Chapter 65: The One Behind the Attack

[Outside the Nhar’Zhul Veyth Forest — Evening]

The ancient gates of Nhar’Zhul Veyth slowly opened.

A veil of darkness parted between the enormous trees, and three figures emerged from the shadowed forest.

Kael stepped into the fading evening light, his crimson cloak moving gently with the cold wind. Veyrith was perched comfortably upon his shoulder, his black feathers gleaming beneath the dying rays of the sun.

Beside Kael walked Lytharion; the Shadow King moved with his usual calm, his golden eyes surveying the forest behind them before returning to his mate.

For the first time in many days, Kael was returning to the mortal world. He had barely taken a few steps when... Kael stopped as his amber eyes widened.

Someone was standing beyond the boundary of the forest.

Grand Duke Lior in a heavy cloak stood beside an imperial carriage, several knights waiting quietly behind him.

Kael stared at him.

"Father?"

The moment Lior heard his son’s voice, his entire expression changed, relief crossing his face so quickly that Kael could almost see the weight lifting from his shoulders.

Lior stepped forward, "Found you."

Kael blinked. Lior stared at him for several heartbeats, then his expression hardened. "Do you have any idea what you have done to this empire?"

Kael’s lips parted.

"I..."

"The entire capital has been searching for you for seven days."

Lior’s voice was stern, but beneath it was unmistakable concern.

"Messengers were sent to the northern provinces. Knights searched the mountain passes. Half the imperial council believed you had been abducted."

Kael lowered his gaze. "I didn’t mean to cause such trouble."

Lior sighed deeply as his expression softened again. "I know, but you are my son before you are my emperor."

Those words silenced Kael. Grand Duke Lior stepped closer and looked him over carefully, as though searching for injuries.

"Are you hurt?"

"No."

"Are you certain?"

Kael nodded. "I am fine, Father."

Lior finally released the breath he had been holding, then his eyes shifted toward Lytharion as he was standing beside Kael.

The Shadow King met his gaze without hesitation as he said, "Grand Duke Lior. I took my beloved to the Shadow Manor."

His fingers subtly brushed against Kael’s hand. "We should have informed you before leaving. That failure was ours."

Lior shook his head, and his gaze moved towards Kael. "There is no need to apologize, my Sovereign. I knew where he must have gone."

Kael frowned.

"You knew?"

A faint smile touched Lior’s lips. "You are married to the Lord of Darkness. Where else would you disappear for an entire week?"

Kael’s cheeks warmed slightly. "Father..."

Grand Duke Lior chuckled, then his expression became more solemn.

"I knew my son was safe." He looked directly at Lytharion. "But a father can know his child is safe and still worry."

Lytharion’s expression softened. "I understand."

Lior nodded. "As the Grand Duke of Qashmar, I was responsible for the safety of the Emperor, but as his father..."

His eyes settled upon Kael.

"...I simply wanted to see him with my own eyes."

Kael’s expression softened as he stepped forward and quietly took his father’s hand. "I apologize, Father."

Grand Duke Lior nodded. "We shall leave."

Kael nodded, and he turned toward the waiting carriage, but before taking another step, he looked back at the ancient forest.

***

[The Imperial Palace — Night — Main Courtyard]

The moment the imperial carriage rolled beneath the enormous arches of the palace courtyard, the atmosphere changed.

CLATTER—!

Imperial knights immediately formed two perfect rows along the marble path.

Servants hurried from the entrance, maids gathered along the steps, and even the palace guards who had spent the last week searching for their missing emperor lowered themselves to one knee.

The carriage came to a complete stop; for several heartbeats, nobody moved.

Then—

CREAK...

The carriage door opened. Captain Cedric stepped forward and bowed deeply. "Your Majesty."

Kael stepped down first, the crimson cloak around his shoulders shifted gently in the night breeze, and Veyrith remained perched upon his shoulder as though the raven had never left him.

Lytharion followed, and the moment the Lord of Darkness appeared beside Kael, the entire courtyard seemed to grow quieter.

The servants lowered their heads even further. "Welcome back, Your Majesty."

Kael looked across the gathered people.

"Rise."

In perfect unison—

THUD.

Every knight and servant rose. Cedric approached, but the relief written across his face was impossible to hide. "Your Majesty...forgive my boldness, but the entire empire has been waiting for this moment."

Kael’s brows lifted slightly.

Cedric continued.

"You disappeared for more than a week without sending a single message. Search parties were dispatched toward the northern territories. The palace guards were placed on alert. Several noble houses were preparing to send their own men into the forests."

Kael’s expression became apologetic. "I did not intend to cause such unrest."

Cedric stared at him for a moment. "With respect, Your Majesty...you succeeded."

Kael blinked; behind him, Lytharion’s lips twitched. Kael immediately glanced toward his husband. Lytharion looked completely innocent, far too innocent.

Kael cleared his throat.

"It was my responsibility. I should have informed the palace before leaving."

Cedric nodded. "Indeed, Your Majesty."

Kael paused. "From now on, I shall make certain that the palace receives notice whenever I leave the capital."

Lytharion quietly added, "That would be wise."

Kael turned his head sharply. Lytharion’s golden eyes gleamed with amusement.

Cedric looked between them, then very wisely...he cleared his throat, as if he understood everything. A faint smile appeared at the corner of Grand Duke Lior’s mouth as he watched his son.

