THE LAST BLOOD SOVEREIGN

CHAPTER 30: THE EYE BEYOND THE HEAVENS

The golden eye blinked.

Its gaze pierced the clouds, the mountains, the seas...

It looked directly at Kael.

A crushing pressure descended upon the continent.

Kings dropped to one knee.

Dragons abandoned the skies.

Even the oceans became unnaturally still.

Inside the Celestial Archive, every crystal shattered at once.

CRASH!

Kael staggered backwards, gripping Dawnbreaker with one hand and the Blood Sovereign Blade with the other.

His heart pounded violently.

"What... is that?"

Marshal Orion's face had turned pale.

"I prayed I would never see it."

Selene looked at him.

"You know what it is?"

The old Marshal nodded slowly.

"Our oldest records call it..."

'The First Watcher.'

"It existed before kingdoms."

"Before the Seven Sovereigns."

"It does not interfere."

"It only watches."

Caelan forced a smile.

"That's comforting."

Orion looked at him gravely.

"It has never opened its eye before."

The room fell silent.

If the First Watcher had finally awakened...

Then something had changed forever.

Far beneath the Imperial Capital...

Emperor Malachar stared upward.

Even through layers of stone, he could feel the Watcher's presence.

"So..."

"You've awakened."

The creature behind the Eighth Seal laughed softly.

"It has recognised the boy."

Malachar closed his eyes.

"Not just the boy."

"It has recognised the choice."

Another thunderous impact struck the obsidian gate.

BOOM!

This time...

The eighth chain cracked from top to bottom.

Only a thin thread of black light still held it together.

Malachar placed both hands upon the gate.

Dark energy poured from his body into the failing seal.

His hair slowly began turning silver.

His face aged visibly.

Each passing second stole years from his life.

"I will not let you out."

The voice behind the gate became almost gentle.

"You cannot carry this burden forever."

"No."

"But I only need to carry it..."

"...until he is ready."

Skyhaven's war bells rang continuously.

Every Celestial Knight rushed to the fortress walls.

From the northern horizon, countless black shapes approached.

Flying beasts.

Floating fortresses.

Entire legions of Abyss creatures.

Elara stared into the distance.

"That's not an invasion."

"It's an extinction."

Kaelor narrowed his eyes.

"They're not attacking the Empire."

"They're heading here."

Selene immediately understood.

"They're coming for Kael."

Orion slammed his staff against the marble floor.

"Raise the Celestial Barrier!"

The floating city shook.

Ancient runes ignited beneath every tower.

A colossal dome of silver light expanded around Skyhaven.

Just as the barrier sealed...

The first Abyss meteor struck it.

BOOOOOOM!

The fortress trembled.

The barrier held.

But faint cracks spread across its surface.

Another meteor struck.

Then another.

Then dozens more.

The sky became black with falling fire.

Kael climbed to the highest tower of Skyhaven.

The golden eye still watched from the heavens.

It had not blinked again.

Kael tightened his grip on Dawnbreaker.

His father's words echoed in his mind.

"Truth has two faces."

Nothing was as simple as he had believed.

Not Malachar.

Not the Blood Sovereigns.

Not even the Abyss.

Footsteps approached behind him.

Kaelor joined him.

Neither spoke for a long while.

Finally, Kaelor broke the silence.

"If it comes to it..."

"I'll fight my father."

Kael looked at him.

"Could you really?"

The prince lowered his head.

"I don't know."

"But I won't let him destroy the world."

Kael nodded.

"And I won't let the world destroy him..."

"...until I learn the truth."

For the first time since they met...

The two young men smiled at one another.

Not as enemies.

But as brothers united by the same impossible burden.

Suddenly—

Kael's crimson mark burned fiercely.

The four rings around it spun rapidly.

A new vision filled his mind.

He saw seven thrones arranged in a circle.

Six stood empty.

Upon the seventh sat a cloaked figure whose face could not be seen.

The figure slowly raised one hand.

A single sentence echoed through the vision.

"The Fourth Sovereign waits in the Desert of Echoes."

The vision vanished.

Kael took a sharp breath.

"The next shrine..."

Selene turned towards him.

"You've seen it?"

Kael nodded.

"The Fourth Sovereign has called."

Before anyone could respond...

A Celestial Knight burst onto the tower.

"General!"

"The Abyss has broken the outer barrier!"

A deafening explosion echoed across Skyhaven.

The silver dome shattered like glass.

Thousands of black-winged creatures poured through the opening.

Leading them was a giant clad in obsidian armour, carrying two enormous axes.

Its helmet bore the mark of the Abyss.

Its eyes burned crimson.

The giant raised one axe and pointed directly at Kael.

Its voice thundered across the floating kingdom.

"By order of the Abyss King..."

"Deliver the Last Blood Sovereign..."

"...or Skyhaven falls."