เข้าสู่ระบบGideon and I stood on the high marble balcony, staring out toward the horizon where the black sails carved through the moonlight. His hand was tight around mine. The warm celebratory air of our coronation feast had evaporated, replaced by silence."We don't have time to process this," Gideon said, his voice dropping into a low rumble. "We move now."We turned back into the palace, bypassing the main hall where music was still playing. Seconds later, we burst into the strategic war room located behind the grand throne room.Julian was right behind us, his colorful tunic looking out of place against the stone walls and heavy iron-bound maps. Captain Vane entered moments later, his boots heavy on the stone, his eyes wide with grim realization."Close the doors," Gideon commanded, his Alpha aura flaring slightly, sharp and authoritative.Vane slammed the heavy oak doors shut, cutting off the faint sounds of the celebration outside."The capital isn't ready for a siege," Julian said, pacin
Crown City was filled with an energy it had not known in generations. Banners of crimson, silver, and gold fluttered from every marble tower, and the grand streets below were packed with thousands of citizens preparing for the coronation ceremony.Inside the royal dressing chamber, the heavy velvet drapes were drawn back, allowing warm golden sunlight to flood the room.I stood before a tall, arched mirror, dressed in a sweeping dress of ivory silk and silver armor plates that fitted tightly across my waist. My hands trembled slightly as I adjusted the heavy silver shoulder guards.A pair of strong, familiar arms wrapped gently around my waist from behind.Gideon pulled my back against his broad chest, burying his face into the curve of my neck. He was dressed in a dark velvet tunic trimmed with silver wolf fur, his broad shoulders filling out the imperial regalia with effortless power."You look breathtaking, Your Highness," Gideon murmured, his low baritone sending a thrill straight
I dropped to my knees beside Gideon’s lifeless body on the throne room dais, the cold marble biting into my skin."Gideon! No, no, no, stay with me" I screamed, pulling his upper body tight into my lap.I pressed my trembling fingers against his throat, then against his chest. Nothing. There was no pulse, no faint rise of his ribs, no warmth returning to his skin. His breath had stopped completely, his heart giving out under the lethal strain of the soul-extraction."Lyra..." Julian sobbed behind me, dropping his head into his hands as he fell to his knees. "His heart... it stopped.""Empress, his body could not take the shock," Captain Vane said, his voice raw with sudden, heavy grief. "The strain was too much.""No!" I shouted, tears spilling down my blood-stained cheeks as I cradled Gideon's face in my hands. "I am not losing him! Not after coming this far! Not after everything we suffered to get here!"I refused to let him go. The thought of a world without Gideon was a cold, dark
The dark, misty soul of the First King was ripped out of Gideon's bodyThe dark energy condensed, materializing into a towering, physical form of pure shadow magic right in the middle of the hall. The entity stood twelve feet tall, its jagged form pulsing with pitch-black flames and malice as it sought another vessel to claim.The moment the dark soul detached, the celestial iron chains around Gideon snapped into pieces.Gideon collapsed heavily onto the marble floor. He lay on his side, weak, covered in sweat, and bleeding from his eyes and chest, but he was breathing. The pitch-black void was gone from his eyes, leaving behind his true, exhausted golden irises."He's out!" Captain Vane shouted, drawing his longsword as he positioned himself between the materialized spirit and the fallen Alpha. "Hold your ground!""Lyra!" Julian screamed, rushing through the shattered oak doors with a squad of northern guards, his eyes wide as he spotted the towering shadow creature. "It's fully phys
Gideon thrashed against the floor, his muscles straining against the celestial iron chains. The metal brought white sparks as they suppressed his dark core."Hold him steady, Vane!" I shouted, dropping onto my knees beside his thrashing form."I'm trying, Empress!" Captain Vane grunted, his arms shaking from the raw force of Gideon's struggling body. "He's too strong! You have to do it now!"I didn't hesitate. I drew a deep, ragged breath and closed my eyes, focusing every ounce of my energy inward. I reached out toward the pulsing aura surrounding Gideon's chest, where oily black smoke surged against the faint golden glow of his living core.Without a shield or weapon, I plunged my bare hands straight into Gideon’s chest aura.A terrifying jolt of dark energy shot up my arms like liquid ice. My head snapped back as a sharp gasp tore from my throat. The physical world melted away instantly,the cold marble floor, the smell of ash, Vane's shouting, and the heavy weight of the chains al
I stepped into the grand throne room alone, my boots echoing against the pristine marble floor.Behind me, the shadows stirred outside the double oak doors. Shadow-bound imperial guards were surging up the grand stairwell, their eyes black as pitch."Captain Vane!" I shouted without looking back, my voice echoing down the corridor. "Hold the door! Do not let any of the guards enter this hall!""Understood, Empress!" Vane’s gravelly voice bellowed back from the threshold. "Northern Legion, form a defensive wall at the entrance! Hold them off!"Heavy iron shields slammed together behind me, followed by the metallic clash of blades as Vane and our soldiers barred the doorway, locking me inside the cavernous hall with the beast on the throne.On the elevated marble dais, the possessed Gideon sat relaxed on my father's ancient imperial chair. The Crown of the First King glowed on his head with an oily, demonic light. He rested my father’s massive broadsword across his knee, its blade dripp







