Crown Of The Forbidden Heir

The Spirits Of Blood And Vengeance

CHAPTER 5

 THE SPIRITS OF BLOOD AND VENGEANCE

The Crimson Empire spread before me like a wound in the world—red clouds swirling, towers smoldering, dragons circling like predators above the city. The Heart Ground beneath my feet pulsed with raw energy, reacting to my bloodline’s power. I could feel it thrumming through my veins, coiling like a serpent, ready to strike.

Lyra hovered at my side, calm as ever. “Kael… focus. You are not just walking into battle. You are walking into history. Every move you make here will echo through the five kingdoms.”

 “I understand. But I need to see them. I need to know them.”

Lyra’s silver eyes narrowed. “You will. But be careful. There is something you haven’t faced yet.”

I tilted my head. “What?”

Her gaze darkened. “The spirits that destroyed your bloodline. The ones who killed your parents, your grandfather. They linger in this empire. You must face them, or you will never be whole.”

I froze. My chest tightened. My stomach turned over.

All my life… I had wondered.

I had seen the bodies.

I had felt the emptiness.

I had dreamed of vengeance.

But I had never known who or what.

Now, the answer stood before me.

We descended into the city through the portal Lyra opened. The streets burned under crimson skies. Dragons screamed overhead, smashing into towers and soldiers alike. People ran in terror, but I barely noticed them. My eyes searched for something else—something that felt like home, yet screamed death.

Then I saw them.

Shadows, dark as night but alive. Twisting, writhing forms that hovered above the ground. Faces… not human. Hollow, empty, yet full of malice. Pale, jagged mouths opened and closed. Black eyes glimmered with fire.

Evil spirits.

And among them, I recognized shapes, faces that haunted my memories.

My parents. My grandfather.

Not alive. Not human. Not victims.

Monsters.

“Is… that—?” I whispered, voice shaking.

Lyra’s hand rested lightly on my shoulder. “Yes. They were corrupted by the darkness of the five kingdoms. Their spirits were twisted into weapons of terror. They now serve the Crimson Empire.”

I gritted my teeth. Rage exploded in my chest, feeding the fire already burning inside me. “They… they killed my family. They’re here… and I… I—”

Lyra’s hand tightened on my arm. “Do not act recklessly. You must control your power, or they will consume you.”

I stared at them. Shadowed spiritsfloated above the streets, hundreds of them, whispering my name, mocking me:

“Weak. Helpless. You could not save them.”

“Your blood is worthless. You are nothing.”

“The Vessel will die before he rises.”

A cold shiver ran through me. My magic flared instinctively. Flames erupted from my fists, fire coiling around my arms. Dragon wings pushed against my back, claws itching to strike. Sorcery hummed like living lightning.

I roared, the sound tearing through the city like a hurricane.

The spirits recoiled. For the first time, they hesitated.

Lyra whispered, “Good. Feel their fear. Let it guide you, not blind you.”

I clenched my jaw, focusing on the energy inside me. The flames burned hotter. My claws extended, scales emerging along my arms. The air shimmered with raw magic, responding to my will.

I leapt forward, the ground cracking beneath me as my power exploded. The first spirit came at me, claws swinging, but I moved faster. Flames wrapped around it. My dragon strength slammed it into a crumbling tower. It shrieked—a hollow, ear-piercing sound—and disintegrated into black mist.

More spirits rushed me. Their whispers grew louder, sharper, more desperate.

*“You cannot win.”*

*“Your blood is cursed.”*

*“Die, Vessel.”*

I roared again. Fire and wind, lightning and stone—all coalesced around me. Every punch, every strike, every roar released energy that tore through the spirits.

And then I saw them.

Three shapes, taller, darker, more powerful. Their faces… burned into my memory. The ones who had killed my grandfather, my parents. The ones I had never seen clearly, only remembered as nightmares.

They were enormous. Shadows with wings like dragons, horns curling from their skulls, eyes burning with malevolence. They hovered above the city like gods of destruction.

I swallowed. My chest heaved. “Amara… they’re… they’re the ones.”

