Silence.
Thousands of Void creatures remained kneeling before Kael.
The battlefield had become motionless.
The citizens of Velkar stared in horror.
Some fell to their knees.
Others fled in panic.
One question echoed through every mind.
Who was Kael Veyron?
The largest Void Knight slowly lifted its head.
Its silver eyes held neither hatred nor rage.
Only loyalty.
It spoke in a calm, ancient voice.
“My King…”
“We have finally found you.”
Kael took a step back.
“I am not your king.”
The creature remained kneeling.
“You were.”
“You are.”
“You always will be.”
Those words echoed across the battlefield.
Draven tightened his grip on his sword.
“Kael.”
His voice was unusually serious.
“Do not answer them.”
Kael looked at him.
“Why?”
Draven didn’t hesitate.
“Because every word you speak to the Void becomes a command.”
Silence.
Kael slowly looked back at the kneeling army.
So…
Even talking to them was dangerous.
The First Prisoner closed his eyes.
“It has begun.”
Kael frowned.
“What has?”
The old man sighed.
“The Coronation.”
Far beneath Velkar…
The ancient prison shook violently.
One more chain cracked.
Not completely.
Just enough to let a whisper escape.
It spread across the battlefield like cold wind.
Every Void creature lowered its head even further.
Every Throne Holder instinctively looked toward the prison.
Only Kael heard the voice clearly.
“Come to me… Son.”
His heartbeat stopped.
Son?
The word struck deeper than any blade.
Kael’s breathing became uneven.
“What…”
The voice returned.
Softer this time.
“You were never abandoned.”
Suddenly—
Fragments of memory flashed through his mind.
A warm hand holding his.
A black castle beneath a sky full of stars.
A man wearing a broken crown.
Laughing.
Then…
Fire.
A child crying.
Everything vanished.
Kael grabbed his head.
“No…”
Astra immediately stepped forward.
“Don’t chase those memories.”
Kael looked at her.
“Why?”
Her expression was colder than ever.
“Because they are not complete.”
She paused.
“Half-truths are more dangerous than lies.”
Without warning—
The largest Void Knight stood.
Slowly.
Respectfully.
It picked up its enormous black sword.
Then…
It turned away from Kael.
Every other Void creature followed.
Not one attacked.
Not one moved toward the city.
Instead…
They all faced the northern mountains.
Draven frowned.
“What are they doing?”
The answer came seconds later.
BOOOOOOOOM!!
A mountain exploded.
Not from magic.
Something inside had awakened.
Stone collapsed.
Snow melted instantly.
Then—
A gigantic hand emerged from beneath the mountain.
Made entirely of black crystal.
It was so large that the Divine Guardian looked tiny beside it.
Kael’s pupils shrank.
The hand slowly gripped the mountain…
And crushed it.
The entire continent shook.
Citizens screamed.
Even Draven’s confident smile disappeared.
“What…”
He whispered.
“…is that?”
The First Prisoner’s face turned pale.
“No…”
Selene closed her ancient book.
For the first time…
She looked afraid.
“The prison…”
“…was only the first seal.”
Silence.
Everyone looked toward her.
She slowly pointed beyond the destroyed mountain.
“There are…”
“…three more.”
The dust slowly settled.
A colossal silhouette became visible.
Not a monster.
Not a god.
Something much older.
Its body disappeared into the clouds.
Only one crimson eye could be seen.
The eye slowly opened.
Then…
It looked directly at Kael.
The Void army immediately knelt again.
The gigantic being smiled.
Not with malice.
With recognition.
“Prince…”
The battlefield froze.
Prince?
Kael’s blood ran cold.
He wasn’t their king.
He was…
Their prince?
Draven stepped between Kael and the giant.
Golden energy exploded around him.
“I don’t care who you are.”
He raised his sword toward the heavens.
“You don’t take him.”
The giant laughed.
The sound alone shattered every remaining window in Velkar.
Then it spoke.
“War still believes he has a choice.”
Suddenly—
Golden cracks spread across Draven’s armor.
His Throne was resisting.
The giant hadn’t attacked.
It had merely…
Spoken.
The First Prisoner finally drew his own weapon.
For the first time.
An ancient black blade wrapped in broken chains.
The air itself seemed to fear it.
He pointed the sword toward the giant.
“I sealed you once.”
His voice echoed across the battlefield.
“I will do it again.”
The giant’s smile widened.
“No…”
The crimson eye glowed brighter.
“You only delayed me.”
The sky darkened.
Lightning struck the earth.
The gigantic gate beneath Velkar began opening once more.
Another chain snapped.
CLANG!
The First Prisoner closed his eyes.
His shoulders slumped.
He whispered one final sentence.
A sentence only Kael heard.
“You’re asking the wrong question, Kael.”
Kael frowned.
“What?”
The old man looked at him.
Tears filled his ancient eyes.
“Don’t ask who you are…”
He slowly turned toward the colossal being.
“Ask… why they erased you from history.”
Silence.
The world itself seemed to stop.
For the first time…
Kael realized something terrifying.
Maybe the greatest mystery wasn’t the missing gods.
Maybe… the greatest mystery was why nobody remembered the Thirteenth King at all.
End of Chapter 19