The world became silent.
Every Throne Holder looked at Kael.
No one moved.
No one attacked.
Even the battle above Velkar had stopped.
The voice still echoed across the heavens.
“The Trial of the Thirteenth King… begins now.”
Then—
The sky shattered.
CRAAAAACK!!
A gigantic black circle opened above the city.
Not a portal.
An eye.
An eye larger than the moon.
Its silver pupil slowly rotated.
Watching every living soul.
Watching Kael.
The moment the eye fully opened—
Every Throne Holder dropped to one knee.
Draven.
Selene.
Orion.
Even Astra.
Kael’s eyes widened.
“What are you doing?”
Draven clenched his teeth.
His body trembled violently.
“I’m…”
He struggled to speak.
“…being forced.”
Kael looked toward Orion.
The arrogant Time Throne Holder had lowered his head.
For the first time…
There was no smile on his face.
Only respect.
And fear.
The First Prisoner stared at the eye.
His voice had become unusually soft.
“So…”
“It finally noticed us.”
Kael frowned.
“What is it?”
The old man answered without looking away.
“The Judge.”
Silence.
“The being that decides who deserves a Throne.”
Suddenly—
The black mark on Kael’s arm burned.
A burning pain unlike anything he had felt before.
He screamed.
Dark energy exploded from his body.
The ground beneath him cracked.
The shadows around him twisted.
Then—
One by one…
The thirteen symbols appeared around him.
Not twelve.
Thirteen.
Each symbol floated like a constellation.
The Throne Holders looked shocked.
Selene whispered,
“He awakened all thirteen crests…”
Orion slowly stood.
“Impossible…”
“The Thirteenth Throne shouldn’t exist.”
The giant eye blinked once.
A beam of black light descended.
It surrounded Kael completely.
The outside world disappeared.
Kael found himself standing in a vast white world.
No sky.
No earth.
Only endless white.
Across from him stood a man.
Simple black clothes.
Barefoot.
No crown.
No weapon.
He looked like an ordinary traveler.
The stranger smiled.
“You finally arrived.”
Kael frowned.
“Who are you?”
The man tilted his head.
“I’ve had many names.”
“The Keeper.”
“The Judge.”
“The Witness.”
He smiled again.
“But you may call me…”
He paused.
“…Adam.”
Kael blinked.
“You’re the Judge?”
Adam nodded.
“I am the first soul ever created.”
Silence.
Kael couldn’t process those words.
Adam slowly walked past him.
Hands behind his back.
“I’ve watched every king.”
“Every god.”
“Every civilization.”
“Every extinction.”
Then he looked over his shoulder.
“But you’re different.”
Kael frowned.
“Why?”
Adam’s smile disappeared.
“Because…”
He pointed toward Kael’s chest.
“…you weren’t chosen.”
Silence.
“You were born.”
Kael’s heartbeat stopped.
“What?”
Adam nodded calmly.
“The Thirteenth Throne didn’t choose you.”
“You are…”
“…its original owner.”
The white world disappeared.
Kael’s pupils shrank.
His memories exploded.
A battlefield.
Countless stars.
A black crown.
A throne floating in space. This chapter was copied from g.com without permission.
And—
Someone sitting upon it.
His face hidden.
But one thing was unmistakable.
He looked exactly like Kael.
The vision vanished.
Kael fell to one knee.
Breathing heavily.
“No…”
Adam sighed.
“Fragments.”
“Your memories are still sealed.”
Back in the real world—
Kael’s body floated above the ground.
The thirteen symbols circled around him.
Nobody dared to move.
Then—
The giant eye spoke.
Not loudly.
Not angrily.
Simply…
As if stating a fact.
“Trial One.”
The world trembled.
“Prove that humanity deserves its future.”
Silence.
Then—
The sky split open again.
Thousands of black meteors began falling toward the world.
Not rocks.
Creatures.
Winged monsters made entirely of shadows.
Each one larger than a castle.
The citizens of Velkar screamed.
Draven looked upward.
His expression darkened.
“The Void Legion…”
Selene closed her book.
“So soon…”
Astra slowly drew a silver blade from beneath her cloak.
“The first apocalypse has begun.”
The First Prisoner looked directly at Kael.
His silver eyes remained calm.
“Your Trial…”
“…has already started.”
The first monster landed outside the city.
Its roar shook the mountains.
Without hesitation—
It looked toward Kael.
Then bowed.
Every Throne Holder froze.
The monster wasn’t attacking him.
It recognized him.
The black eye in the sky slowly closed.
Its final words echoed across the continent.
“The King has returned.”
Far beyond the stars…
Deep inside the prison hidden outside reality…
A colossal figure slowly smiled.
Its chains cracked.
One after another.
And somewhere in the darkness…
A whisper echoed.
“Welcome back… Your Majesty.”
End of Chapter 17