The chamber was silent save for the lingering echoes of magic dissipating into the air. Aleron felt the weight of the heir's question settle heavily upon him: What happens next?
For a moment, no one spoke. The air was thick with tension, their breaths mingling with the acrid scent of burnt voidspawn. Aleron's grip tightened on his sword, the blade still warm from the heat of battle. He looked into the storm-grey eyes of the boy before him and felt a flicker of uncertainty.
"You've been asleep a long time," Aleron said carefully, choosing his words with deliberate calm. "Do you know where you are?"
The heir's gaze remained steady. "Aetherfall."
His voice was like a blade—sharp, precise, carrying a quiet strength. He glanced at the glowing sigil on his hand before clenching his fist, the light fading. "I remember the magic. I remember the darkness. And I remember… fragments." His brow furrowed as though he was searching through the shattered pieces of a dream.
Seraphina stepped forward, her eyes narrowing with curiosity and caution. "You're the heir," she said, her tone firm. "You were placed here under a stasis spell. Who sealed you away?"
The boy hesitated, his expression darkening. "I don't know their name. But they were powerful. A master of a magic older than this world."
"Convenient," Aidan muttered from the shadows, still gripping his bow. "Another mystery without answers."
Aleron shot him a warning glance before turning back to the heir. "What's your name?"
There was a long pause. The boy seemed to wrestle with the question, as if his very identity was a burden he wasn't ready to carry. Finally, he spoke.
"Kael."
"Kael," Aleron repeated, testing the weight of the name. "I'm Aleron. This is Seraphina, Dorian, Jareth, and Aidan." He gestured to each of his companions in turn.
Kael's gaze flicked to each of them, his expression unreadable. "Why did you come here?"
"We're searching for the lost heir to the throne," Seraphina said. "The kingdom is in turmoil. Darkness spreads across the land, and the Void grows stronger with each passing day. If we don't restore balance, everything will be consumed."
Kael's eyes narrowed. "And you think I'm the one who can stop it?"
"That depends on you," Aleron replied. "But something brought us here. Something led us to you."
A heavy silence hung between them. Kael's jaw tightened as he looked down at his hand, the sigil flickering faintly once more. "The Void… it's inside me."
A ripple of unease passed through the group.
"What do you mean?" Jareth asked, his daggers still ready at his sides.
Kael's voice grew quieter, but no less intense. "I feel it—like a shadow at the edge of my soul. It hungers. It whispers. But it hasn't taken me… not yet."
"You're fighting it," Seraphina said, a note of understanding in her voice.
"Every moment," Kael admitted. "But I don't know how much longer I can."
Aleron felt a knot form in his stomach. He had expected to find a hero—a savior ready to reclaim the throne. Instead, they had unearthed a boy burdened by the same darkness they sought to destroy.
"We'll help you," Aleron said firmly. "You don't have to fight it alone."
Kael looked at him, the storm in his eyes churning with doubt and a flicker of fragile hope. "Then we need to leave this place. Now."
Aidan glanced toward the entrance. "Agreed. Whatever magic was keeping him hidden is gone. The Void knows he's awake, and they'll be coming for him."
As if summoned by his words, a deep, guttural roar echoed through the ruins. The walls trembled, and the air grew cold as shadows began to writhe and twist at the edges of the chamber.
"More voidspawn," Dorian muttered, his eyes scanning the dark.
"Form up!" Aleron barked, drawing his sword once more.
Seraphina summoned fire into her hands, her magic burning bright as she prepared to unleash it. "Kael, can you fight?"
Kael's hand hovered over the hilt of a sword sheathed at his side—a blade with an unfamiliar, jagged design. He drew it slowly, the metal humming with latent power.
"I don't know," he said, "but I'll try."