Chương 68: Chapter 66: Return of the Heir

Darkness. Silence. Then— Light. Rayan opened his eyes. A familiar blue sky stretched overhead. Soft clouds drifted lazily across the horizon. The scent of grass filled the air. For several moments, he simply stared. Breathing. Alive. After everything that had happened inside Elysion, being alive almost felt strange. Slowly, he sat up. His body ached. Every muscle screamed in protest. The battle against the Apostle. The war against the Archons. Arkan. The Fall of Elysion. The memories hit him all at once.

His hand instinctively tightened around something. A crystal. Arkan's crystal. The Last King's final gift. The moment he touched it— A faint golden glow appeared. The crystal was still active. Still waiting. Still carrying humanity's greatest secrets. Rayan carefully stored it inside his coat. Not now. He wasn't ready yet. A familiar voice interrupted his thoughts.

"You're awake." The Guardian appeared beside him. The ancient being looked unusually quiet. Rayan immediately noticed.

"You're worried." The Guardian sighed.

"Very." That got his attention. The Guardian rarely worried. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Rayan stood.

"Why?" The answer came immediately.

"Because we're back." The prince frowned.

"We wanted to return."

"Not here." Silence. The Guardian slowly pointed toward the horizon. Rayan turned. And froze. Smoke. Thousands of black smoke pillars rose into the sky. Entire sections of the horizon burned. Villages. Towns. Cities. Something was terribly wrong. The prince's expression darkened.

"How long?"

"Three weeks." His eyes widened. Three weeks? Inside Elysion, it had felt like only days. The Guardian nodded.

"Time flows differently." Rayan's stomach sank. Three weeks. Three weeks was more than enough time for the world to change. Then— A distant explosion echoed. BOOOOOM! The ground trembled. Birds scattered. A second explosion followed. Then a third. Rayan immediately started moving.

"Wait." The Guardian stopped him. The prince turned. The old spirit's expression was grim.

"The world you left behind no longer exists." Those words felt heavier than any attack. Yet Rayan kept walking. Whatever had happened— He needed answers. And fast. Several hours later. The first survivors appeared. A caravan. Or rather— What remained of one. The wagons were damaged. The guards wounded. The civilians terrified. Children cried. Women carried the injured. The entire group looked exhausted. Broken. Defeated. The moment they saw Rayan— Hope appeared in their eyes. One old man stumbled forward.

"Please." His voice shook.

"Please help us." Rayan immediately supported him.

"What happened?" The old man's expression became pale. As if remembering a nightmare.

"The Veil." Silence. The prince's eyes narrowed. The organization again. The old man continued.

"They attacked three kingdoms."

"What?"

"They're everywhere." The man's breathing became uneven.

"Cities are falling." His hands trembled.

"Saints are dying." The world seemed to stop. Rayan stared. Saints. Dying? That should have been impossible. Saint-ranked Astra users were among the strongest beings on the continent. Yet somehow— The Veil was killing them. Then the old man whispered something that chilled everyone present.

"They have gods." Silence. Absolute silence. Even the Guardian froze. The old man lowered his head.

"The Veil has allied with Heaven." Rayan's blood ran cold. The worst possible outcome. The one possibility nobody wanted. The Veil and the Celestial Court. Working together. That night. The group camped near an abandoned fortress. Nobody slept peacefully. Fear hung in the air. For ordinary people— The world was ending. For Rayan— The war had already begun. He sat alone atop the fortress wall. Watching the stars. Thinking. Planning. Then— A familiar notification appeared.

=== World Event Updated Continental Stability: 67% Threat Level: Extreme Primary Objective Updated Protect Humanity Current Progress: 2% === The notification vanished. Rayan stared silently. Only two percent. Humanity was already that close to collapse. A cold wind swept across the night. Then another presence appeared beside him. Cassian. The Spear Saint. The young warrior sat down casually.

"Thought I'd find you here." Rayan smiled slightly.

"You survived." Cassian looked offended.

"Obviously." The Spear Saint pointed at himself.

"I'm amazing." For the first time that day— Rayan laughed. A genuine laugh. Cassian grinned. Then his expression became serious.

"The continent is burning." The words erased the smile instantly.

"I know."

"We need allies."

"I know."

"We need an army."

"I know." Cassian sighed.

"You say that a lot." Rayan shrugged.

"Because you're right." Silence followed. Comfortable silence. The kind shared between warriors. Eventually— Cassian stood. His black spear appeared. Lightning danced around the weapon. His eyes blazed with determination.

"Then let's save the world." Rayan slowly stood beside him. Shadowbreaker appeared. Golden light illuminated the darkness. The Heir of Dharma. The Spear Saint. Two warriors standing against impossible odds. Far away— Across the continent— Kingdoms burned. Gods descended. And the Veil prepared its next move. The War of Kingdoms had begun. To Be Continue....