The Amnesiac Sovereign

Chapter 16: The Dying General

"Ethan..."

The voice echoed from the portal once more.

Weak.

Broken.

Barely audible.

Yet it carried unmistakable familiarity.

The moment Ethan heard it, another memory surfaced.

A silver-haired young man sitting on the edge of a floating cliff.

Laughing.

Throwing pieces of fruit into an endless sky.

"You worry too much, Your Majesty."

The memory vanished as quickly as it appeared.

Ethan's gaze remained fixed on the portal.

Kael.

The Third General.

One of the Nine Betrayers.

One of the people responsible for the Night of Shattered Heaven.

And yet...

The desperation in his voice felt real.

Aurelius immediately stepped toward the portal.

His usually calm expression had become tense.

"Kael."

The portal flickered.

The voice returned.

"Aurelius..."

A faint laugh followed.

Painful.

Exhausted.

"You still sound annoying."

For the first time, a small smile appeared on Aurelius' face.

"You're alive."

"Barely."

The answer silenced everyone.

Even Fenrir stopped joking.

The giant beast's crimson eyes narrowed.

Whatever had happened to Kael was serious.

Very serious.

The voice continued.

"Listen carefully."

The portal trembled violently.

As though maintaining the connection required tremendous effort.

"I don't have much time."

Ethan stepped forward.

"What happened?"

Silence followed.

Then Kael answered.

"He found me."

The atmosphere instantly changed.

Nobody needed clarification.

Everyone knew exactly who "he" referred to.

The Celestial Emperor.

Aurelius clenched his fists.

"How?"

Kael laughed bitterly.

"I made a mistake."

The voice weakened further.

"A very stupid mistake."

Fenrir snorted.

"That sounds like you."

Another faint laugh came through the portal.

At least some things never changed.

Then Kael's tone became serious.

"He's after the fragment."

Ethan's eyes narrowed.

The third fragment.

Of course.

The Celestial Emperor clearly understood their importance.

Perhaps even better than Ethan himself.

The portal flickered again.

Several strange symbols appeared across its surface.

Kael's breathing grew ragged.

"He can't obtain it yet."

"Not directly."

"But he's getting closer."

Aurelius immediately understood.

"The fragment rejected him."

"Yes."

Relief briefly appeared on Aurelius' face.

That was important.

If the fragments could simply be taken by force, the situation would already be hopeless.

The fact that they resisted the Emperor suggested limitations.

Rules.

Restrictions.

Something protecting them.

At least for now.

Then Kael spoke words nobody expected.

"Ethan."

His voice became clearer.

Stronger.

As though he was forcing every remaining ounce of strength into these final moments.

"I'm sorry."

Silence.

The apology echoed throughout the chamber.

Aurelius lowered his head.

Selene closed her eyes.

Even Orion looked away.

Because they understood what Kael meant.

The betrayal.

The throne.

The war.

The countless deaths.

Five thousand years of consequences.

Kael was apologizing for all of it.

Ethan remained silent.

His emotions were complicated.

Anger.

Curiosity.

Confusion.

Fragments of hatred mixed with fragments of loyalty.

The recovered memories only made things more difficult.

Because every new piece revealed contradictions.

The Nine Betrayers clearly had betrayed him.

Yet nothing about the situation felt simple.

Nothing felt straightforward.

Then Kael laughed softly.

"You're probably making that expression."

"What expression?"

"The one where you look like you want answers."

For the first time, Ethan smiled slightly.

The familiarity of the exchange surprised him.

Kael seemed to know him well.

Very well.

Then the Third General's voice turned urgent.

"Listen."

The portal shook violently.

Cracks appeared along its edges.

The connection was failing.

"You need to come to the Shadow Realm."

Ethan frowned.

"The Shadow Realm?"

Kael coughed.

The sound was wet.

Painful.

Almost alarming.

Then he continued.

"The fragment is hidden there."

A pause.

"And so am I."

Another crack appeared.

The portal dimmed.

Time was running out.

Aurelius stepped forward.

"Where exactly?"

Kael answered immediately.

"The City of Echoes."

Fenrir's eyes widened.

Even Selene looked surprised.

The reaction didn't go unnoticed.

"What is it?" Ethan asked.

Fenrir growled.

"That's bad."

"Why?"

The giant beast stared at the portal.

"The City of Echoes isn't a normal place."

Aurelius nodded.

"It exists between dimensions."

Selene continued.

"Half the city exists in reality."

"The other half exists in fractured space."

Ethan frowned.

That sounded absurd.

Then again, much of his life had become absurd recently.

The portal suddenly flashed.

Kael's voice became frantic.

"No."

A loud explosion echoed from the other side.

Everyone stiffened.

Another explosion followed.

Closer.

Much closer.

Kael cursed.

A rare thing for a general of his stature.

"They found me."

The chamber became silent.

The implication was obvious.

Whoever had been hunting Kael had finally arrived.

Ethan stepped forward.

"Who?"

For several seconds, only static echoed through the portal.

Then Kael answered.

His voice had become deadly serious.

"The Seventh General."

Silence.

Aurelius froze.

Selene's expression darkened.

Fenrir growled loudly.

The name clearly meant something.

Something important.

Ethan's eyes narrowed.

"Who is the Seventh General?"

Kael laughed weakly.

A humorless laugh.

"The one who never regretted betraying you."

The words hit like thunder.

Every previous betrayer had shown some degree of guilt.

Aurelius.

Kael.

Possibly others.

But this one?

Apparently not.

The portal trembled violently.

Its light began fading.

Kael's voice returned one final time.

"Ethan."

"I'm listening."

Another pause.

Then came the final warning.

"Don't trust..."

The message cut off.

The portal shattered.

BOOM!

Golden fragments scattered throughout the chamber.

The connection vanished.

Gone.

Just like that.

Silence followed.

Nobody moved.

Nobody spoke.

The unfinished warning lingered in the air.

Don't trust...

Don't trust who?

Aurelius?

Selene?

Someone else entirely?

There was no answer.

Only uncertainty.

Then suddenly—

A small object fell from the remains of the portal.

Clink.

It landed at Ethan's feet.

Everyone looked down.

It was a silver key.

Ancient.

Covered in spatial runes.

The moment Ethan picked it up, information flooded his mind.

Coordinates.

Pathways.

Directions.

A route leading directly to the Shadow Realm.

And somewhere at the end of that route...

Kael was waiting.

Assuming he was still alive.

Ethan slowly closed his hand around the key.

His decision was already made.

The hunt for the third fragment had become a rescue mission.

And for the first time since his rebirth—

He was about to leave the mortal world behind.