The Void Heart Devourer

Chapter 10: The Tomb of Kings

Night shrouded the Holy City of Elarion.

A light rain fell in silence, dampening the stone streets which were now far quieter than they had been during the day. The Aether lamps along the path cast a dim glow, while a cold wind carried whispers that refused to fade.

"Bringer of Disaster..."

The nickname still echoed in some corners of the city.

In the Vainio Clan residence, the atmosphere was even gloomier. The house, once a symbol of glory, was now lit by only a few old lanterns. Servants hurried about with their heads bowed; no one dared to speak loudly since the incident in the Holy Hall.

Akseli stood before his bedroom window, his gaze empty, piercing through the drizzle falling in the courtyard.

He should have felt angry.

Disappointed.

Or hateful toward everyone who had insulted him.

But strangely...

what he felt was only emptiness.

Knock... Knock... Knock...

A soft knocking sound came from outside the room.

"Young Master."

An old servant entered after receiving permission. He was over sixty years old. His hair had turned white, but his back remained straight. This was Orvo, a servant who had served the Vainio family since before Akseli was born.

"The Patriarch asks that you rest early."

Akseli nodded slowly.

"I know."

Orvo did not leave immediately. He seemed hesitant.

"Is something wrong?" Akseli asked.

The old servant lowered his head.

"Tomorrow... there may be some servants who will resign."

Akseli smiled faintly.

"Only some?"

Orvo fell silent.

That answer was enough.

Akseli walked toward the table and poured a cup of warm tea.

"Because of me?"

Orvo sighed.

"News of the Awakening Crystal has spread throughout the Holy City. Many people fear our family will be punished by the Council. Some do not want to be dragged down with us."

Akseli handed the cup of tea to Orvo.

"Then let them go."

"But, Young Master..."

"It’s alright. I don’t want anyone to lose their future just because they chose to work here."

Orvo stared at the young man for a moment, then gave a bitter smile.

"You are too kind."

"That is precisely what makes this world feel so cruel."

The old servant bowed before leaving the room.

The door closed again.

The room grew quiet.

Akseli looked back at the rain.

Not long after, noisy sounds could be heard from the backyard.

"I don't want to live in the house of a jinx!"

"Keep it down!"

"Why should I? Everyone already knows this family is finished!"

Akseli frowned. He opened the window slightly.

Two servants were packing their belongings.

One of them shook his head in annoyance.

"I heard some merchants even refuse to do business with the Vainio Clan."

"If this continues, we'll all starve."

"Let it be. Tomorrow we’ll find new masters."

They walked away carrying their suitcases.

No one noticed Akseli was listening to every word.

The young man closed the window slowly.

Once...

this house was always crowded.

Now, one by one, people were starting to abandon it.

He let out a long sigh.

"I really am a bringer of trouble..."

For the first time since the incident in the Holy Hall, Akseli felt the weight of all the accusations beginning to press upon him. Not because he believed he was guilty, but because everyone around him was suffering the consequences.

Knock... Knock...

The knocking returned.

This time it was softer.

"Akseli."

His father’s voice.

"Come in, Father."

The Patriarch of Vainio opened the door. The man’s face looked much older than it had that morning. The wrinkles on his forehead were more prominent, and his eyes were filled with exhaustion.

He entered without a word and sat on a chair near the window.

Silence filled the room once more.

"Father."

"Hm?"

"Is the Vainio Clan truly going to fall?"

The man smiled slightly.

"We have been falling for a long time."

That answer made Akseli turn his head.

His father continued, staring into the rain.

"Once, the Vainio were among the Seven Great Clans. Now... we are only holding onto the name."

"I have failed to restore the family's glory."

He chuckled softly.

"It turns out being Patriarch is far more difficult than I imagined."

Akseli clenched his fists.

"I'm sorry."

The man turned.

"For what?"

"For making everything worse."

His father shook his head.

"You are not the cause."

"Then who is?"

The man remained silent for a moment.

"There are many things you are not yet ready to know."

That answer made Akseli furrow his brow.

Before he could ask anything else, the sound of someone shouting reached them from outside the gates.

"Patriarch Vainio!"

"Come out!"

"We want an explanation!"

The shout was followed by others.

"Cast Akseli out of the family!"

"Don't bring disaster to the Holy City!"

"Exile him!"

The number of people outside continued to grow.

Akseli stood up immediately.

"I will go see them."

"No."

His father held his shoulder.

"They did not come to hear an explanation."

"They came to find a scapegoat."

The shouting outside grew louder.

Someone began throwing stones at the gate.

Bang!

Bang!

Bang!

The remaining servants ran to bolt all the doors of the house.

Akseli could only clench his fists.

He wanted to go out.

He wanted to explain that he himself didn't know what had happened.

But he realized...

no one would believe him.

In the midst of the commotion, his right palm began to heat up again.

Burning hot.

Reflexively, he looked down.

The black mark had returned.

Clearer than before.

Then...

the old voice whispered in his head again.

"Look..."

"They always need someone to blame."

Akseli closed his eyes.

"What do you want?"

No answer.

