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THE HIDDEN CROWN Chapter 93
Victor's heart raced, though his face remained impassive. Kael’s voice was unmistakable—cold, sharp, and filled with the echoes of ancient malice. The massive gates swung open, revealing a dimly lit courtyard cloaked in mist. As Victor stepped forward, Lucian and Elena exchanged uneasy glances but followed closely behind.From the shadows, Kael emerged, his presence commanding and regal, but there was something otherworldly about him. His eyes glowed with an eerie blue light, and his pale skin seemed to almost shimmer in the darkness. He was a figure from another time, untouched by the world they had come from.“Victor,” Kael’s lips curled into a sly smile. “I never expected to see you here again. Especially not after our last... encounter.”Victor clenched his jaw, his voice steady. “I didn’t come for pleasantries, Kael. We need your help.”Kael’s laugh echoed through the courtyard, cold and mocking. “Of course you do. Why else would you be here?” He slowly descended the stone steps,
THE HIDDEN CROWN Chapter 94
Victor, Elena, and Lucian exited Kael’s fortress in silence, the chill of the deal settling into their bones. As they walked through the mist-filled courtyard, Elena broke the quiet, her voice laced with tension."Victor, are you really going to give Kael the city? You can’t trust him. He’ll turn it into his personal kingdom.”Victor didn’t respond immediately, his gaze locked on the horizon. "I know. But we had no choice. Without his help, the Obsidian Legion would wipe us out before we had a chance to stop them."Lucian shook his head in disbelief. "And after we stop them? Kael will take the city. We’d be trading one monster for another."Victor stopped, turning to face his companions. “Kael is dangerous, but he’s predictable. The Legion isn’t. If we don’t stop them now, none of this will matter. Not the city, not us.”Elena folded her arms, her frustration barely contained. “There has to be another way.”Victor’s eyes softened, but his voice was firm. “If there was, I would have ta
THE HIDDEN CROWN Chapter 95
The air in the underground chamber seemed to shift, as if the weight of the decision made by Selene hung heavily in the room. The Rogue Clan leader, now allied with Victor, looked to her people, signaling that they had a new cause to fight for. The murmurs of the Rogues quieted, and a fierce determination replaced the previous wariness. But the unease still simmered between Victor, Elena, and Lucian as they prepared to leave the Rogues’ den.Selene’s voice, sharp and playful, interrupted their silence. “Oh, don’t think you’ll get away that easily, Prince. You’ve given us a seat at your table, but there’s still the matter of trust, isn’t there?”Victor narrowed his eyes. “What are you suggesting?”She stepped forward, her presence intense as always. “You can’t expect us to simply fall in line because of a promise. A show of good faith is required. I’ll send one of mine with you, as a… liaison.” Her eyes flicked toward a young man standing by the wall, shadowed by the dim lighting. “Zio
THE HIDDEN CROWN Chapter 96
Victor moved swiftly through the night, the wind sharp against his skin as he made his way to the Council's hidden sanctuary. Though the city around him buzzed with life, its neon lights casting long shadows, his focus remained on the task ahead. Time was running out. The Obsidian Legion was gathering strength, and every second that passed gave them more power. If the Council had any knowledge of the ancient relic, he had to extract it—no matter the cost.As Victor approached the Council’s enclave, a towering, nondescript building masked its ancient, mystical wards. Only those who knew what to look for could sense the invisible barrier that guarded the entrance. He placed his hand on the stone wall, and the cold surface shifted, rippling like water. With a whisper of magic, the passage revealed itself.The interior of the enclave was just as he remembered—grand, with high ceilings adorned with glowing runes, but still and lifeless, like an ancient tomb. The Council thrived on formalit
THE HIDDEN CROWN Chapter 97
Victor pressed on through the city's winding streets, the map's details etched firmly in his mind. He felt the weight of the Council’s pact, the looming price of his fealty hanging over him. The Eye of Eternity wasn’t just a relic—it was the key to a much larger game, one that everyone was playing: the Council, the Legion, and even Selene. But as much as it gnawed at him, he knew there was no time to waste on doubts. The Legion was closing in, and the destruction of the Eye was his only chance to stop them.He reached the meeting point where Elena and Lucian had been waiting for him, their faces etched with impatience and concern. Lucian was the first to speak. “What did the Council say? Do they know where the Eye is?”Victor nodded, his expression grim. “They had the map. It’s hidden in the mountains, in an old fortress. The Legion is already making their way there. We need to move quickly.”Elena, ever the strategist, frowned. “How heavily guarded do you think the fortress is? If th
THE HIDDEN CROWN Chapter 98
The mountains loomed ahead as Victor led the group through the narrow pass. Every step felt heavier, the pressure mounting with each breath of cold air. The fortress, hidden among jagged peaks and ancient stone, stood ominously at the end of the trail. Snowflakes drifted down, coating the ground and muting the sounds of their footsteps.Lucian trudged beside him, his brows furrowed in concentration. “It’s too quiet,” he muttered, breaking the silence. “The Legion’s forces should have left more signs—tracks, guards, something.”Victor scanned the landscape, his instincts on high alert. He could sense the presence of magic, a web of enchantments woven around the fortress, but Lucian was right. The lack of obvious defenses was unnerving.“We’re walking into a trap,” Elena said, her voice low but steady. Her hand rested on the hilt of her sword, ready for anything.Victor nodded. “I know. But we don’t have a choice. The Eye is too dangerous to leave in anyone’s hands, especially Selene’s.
THE HIDDEN CROWN Chapter 99
The air in the chamber seemed to thrum with a terrifying energy. Victor staggered to his feet, still reeling from the explosion of power. Lucian and Elena were regaining their balance, though the shock in their eyes mirrored Victor’s own.Zion stood in the center of the destruction, his expression unreadable, but his aura had shifted — darker, more imposing. The Eye of Eternity had vanished, but its power now coursed through him. The once-lighthearted man was now something entirely different, something more dangerous than they had anticipated."Zion," Victor began, his voice tight with a mix of anger and disbelief. "You’ve crossed a line you can’t come back from. You don’t understand the power you’ve unleashed."Zion turned to him slowly, his eyes glowing faintly, like stars flickering in a dark sky. "Understand? I understand perfectly, Victor. This is what I’ve been waiting for all along."Lucian, blade still drawn, stepped forward, his voice edged with fury. "You betrayed us! You we
THE HIDDEN CROWN Chapter 100
The cold wind stung Victor’s face as they emerged from the collapsing fortress, the rubble behind them groaning under the weight of its own destruction. The stars above seemed distant, indifferent to the chaos they had just escaped.Victor stopped, his chest heaving as he looked back at what was once Zion's domain. The ground still trembled, small aftershocks rippling through the earth as if the fortress itself was mourning its demise. Dust and debris hung in the air like a thick cloud, and the last remnants of Zion’s energy dissipated into the night sky.Elena fell to her knees beside Lucian, who was slowly coming to consciousness. His brow furrowed in pain, but his eyes fluttered open."Lucian," Elena whispered, shaking his arm gently. "Are you alright?"Lucian winced, pressing a hand to the side of his head where blood had dried. "I feel like I got hit by a building," he muttered, then let out a weak chuckle. "Maybe because I did."Elena gave him a tight smile. "You're lucky to be