THE CHOSEN ONE (Reunion)

LEGACY OF LIGHT AND SHADOW

LYTHRIDITE

King James of Lythridite sat upon his throne in the council hall. Before him stood General Helmond, his posture firm, his expression troubled.

General Helmond said, “Your Majesty, we truly need to improve the standard of the army.”

King James raised a brow as he said, “I see no reason why we need to improve the army. We are at peace, General Helmond — not at war.”

“I know, Your Majesty. But I can sense darkness coming our way very soon, and we need to be prepared for that darkness", Helmond replied.

“There is no darkness coming, General. Even if there is darkness approaching, the Light Crystal is there to stop it", King James said firmly.

“That is only if the worthy one is present to wield its power. And again — none of us knows the exact place Ethusa took the Light Crystal. All we have are rumors that he hid it in a Light Castle, but no one knows where such a place is located", Helmond countered.

King James leaned back on his throne and said, “Let us assume what you’re saying is true. In what way do you propose we improve the army?”.

“In numbers — and in weapons,” General Helmond replied.

“General, raising more soldiers will cause panic among the people. They will be afraid, thinking war is coming,” King James said.

“Your Majesty,” Helmond said, stepping forward, “we have enjoyed peace for a very long time, but we do not know when this peace will end. Nothing lasts forever. We must be prepared for anything that may attack us unaware.”

King James exhaled slowly and said, “You know that even if I were to agree to this, we must still discuss it with the Great King and the council members.”

“And I am certain the Great King will agree. This is for the benefit of every kingdom", General Helmond said.

“Okay, General, I will send your request to the Great King and let you know what he decides,” said King James.

“Yes, Your Majesty. I will take my leave now,” General Helmond replied, then bowed and left the council hall.

Just as General Helmond stepped out, King James’s daughter walked into the council hall, smiling.

---

On a cliff overlooking the Lythridite Kingdom, Zussorader stood with his staff, a bird perched on his shoulder. Philip stood beside him, and behind them were the mercenaries, each gripping their swords as they stared down at the kingdom.

Zussorader took the bird in his hand and said to Philip, “This shall be our eyes and ears inside the Lythridite palace.”

He released the bird, and it flew straight toward the kingdom. 

“As soon as the bird returns… we enter Lythridite,” Zussorader said to the mercenaries.  

“Yes,” the mercenaries responded in unison.

LYTHRIDITE

King James stood up from his throne as his daughter walked toward him. He moved to her and they hugged as soon as they got close.

They separated, still holding hands. With a smile, King James asked his daughter, “How are you, my princess?”.

“I am very fine, Father,” the princess replied, also smiling.

“Come,” King James said as he gently led her to the throne.

King James sat her on the throne and then lowered himself to the floor in front of her.

“Father, do we always have to do this every time?” the princess asked.

“Do what?” King James replied, pretending not to understand.

“I sit on the throne while you sit on the floor in front of me,” she said.

King James smiled and replied, “Before I came of your age, my father always did the exact same thing to me, and I always wondered why. One day I asked him why he always placed me on the throne while he sat on the floor.”

“What did he say?” asked the princess.

“He told me he would reveal the reason if I answered his question", answered King James.

“What question?” she asked.

“He asked me: ‘What does it mean to be a king? Why do you think a king deserves to be called a king?’ And just as he did with me, I want you to answer the same question.” King James said.

“That is not a hard question,” the princess replied confidently. “To be a king is simple—he is the ruler of the kingdom. He gives commands and the people respect him. That is why he is called a king.”

King James laughed, and the princess stared, confused. She asked him, “Why are you laughing, Father?”.

King James stopped laughing and said, “That was the same answer I gave my father, and he laughed the same way I just did.”

“So what did he say the real answer is?” she asked.

King James gently held her hands and said, “To be a king means the people must always be your priority. Their lives, their well-being, their happiness — those must matter to you more than anything else.”

He added, “A king deserves to be called a king when he sacrifices everything for his people’s happiness, even at the cost of his own. That is what makes a king a true king.”.

“Wow… Grandfather is a genius. But when you said a king must put the people first, what about the king’s family?” the princess asked.

“The king’s family is also part of his people. So he must care for all of them together,” King James replied.

“Okay. So why do you always make me sit on the throne while you sit on the floor?” she asked.

King James smiled softly, and said, “The reason I always seat you on the throne is because I want you to be the king for that moment, while I become an ordinary person. I want you to feel the weight of being a king. But you are still too young to understand that weight, so to you the throne feels like just an ordinary chair.”

“I understand the lesson now, Father. “You want me to realize that being a king is not easy, and that the throne must never be empty. So, for a moment, you make me the king while you rest as an ordinary person", the princess said.

