The Amnesiac Sovereign

Chapter 12: The Celestial Emperor's Gaze

The feeling lasted only a moment.

Yet it was enough.

Something had looked at him.

Not a person.

Not a cultivator.

Not even one of the Nine Betrayers.

This presence felt vastly different.

Vast.

Ancient.

As though entire worlds revolved around its will.

The moment it noticed him, the fragment within Ethan's soul reacted violently.

Warning him.

Protecting him.

Hiding him.

Then the connection abruptly disappeared.

The pressure vanished.

But the chill remained.

Ethan slowly lowered his gaze.

The chamber had become completely silent.

Lucas King and the remaining elders stared at him in shock.

A single attack.

One casual gesture.

And dozens of trained guards had been defeated.

The sight shattered everything they thought they knew about him.

Lucas's face twisted.

"No..."

His voice trembled.

"This isn't possible."

The Ethan he remembered should have been weak.

Powerless.

Worthless.

Not someone capable of crushing armed men with a wave of his hand.

One of the elders stepped forward.

His expression had become grave.

"You've been hiding your cultivation."

Ethan said nothing.

The elder continued.

"Young Master."

His eyes remained fixed on Ethan.

"We need to leave."

Lucas immediately spun around.

"What?"

The elder's voice dropped.

"Now."

That single word carried genuine fear.

The elder wasn't stupid.

The ancient tomb.

The mysterious inheritance.

The strange figures standing beside Ethan.

None of it felt normal.

Every instinct he possessed was screaming danger.

Unfortunately, Lucas wasn't ready to listen.

His pride wouldn't allow it.

Not after being humiliated.

Not after losing face.

Not after discovering that the man he considered trash possessed hidden power.

Lucas pointed directly at Ethan.

"You think this changes anything?"

His voice grew louder.

"Do you know who I am?"

Ethan calmly looked at him.

The answer came instantly.

"No."

The simple response struck harder than any physical blow.

Lucas's face turned red.

In his world, status meant everything.

The King family controlled businesses worth billions.

People bowed before him.

Feared him.

Respected him.

Yet Ethan genuinely didn't seem to care.

That indifference infuriated him.

"You'll regret this."

Lucas clenched his fists.

"You hear me?"

"You'll regret it."

Before Ethan could answer, Fenrir laughed.

The giant beast's booming voice echoed throughout the chamber.

"Child."

Lucas flinched.

Fenrir's enormous crimson eyes narrowed.

"You should leave while you still can."

The warning was genuine.

For all his arrogance, Lucas was beneath Fenrir's notice.

Nothing more than an insect wandering into a battlefield between gods.

Yet Lucas completely misunderstood.

He thought the beast was threatening him.

His expression darkened.

"You think I fear monsters?"

The moment those words left his mouth, every ancient being in the chamber went silent.

Aurelius slowly closed his eyes.

Orion sighed.

Even Ethan almost felt sorry for him.

Fenrir simply smiled.

A terrifying smile.

Then—

A tiny fragment of his aura escaped.

Just a fragment.

Less than one percent.

The effect was immediate.

BOOM!

The entire tomb shook.

The three elders collapsed to their knees.

Blood poured from their mouths.

Lucas himself crashed face-first into the stone floor.

His body refused to move.

Fear exploded through his mind.

Pure.

Absolute.

Instinctive.

Every cell in his body screamed the same message.

Run.

Run now.

Run before you die.

Fenrir's voice became soft.

Almost gentle.

"Now do you understand?"

Lucas couldn't answer.

He couldn't even breathe properly.

The difference between them was simply too vast.

After a few seconds, Fenrir withdrew his aura.

The pressure vanished instantly.

Lucas gasped for air.

His entire body trembled uncontrollably.

The arrogance was gone.

Only fear remained.

"Leave."

Fenrir's single word echoed throughout the chamber.

This time, Lucas obeyed.

Without hesitation.

Without argument.

He scrambled to his feet and fled.

The surviving elders followed immediately.

None dared look back.

Within moments, the intruders disappeared into the darkness.

Silence returned.

Then Aurelius spoke.

"They'll spread rumors."

Ethan nodded.

That much was obvious.

Sooner or later, the world would learn that something extraordinary had happened inside the Tomb of Fallen Stars.

And once word spread...

More enemies would come.

Many more.

Orion suddenly stepped forward.

His expression had become serious.

"Your Majesty."

"What is it?"

"The fragment isn't the only thing that awakened."

The old guardian pointed toward the shattered crystal.

At first, Ethan saw nothing.

Then he noticed it.

A tiny golden flame floating in the air.

The flame danced gently.

Almost playfully.

Yet the moment Ethan focused on it, his soul resonated.

A memory surfaced.

The Sovereign Palace.

A sacred chamber.

Nine golden flames burning around a throne.

Then darkness.

The memory vanished.

"What is it?" Ethan asked.

Orion's eyes filled with respect.

"A Sovereign Flame."

Ethan frowned.

The name felt familiar.

Aurelius answered.

"Each flame contains a portion of your authority."

"Not power."

"Authority."

The distinction confused Ethan.

Fenrir chuckled.

"Power destroys."

"Authority commands."

The giant beast pointed toward the golden flame.

"With enough of those..."

"...entire worlds obey your will."

The explanation left Ethan silent.

That sounded absurd.

Yet nobody appeared to be joking.

The flame slowly floated toward him.

Then entered his chest.

The moment it merged with his soul—

BOOM!

A strange symbol appeared on the back of his hand.

Golden.

Ancient.

Powerful.

The mark lasted only a few seconds before disappearing.

But Ethan felt the difference immediately.

Something fundamental had changed.

Not his cultivation.

Something deeper.

Something tied to his identity.

Then suddenly—

A distant scream echoed through the tomb.

Everyone froze.

Another scream followed.

Then another.

Aurelius frowned.

"That's not Lucas."

Orion gripped his spear.

The atmosphere immediately became tense.

The screams continued.

Closer.

Louder.

Filled with terror.

Then came the sound of running footsteps.

A man burst into the chamber.

One of Lucas's surviving guards.

His face was pale.

Blood covered his clothes.

His eyes were filled with panic.

The moment he saw Ethan and the others, he collapsed.

"They're dead!"

The man was shaking violently.

"Everyone's dead!"

Ethan narrowed his eyes.

"What happened?"

The guard looked toward the tunnel behind him.

His voice trembled.

"There was a woman."

The chamber became silent.

"A woman in red robes."

Aurelius' expression changed instantly.

Fenrir's eyes widened.

Even Orion looked shocked.

The guard swallowed hard.

"She killed them."

His breathing became ragged.

"All of them."

Lucas.

The elders.

The guards.

Gone.

The man pointed deeper into the tunnels.

Then whispered the words that made the atmosphere turn ice-cold.

"She's coming here."

At that exact moment—

Soft footsteps echoed from the darkness.

Slow.

Elegant.

Unhurried.

And a familiar scent of crimson flowers drifted through the ancient tomb.