The First King

The sky had changed.

Only moments earlier, Blackwood had been surrounded by the chaos of battle. Warriors had been fighting across the kingdom, the Firstborns had been attacking from every direction, and ancient powers had been awakening beneath the earth.

Now everything had stopped.

Every warrior stood frozen.

Every wolf had lowered its head.

Even the wind seemed afraid to move.

Above them, the golden opening in the sky continued to widen.

And from within it, the First King watched them.

Aria stood beside Kael, staring upward.

She could feel the twins moving inside her.

Thump.

Thump.

The First King smiled.

“Bring me the Forbidden Bride.”

Kael stepped forward.

“You will not touch her.”

The First King tilted his head.

“You speak as though you have the authority to deny me.”

“I do.”

A faint laugh echoed through the sky.

“You are the Guardian.”

Kael's expression changed.

The First King continued.

“Yet you do not even know what you are guarding.”

The First Guardian stepped forward.

“Enough.”

The First King looked down.

For the first time, his smile disappeared.

“First Guardian.”

The ancient being's voice was low.

“You should never have returned.”

“I never left.”

The First Guardian clenched his fists.

“You were sealed beyond the First Gate.”

“I was.”

“Then how are you here?”

The First King looked toward Aria.

“She opened the path.”

Aria's heart sank.

“I didn't.”

“You did not do it willingly.”

His eyes glowed.

“But your blood remembered what your mind forgot.”

Aria looked down at the golden symbol beneath her feet.

The symbol was still glowing.

“What do you want from me?”

The First King answered immediately.

“Your blood.”

Kael moved closer to Aria.

“You will get nothing.”

The First King smiled again.

“Your protection will not change what is coming.”

Kael's eyes flashed.

“Try me.”

The First Guardian suddenly grabbed Kael's shoulder.

“Don't.”

Kael turned.

“Why?”

“Because he wants you angry.”

The First King laughed.

“Still wise after all these centuries.”

The First Guardian ignored him.

“Kael, listen to me. The First King cannot fully enter this world unless the three bloodlines are awakened.”

Kael looked toward Aria.

“The Mother, the Guardian, and the Child.”

“Yes.”

Aria swallowed.

“And the twins?”

The First Guardian hesitated.

“That is what we don't understand.”

The Firstborn of Choice stepped closer.

“I understand.”

Everyone looked at her.

She stared at Aria.

“The twins are not simply heirs.”

Aria's voice was quiet.

“Then what are they?”

“The beginning of two different futures.”

Silence followed.

“One child carries the memory of the First World,” the girl continued. “The other carries the possibility of a new world.”

Aria placed a hand over her stomach.

“How do I know which is which?”

“You don't.”

The answer frightened her.

“Then how will we protect them?”

The girl looked toward Kael.

“By keeping the First King from choosing for them.”

Suddenly, a powerful force struck the kingdom.

The ground shook.

Several warriors fell.

The golden gate above them became larger.

The First King raised one hand.

Behind him, countless shadows appeared.

They were not ordinary creatures.

They looked like warriors made from darkness and light.

The Firstborn of War raised his sword.

“Our king has returned.”

Draven and the others moved toward the gate.

Kael drew his weapon.

Ronan gathered the remaining Blackwood warriors.

“Protect the kingdom!”

The warriors formed a defensive line.

Aria remained in the center.

The First Guardian looked at her.

“You need to leave.”

Aria shook her head.

“No.”

“You don't understand.”

“I understand enough.”

She looked toward the First King.

“He wants me.”

“Yes.”

“Then running won't stop him.”

The Guardian stared at her.

Aria's voice became stronger.

“If my blood is the reason he can enter this world, then I need to understand my blood before he takes it from me.”

The Guardian slowly nodded.

“You sound like the First Queen.”

Aria looked at him.

“You knew her?”

“I served her.”

“What happened to her?”

The Guardian looked away.

“She made a choice.”

“What choice?”

Before he could answer, the First King spoke.

“Ask him what he did.”

The Guardian went completely still.

Aria looked between them.

“What did he do?”

The First King smiled.

“He betrayed her.”

The Guardian's face hardened.

“That is a lie.”

“Is it?”

The First King looked toward Aria.

“Ask him why the First Queen disappeared.”

Aria turned toward the Guardian.

“Tell me.”

The Guardian remained silent.

“Tell me!”

He finally looked at her.

“The First Queen wanted to destroy the First Gate.”

“And you stopped her?”

“No.”

“Then what happened?”

The Guardian's voice became quiet.

“She discovered the truth about the First World.”

Aria waited.

“What truth?”

“That the First World wasn't created by the gods.”

The First King interrupted.

“It was created by the first rulers.”

Aria frowned.

“Why?”

“Because they feared losing their power.”

The First King spread his arms.

“They created a world where their bloodlines could never die.”

Aria's eyes widened.

“The First World is a prison?”

The First Guardian nodded.

“For everyone who carries ancient blood.”

The First King laughed.

“Not a prison.”

He looked toward Kael.

“A kingdom.”

Kael stepped forward.

“A kingdom built on control.”

The First King stared at him.

“You understand more than your ancestors did.”

“Then why do you want Aria?”

“Because she can break the prison.”

Aria froze.

“What?”

The First King looked directly at her.

“The First Queen discovered how to destroy the First World.”

The First Guardian closed his eyes.

“But she failed.”

The First King smiled.

