The Amnesiac Sovereign

Chapter 10: The First Betrayer

The mask fell to the ground.

Clang.

The sound echoed throughout the chamber.

For a moment, nobody spoke.

Not Ethan.

Not Orion.

Not even Fenrir.

The man standing beside the crystal slowly raised his head.

His appearance was striking.

Sharp features.

Golden eyes.

Long silver hair that flowed past his shoulders.

He looked no older than thirty.

Yet the aura surrounding him carried the weight of countless centuries.

The instant Ethan saw his face, memories erupted inside his mind.

A battlefield beneath a sea of stars.

An army kneeling in formation.

A man standing at the front of those ranks.

Proud.

Fearless.

Unwavering.

Aurelius.

The First General of the Sovereign Army.

The conqueror of a thousand realms.

The warrior Ethan had trusted more than almost anyone.

Then came another memory.

The same man.

The same face.

Holding a golden sword.

Driving it toward Ethan's chest.

Betrayal.

The vision shattered.

Pain shot through Ethan's skull.

His breathing grew heavier.

Aurelius watched silently.

There was no mockery in his eyes.

No arrogance.

Only sadness.

A deep sadness that seemed impossible to hide.

"So..."

Aurelius finally spoke.

"You survived."

The words felt strange.

As though he had never expected Ethan to return.

Or perhaps never wanted him to.

Orion's spear immediately pointed toward him.

The old guardian's voice became ice cold.

"Traitor."

Fenrir growled.

Silver flames surged across the giant beast's body.

Even the chains rattled violently.

"If I wasn't sealed..."

"I would tear you apart."

Aurelius ignored both of them.

His eyes never left Ethan.

For several moments, neither man spoke.

Master and servant.

Ruler and general.

Victim and betrayer.

Separated by five thousand years.

Reunited inside a forgotten tomb.

Finally, Ethan broke the silence.

"Why?"

One word.

One question.

Yet it carried the weight of millennia.

Aurelius closed his eyes.

His expression tightened.

"You deserve that answer."

Orion immediately stepped forward.

"No."

The old guardian's voice thundered through the chamber.

"You don't deserve the right to speak."

Aurelius laughed softly.

A bitter laugh.

"Still loyal after all these years."

Orion's killing intent intensified.

"If His Majesty gives the order, your head will fall before your next breath."

Aurelius didn't seem concerned.

Instead, he looked at Ethan.

Waiting.

Ethan remained silent.

He wanted answers.

And something inside him warned that killing Aurelius now would destroy any chance of finding them.

Seeing no objection, Aurelius continued.

"Do you remember the Night of Shattered Heaven?"

Fragments flickered inside Ethan's mind.

A broken throne.

Falling stars.

Blood.

Screams.

Then darkness.

"Only pieces."

Aurelius nodded.

"Then I'll tell you this."

His expression grew serious.

"The Nine Betrayers did attack you."

The chamber became silent.

"We shattered the throne."

"We destroyed the Sovereign Palace."

"We fought against your loyalists."

Each sentence struck like a hammer.

Yet Aurelius continued calmly.

"Everything you've remembered so far is true."

Ethan's eyes narrowed.

"Then why?"

Aurelius hesitated.

For the first time, genuine conflict appeared on his face.

Then he said something completely unexpected.

"Because if we hadn't..."

"...you would have died anyway."

Silence.

Complete silence.

Even Fenrir stopped growling.

Ethan stared at him.

The answer made no sense.

Aurelius took a deep breath.

"Someone had already marked you for death."

"The betrayal was never supposed to kill you."

"The betrayal was supposed to save you."

BOOM!

The words exploded inside Ethan's mind.

Orion immediately roared.

"Liar!"

His spear slammed into the ground.

The entire chamber shook.

Aurelius didn't react.

He simply looked at Ethan.

"Ask yourself one question."

"If I truly wanted you dead..."

"...why are you alive?"

The question hit Ethan harder than expected.

Because it was logical.

If nine of the most powerful beings in existence had genuinely wanted him dead...

How had he survived?

Why did his soul fragments exist?

Why had he been able to reincarnate?

Why was he standing here now?

Aurelius slowly pointed toward the crystal.

"The answer is inside your memories."

Fenrir's eyes narrowed.

"Careful."

The giant beast's voice rumbled through the chamber.

"You are dancing very close to forbidden truths."

Aurelius laughed.

"Those truths stopped being forbidden the moment he returned."

Then—

CRASH!

A massive explosion erupted somewhere behind them.

The entire tomb shook violently.

Dust poured from the ceiling.

Orion immediately turned toward the entrance.

His expression darkened.

"They've reached the inner chambers."

Another explosion followed.

Then another.

Lucas and his people were getting closer.

Far too close.

Aurelius glanced toward the disturbance.

Then back to Ethan.

"You don't have much time."

Ethan's eyes narrowed.

"What do you mean?"

Aurelius pointed toward the crystal.

"The second fragment contains memories that even I don't know."

"It will answer some questions."

"And create many more."

His expression suddenly became grave.

"But after you absorb it..."

"...they will know exactly where you are."

The atmosphere changed instantly.

Ethan felt a chill.

"They?"

Aurelius slowly looked upward.

As though staring beyond the ceiling.

Beyond the mountains.

Beyond the world itself.

Then he spoke a name.

A name that caused Fenrir's chains to rattle violently.

A name that made Orion's face pale.

A name that sent fear through the chamber.

"The Celestial Emperor."

The title echoed through the tomb.

Ethan frowned.

The name meant nothing.

Yet his soul reacted.

A deep instinctive hatred surfaced.

A hatred so intense it shocked him.

Aurelius noticed.

And nodded.

"Good."

"Some memories never truly disappear."

Then his expression hardened.

"The Celestial Emperor is watching."

"He watched your fall."

"He watched your rebirth."

"And now..."

Aurelius looked directly into Ethan's eyes.

"...he knows you've found the second fragment."

The crystal suddenly erupted with blinding golden light.

The entire chamber trembled.

The fragment was calling to Ethan more strongly than ever before.

Demanding to be reclaimed.

Demanding to awaken.

At the same time, Lucas's voice echoed from nearby tunnels.

Excited.

Greedy.

Victorious.

"We found the central chamber!"

"They're here!"

Dozens of footsteps followed.

Enemies approaching from one side.

Ancient truths from another.

And a soul fragment waiting in the center.

Ethan slowly stepped toward the crystal.

Whatever happened next...

There would be no turning back.

The moment his hand touched the golden surface—

The crystal shattered.