Only one sentence echoed repeatedly.

"You will never find the truth in this city..."

"...Come..."

"...to the Tomb of Kings."

The voice slowly faded.

Akseli opened his eyes again.

For the first time...

he began to ask himself.

What if...

everything he had believed about himself until now...

was a lie?

The night grew late.

The commotion in front of the Vainio residence finally subsided after the Holy City’s guards dispersed the mob. However, the house remained quiet. No one had an appetite; even the dining room, usually filled with servants, was now empty.

Akseli was still sitting in his room.

His mind was filled with too many questions.

The mysterious voice.

The black mark on his palm.

And his father’s words...

"There are many things you are not yet ready to know."

Knock... knock...

The knocking returned.

"Enter."

The door opened slowly.

Patriarch Vainio entered carrying a black wooden box. It was not large, only the length of an adult’s forearm. Its surface was covered in ancient carvings that were beginning to fade with age.

Akseli stood up immediately.

"Father."

The man placed the box on the table.

"I was supposed to give you this in a few years."

His gaze fell on the old box.

"After you awakened your Aether Heart."

He smiled bitterly.

"It turns out fate chose a different path."

Akseli looked at the box in confusion.

"What is inside?"

"Just open it."

Akseli slowly opened the metal latch.

As the lid was lifted, the scent of old wood filled the room.

Inside were only three things.

A map that had yellowed with age.

A black circular pendant.

And an envelope sealed with red wax.

Akseli’s gaze locked onto the envelope.

"A letter?"

His father nodded slowly.

"It is your mother’s legacy."

Akseli’s body froze.

"Mother?"

The name felt so foreign.

Since childhood, almost no one had ever spoken of his mother. Whenever he asked, his father always changed the subject.

"Father..."

"Why only now?"

Patriarch Vainio let out a long sigh.

"Because that was your mother’s request."

"She instructed that the letter should only be given when fate began to move."

Akseli frowned.

"Fate?"

"I don't understand it either."

The man smiled wearily.

"Your mother always said things that were difficult to understand."

Akseli looked back at the contents of the box.

He picked up the black pendant first.

Its shape was simple, but it felt icy to the touch.

On its surface was carved the exact same symbol as the black mark on his palm.

Akseli’s eyes widened.

"This..."

"Have you ever seen this emblem, Father?"

Patriarch Vainio shook his head.

"No."

"Only your mother knew."

"She never explained what it meant."

Akseli clutched the pendant.

For some reason, there was a strange sensation as the object rested in his hand.

As if...

it had been waiting for him.

Then he unfolded the old map.

It was not a map of the Holy City.

Nor was it a map of the Elarion region.

Most of its paths had faded. But in the center, there was a crownshaped mark circled in black ink.

Beneath it were only two words.

The Tomb of Kings.

Akseli’s breath hitched.

That name...

It was exactly the same as what the mysterious voice in his head kept whispering.

"Why do you have this map?"

Patriarch Vainio shook his head slowly.

"It is also your mother’s legacy."

"She only said that one day, you would need this map."

The room grew silent again.

More clues were appearing.

But none provided an answer.

Akseli finally picked up the last envelope.

His hand paused for a moment.

"Father..."

"Have you ever read this letter?"

"No."

"Why?"

The man smiled thinly.

"Because the letter was not for me."

That simple answer made Akseli stare at his father for a long time.

For the first time...

he realized there was a sadness that the man had been hiding all this time.

"Father."

"Hm?"

"Who was Mother, really?"

Patriarch Vainio did not answer immediately.

He walked to the window.

The rain outside was beginning to clear.

"Your mother..."

"...was the most extraordinary woman I ever met."

"When we first met, I didn't even know where she came from."

"I only know one thing."

"She always said that this world is far larger than what humans know."

Akseli listened without interrupting.

"She often disappeared for days."

"Then returned as if nothing had happened."

"Sometimes she brought back things that even the elders could not identify."

The man smiled slightly, as if remembering the past.

"After you were born..."

"...everything changed."

"She began to seem anxious often."

"As if waiting for something."

Akseli clenched his fists.

"Waiting for what?"

Patriarch Vainio turned.

"That is what she never explained."

"One night..."

"...she only said this to me."

The man remembered every word clearly.

"If one day that mark appears on Akseli..."

"Do not stop him."

"Let him choose his own path."

The room fell silent again.

Akseli’s heart beat faster.

"She knew about this mark?"

Patriarch Vainio nodded slowly.

"Yes."

"Then?"

"Then... a few days later, she left."

"Left?"

"Without taking anything."

"No goodbyes."

"No messages."

"Only leaving this box behind."

Akseli froze.

"So..."

"Is Mother still alive?"

The man stared at the rain beginning to fall outside the window again.

"I hope so."

Nothing more was said.

The silence felt heavier than before.

Akseli looked back at the envelope in his hand.

The red wax seal was still intact.

Never opened.

He rubbed its surface slowly.

For some reason...

his chest began to flutter.

Perhaps...

all the answers he had been searching for...

lay behind this letter.

Or perhaps...

the letter would change his life even more.

