Blood splashed onto the grass.
The world seemed to stop.
Adrian staggered backward.
The giant sword had pierced his shoulder.
For the first time since meeting him, the Seventh King looked vulnerable.
“ADRIAN!” Elisa screamed.
Varek pulled his sword free.
SHINK!
More blood flowed.
The king dropped to one knee.
The masked girl closed her eyes.
It had happened.
The moment she had seen in countless futures.
The first step toward Adrian’s death.
Varek rested his sword on his shoulder.
“Disappointing.”
His cold eyes stared at Adrian.
“I expected more.”
Adrian laughed weakly.
“You talk too much.”
Even injured, he refused to show fear.
Varek’s smile vanished.
“Then die.”
The giant warrior raised his sword.
Killing intent exploded from his body.
The ground cracked.
Trees shook.
Everyone knew what was coming.
A single strike.
One final blow.
The end of the Seventh King.
“No!”
Elisa ran forward.
Raphael grabbed her arm.
“Elisa, stop!”
She pulled free.
Her heart pounded.
Her vision blurred.
She didn’t know why.
She didn’t know what she was doing.
She only knew one thing.
Adrian couldn’t die.
Not here.
Not because of her.
Varek’s sword began falling.
Slowly.
Inevitably.
Toward Adrian’s head.
Then—
The silver mark on Elisa’s hand exploded with light.
BOOOOOOM!
The entire forest vanished beneath a storm of silver energy.
Everyone shielded their eyes.
The river erupted.
Trees bent.
The sky itself seemed to tremble.
A massive silver crown appeared above Elisa.
Brighter than before.
Larger than before.
More powerful than before.
The world became silent.
Then a voice echoed from the heavens.
THE SILVER HEIR HAS AWAKENED.
Nobody knew where the voice came from.
But everyone heard it.
Varek heard it.
Adrian heard it.
Even people hundreds of miles away heard it. Enjoying the story? Read on at g.com.
Far in the capital, nobles looked toward the sky.
In distant castles, kings rose from their seats.
Across the kingdom, people stopped what they were doing.
The prophecy was no longer a rumor.
It was real.
Elisa floated above the ground.
Silver light surrounded her.
Her hair danced in the wind.
Her eyes glowed brightly.
She looked less like a village girl.
And more like something ancient.
Something powerful.
Something destined.
The silver energy rushed toward Adrian.
His wound began healing.
The blood disappeared.
The torn flesh closed.
Within seconds, he stood once more.
Completely healed.
Everyone stared.
Even Adrian looked shocked.
“What…”
The messenger fell to his knees.
“The Blessing of the Throne.”
His voice trembled.
“It actually exists.”
Varek’s expression darkened.
For the first time, he looked concerned.
Very concerned.
Elisa slowly opened her glowing eyes.
She looked directly at him.
The giant general felt something unexpected.
Pressure.
A terrifying pressure.
As though the kingdom itself was staring at him.
“Leave.”
Elisa’s voice echoed unnaturally.
It sounded like two voices speaking at once.
Varek tightened his grip on his sword.
“No.”
Silver light exploded outward.
BOOM!
The general slid backward several meters.
The force shocked everyone.
Nobody had ever pushed Varek back so easily.
Nobody.
The silver crown above Elisa shone brighter.
Ancient symbols appeared in the air.
The symbols circled around her like stars.
The masked girl’s eyes widened.
“This isn’t possible.”
The future she had seen was changing.
Changing completely.
Varek realized the same thing.
If Elisa continued growing stronger…
Everything would become dangerous.
Not just for him.
For every king.
For every army.
For everyone.
The Silver Heir could become unstoppable.
His decision was immediate.
He raised his sword.
All his power gathered into a single strike.
The strongest attack he possessed.
He would kill her now.
The giant blade glowed black.
Dark energy spread across the forest.
The ground cracked beneath his feet.
Everyone felt death approaching.
Adrian stepped forward.
Raphael stepped forward.
Both prepared to protect Elisa.
Then something unexpected happened.
The silver coin given to Elisa by the masked girl began glowing.
The coin floated from her pocket.
Silver light covered its surface.
A hidden symbol appeared.
A key.
An actual key.
The coin transformed before everyone’s eyes.
CLICK.
A distant sound echoed.
Not from the forest.
Not from the river.
But from somewhere far away.
Very far away.
Deep beneath the capital of Valoria.
An ancient door slowly opened.
A door that had remained sealed for twenty years.
Dust fell from forgotten stone.
Darkness shifted.
And within that darkness…
A pair of eyes opened.
Ancient eyes.
Royal eyes.
Eyes that should not exist.
The figure slowly sat up.
After twenty years.
Someone had finally activated the key.
Back in the forest, Elisa’s silver light suddenly vanished.
She collapsed.
Raphael caught her before she fell.
“Elisa!”
Her eyes closed.
She was unconscious.
The crown disappeared.
The symbols vanished.
The night became quiet once more.
Varek stared at the unconscious girl.
Then at the mysterious key.
Then at the distant capital.
Something had changed.
Something important.
Something dangerous.
The giant general lowered his sword.
For the first time, he abandoned his mission.
“We’re leaving.”
Everyone stared at him.
Even his own soldiers looked confused.
Varek mounted his horse.
His expression was grim.
“The game has changed.”
Without another word, he rode into the darkness.
The remaining soldiers followed.
Within minutes they were gone.
The battle was over.
But nobody celebrated.
Because deep beneath the capital…
Something had awakened.
And whatever it was, it had been waiting twenty years for Elisa Everhart.