The Amnesiac Sovereign

Chapter 24: Trial of the Sovereign

Light.

Endless golden light.

It consumed everything.

The battlefield disappeared.

The fortress vanished.

Azrael.

Darius.

Aurelius.

Selene.

All gone.

Only light remained.

For a moment, Ethan felt weightless.

As though he were floating between worlds.

Then the sensation ended.

His feet touched solid ground.

The golden radiance slowly faded.

Ethan opened his eyes.

And froze.

He stood inside a palace.

A familiar palace.

Massive golden pillars stretched toward a ceiling covered in stars.

Ancient murals lined the walls.

Each depicted battles, kingdoms, and worlds he couldn't fully remember.

Yet every detail felt familiar.

Like returning to a home forgotten long ago.

The Sovereign Palace.

The realization appeared instinctively.

No explanation needed.

No memory required.

His soul recognized it.

Ethan slowly looked around.

The place was alive.

Servants moved through hallways.

Guards stood at attention.

Officials discussed matters of state.

Everything looked real.

Too real.

The Third Fragment's trial.

This wasn't an illusion.

It was a memory.

A preserved piece of history.

Then footsteps approached.

Ethan turned.

And his breath caught.

A man stood several meters away.

Tall.

Broad-shouldered.

Wearing black and gold robes.

His long silver hair flowed behind him.

His eyes radiated impossible authority.

Every movement seemed capable of influencing reality itself.

The man looked exactly like Ethan.

Or rather—

Ethan looked exactly like him.

The Sovereign.

His former self.

For several moments, neither moved.

Then the Sovereign smiled.

A calm smile.

A familiar smile.

"You're late."

The words startled Ethan.

Because they sounded exactly like something Kael would say.

The Sovereign laughed softly.

"I learned it from him."

Ethan blinked.

"What?"

The Sovereign pointed toward a nearby balcony.

"Come."

Without another word, he began walking.

Ethan followed.

Questions flooded his mind.

Yet somehow he knew he wouldn't receive answers immediately.

Trials rarely worked that way.

The balcony overlooked an impossible sight.

The Nine Realms.

All of them.

Floating beyond the horizon.

Connected by rivers of starlight.

Worlds beyond worlds.

Civilizations beyond counting.

The scale was breathtaking.

And overwhelming.

The Sovereign stood silently for several moments.

Then spoke.

"What do you think?"

Ethan looked outward.

At the countless realms.

The endless kingdoms.

The stars.

The heavens.

Everything.

Then he answered honestly.

"It looks heavy."

The Sovereign froze.

Then laughed.

A genuine laugh.

A loud laugh.

For several moments, he couldn't stop.

Eventually he wiped away a tear.

"Good answer."

His smile faded slightly.

"Better than mine."

The statement caught Ethan's attention.

"What did you say?"

The Sovereign looked toward the horizon.

"Proud."

The single word carried regret.

Deep regret.

Silence followed.

Then the Sovereign sighed.

"I was proud."

The atmosphere changed.

Subtly.

Yet noticeably.

For the first time, Ethan sensed weariness.

A burden hidden beneath unimaginable strength.

The Sovereign continued.

"I believed I could protect everything."

The stars above dimmed slightly.

"I believed I could solve every problem."

The palace around them seemed quieter now.

Distant.

Melancholic.

Then he looked directly at Ethan.

"And that was my first mistake."

The words lingered.

Heavy.

Meaningful.

Before Ethan could respond—

The world shifted.

Instantly.

The balcony vanished.

The palace disappeared.

Reality transformed.

Now they stood inside a meeting hall.

A long table stretched across the room.

Nine figures sat around it.

The Nine Generals.

Ethan immediately recognized several.

Aurelius.

Kael.

Selene.

Darius.

Others remained unfamiliar.

For now.

The Sovereign stood at the head of the table.

Observing them.

Listening.

The memory unfolded naturally.

As though Ethan were witnessing history firsthand.

Arguments filled the chamber.

Disagreements.

Strategies.

Concerns.

Nothing unusual.

Nothing suspicious.

Then Ethan noticed something.

The generals weren't plotting.

They weren't scheming.

They weren't preparing betrayal.

They looked loyal.

Genuinely loyal.

The realization unsettled him.

Because it contradicted everything he expected.

The memory continued.

Hours passed in moments.

Discussions ended.

People laughed.

Some argued.

Others joked.

Friends.

Comrades.

Family.

That was how they behaved.

Not enemies.

Not future betrayers.

Family.

Then Ethan saw Darius.

The Seventh General.

Unlike the others, he rarely spoke.

Instead, he observed.

Watching everyone.

Listening carefully.

His expression remained unreadable.

The detail lodged itself in Ethan's mind.

Then—

The memory shifted again.

Days passed.

Weeks.

Months.

The trial showed fragments.

Moments.

Pieces.

Each one revealing more.

Until finally—

The atmosphere changed.

The Sovereign stood alone within an ancient ruin.

A massive stone door towered before him.

Covered in symbols.

Covered in warnings.

Covered in seals.

Ethan immediately recognized it.

The door.

The same one mentioned by Darius.

The same one that appeared in his fragmented memories.

The Sovereign wasn't alone.

Kael stood beside him.

So did Aurelius.

Selene.

And Darius.

The five stared at the door.

Silence filled the ruin.

Then Darius stepped forward.

"What is it?"

The Sovereign remained silent.

His expression had darkened.

For the first time in the trial—

Fear appeared.

Real fear.

The sight shocked Ethan.

Because the Sovereign looked capable of challenging the heavens themselves.

Yet this door frightened him.

Eventually he answered.

"I don't know."

Silence followed.

Then Kael frowned.

"That's impossible."

The Sovereign slowly shook his head.

"No."

His voice became quieter.

"What's behind this door..."

The ruin trembled.

The symbols across the stone surface glowed.

Then the Sovereign finished.

"...shouldn't exist."

The atmosphere immediately became heavy.

Darius stepped closer.

Interested.

Curious.

Dangerously curious.

The Sovereign noticed.

Then issued an order.

A direct order.

"No one opens it."

Silence.

The generals exchanged glances.

Nobody argued.

Nobody protested.

Yet Ethan noticed something.

Darius didn't look afraid.

He looked fascinated.

The memory froze.

Everything stopped.

The Sovereign turned.

Directly toward Ethan.

As though aware of his presence.

The impossible action sent a chill through him.

Then the Sovereign spoke.

"The trial begins now."

The ruin vanished.

Darkness consumed everything.

Only the Sovereign remained visible.

His eyes locked onto Ethan.

Ancient.

Wise.

Burdened.

Then he asked a single question.

The question that would determine everything.

"If saving the Nine Realms required betraying the people you loved..."

A pause.

Then:

"...would you do it?"

Silence.

The trial had finally begun.

And Ethan suddenly realized something terrifying.

The betrayal of five thousand years ago...

May not have been a betrayal at all.