THE LAST HEIR OF THE VOID KINGDOM

CHAPTER 4

The Last Heir of the Void Kingdom

Chapter 4: The Immortal Enemy

The cavern fell silent.

Arin could hear nothing except the pounding of his own heart.

Before him stood Lord Malakar.

The destroyer of kingdoms.

The shadow from the vision.

The man who should have been dead for centuries.

Lyra stepped in front of Arin, drawing her silver blade.

"No…" she whispered.

Malakar smiled.

"You remember me, Guardian?"

His voice echoed through the cavern.

Lyra tightened her grip.

"I watched you die."

"And yet here I stand."

Dark energy swirled around him like living smoke.

The Heart of the Void pulsed in response.

Once.

Twice.

As if recognising its oldest enemy.

Arin forced himself to stand.

"What do you want from me?"

Malakar's crimson eyes locked onto his.

"The same thing I wanted sixteen years ago."

His smile vanished.

"The throne."

Without warning, Malakar raised a hand.

Shadow tendrils burst from the ground.

Lyra leapt forward.

Her blade flashed like lightning.

Steel met darkness.

The cavern exploded with light.

Arin stumbled backwards as the two warriors clashed.

Lyra moved with impossible speed.

Every strike sent sparks across the stone floor.

But Malakar barely seemed to move.

He blocked each attack with one hand.

Almost effortlessly.

"You're weaker than before," he mocked.

Lyra gritted her teeth.

"I'm stronger than you'll ever be."

She lunged.

Malakar caught the blade.

With his bare hand.

Crack.

The silver sword shattered.

Arin's eyes widened.

"Lyra!"

A blast of shadow energy threw her across the cavern.

She crashed into a pillar and collapsed.

Motionless.

The Heart of the Void flickered violently.

Now Arin stood alone.

Malakar began walking toward him.

Slow.

Confident.

Certain of victory.

"You resemble your father."

Arin froze.

"You knew my father?"

"I killed him."

The words hit harder than any weapon.

Rage surged through Arin.

Every question.

Every lonely year.

Every nightmare.

All traced back to the man standing before him.

Malakar smirked.

"At least he died fighting."

The crown beneath Arin's cloak suddenly grew warm.

Then hot.

Then unbearably bright.

Blue light erupted from his body.

The cavern shook.

The Heart of the Void blazed like a star.

Malakar stopped.

For the first time, uncertainty flickered across his face.

"No..."

Ancient symbols appeared across the cavern walls.

The whispers returned.

Thousands of voices speaking at once.

Yet Arin understood every word.

Claim your birthright.

Power surged through him.

Like an ocean crashing against a dam.

The crown floated above his head.

A cloak of blue energy formed around him.

The air itself bent and twisted.

Malakar stared in disbelief.

"The King's Awakening..."

Suddenly, Arin saw another vision.

Not the past.

The future.

A city burning beneath a black sky.

Armies of shadow marching across the world.

Mountains collapsing.

Oceans boiling.

And above it all stood Malakar.

Victorious.

Beneath him lay countless crowns.

Every kingdom conquered.

Every ruler dead.

Then another figure appeared.

A warrior wrapped in silver light.

Facing Malakar alone.

The warrior's face slowly became clear.

It was Arin.

The vision ended.

Arin gasped.

The power vanished.

The cavern returned to normal.

But Malakar had seen enough.

His expression had changed.

For the first time, he looked afraid.

Not of Arin.

Of what Arin might become.

"Interesting," Malakar said quietly.

"Very interesting."

The shadows around him began to swirl.

He was leaving.

Arin stepped forward.

"Run away again and I'll stop you next time."

Malakar laughed.

The sound echoed endlessly.

"You think this was a battle?"

The darkness swallowed him.

"My heir of the Void..."

His voice faded.

"This was merely an introduction."

Then he disappeared.

Silence returned.

Arin rushed to Lyra.

She groaned and slowly opened her eyes.

"Please tell me we won."

Arin laughed nervously.

"I don't think so."

She sat up.

Then her eyes widened.

The Heart of the Void was changing.

Cracks of silver light spread across its surface.

Something was awakening inside it.

Something ancient.

Something powerful.

A deep voice echoed through the cavern.

Older than the kingdom itself.

Older than history.

THE SEAL IS BREAKING.

The ground trembled.

The Heart split open.

And from within emerged a gigantic silver dragon made entirely of starlight.

Its glowing eyes fixed upon Arin.

Then it spoke.

"Last Heir of the Void Kingdom… where is the King?"

To be continued...