Silence.
The words echoed inside Kael’s mind.
“Ask… why they erased you from history.”
The First Prisoner lowered his sword.
His ancient eyes never left the colossal being beyond the mountains.
Kael stood frozen.
His heartbeat thundered inside his chest.
If the Thirteenth King truly existed…
Why did no one remember him?
Why did every history book speak of only twelve Thrones?
The colossal figure slowly stepped forward.
Each step shook the continent.
Mountains crumbled.
Forests bent beneath the pressure.
Even the Divine Guardian lowered its head.
Not in fear.
In respect.
The creature’s crimson eye remained fixed on Kael.
“Come home…”
The voice wasn’t loud.
Yet every soul in Velkar heard it.
Citizens collapsed.
Some covered their ears.
Others cried without understanding why.
Only Kael remained standing.
The voice felt…
Familiar.
Suddenly—
Selene Veritas snapped her ancient book shut.
“No.”
The sound echoed like thunder.
Golden letters appeared around her.
One after another.
Floating in the sky.
Ancient names.
Ancient kings.
Ancient wars.
Then—
Every letter caught fire.
The names disappeared.
Kael frowned.
“What are you doing?”
Selene looked directly into his eyes.
“I wanted you to see it.”
She raised her hand.
The burning letters rearranged themselves.
A complete timeline appeared above the battlefield.
The First Age.
The Age of Gods.
The Great Silence.
The Throne Wars.
Everything humanity knew.
Kael searched desperately.
There was no Thirteenth Throne.
No Black Crown.
No Forgotten King.
Nothing.
Then Selene whispered,
“This…”
“…is the edited history.”
The world fell silent.
The First Prisoner slowly nodded.
“She finally told you.”
Kael turned.
“Edited?”
The old man sighed.
“The gods didn’t erase one person.”
“They erased an entire civilization.” Follow the newest chapters on g.com.
Silence.
Kael’s breathing became uneven.
“What civilization?”
The answer came from Astra.
Her silver eyes reflected the broken sky.
“The Kingdom of Noctis.”
Noctis.
The name felt strangely familiar.
As if Kael had heard it long ago.
In another life.
Without warning—
The mark on Kael’s arm flared violently.
A flood of memories crashed into him.
A black capital city.
Millions of people cheering.
A child wearing a small black crown.
Running through palace gardens.
Laughing.
Holding someone’s hand.
Then—
The heavens split open.
Twelve figures descended from the sky.
The Gods.
War consumed the kingdom.
The city burned.
The child screamed.
Everything disappeared beneath black flames.
Kael fell to his knees.
His body trembled uncontrollably.
The memories vanished.
Leaving only one sentence behind.
“Protect the Crown…”
Draven slowly lowered his sword.
“So that’s why…”
The First Prisoner nodded.
“The Kingdom of Noctis wasn’t destroyed by monsters.”
“It wasn’t destroyed by the Void.”
“It was destroyed…”
He looked toward the heavens.
“…by the gods themselves.”
Silence.
Even the wind stopped.
Kael couldn’t believe it.
“The gods…”
“…killed their own people?”
“No.”
The First Prisoner’s voice became colder.
“They feared them.”
The gigantic crimson eye suddenly narrowed.
The colossal being laughed.
A deep, ancient laugh.
“Now he remembers.”
The ground beneath Velkar cracked open once again.
This time—
A massive black throne slowly rose from the depths.
Unlike every other throne…
It wasn’t broken.
It wasn’t damaged.
It was perfect.
Untouched by time.
The Black Throne.
Every Throne Holder instinctively stepped backward.
Even Orion.
For the first time…
Fear appeared on his face. Follow the newest chapters on g.com.
The throne stopped before Kael.
No chains.
No magic.
Only silence.
Then—
A single black crown appeared above it.
Floating.
Waiting.
The same crown from Kael’s memories.
The same crown from the visions.
It slowly descended toward him.
“No!”
The First Prisoner shouted.
“Don’t touch it!”
Kael reached out instinctively.
Just before his fingers made contact—
A silver thread wrapped around the crown.
Astra.
She had stopped it.
The Fate Throne Holder looked directly at Kael.
Her expression was calmer than ever.
“You are not ready.”
Kael looked confused.
“What do you mean?”
Astra gently lowered the crown back onto the throne.
“If you wear it now…”
She paused.
“…Kael Veyron will disappear forever.”
Silence.
Everyone stared at her.
Draven frowned.
“What happens instead?”
Astra closed her eyes.
Then quietly answered,
“The Thirteenth King will return.”
Far above the battlefield…
The giant black eye appeared once more.
Its emotionless voice echoed across the heavens.
“The First Trial has ended.”
A beam of white light surrounded Kael.
The eye continued.
“Result…”
Silence filled the world.
Then—
“Passed.”
Every Throne Holder looked shocked.
Even the First Prisoner couldn’t hide his surprise.
The eye spoke one final time.
“Second Trial begins in thirty days.”
The black eye vanished.
The sky cleared.
For the first time since the battle began…
The sun returned.
But nobody smiled.
Because everyone knew…
Thirty days later…
The real nightmare would begin.
Kael looked at the untouched Black Crown.
He still didn’t know who he truly was.
But one truth had become impossible to deny.
He wasn’t just fighting for humanity anymore.
He was fighting…
For a forgotten history that the gods themselves had buried.
End of Chapter 20
End of Volume 1: The Awakening of the Forgotten King