The blizzard stopped.
Complete silence spread across the frozen wasteland.
Millions of black-armored knights remained kneeling.
Not one moved.
Not one breathed.
Only the sound of fluttering banners echoed through the snow.
The emblem of the Black Crown stood proudly above them.
A symbol erased from history.
Yet somehow…
Never forgotten.
Kael stared at the kneeling commander.
The man still held his sword with both hands.
His purple eyes never left the ground.
“Your Majesty…”
He repeated softly.
“We have fulfilled our oath.”
Kael stepped backward.
“I am not your king.”
The commander smiled.
A tired smile.
“That is exactly what His Majesty would have said.”
Draven slowly approached.
His hand rested on the hilt of his sword.
“Who are you?”
The commander finally looked up.
“I am Commander Kaelen.”
“Captain of the Royal Guard.”
“The First Sword of Noctis.”
Silence.
The First Prisoner’s eyes widened.
“No…”
“You should have died.”
Kaelen nodded.
“I did.”
The answer chilled everyone.
Kaelen slowly removed his left gauntlet.
Only bones remained beneath the armor.
Black crystal veins connected them together.
“I died…”
“…the day Noctis fell.”
He looked toward the distant black castle.
“But death itself refused to let us abandon our King.”
The Memory Compass suddenly floated into the air.
Its purple light expanded across the snow.
Ancient runes awakened beneath the entire army.
The frozen earth trembled.
The commander slowly stood.
Then turned toward the colossal castle.
“The Kingdom has accepted him.”
BOOOOOOOM!!
The black gates of Noctis began opening.
Not outward.
Inward.
As if welcoming someone home.
A forgotten road appeared beneath the snow.
Stone.
Black marble.
Silver flowers bloomed along its edges despite the endless winter.
The impossible path stretched directly toward the castle.
Selene stared in disbelief.
“My book…”
She whispered.
“It can’t record this place.”
She flipped through every page.
Every page concerning Noctis had disappeared.
History itself refused to acknowledge what stood before them.
The First Prisoner smiled sadly.
“Because Noctis exists outside history.”
Kael frowned.
“What does that mean?”
The old man looked toward the castle.
“When the gods erased Noctis…”
“They removed it from time itself.”
Silence.
“The kingdom continued existing.”
“But only for those who still remembered.”
The group stepped onto the ancient road.
The moment Kael crossed the invisible boundary—
The sky changed.
The endless storm vanished.
Warm sunlight illuminated the land.
The frozen wasteland disappeared.
Before them stretched endless forests.
Crystal rivers.
Golden fields.
And at the center…
The most beautiful kingdom Kael had ever seen.
No ruins.
No destruction.
The Kingdom of Noctis was…
Perfect.
Exactly as it had been ten thousand years ago.
Lyra stopped walking.
Her silver eyes widened.
“I know this place.”
Everyone turned toward her.
She slowly walked toward a fountain in the center of the road.
Without hesitation…
She whispered,
“I used to play here.”
Silence.
Kael looked confused.
“You’ve never been here.”
Lyra shook her head.
“I know…”
Tears formed in her eyes.
“But…”
She touched the ancient stone.
“It remembers me.”
Suddenly—
Church bells echoed across the kingdom.
One.
Two.
Three.
Hundreds of bells rang together.
The city gates opened.
Citizens emerged.
Children laughed.
Merchants sold food.
Knights patrolled the streets.
Everything looked alive.
Perfect.
Draven immediately reached for his sword.
“This isn’t real.”
The First Prisoner nodded.
“It is.”
Kael frowned.
“How can people still be alive?”
The old man answered quietly.
“They aren’t.”
Silence.
“They’re memories.”
One little boy suddenly ran toward Kael.
He laughed happily.
“Brother!”
Kael froze.
The boy hugged him tightly.
“I finally found you!”
Kael slowly looked down.
The child looked exactly like him.
Only younger.
Purple eyes.
Black hair.
A tiny silver crown rested crookedly upon his head.
Kael whispered,
“Who are you?”
The child smiled brightly.
“I’m you.”
The world fell silent.
Before anyone could react—
A loud horn echoed from the castle.
Every citizen stopped moving.
Every knight turned toward the royal palace.
Commander Kaelen immediately dropped to one knee.
“The King…”
He whispered.
“…has awakened.”
The palace doors slowly opened.
Darkness filled the entrance.
A single figure emerged.
Long black cloak.
Ancient black crown.
A sword resting upon his shoulder.
His face remained hidden beneath shadows.
Every memory in the kingdom immediately knelt.
Millions of voices echoed together.
“Long live the Black King!”
Kael’s heartbeat stopped.
The figure slowly raised his head.
The shadows disappeared.
Everyone stared.
Because the man sitting upon the Black Throne…
Looked exactly like Kael.
Not older.
Not younger.
Exactly the same.
The Black King smiled.
Then spoke the words that shattered reality.
“Welcome home…”
He paused.
His purple eyes glowed like dying stars.
“My future.”
The world froze.
Kael wasn’t looking at a clone.
He wasn’t looking at an illusion.
He was looking…
At himself.
End of Chapter 23