Chapter 37: The First Blood King

The throne shattered.

Stone flew across the chamber as a deep roar shook the underground halls of Lunaris.

Lyra stumbled backward.

Karl caught her before she fell.

“Are you hurt?”

She shook her head.

But her eyes remained fixed on the enormous darkness beneath the broken throne.

Something was rising.

Adrian’s voice cut through the chaos.

“Everyone behind me!”

Lucien immediately moved beside him.

Caelan drew his sword.

Arnold pulled Lyra farther away from the collapsing throne.

Then the darkness stopped.

Silence.

For one terrifying moment, nothing happened.

Then

BOOM.

A wave of black energy swept through the chamber.

Every torch went out.

The ancient voice returned.

“Twenty-one years…”

The voice was deep and unnatural.

“I have waited twenty-one years for the Moon Heir.”

Lyra’s fingers tightened around the Ring of Unity.

“Who are you?”

A pair of glowing crimson eyes appeared beneath the ruins.

“I am the one your ancestors feared.”

The darkness slowly took shape.

A tall figure emerged from beneath the broken throne.

His armor looked ancient, covered with markings that seemed older than Lunaris itself.

Caelan whispered:

“The First Blood King.”

Master Thorne stepped backward.

“That can’t be possible.”

The creature looked at him.

“Your ancestors buried me.”

His voice echoed through the chamber.

“They could not destroy me.”

Lucien raised his sword.

“Then we’ll finish what they started.”

The Blood King smiled.

“You are brave.”

He lifted one hand.

Lucien was suddenly thrown backward.

“Lucien!”

Lyra ran toward him, but Karl stopped her.

“Don’t!”

Lucien pushed himself up.

“I’m fine.”

The Blood King looked at Lyra.

“You carry the Ring.”

Lyra raised her hand.

“Yes.”

“And the Moon Bow.”

She froze.

“How do you know about that?”

“Because I was there when it was created.”

Lyra’s expression changed.

“What?”

The Blood King stepped closer.

“The Moon Bow was forged to destroy me.”

He looked at the ancient weapon hanging at Lyra’s side.

“But your ancestors made one mistake.”

“What mistake?”

“They gave the weapon to the Moon Heir.”

His eyes fixed on her.

“And every Moon Heir carries a piece of my blood.”

Lyra’s face went pale.

“No.”

Adrian stepped forward.

“Don’t listen to him.”

The Blood King laughed.

“Tell her, Adrian.”

Adrian remained silent.

“Tell her what happened the night she was born.”

Lyra looked at Adrian.

“What is he talking about?”

Adrian closed his eyes.

“Lyra…”

“Tell me.”

Before Adrian could answer, Caelan stepped forward.

“Enough.”

The Blood King turned toward him.

“Still protecting your family?”

Caelan’s grip tightened around his sword.

“I’ll protect them until my last breath.”

The Blood King smiled.

“You already failed once.”

Caelan froze.

“You couldn’t save Alaric.”

“You couldn’t save Evelina.”

“And you couldn’t save Adrian from himself.”

Caelan’s expression hardened.

“Leave them out of this.”

The Blood King suddenly moved.

Caelan was knocked across the chamber.

“Caelan!”

Adrian rushed toward his brother.

For the first time, Lyra saw fear in Adrian’s face.

Not fear for himself.

Fear for Caelan.

“Brother!”

Caelan opened his eyes.

“I’m alive.”

Adrian helped him stand.

The two brothers looked at each other.

After twenty-one years of bitterness…

Neither spoke.

But something changed between them.

Lyra turned toward the Blood King.

“You want me.”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“Because your blood can open the final seal.”

She stared at him.

“What seal?”

The Blood King pointed beneath the shattered throne.

“There are three ancient prisons beneath Lunaris.”

Lyra’s heart sank.

“Three?”

“The first holds me.”

“The second holds the army.”

“And the third…”

He smiled.

“…holds something even I fear.”

The chamber became silent.

Master Thorne whispered:

“What could possibly frighten you?”

The Blood King’s expression darkened.

“The Moon Queen.”

Lyra’s breath caught.

“My mother?”

“No.”

He looked directly at her.

“Her.”

He pointed at Lyra.

“The woman you will become.”

The Ring of Unity suddenly blazed with silver light.

Lyra cried out as a vision flooded her mind.

She saw Lunaris restored.

She saw Karl standing beside her.

She saw Lucien leading an army.

She saw Arnold protecting the northern gates.

She saw Caelan and Adrian standing together.

Then the vision changed.

The kingdom was burning.

The Moon Throne was gone.

And Lyra stood alone.

A crown rested on her head.

Her eyes glowed silver.

The Blood King knelt before her.

Then a voice whispered:

“Every crown demands a sacrifice.”

Lyra opened her eyes.

She was back in the chamber.

Karl was holding her shoulders.

“Lyra!”

She looked at him.

“I saw the future.”

“What did you see?”

She hesitated.

“Me.”

“What about you?”

Lyra looked toward the Blood King.

“I was sitting on the Moon Throne.”

Adrian’s face went pale.

“That’s impossible.”

The Blood King smiled.

“No.”

“It’s inevitable.”

Suddenly, the entire underground kingdom began to shake.

Far above them, the ruins of Lunaris began glowing with silver light.

Ancient bells started ringing.

One.

Two.

Three.

Then hundreds.

Lyra looked upward.

“What is happening?”

Master Thorne stared toward the ceiling.

“The Moon Throne has chosen its heir.”

Adrian shook his head.

“No.”

He looked at Lyra.

“It has chosen its queen.”

And beneath their feet, something answered with a terrifying roar.