“Yes,” she said softly. “They feed on the chaos. They are strong because of the hate in this world. But you… you are stronger than they expect.”

I clenched my fists. “Then I’ll show them.”

---

The first spirit charged. I met it mid-air, flames and claws colliding with darkness. Its shadow form lashed at me, but I twisted mid-air, striking it with a tail swipe I didn’t even know I had. It screeched, black smoke curling from its twisted face.

The second spirit leapt from a tower. Lightning and fire wrapped around it as I caught it in mid-air. I felt rage, vengeance, and fury all merge. My sorcery burned into it, binding its movements, shocking it into submission.

The third—the largest—hovered back, eyes fixed on me. It exhaled a black mist that made the streets scream.

“You…” it hissed. Its voice was my father’s voice, twisted.

“You failed us.”

I roared. “I never failed you!”

The spirit laughed, a hollow, cracking sound. “You will. Just as you failed the world.”

Amara stepped beside me. “You cannot let it get to you. Focus on your bloodline. Demon. Dragon. Sorcerer. One mind, one body, one will. Strike with certainty.”

I focused. Flames danced along my arms, scales rippled along my back, wings bursting from my shoulders, magic crackling around my fingers. I could feel the demon in me, burning with rage. The dragon, coiled and ready to annihilate. The sorcerer, commanding the elements themselves.

I struck.

The ground split beneath us. Flames and shadow collided. The spirit screeched, claws raking the air. I didn’t stop. My hands glowed, fire spiraling into a concentrated strike. My wings flared, creating a shockwave that slammed the spirit against the ground. It shattered into black mist.

The city fell silent for a moment. The remaining spirits hesitated.

Then, whispers turned to screams:

*“The Vessel… the Vessel is here!”*

---

Hours—or maybe minutes, I had lost all sense of time—passed as I battled, my powers growing with every strike. Every shadow I destroyed made me stronger. Every scream fueled the fire in my chest.

Finally, only the largest spirit remained—the one who had killed my grandfather. Its eyes burned red. Horns coiled like black flames. Its voice echoed across the city:

**“You cannot defeat me, Elias Voss. Your bloodline is cursed. You will fall, as we have planned.”**

I stepped forward. My body pulsed with light. Wings unfurled. Flames erupted from my palms. Every ounce of power, demon, dragon, sorcery combined into one unstoppable force.

“You’re wrong,” I said, voice low and steady. “You underestimated me. You killed my family, my grandfather, and my parents. You thought you could break me. You were wrong. I am the Vessel. I am the King. And I will destroy you.”

The spirit screamed. It lunged.

I met it head-on. Fire, wind, lightning, and shadow collided. The world shook. Energy spiraled into the sky, tearing clouds apart. I felt every strike, every movement, every attack.

And then—

I let go.

A concentrated beam of pure energy, infused with demon fire, dragon fury, and sorcerer magic, exploded from my chest. It struck the spirit head-on. The ground cracked beneath it. The air shattered. The city shook like an earthquake.

The spirit screamed—a sound more terrifying than death itself—and then disintegrated, fading into nothingness.

Silence.

The streets were quiet. The red clouds dissipated. The dragons above roared in submission. The spirits of my family… freed.

Amara stepped beside me. “You did it. They are gone.”

I fell to my knees, exhausted, shaking, but alive. “They… they’re really gone?”

“Yes,” she said softly. “And now, nothing can stop you, Elias. You’ve faced the blood of your family’s killers and survived. You’ve proven yourself. The five kingdoms… they will learn your name soon.”

I looked up at her. “I… I feel… different. Stronger. But… I don’t know if I’m ready for what’s next.”

“You will be,” she said. “Because the war is only beginning. The first kingdom is just the start. And you… are the strongest of all.”

I rose slowly, wings stretching behind me. Fire burned along my skin. Magic crackled in the air. My demon essence roared in my chest.

And

I knew—without doubt—that nothing could stop me.

I was the Vessel.

I was the King.

I was unstoppable.

And the five kingdoms… would soon kneel before me.