Akseli took a long breath.

Slowly...

he began to break the red wax seal.

The room became deathly quiet.

Akseli stared at the old envelope in his hand for a moment. The red wax seal, which had been dried for years, finally came loose with a single touch.

He took a deep breath before opening the letter.

The paper had yellowed with age, but the writing on it was still clearly visible.

A neat handwriting.

Soft.

For some reason, just looking at it made Akseli’s heart tremble.

He began to read.

 To my son, Akseli.

 If you are reading this, it means fate has finally found you.

 Forgive me for not being by your side when that day arrived.

Akseli paused for a moment.

His chest felt tight.

In all his life, he had never even clearly seen his mother’s face. All that remained was one old painting in the family room.

Now...

for the first time...

he felt as if he were speaking directly to her.

He continued reading.

 Do not hate your father.

 Every decision he made was to protect you.

 Even if one day you feel he is hiding many things, believe me...

 He does it because he loves you very much.

Akseli slowly turned toward his father.

The man was still standing by the window, his back turned to him.

As if intentionally giving space for his son to read the letter alone.

Akseli lowered his head again.

The next writing made his breath stop.

 From today on...

 Do not believe everything you know about yourself.

Akseli’s brows furrowed instantly.

What did she mean?

He hurried his reading.

 They will say you were born without an Aether Heart.

 They will consider you flawed.

 They will laugh at you.

 Let them.

Akseli’s heart beat faster.

His hands began to tremble slightly.

 Because one day...

 They will realize they were wrong from the start.

Akseli clenched the letter unconsciously.

"So..."

"Mother knew everything?"

The soft voice was barely audible.

He read on.

 Do not seek answers in the Holy City.

 Do not trust the Grand Council.

 Do not look for truth from the Patriarchs.

The next sentence changed Akseli’s expression.

 Even...

 Do not trust everything your father says.

"What?"

He stood up spontaneously.

Patriarch Vainio turned.

"What is it?"

Akseli held up the letter.

"Mother wrote... don't trust everything Father says."

The man went silent.

There was no surprise on his face.

As if...

he already knew the contents of the letter.

"That certainly sounds like your mother."

That answer only made Akseli more confused.

"You're not angry?"

Patriarch Vainio shook his head.

"Your mother always believed that everyone must find their own truth."

The room was silent again.

Akseli continued reading the final part of the letter.

The handwriting began to look slightly messier.

As if written in a hurry.

 If the mark has appeared...

 It means the seal is beginning to weaken.

A seal?

What seal?

Before Akseli could process that sentence, his eyes fell on the next line.

 Go to the Tomb of Kings.

 That is where your journey begins.

Then...

there was only one final sentence.

 And whatever happens...

 Never awaken the Seventh King.

...

The room grew suddenly quiet.

Akseli read the sentence again and again.

The Seventh King?

Who is he?

Why did his mother write that warning?

The more answers he found...

the more new questions arose.

Patriarch Vainio finally spoke up.

"Your mother never explained what the letter meant."

"I don't know who the Seventh King is either."

"But one thing I am sure of..."

"She never did anything without a reason."

Akseli stared back at the old map on the table.

The crownshaped black mark now felt far more striking.

The destination was clear.

The Tomb of Kings.

He slowly folded the letter, then tucked it away carefully.

The night grew late.

Patriarch Vainio rose from his chair.

"I will leave you alone."

Before exiting, his footsteps stopped at the door.

"Akseli."

"Yes?"

"Whatever your decision may be later..."

"...I will respect it."

The door closed.

The room was silent again.

Akseli sat alone.

His eyes never left the old map.

The mysterious voice that had been bothering him slowly returned.

"You finally know your path..."

Akseli closed his eyes.

"Who are you really?"

The voice laughed softly.

"Come..."

"I have been waiting for you long before you were born."

The voice vanished.

Akseli opened his eyes.

There was no more hesitation on his face.

He picked up the old family heirloom sword hanging on the wall. It wasn't a great sword; its blade was even covered in scratches.

But it was the only weapon he had.

Then he put on a simple black cloak, tucking the map, the letter, and the pendant into a small pouch at his waist.

He opened his bedroom door slowly.

The entire residence was asleep.

Akseli walked through the long hallway without a sound.

When he reached the front hall, his steps stopped.

On the table was a cup of tea, still warm.

Beside it was a piece of paper.

His father’s writing.

 The path you choose may be full of danger.

 If you still wish to go...

 Come home safely.

No prohibitions.

No attempts to stop him.

Only the prayer of a father.

Akseli gripped the paper tightly.

For the first time since being humiliated by the entire Holy City...

a faint smile appeared on his face.

"I will return, Father."

He stepped out of the Vainio Clan residence.

The night was very dark.

But this time...

Akseli was no longer walking aimlessly.

In the distance, behind mountains shrouded in mist, lay a region long forgotten by humanity.

A place that even the strongest cultivators were reluctant to name.

The Tomb of Kings.

And without Akseli realizing it...

a pair of ancient golden eyes slowly opened deep within the tomb.

"He..."

"...has finally come."