The second impact hit harder.
The entire council chamber lurched violently to one side.
Stone cracked across the ceiling.
Blue fire dimmed.
Dust rained down from above.
Several faction leaders stumbled backward in panic.
Then—
far beneath the city—
a deep metallic groan echoed through Noctis itself.
The sound of something ancient beginning to fail.
The City Feels Fear
For the first time in centuries—
Noctis panicked openly.
The fear spread instantly.
Not hidden whispers.
Not quiet rumors.
Real fear.
Sirens began echoing through the lower districts.
Ancient alarm bells rang across the underground city.
People flooded through the streets.
Hunters armed themselves.
Merchants sealed vaults.
Families disappeared into hidden shelters.
The hidden city finally understood something terrifying:
The outside world had reached them.
Inside the Council Chamber
"Seal the lower districts!"
"Move civilians underground!"
"Activate the inner barriers!"
Voices exploded across the chamber.
Orders.
Arguments.
Panic disguised as leadership.
Arjun stood still through all of it.
Watching.
Listening.
Because chaos reveals truth faster than peace ever does.
And the truth here was simple.
Nobody was prepared for this.
Mordren's Last Stand
Mordren slammed both hands against the council table.
"Silence!"
The chamber quieted slightly.
The massive warrior's eyes burned with fury.
Not fear.
Never fear.
Fury.
"We defend the gate."
Several council members looked horrified.
"With what?" one shouted back.
Mordren grabbed his weapon.
"With Noctis."
It was a good speech.
A strong one.
But Arjun noticed the hesitation underneath it.
Even Mordren knew brute force would not stop the Overseers.
The Map of the Gate
Vael raised one hand slowly.
The chamber darkened.
A new projection rose from the floor.
Far larger than before.
The entire underground structure of Noctis appeared in glowing blue lines.
Tunnels.
Districts.
Ancient pathways.
And above all of them—
a massive circular fortress-like structure.
The Outer Gate.
Arjun stared at it carefully.
The thing was enormous.
Built directly into the cavern wall far above the city.
Layer upon layer of ancient seals covered its surface.
Most were already cracked.
White light bled through the fractures.
Like something trying to force its way into reality.
Lyra stepped beside him.
"That gate was built after the First Purge."
Her voice stayed low.
"It held for centuries."
Arjun glanced at her.
"And now?"
Lyra didn't answer immediately.
Because they both already knew.
The Real Problem
Kael suddenly cursed softly.
Arjun looked at him.
"What?"
Kael pointed toward the projection.
"Look closer."
The cracks weren't random.
They were spreading toward the center.
Toward one specific symbol.
A massive black crest carved into the gate itself.
The moment Arjun saw it—
the shadows around him reacted instantly.
Violently.
The mark on his hand burned.
And for half a second—
a memory flashed through his mind.
A throne.
Black armor.
An army kneeling beneath endless darkness.
And above the gate—
that same symbol.
His symbol.
The vision vanished immediately.
But the feeling remained.
Heavy.
Ancient.
Wrong.
Kael stared at him carefully.
"…You recognize it."
Arjun's voice lowered slightly.
"Yeah."
The chamber became quieter.
Because everyone heard the change in his tone.
The Gate Was Never Just a Seal
Vael slowly stood from his seat.
"The Outer Gate was not only built to keep the Overseers out."
Arjun looked toward him.
"Then what?"
Vael hesitated.
For the first time—
the old leader looked uncertain about speaking.
Then finally—
"It was built to keep something in."
Silence.
Cold.
Immediate.
Arjun's eyes narrowed.
"…What something?"
Vael looked directly at him.
"You."
The Truth Breaks Open
The chamber exploded into chaos.
Several faction leaders stood instantly.
"What?!"
"That's impossible!"
"You sealed him here?!"
Mordren's expression darkened.
"We sealed the King."
The words echoed heavily through the chamber.
Not accusation.
History.
Arjun stayed completely still.
Even as the shadows around him darkened.
Because deep down—
he already knew.
Not logically.
Instinctively.
This city had never been a prison for the people.
It had been a prison for him.
The Veiled One Confirms It
The Veiled One stepped forward quietly.
And unlike before—
she did not deny it.
"You were dying."
Her voice remained calm.
"The Overseers had already begun erasing you."
Arjun looked at her sharply.
"So you locked me underground?"
"We hid you."
A pause.
"To buy time."
Kael looked between them in disbelief.
"Wait…"
His voice tightened.
"You knew who he was this whole time?"
The Veiled One answered without emotion.
"I knew what he would become."
That answer somehow felt worse.
The Shadow King
Vael's voice echoed through the chamber again.
"Long before Noctis existed…"
The old man looked toward Arjun.
"…the world belonged to the Shadow King."
Fragments moved through Arjun's mind again.
War.
Darkness.
Cities bowing.
Reality bending beneath commands.
Not cruelty.
Authority.
Absolute authority.
Then—
fire.
White light.
The Overseers descending.
The memory shattered.
Arjun grabbed the edge of the council table briefly.
Pain shot through his skull.
The mark on his hand cracked further.
Black light spread across his skin.
Several people stepped backward instantly.
Fear returning.
The Choice of the Present
Mordren pointed toward Arjun immediately.
"This proves it!"
His voice thundered.
"He is the reason the Overseers came!"
Some council members nodded desperately.
Fear wanted a target.
And Arjun was the easiest one.
But before the panic could spread further—
the Veiled One spoke again.
Cold.
Sharp.
Final.
"If he dies…"
The entire chamber quieted instantly.
"…the gate breaks completely."
Silence.
Then Kael whispered,
"That's bad."
Very bad.
Because suddenly—
killing Arjun was no longer a solution.
It was catastrophe.
The System Confirms the Truth
The blue screen appeared before Arjun again.
This time—
clearer than ever.
DING
Origin Seal Identified
Outer Gate Status:
Linked to Sovereign Authority
Then—
the final line appeared.
Current Sovereign Status:
Incomplete Awakening
Arjun stared at the words silently.
Sovereign.
King.
Authority.
The pieces were finally starting to connect.
And honestly—
he hated how natural it all felt.
The Third Impact
Then—
the gate screamed.
Not metaphorically.
Actually screamed.
A deep sound echoed across the entire city.
White light exploded across the projection.
Cracks spread violently.
The chamber trembled again.
People shouted.
Several sections of the projection went dark entirely.
Then the system updated.
DING
Outer Gate Integrity:
28%
A second later—
another message appeared.
Warning:
Overseer-Class Presence Detected Beyond Gate
The room went cold.
Even Mordren fell silent.
Because everyone understood what that meant.
Something far worse than the last Overseer…
was waiting outside.
Final Scene
Arjun slowly looked up.
Toward the distant gate far above the city.
Toward the white light pressing against the cracks.
Toward the thing waiting beyond it.
The shadows around him moved slowly.
Like anticipation.
Then—
very quietly—
Arjun asked,
"What happens if the gate breaks?"
No one answered immediately.
Because everyone already knew.
And that silence itself—
was the answer.
🔥 [End of Chapter 35]