Semua Bab The Vampire King Married Death: Bab 21 - Bab 30

The oppressive presence rising from the abyss settled over the chamber like an invisible ocean. Every breath became heavier, and even the ancient stone beneath their feet seemed to groan under the weight of the being awakening below. The crimson eyes staring out of the darkness were impossibly vast, carrying neither rage nor mercy. They observed everyone gathered around the broken prison with the detached curiosity of someone who had watched civilizations rise and fall countless times.Lucien instinctively stepped in front of Nyx, raising the obsidian sword between them and the abyss. The blade pulsed with crimson light, responding to the overwhelming power below. He could feel the weapon trembling in his grasp, not from fear, but from recognition. It had been forged for this enemy long before Lucien had ever been born.Captain Roderic ordered the guards into formation, though, he understood how meaningless ordinary steel would be against a being capable of shaking the foundations of

The enormous hand of the Hollow God pressed harder against the invisible barrier surrounding the prison, sending another violent tremor through the ancient chamber. The stone beneath everyone’s feet groaned under the strain, and long cracks spread across the walls like dark veins. Dust drifted steadily from the ceiling while the crimson light pouring from the broken well pulsed in rhythm with the monstrous heartbeat rising from the depths.Lucien tightened his grip on the Sword of Night. The weapon felt warmer than before, almost alive beneath his fingers. Silver light flowed through the ancient runes carved into the black blade, pushing back the oppressive darkness surrounding the prison.Captain Roderic looked toward the widening cracks around the chamber with growing concern.“Your Majesty, we cannot remain here much longer. The entire mountain is beginning to collapse.”Lucien nodded without taking his eyes off the abyss.“I know.”Another deafening impact echoed from below.The H

Dawn broke over Blackthorn Castle beneath a crimson sky that had yet to return to its natural color. Instead of bringing warmth, the rising sun cast an eerie red light across the towers and surrounding mountains, reminding everyone that the balance of the world had already begun to fracture. Messengers rode through the capital before sunrise, warning nearby villages to remain indoors after nightfall, while soldiers strengthened the city’s defenses against threats they could neither see nor fully understand.Within the royal courtyard, preparations for the journey were nearly complete.Stable hands saddled the finest horses in the royal stables, while blacksmiths inspected weapons that had been hurriedly repaired after the battle beneath the castle. Supply wagons carried food, medicinal herbs, enchanted lanterns, ropes, and camping equipment. No one knew how long the expedition would last, so Captain Roderic insisted they prepare for every possibility.Lucien stood beside the stone fou

By midday, the company reached the edge of the Forest of Eternal Ash. The ancient woodland stretched farther than the eye could see, its towering silver-gray trees rising into a thick canopy that concealed the sky. Their branches intertwined so tightly that very little sunlight reached the forest floor, leaving everything beneath bathed in a pale twilight despite the hour.No one spoke as they approached.The stories surrounding the forest had existed for thousands of years, yet standing before it made every legend seem incomplete. The air carried the scent of ash and rain, though no fire had burned there for centuries. A gentle breeze rustled the leaves overhead, producing whispers so soft they almost sounded like distant voices.Lucien removed the Wayfinder Charm from beneath his cloak.The carved wooden pendant immediately began glowing with a warm silver light. Thin strands of that light drifted toward the forest before weaving together into a narrow path that disappeared between

The first rays of the crimson moon slipped through the branches of the ancient tree, bathing the clearing in an eerie red glow. The golden crystal embedded within the First Seal flickered uncertainly, its warm light struggling against the darkness spreading across its surface. Thin crimson cracks continued to crawl through the crystal like veins, each one pulsing with the Hollow God’s corrupting power.A heavy silence hung over the clearing.Malach stood at the head of the robed army with his hands clasped behind his back, his expression calm, as though he had all the time in the world. The hundreds of followers surrounding the clearing remained perfectly still, waiting for a single command.Lucien stepped forward until he stood between Malach and the First Seal.“You’ve come a long way.”Malach smiled faintly.“So have you.”His golden eyes shifted toward the Sword of Night resting in Lucien’s hand.“I never expected Alaric’s spirit to awaken again.”Silver light shimmered across the