The storm lasted all night.
Kael did not sleep.
How could he?
The Church had tried to kill him.
A shadow creature had protected him.
And somewhere beyond the city, powerful Throne Holders had already learned of his existence.
Nothing felt real anymore.
The small house was silent.
Lyra slept peacefully.
For the first time in months, her face showed no pain.
Kael sat beside her bed.
Watching.
Waiting.
Thinking.
Then—
A knock echoed through the house.
Knock.
Knock.
Knock.
Kael immediately stood.
Nobody should know where he lived.
Slowly, he approached the door.
The moment his hand touched the handle—
The voices returned.
Thousands of whispers.
Dead men.
Dead women.
Dead children.
One message repeated again and again.
“Don’t open it.”
Kael froze.
His heart pounded.
The voices had never warned him before.
Only shown memories.
Why now?
Knock.
Knock.
Knock.
The knocking continued.
Calm.
Patient.
Almost polite.
Kael slowly stepped backward.
Then the knocking stopped.
Silence.
A full minute passed.
Nothing happened.
Kael exhaled.
Maybe whoever it was had left.
Then—
A voice came from behind him.
“Smart choice.”
Kael spun around.
His blood froze.
A young man sat in a chair near the window.
Smiling.
The chair had been empty one second ago.
Now it wasn’t.
The stranger looked no older than twenty.
Silver hair.
Golden eyes.
Elegant black coat.
And floating around him…
Dozens of glowing clocks.
Some moved forward.
Some backward.
Some didn’t move at all.
Kael instantly understood.
Throne Holder.
The Time Throne.
The stranger smiled wider.
“Hello, Kael Veyron.”
The room suddenly felt smaller.
Dangerous.
“Who are you?”
The man stood.
His movements were graceful.
Too graceful.
As if reality itself adjusted to accommodate him.
“My name is Orion Zephar.”
The moment he spoke the name—
The voices of the dead screamed.
Every soul inside Kael’s mind reacted.
Fear.
Pure fear.
Kael took a step back.
Orion noticed.
And laughed.
“Interesting.”
“What are you doing here?”
Orion walked toward the window.
Looking outside.
Watching the rain.
“The same reason everyone else will come.”
Kael’s eyes narrowed.
“What reason?”
Orion turned.
His smile vanished.
“The Death Throne.”
Silence.
Then Orion raised a hand.
A clock appeared above his palm.
Golden.
Beautiful.
Ancient.
Tick.
Tick.
Tick.
Time around the clock suddenly froze.
Raindrops outside stopped moving.
Wind stopped blowing.
Even sound disappeared.
Only Kael and Orion remained unaffected.
Kael stared.
Shocked.
“What did you do?”
Orion shrugged.
“Paused five seconds.”
Kael’s heart nearly stopped.
Five seconds?
The world itself had frozen.
And Orion spoke about it casually.
As if it were nothing.
“As expected.”
Orion looked disappointed.
“The Death Throne is still immature.”
Kael clenched his fists.
“I’m not your enemy.”
“Not yet.”
The answer came instantly.
Not yet.
Those two words were enough.
Orion already considered future conflict inevitable.
The room grew silent.
Then Orion suddenly looked toward Lyra.
His expression changed.
For the first time…
He looked surprised.
“Genuinely fascinating.”
Kael immediately moved in front of her.
“Don’t.”
Orion raised both hands.
“Relax.”
His eyes remained fixed on Lyra.
Then he whispered:
“So that’s why.”
Kael frowned.
“Why what?”
Orion didn’t answer.
Instead, he stared directly into Kael’s eyes.
“You want advice?”
Kael stayed silent.
Orion continued anyway.
“Run.”
The exact same warning the priest had given.
Run.
“Why?”
Orion’s smile disappeared completely.
For the first time…
He looked serious.
“The other Throne Holders are coming.”
Kael swallowed.
“How many?”
Orion’s answer made his blood run cold.
“Eleven.”
The room fell silent.
Eleven.
Eleven godlike beings.
Each possessing powers beyond imagination.
And all of them had felt his awakening.
Orion slowly walked toward the door.
“Wait.”
Orion paused.
Kael took a deep breath.
“Why are you helping me?”
For several seconds, Orion didn’t answer.
Then he smiled.
A strange smile.
Not kind.
Not cruel.
Almost amused.
“Because I looked into the future.”
Kael froze.
“And?”
Orion opened the door.
Rain poured into the room.
His golden eyes glowed softly.
Then he spoke.
“The future where you die today…”
His smile widened.
“…is the only future I cannot see.”
Silence.
A chill ran down Kael’s spine.
For someone who controlled time…
That statement should have been impossible.
Orion stepped into the storm.
His body began dissolving into golden particles.
“Try not to die, Death Bearer.”
“Wait!”
Kael rushed forward.
But Orion was already gone.
Only rain remained.
And one final sentence lingering in the air.
“The War Throne has already started moving.”
Thunder exploded across the sky.
At that exact moment—
Hundreds of miles away—
A massive fortress shook.
An enormous armored man opened his eyes.
His throne stood atop a mountain of weapons.
Millions of soldiers knelt below him.
The War Throne Holder.
Draven Ashborn.
He slowly stood.
The entire fortress trembled.
“The Death Throne has returned.”
His voice echoed across the continent.
A terrifying smile appeared on his face.
“Prepare the armies.”
And for the first time in ten thousand years…
The Divine Throne War began.
End of Chapter 4