**Chapter 29: The Return of the King**
The dark horizon stretched out like an unyielding wall as the forces of light clashed with the Forgotten. Shadowy figures darted in and out of the mist, their forms swirling as they battled against the combined armies of the realms. Eliza fought tirelessly at the front, her sword flashing through the air as she defended the forces behind her. But despite their best efforts, the sheer number of the Forgotten seemed endless.
From her vantage point, Eliza saw the toll the battle was taking on their forces. Even with Queen Elsa's ice and King Triton's oceanic power, they were being pushed back slowly but surely. The Forgotten were feeding off the shadows, growing stronger as their numbers swelled.
Her heart pounded in her chest, but she refused to give in to despair. Alexander was out there, and she had to believe he would return in time.
At that very moment, a sharp cry echoed across the battlefield. Eliza turned to see one of their lines faltering under the weight of a particularly brutal assault. A group of shadow creatures, their bodies shifting and warping, broke through, heading directly for her position. She braced herself, knowing she couldn't fall now.
Suddenly, the air around her changed. A low hum filled the battlefield, and a strange light broke through the clouds above. The shadows recoiled, retreating slightly as the mist swirled with a new kind of energy—one both familiar and ancient.
Eliza's eyes widened as she realized what it was. The Heart of the First Story.
From the distance, a figure appeared, walking through the mist with a calm yet unstoppable presence. His sword was drawn, glowing with the same powerful light as the Heart itself. It was Alexander.
He had returned.
"Eliza!" Alexander's voice rang out as he strode toward her, his every step charged with purpose. The shadows seemed to quiver in his presence, as if they could sense the magic he carried—the ancient power that flowed through him now.
Eliza felt her breath catch in her throat. Relief washed over her, followed by renewed strength. "Alexander! You made it!"
"I told you I would," he said, reaching her side, his gaze fierce as he took in the battlefield. "But we have no time to waste. Malgath's hold on the Forgotten is stronger than I expected."
Eliza nodded, understanding immediately. "The Heart?"
Alexander lifted the small crystal he had retrieved from the Realm of Lost Beginnings. "It holds the power of all stories—the ones told and the ones forgotten. With it, I can rewrite Malgath's corruption and free the Forgotten, but I'll need time to use its magic."
Eliza glanced back at the battlefield, where their forces were struggling to hold the line. "We'll buy you that time."
Alexander smiled grimly. "I know you will."
He stepped forward, raising the Heart above his head, its light intensifying as he began to channel its power. The ground beneath him shifted, and for a moment, the battlefield seemed to still, as though the very fabric of reality was responding to the ancient magic. The Forgotten paused in their attack, their movements slowing as the Heart's glow grew brighter.
Eliza, Elsa, and Triton rallied their forces, pushing the Forgotten back just enough to give Alexander the space he needed. As she fought, Eliza glanced over at him, watching as he murmured words of power under his breath, the Heart pulsing in rhythm with his voice.
But Malgath had been waiting for this moment. From the depths of the Shadowed Realm, a dark figure emerged, his presence sending a ripple of fear through the battlefield. Malgath was tall and imposing, his form shifting and distorting like the shadows he commanded. His eyes, dark and cold, fixed on Alexander with fury.
"So, the boy king returns," Malgath sneered, his voice dripping with malice. "You think a trinket from the past can stop me?"
Alexander didn't flinch. "The Heart of the First Story is not just a trinket. It's the source of all magic in the realms, and it's more powerful than your bitterness and anger."
Malgath's eyes flashed with rage. "You are a fool to believe in such things! I will rewrite these realms in my image, and no ancient magic will stand in my way!"
With a flick of his hand, Malgath summoned a wave of dark energy, which shot toward Alexander. But before it could reach him, Queen Elsa stepped forward, her hands glowing with ice. A wall of frost erupted from the ground, blocking the attack just in time.
"You'll have to get through us first," Elsa said, her voice as cold as her magic.
Triton joined her, raising his trident high. "The seas are with you, Alexander. We will hold him back."
Malgath snarled, his form shifting as he summoned more shadows to his side. The battle intensified, with Malgath himself entering the fray. He was powerful—more powerful than any enemy they had faced before—but the rulers of the realms fought with everything they had.
Eliza remained close to Alexander, her sword cutting through the shadows that dared approach him. "How much longer?" she called out, her voice strained as she blocked a particularly vicious strike.
"Just a little more!" Alexander replied, his voice tight with concentration. The Heart was glowing brighter now, its light cutting through the darkness, but the process was slow. Malgath's corruption ran deep, and it would take time to undo it.
Malgath's laughter echoed across the battlefield. "You think you can save them? These Forgotten are mine! They belong to the shadows now!"
But Alexander didn't waver. "No one belongs to you, Malgath. Their stories aren't over yet."
With one final surge of power, the Heart of the First Story flared to life. Its light exploded outward, engulfing the battlefield in a brilliant, blinding glow. The Forgotten froze, their forms flickering as the magic washed over them.
For a moment, everything was still.
Then, slowly, the shadows began to lift. The twisted figures of the Forgotten grew more solid, their eyes clearing as if waking from a long nightmare. One by one, they looked around, confusion and sorrow etched on their faces, but also something else—hope.
Malgath screamed in fury, his form distorting as the Heart's magic severed his control over the Forgotten. "No! This is not how it was supposed to end!"
With a final, desperate roar, Malgath hurled himself toward Alexander, dark energy crackling around him. But before he could strike, Alexander raised his sword, now glowing with the combined power of the Heart.
"This is the end of your story, Malgath," Alexander said, his voice calm but resolute. "It's time to let go."
With one swift motion, Alexander brought his sword down. The light of the Heart surged through the blade, striking Malgath directly. The dark sorcerer's scream echoed across the battlefield as he was engulfed by the light, his form dissolving into nothingness.
As Malgath vanished, the remaining shadows faded, and the battlefield fell silent.
The Forgotten, now freed from Malgath's control, looked around in wonder. Their stories had not ended in bitterness and resentment—they had been given a second chance.
Exhausted but victorious, Alexander lowered his sword. Eliza ran to his side, her heart swelling with pride and relief.
"You did it," she whispered, her voice thick with emotion.
"We did it," Alexander corrected, his eyes meeting hers with a smile. "Together."
The realms had been saved, and the Forgotten had been freed. But more than that, Alexander had proven that even the darkest stories could find a new ending, one filled with hope.