Chapter 11 The sky above Ironcrest had turned darker since Kiny last saw it. Not from nightfall—but from the weight of silence and secrets building within its walls. Dust and blood still clung to his cloak as he and Reyna stepped through the final fracture gate. Behind them, the rift shimmered and collapsed, erasing all trace of the battle within the Voidkeeper's temple. The moment they re-entered the official Trial Grounds, alarms echoed. Flashes of red light streaked through the sky. The Trials were no longer secret. [SYSTEM ALERT] • Trial Status: COMPROMISED • Emergency Court Activation: “Royal Summons” triggered • All surviving participants summoned to the Hall of Judgment • Note: You are being tracked • Faction Response Detected: Royal Guard + Unknown “Red Circle” Operatives Reyna stumbled sligh

Chapter 13 The city of Ironcrest had always stood tall—its obsidian walls wrapped in silver flame enchantments, unbreached for over a century. But from the cliffs to the south, a crimson banner now fluttered in the wind, marked by the symbol of a shattered crown surrounded by shadowed flames. The Sovereign Warpath had reached the capital. And the boy once scorned as a servant was now the most feared rebel king in the realm. Deep Beneath Ember Hollow – The Oracle’s Chamber Reyna stood inside a spiral chamber lit only by floating star-lanterns. At its center was a dais of white crystal, where a blindfolded woman hovered cross-legged above a silver pool. Her eyes were covered, but her aura pulsed with untamed celestial force. The Oracle of Ashes. Reyna stepped forward. Her breath hitched. Her blood burned hotter than usual. The mark on her shoulder glo

Chapter 15 The sky above Ironcrest burned. Flaming siege stones arced through the night, casting glowing shadows over the blackened capital walls. War drums thundered from the rebel camp, shaking the earth with every strike. Horns of warning blared across the city towers, but they were drowned by the rising roar of rebels demanding justice. Kiny stood at the front line in silence, the wind tugging at his cloak, his sword Ashreign pulsing on his back. His eyes, sharp as ever, fixed on the towering obsidian gates. Cassian stood beside him, eyes dark with resolve, his twin chain-blades twitching with tension. Behind them, the full force of the Sovereign Warpath stood ready. And above them, hidden in the ridges behind the northern cliffs, Reyna prepared her part of the plan. The Final Push “Are you ready to be the king they never wanted?” Cassian asked.