“That’s right, my princess. How was your training today?” King James asked.

Just then, the bird arrived and landed at the window of the council hall.

“Great, Father. I think I will soon be a master. I have learned every tactic of bow and arrow,” the princess said proudly.

“I know you will be the best archer in all the kingdoms and make me proud,” King James said with a warm smile.

“Thank you, Father,” she replied.

King James rose to his feet and said, “Tracy, I think it is time I show you something powerful and strong… and also tell you a little history about the kingdoms.”

“What is it?” Princess Tracy asked.

“Come with me,” King James said, leading the way.

Princess Tracy followed closely behind him, and the bird followed as well.

He took her to a hidden area of the palace — the location of the sacred hall.

The bird fluttered after them quietly.

When they reached the entrance of the sacred hall, they found five Light Army soldiers standing guard. They were dressed entirely in white, each wearing a white mask. Three held swords, while the other two carried bows with quivers full of arrows on their backs.

The Light Army soldiers bowed immediately when they saw King James, showing their respect.

“Where are we, Father?” Princess Tracy asked, surprised that such a place existed within their palace.

“The sacred hall. That is where we are. Let’s go in,” King James said.

One of the Light Army soldiers opened the door, and the king and the princess stepped inside.

Just as they entered, the five Light Army soldiers noticed the bird perched on a roof close to them, watching them. One soldier instantly fired an arrow at it, but the bird escaped, flying away before the arrow could reach it.

Inside the sacred hall, Princess Tracy saw a pillar—short but standing on a raised podium at the center of the hall. On top of the pillar, floating slightly above it, was the Mind Crystal.

King James and Princess Tracy walked closer and climbed onto the podium for a clearer view of the levitating crystal.

“Tracy, this crystal is called the Mind Crystal", King James said softly.

Suddenly, Tracy heard a voice coming from the crystal. A whisper. A plea, “Please… help me… free me…”

The voice echoed in her mind, pulling her in.

The princess became enchanted, losing control of her thoughts. Her hand slowly reached toward the crystal—but King James struck her hand sharply before she could touch it.

The princess gasped as her mind snapped back to reality.

“What… what just happened?” she asked, shaken.

“You were being controlled by the Mind Crystal. It wanted you to free it", said King James.

“I heard it… telling me to free it. And I felt so strongly pulled toward it,” Princess Tracy said, still shocked.

“I know. That is what the crystal can do. It manipulates and controls the mind. And if it ever returns to its master’s hands, it will destroy lives", King James replied.

“Who is the master of this crystal?” she asked.

“His name is Marcelos, the evil wizard. There are five crystals: Mind, Death, Dark, Immortal, and Nature. All of them belong to Marcelos. He once tried to use them to enslave and rule the world. But he was defeated by the first five wizards and King Damon of Axrax, along with the Light Army", said King James.

“How come it was only the King of Axrax and the five wizards who defeated Marcelos? What about the other kings? Didn’t they join hands?” Princess Tracy asked, her voice tinged with confusion.

King James’s gaze darkened slightly, his eyes reflecting the weight of history. He said, his voice steady but heavy, “It happened a thousand years ago. The kings of the other kingdoms were terrified of Marcelos. They had seen the extent of his power and knew they could not stand against him. So they bowed… all of them.”

He paused, letting the silence stretch between them, then continued: “But King Damon… he was different. He came from the bloodline of the Great King, King Hope. He possessed a magical power that no other king had.”

Princess Tracy’s eyes widened. She said, “You’ve told me about the Great King who saved mankind… about how powerful he was. Did King Damon have the same power as King Hope?”.

King James shook his head slowly as he said, “No. But King Damon had magic, just as every king of Axrax does, for they are born from the bloodline of magic—the first king of Axrax. The current King of Axrax also wields magic, and I am certain his sons will as well.”

Princess Tracy’s curiosity sharpened, the flickering torchlight casting shadows across her face. She asked, “Okay… after Marcelos was defeated, what happened next?”.

King James’s eyes hardened as he looked at the floating Mind Crystal in the center of the sacred hall. He said, “All the power Marcelos had… it was taken from him. Every ounce of it… sealed into five crystals.”

He said, "Five crystals: Mind, Death, Dark, Immortal, and Nature. Each one contains a fragment of his power. The five wizards, along with King Damon and the Light Army, locked them away… to ensure that the world would never again fall under his shadow.”

“And if anyone frees them…?” she whispered.

King James’s expression grew grim.

“Then Marcelos will rise again. And if all five are released… the world will face a darkness it had once known".