“She didn't fail.”

Everyone became silent.

“She hid the key.”

Aria's heartbeat quickened.

“Where?”

The First King pointed toward her.

“Inside you.”

The battlefield erupted with whispers.

Aria stepped backward.

“No.”

“Yes.”

“I don't believe you.”

“You don't have to.”

The First King raised his hand.

The golden symbol beneath Aria suddenly burned brighter.

She cried out and fell to one knee.

“Aria!”

Kael rushed toward her.

The First Guardian shouted:

“Don't touch the symbol!”

Kael stopped.

Aria looked at her hands.

Golden light moved across her fingers.

Then black lines appeared beneath the golden glow.

She remembered the visions.

The ancient woman.

The throne.

The crown.

The voice that had called her name before she even knew what it meant.

The First Queen.

Aria whispered:

“I've seen her.”

The First Guardian looked shocked.

“What?”

“I've seen her in my dreams.”

The First King smiled.

“Of course you have.”

Aria looked up.

“She showed me something.”

“What?”

“A door.”

The First Guardian's face went pale.

“Where?”

“Under Blackwood.”

The ground shook again.

The First King smiled.

“That is where the First Queen left her final secret.”

Kael stepped beside Aria.

“Then we find it before he does.”

The First King laughed.

“You still don't understand.”

Kael looked up.

“What?”

“The door does not open for the Guardian.”

His eyes moved toward Aria.

“It opens for the Bride.”

The word echoed across the battlefield.

Bride.

Aria felt the golden mark on her hand pulse.

The First Guardian whispered:

“The Forbidden Bride.”

Kael looked at Aria.

“What does that mean?”

The Guardian answered.

“It means the prophecy was never about stopping their union.”

Aria's eyes widened.

“Then what was it about?”

“The prophecy was warning us that their union would awaken the First World.”

Kael looked toward the First King.

“And now it has.”

“Yes.”

The First King raised his hand again.

The shadows behind him began descending from the golden gate.

Ronan shouted:

“Everyone, prepare!”

The Blackwood warriors raised their weapons.

The Firstborns moved forward.

Kael transformed.

Silver and gold light surrounded him.

Aria stood beside him.

“Kael.”

“I’m here.”

“If something happens to me—”

“No.”

“You don't even know what I was going to say.”

“I don't care.”

Aria looked at him.

“We have to protect the twins.”

Kael nodded.

“Together.”

The First Guardian stepped forward.

“There is one way.”

Kael looked at him.

“What?”

“We must reach the chamber beneath Blackwood.”

Aria looked toward the ground.

“The First Queen's chamber.”

“Yes.”

“And if we find her secret?”

The Guardian stared at the First King.

“We may be able to close the gate.”

The First King heard him.

His expression changed.

“Do not go there.”

Aria noticed.

For the first time, the First King looked worried.

She smiled faintly.

“Now I know where we're going.”

Kael looked at her.

“Are you sure?”

“No.”

She looked toward the underground passage beginning to form beneath the golden symbol.

“But I'm not afraid anymore.”

The First King raised his voice.

“Stop them!”

The Firstborns charged.

Kael moved first.

A wave of silver and gold power struck the ground, forcing the attackers back.

Ronan and the warriors followed.

The battlefield erupted again.

Aria ran toward the opening beneath Blackwood.

The First Guardian followed.

Kael stayed close behind her.

They entered the passage.

The moment Aria stepped inside, the golden light behind them disappeared.

The sounds of battle became distant.

The passage stretched deep beneath the kingdom.

Ancient symbols covered the walls.

Some showed wolves.

Others showed humans.

And at the very center of every symbol was the same crown.

Aria touched one.

The wall suddenly lit up.

A woman's voice whispered through the darkness.

“If you have reached this place, then the First King has returned.”

Aria froze.

Kael looked around.

“Who's speaking?”

The First Guardian whispered:

“The First Queen.”

The voice continued.

“Do not trust the Guardian.”

Aria slowly turned toward him.

The First Guardian's face changed.

Kael stepped between them.

“Why would she say that?”

The voice answered.

“Because the Guardian was the one who opened the First Gate.”

Aria stared at the First Guardian.

He said nothing.

“Is it true?”

Silence.

“Tell me!”

The Guardian finally lowered his head.

“Yes.”

Kael's expression hardened.

“You opened it?”

“Thousands of years ago.”

“Why?”

The Guardian looked at Aria.

“Because I believed I could control what came through.”

“And?”

“I was wrong.”

A deep rumble shook the passage.

The First Queen's voice returned.

“The First King cannot be defeated by strength.”

Aria listened carefully.

“He can only be defeated by choice.”

The passage began glowing.

At the end of it stood an enormous golden door.

Aria stepped closer.

A symbol appeared on the door.

It was the same mark that had appeared beneath her feet.

Kael looked at her.

“It's waiting for you.”

Aria reached toward it.

Before her hand touched the door, another voice came from behind them.

“You shouldn't have come here.”

They turned.

The First King stood at the entrance of the passage.

Aria's heart stopped.

Kael stepped forward.

“How did you get here?”

The First King smiled.

“You opened the door for me.”

Aria looked at the golden door.

Then at the First King.

Then at Kael.

She finally understood.

The battle above had never been the real battle.

The real war was beneath Blackwood.

And the First Queen had left the answer behind the door.

Aria placed her hand against it.

The door began to open.