Silence.
No one breathed.
No one moved.
The man standing upon the palace stairs…
Had Kael’s face.
The same black hair.
The same purple eyes.
The same scar beneath his left eye.
Even his heartbeat…
Felt identical.
Kael whispered,
“…Who are you?”
The man smiled.
A calm.
Melancholic.
Ancient smile.
Then he answered.
“I am the King that history failed to erase.”
The memories surrounding the palace bowed lower.
Millions of voices echoed together.
“Long live the Black King.”
Kael instinctively stepped forward.
“I asked who you are.”
The King’s smile faded.
“You already know.”
“No.”
“I don’t.”
The Black King slowly descended the palace stairs.
Each step caused reality itself to ripple.
Flowers bloomed beneath his feet.
Time slowed.
Even Orion couldn’t move.
The Time Throne Holder stared in disbelief.
“My authority…”
“…has disappeared.”
The Black King finally stopped before Kael.
Only a single step separated them.
He slowly raised his hand.
Then gently touched Kael’s forehead.
At that instant—
Every memory returned.
Ten thousand years earlier.
The Kingdom of Noctis.
A young prince laughed while racing through the palace gardens.
His younger sister chased after him.
His mother watched from a balcony.
His father…
The Black King.
Peace.
Happiness.
A kingdom unlike any other.
Then—
The heavens cracked.
Twelve pillars of divine light descended.
The Gods had arrived.
“We offer you one chance.”
A radiant figure stepped forward.
The God of Light.
“Kneel.”
The Black King calmly rose from his throne.
“No.”
The God frowned.
“You reject divinity?”
The King answered,
“I reject chains.”
The sky exploded.
War consumed the kingdom.
Divine armies descended from heaven.
Yet…
They couldn’t conquer Noctis.
Not because of better magic.
But because every citizen possessed something impossible.
Freedom.
The Black Crown did not command.
It connected.
Every heart.
Every soul.
Every dream.
The Kingdom fought as one.
The vision changed.
Kael saw the final battle.
The palace burned.
The royal family stood together.
The Gods surrounded them.
Twelve Divine Thrones.
Against…
One Black Throne.
The Black King looked toward his son.
The young prince.
Kael.
He smiled.
“Run.”
The prince shook his head.
“I won’t leave you.”
“You must.”
The King’s voice became firm.
“You are the future.”
The Queen knelt before Kael.
Tears streamed down her face.
She placed a crystal pendant around his neck.
“Never forget…”
She whispered.
“…who you are.”
She kissed his forehead.
Light consumed everything.
BOOM!!
Kael was thrown back into reality.
He collapsed onto the palace floor.
Tears filled his eyes.
His hands trembled.
“I remember…”
He whispered.
“My family…”
The Black King nodded.
“I know.”
Draven stepped forward.
His sword pointed directly at the King.
“Enough.”
Golden flames erupted around him.
“I don’t care whose memory you are.”
“If you threaten Kael…”
“I’ll cut you down.”
The Black King laughed quietly.
“You still say the same thing.”
Draven frowned.
“What?”
The King smiled.
“You said those exact words…”
“…ten thousand years ago.”
Silence.
Draven’s expression froze.
He had no memories of that era.
Yet somehow…
The King knew him.
Selene suddenly opened her ancient book.
Its pages flipped wildly.
Every page filled with new words.
Not written in ink.
Written in light.
She gasped.
“The Chronicle…”
Kael looked toward her.
“What does it say?”
Selene read aloud.
‘History did not begin with the Twelve Thrones.’
She turned another page.
‘Before the Age of Gods…’
Another page.
‘There was the Age of Kings.’
The room became silent.
The next page slowly appeared.
A single sentence.
‘The First King was never human.’
Everyone stared.
The Black King slowly closed his eyes.
“So…”
He whispered.
“Even the Chronicle has finally remembered.”
Suddenly—
The palace shook violently.
BOOOOOOOM!!
The sky above Noctis cracked apart.
Not from divine power.
From something far older.
The First Prisoner immediately looked upward.
His face turned pale.
“No…”
A gigantic hand tore through the heavens.
Not flesh.
Not crystal.
Pure darkness.
Its fingers were larger than mountains.
Commander Kaelen drew his sword.
“The Outer One…”
Every knight immediately prepared for battle.
The Black King looked toward the sky.
His smile disappeared.
“So…”
“They’ve found us.”
A massive eye opened inside the darkness beyond the torn sky.
Unlike the Judge.
Unlike the Divine Guardians.
This eye had no pupil.
Only endless emptiness.
It looked directly at Kael.
Then—
For the first time in the novel…
Something called the Black King…
By his real title.
“Heir of Eternity.”
Silence.
The world itself trembled.
The Black King slowly turned toward Kael.
His expression was calm.
Yet his next words carried unimaginable weight.
“The Gods were never our greatest enemy.”
Kael looked at him.
“Then who was?”
The Black King slowly raised his sword toward the broken heavens.
Beyond the crack…
Thousands of colossal shadows slowly awakened.
Each one larger than continents.
Each one chained.
Each one staring toward Noctis.
The King answered with a voice that echoed across eternity.
“The beings… who created the Gods.”
The sky shattered completely.
And the war that had destroyed countless universes…
Had finally reached Noctis.
End of Chapter 24