THE LAST BLOOD SOVEREIGN

CHAPTER 25: THE PRISON BENEATH THE MOUNTAIN

 

The laughter continued.

It rolled through the mountain like distant thunder, shaking the ancient walls.

Dust drifted from the ceiling.

The crimson crystals lining the shrine flickered.

Eldros gripped his wooden staff tightly.

His knuckles turned white.

"This is impossible..."

"He should still be asleep."

Kael looked toward the endless staircase descending into darkness.

"Who is down there?"

The old Keeper was silent for several moments.

Finally, he spoke.

"The world remembers the Third Blood Sovereign as a great king."

"But history rarely tells the whole truth."

Selene stepped closer.

"What are you hiding?"

Eldros closed his eyes.

"The Third Sovereign was the strongest warrior our bloodline ever produced."

"He defeated armies alone."

"He sealed rifts to the Abyss."

"He conquered monsters that even dragons feared."

Kael listened carefully.

"But..."

Eldros' voice grew heavy.

"Power changes people."

"The more victories he won..."

"The more he believed only he could save the world."

"He stopped trusting allies."

"He ignored the wisdom of the other Sovereigns."

"And then..."

"He made one terrible choice."

"What choice?" Kael asked.

"He attempted to absorb the power of the Abyss itself."

Silence filled the chamber.

Caelan's face hardened.

"He tried to control it?"

Eldros nodded.

"For a time..."

"He succeeded."

"But the Abyss is never controlled."

"It waits."

"It whispers."

"And eventually..."

"It consumes."

A violent explosion erupted from beneath the mountain.

BOOOOM!

The entire shrine shook.

A section of the staircase collapsed into darkness.

From below came the sound of chains snapping.

One.

After another.

CRACK!

CRACK!

CRACK!

Kael instinctively drew his crimson sword.

"Arkan is down there."

"I can feel him."

As if answering him, a faint voice echoed through his mind.

"Kael..."

"Hurry..."

"The final seal..."

"Is breaking..."

Without waiting another second, Kael sprinted down the staircase.

"Kael!" Selene shouted.

The others immediately followed.

The stairs spiraled deep beneath the mountain.

The air grew colder with every step.

Soon, the crimson crystals disappeared.

Only darkness remained.

Then...

They reached the bottom.

Everyone froze.

Before them stretched an enormous underground prison.

Hundreds of giant pillars supported the cavern.

Ancient chains as thick as castle towers hung from the ceiling.

At the center stood a colossal circular seal carved into the stone.

Inside the seal...

Arkan knelt.

His crimson armor was shattered.

Black chains wrapped around his arms, legs, and chest.

Blood dripped steadily onto the glowing runes beneath him.

He looked up weakly.

A tired smile crossed his face.

"You made it..."

Kael rushed toward him.

But before he reached the seal—

A wall of crimson energy threw him backward.

BOOM!

Kael landed hard on the stone floor.

Arkan shook his head.

"Don't."

"If you cross the barrier..."

"...the seal will collapse."

Kael slowly stood.

"Then how do I free you?"

Arkan looked away.

"You don't."

Kael's heart sank.

"The chains aren't imprisoning me."

"They're anchoring me."

He lifted one trembling hand.

Behind him, hidden within complete darkness...

Something moved.

A single enormous eye opened.

It was larger than a castle.

Its pupil burned with crimson fire.

The entire cavern trembled.

Caelan instinctively stepped in front of Elara.

Selene drew her moonlit sword.

Even Eldros fell to one knee.

"No..."

"It has awakened..."

The eye blinked once.

Then an ancient voice echoed through the prison.

"So..."

"The new Sovereign has finally arrived."

Kael stared into the darkness.

"Who are you?"

The creature laughed.

"I have had many names."

"To kings..."

"I was Doom."

"To dragons..."

"I was Extinction."

"But your ancestors..."

"...called me Nerath, the World Eater."

The name struck everyone like lightning.

Eldros whispered in horror,

"It can't be..."

"I thought Nerath was only a legend."

The massive eye narrowed.

"Legends..."

"...are merely memories..."

"...that refuse to die."

The darkness shifted.

An enormous claw emerged, still wrapped in countless ancient chains.

Each chain bore the crest of a different Blood Sovereign.

Seven chains.

Seven seals.

Six remained intact.

The seventh...

The one connected to Arkan...

Was cracked almost completely through.

Arkan looked at Kael with desperate eyes.

"Listen carefully."

"If that last chain breaks..."

"Nerath will be free."

Kael tightened his grip on his sword.

"Then we'll strengthen the seal."

Arkan slowly shook his head.

"It doesn't work that way."

"The final chain requires..."

He hesitated.

Kael frowned.

"Requires what?"

Arkan's voice was barely a whisper.

"A Blood Sovereign..."

"...must willingly give up part of his own life force..."

"...to become the new anchor."

The cavern fell silent.

Everyone understood what that meant.

To save the world...

Kael might have to sacrifice years of his own life.

Or perhaps far more.

Nerath smiled from the darkness.

"Choose carefully, little king."

"I have all the time in the world."

"But you..."

"...do not."