealed, it didn't just reflect the light—it drank it. A pale, silver blade emerged, singing a note like wind through crystal bells.
Merlin, a woman's voice from the blade, says: Mm. There you are. Finally, a hand that doesn't feel like lead.
Adrian stays still and answers: …Hello?
Merlin replies with amusement: Hello, little storm. Try not to drop me. It's embarrassing for us both, and I have a reputation to maintain.
Adrian hides a smile and says: I won't. I promise.
The Queen of Darkness, pleased but wary, asks: Does the spirit speak to you?
Adrian answers: She does. She sounds… opinionated.
Merlin replies lightly: She can also hear you, Your Majesty. Don't worry, I've seen enough Kings and Queens to know a good one when I smell one.
The Queen of Darkness tells the blade: Guard him. Bite anything that tries to claim him—be it from the heavens or the pits.
Merlin responds: I was forged for a sun. I can handle a night.
The Queen looked down at her son, her expression softening for a fraction of a second. The Queen of Darkness says: Fifteen winters. You've earned any road you dare to walk. Even the ones that lead away from me.
Adrian asks: If I walk away… if I go to the human world, will you stop me?
The Queen of Darkness answers quietly: I will not cage you. But remember, Adrian: I will not protect the world from you, either. Choose wisely.
[Not "weapon." Not "heir." She called me son.]
The heavy doors groaned open. Draven—tall, scarred, the Demon Lord of Nightfall—stepped in, his helm tucked under his arm. His presence was like a physical weight.
Draven says: Your sparring was late yesterday. You're getting lazy.
Adrian replies: I wasn't lazy. I was listening to a sword I hadn't met yet.
Draven approaches, studies the silver blade, and says: Hn. It's a woman. Troublesome.
Merlin answers sharply: I am Merlin. Try to keep up, you oversized wall of muscle.
Draven deadpans: I only spar when I'm insulted. It makes the victory sweeter.
Adrian stands and says: One bout, Draven. Before I go.
The Queen of Darkness remarks: You planned this. A final test?
Adrian replies: I planned a question. (He turns to Draven, his aura beginning to flicker between gold and shadow.) If I fall, I stay and follow your orders. If I stand, I walk out that gate.
Draven draws his heavy black blade, his tone hiding a glimmer of pride: Stupid bargain. Fine. Don't cry when you hit the stone.
They circled on the black stone floor. Swords touched—a light clink that resonated through the hall. Then, the world exploded. Sparks like white rain flew as Adrian moved.
Merlin says in Adrian's palm, her voice cool and guiding: Breathe, little sun. Two steps left, lift the hilt, now—parry high! He's overcommitting.
Adrian moved. He wasn't just fighting; he was dancing between two natures. Draven pressed with the weight of a mountain, but Adrian yielded, angled, and returned with the speed of a lightning strike.
The exchange ended in a sudden, sharp silence. Draven's heavy blade was halted at Adrian's shoulder—but Adrian's silver point was resting light as a feather against Draven's heart.
Draven doesn't blink and says: Hn. You've grown.
Adrian says low: I stand.
Draven sheathes his blade: Then walk. And when the world lies to you—and it will—cut the lies, not the world.
The Queen of Darkness stepped forward, drawing a small, dark ring from her finger. The Queen of Darkness says: For the gates. It answers my seal, but it does not obey it. It will help you hide what you are.
Adrian accepts it and says: Thank you, Mother.
The Queen of Darkness touches his cheek and says: Come back with a story that makes me furious. It will mean you actually lived.
Merlin says softly to Adrian: You're shaking. Is it the cold?
Adrian thinks [Not fear. Just the weight of the road.] He says aloud: I'm ready.
The Queen of Darkness's voice fills the hall: Clear the east gate!
The path ahead smelled of rain and wheat—scents that didn't exist in the Dark Palace. From a shadowed arch, Vera crossed her arms, watching him with a fierce gaze.
Vera says: If anyone bullies you out there, bully back ten times harder. Don't embarrass us.
Adrian smiles and replies: I'll write to you.
Vera shakes her head: Don't write. Just win.
Adrian says to all of them: I'll come home… when home is more than one place.
He slung his pack, set Merlin at his hip, and stepped into the night-tinged dawn.
Merlin says, content: One step. Then another. Ready to meet the humans, Adrian?
Adrian thinks [Human world. Learn it. Don't kneel.] He did not look back.