THE CITY STILL WATCHES...
The battle was over.
But the city of Auris was not silent.
Elias wiped the sweat from his brow, his breathing heavy. The clash had shaken the very foundations of the land, but it was done. The Fallen Kings had vanished, their spirits dissolving into the wind, scattered like dust in the golden glow of the fading sun. Their reign of terror had come to an end.
And yet—something still lingered.
A presence.
A force that had neither spoken nor moved.
But it had been watching.
The weight of unseen eyes pressed against Elias's skin, sending a chill through his body. His pulse quickened, his instincts screaming at him to turn around. Slowly, cautiously, he shifted his gaze toward the ruins. The air was thick, unmoving. Time itself seemed to hold its breath.
And then—a shadow moved.
At first, it was just a flicker, barely more than a trick of the light. But then, it stepped forward.
A man.
Tall. Clad in cracked golden armor, his form battered yet unwavering. The sigil of Auris still gleamed upon his chest, untarnished by time or battle. But it was his eyes—burning silver, flickering with something ancient and knowing—that made Elias's breath hitch in his throat.
Not a ghost.
Not a spirit.
A king who had never truly died.
Varian exhaled sharply, his hand tightening around the hilt of his blade.
"The Last King of Auris," he murmured, his voice barely above a whisper.
A KING WITHOUT A THRONE...
The man took slow, measured steps forward, his presence alone making the air heavier. He did not rush. He did not need to. Every movement carried the weight of centuries, the certainty of someone who had seen the rise and fall of empires.
He was alive.
And yet, something about him was undeniably wrong.
Seraphina's fingers twitched toward her dagger. "I thought the kings were all dead," she said, her voice steady but edged with suspicion.
Varian's gaze remained fixed on the figure before them. "They were."
Elias finally spoke, his voice low, wary. "Who are you?"
The king stopped just a few feet away, his piercing silver eyes locking onto Elias's.
"You already know," he said simply.
His voice was smooth—almost hypnotic, carrying the weight of countless untold stories.
Elias clenched his jaw. "You were the last ruler of Auris. The one who tried to claim godhood."
The king tilted his head slightly, as if considering the statement.
"No," he said, a hint of amusement flickering in his gaze. "I was the one who almost succeeded."
Elias's stomach twisted. He could feel it now—the power radiating from the man before him. It was ancient, vast, and far from human.
Not a god. Not a mortal.
Something in between.
THE MAN WHO REFUSED TO FALL...
The Last King of Auris turned his gaze toward the ruined city.
"This place was once great," he murmured, his voice tinged with something almost like sorrow. "We had power beyond any empire. Knowledge that could shape the heavens themselves."
His silver eyes darkened.
"But the gods demanded we remain beneath them."
Seraphina took a step forward, her dagger gleaming under the pale light. "And you defied them."
The king's gaze shifted to her. "I refused.
There was no anger in his voice. No rage. Just certainty.
Elias exhaled slowly. "And you lost."
The king's lips curved into something that was not quite a smile.
"Did I?"
The question hung in the air, thick with meaning.
Elias's grip on his sword tightened. "If you didn't lose, why are you still here?"
The king's smirk widened.
"A curse," he said, spreading his arms in a slow, deliberate motion. "A punishment."
His voice remained calm, but the weight of his words sent a shiver through Elias's bones.
"Auris was buried, its legacy erased. But I was not allowed to die. The gods made sure I would watch my kingdom rot for eternity."
And then, the king's eyes locked onto Elias's.
"But you—you broke the cycle."
Elias inhaled sharply. He had seen it before, in his visions—the endless loop of kings rising and falling. He had glimpsed the unseen hand guiding their fates.
But this time—something had changed.
And the Last King of Auris had noticed.
A WARNING OR A THREAT?...
Varian's voice cut through the silence. "Why are you here? What do you want?"
The Last King did not answer immediately. Instead, he studied Varian for a moment before turning back to Elias.
"I came to see if you were different."
Elias's fists clenched. "And?"
The king's silver eyes flickered with something unreadable.
"I haven't decided yet."
Seraphina let out a sharp breath. "That's not comforting."
The king chuckled softly. "No, I suppose it isn't."
His gaze never left Elias.
"I will not stop you," he said, his voice quieter now. "But I will watch."
Something in his tone made the hair on Elias's neck stand on end.
"Because the gods are coming. And when they do…" The king's eyes darkened. "You will have to make a choice."
Elias's breath hitched.
"What choice?"
The Last King smiled.
"To bow."
His voice dropped lower, almost a whisper now.
"Or to become something worse."
THE LAST KING DISAPPEARS...
Before Elias could respond, the air shifted.
The light around the Last King seemed to distort, his form dissolving into golden mist.
Seraphina's eyes widened. "Wait—where are you going?"
The king's smirk lingered even as his body began to fade.
"I am always here."
And then
He was gone.
The ruins fell into silence once more, the weight of his presence lingering like an afterimage burned into their minds.
Elias let out a slow breath, his heartbeat still thundering in his ears.
Varian exhaled sharply. "That could've been worse."
Seraphina turned to him, incredulous. "Could it?
Elias barely heard them.
His mind was still racing.
The Last King of Auris had survived the gods.
Which meant—
It was possible.
Possible to resist them.
Possible to win.
Or possible to become something even worse.
And Elias didn't know which path he was heading toward.
Yet.