Then Captain Cedric said, "High Mage Enki has been waiting for you."

Kael’s expression changed.

"Enki?"

"Yes."

Cedric nodded.

"He has come to the palace every day since your disappearance. He requested an audience repeatedly, but when we told him Your Majesty was unavailable, he refused to leave the capital."

Kael frowned. "Did he say why?"

Cedric shook his head. "No, Your Majesty. He only said that the matter concerning the golden crystal could no longer wait."

The warmth in Kael’s expression disappeared, and his fingers slowly curled. Kael glanced toward Lytharion; the Shadow King’s amusement had vanished as well, and his golden eyes had become cold.

"How long has Enki been waiting tonight?" Kael asked.

"He arrived before sunset, Your Majesty."

Kael immediately turned toward the palace entrance. "Then I shall see him now."

Lytharion stepped forward. "I will come with you."

Kael nodded, and together they walked inside the Imperial Palace to meet High Mage Enki.

***

[Imperial Palace — Audience Chamber — Night]

The enormous doors of the audience chamber opened slowly.

CREAAAAK...

Kael entered first, with Lytharion walking beside him. The moment they stepped inside, Kael noticed High Mage Enki standing near the long table at the center of the chamber.

He had clearly been waiting for seven days. Enki immediately bowed. "Your Majesty."

Then he turned toward Lytharion.

"My Sovereign."

Lytharion gave him a silent nod. Kael walked toward the table. "You said the matter concerning the crystal could no longer wait."

Enki’s expression became serious. "It cannot, Your Majesty."

Kael stopped before him. "What did you discover?"

Enki glanced toward the small container resting upon the table; the golden crystal fragment lay inside. For several moments, he simply looked at it, then he said quietly,

"I examined it every day while Your Majesty was away, and this crystal is not what we believed it to be."

Lytharion’s eyes narrowed. "Explain."

Enki nodded.

"At first, I believed it was simply an extremely rare crystal capable of storing enormous amounts of energy. But after studying its structure...I realized something." He carefully lifted the container. "It was never meant to be an ordinary source of power."

Kael stepped closer. "Then what is it?"

Enki’s fingers tightened around the container. "A fragment of something much older."

Silence settled over the chamber.

Lytharion’s expression remained unreadable. Kael looked at the crystal. "Then how did it end up inside the Grimfang King?"

"That is precisely what I have been trying to understand." Enki took a breath. "The crystal was embedded deep inside the Grimfang’s body. Whoever placed it there knew exactly where to put it."

Kael’s expression hardened. "So someone deliberately used the Grimfang King."

"Yes."

"Why?" Enki hesitated. "To make him stronger."

Kael’s eyes narrowed. "But the Grimfang King was already powerful."

"Not powerful enough." Enki’s answer came immediately. "The crystal was increasing his strength beyond what his body naturally possessed. It was forcing his body to withstand power it was never meant to contain."

Kael remembered the creature, the enormous black beast, the unnatural strength, and the golden fragments buried within it. His expression became colder. "So the crystal was used as a weapon."

Enki shook his head. "Not exactly."

Kael looked at him.

"Then what?"

Enki’s gaze moved toward Lytharion. "It was being used as a vessel."

The room became still. Lytharion’s eyes darkened. "For what?"

"I don’t know." Enki’s voice lowered. "But I discovered something else."

Kael waited. Enki slowly opened the container. "I removed a very small portion from the crystal and examined its composition. It contains traces of energy that do not belong to the Grimfangs."

Kael’s expression tightened. "Then whose?"

Enki looked directly at him. "That is what concerns me; the energy is not entirely mortal."

Lytharion’s gaze sharpened. Kael’s heart sank. "You mean...divine?"

Enki nodded slowly.

"I believe so."

Silence.

Kael instinctively tightened his fingers around Lytharion’s hand. Lytharion noticed his thumb move once across Kael’s knuckles.

Enki continued. "But there is something even stranger."

Kael looked at him.

"What?"

Enki’s eyes remained fixed on the crystal. "The divine trace inside it does not behave like the energy of a single deity."

Kael frowned. "What does that mean?"

"It means..." Enki carefully chose his words, "...whoever created this crystal may have been using the power of more than one divine source."

Lytharion’s expression became colder. "Impossible."

Enki looked at him as he lowered his voice. "That is what I thought, but I spent seven days trying to prove myself wrong, and I...couldn’t."

Kael’s face became serious. "So there could be more than one deity involved."

"Possibly."

"Possibly?" Enki nodded. "I cannot identify them yet. The traces are too old and too deeply intertwined."

Kael stared at the golden crystal resting inside the container; for several heartbeats, nobody spoke. The chamber felt strangely cold, and then High Mage Enki broke the silence.

"There is...one more thing, Your Majesty."

Kael slowly lifted his eyes. "What is it?"

Enki’s gaze shifted toward the crystal. "There may be a way to discover who used this crystal to attack you."

Kael’s expression sharpened. "You found something?"

"I believe so." Enki hesitated before continuing. "But I will need the assistance of the Lord of Darkness."

Kael immediately glanced toward Lytharion; the Shadow King stood silently beside him, his golden eyes fixed upon the crystal. Enki looked directly at him.

"My Sovereign...there is something this crystal can do that I have never encountered in any magical relic."

Lytharion’s brows furrowed. "What?"

Enki’s voice lowered.

"It can reveal...a glimpse of what has yet to happen."

Silence.

Kael’s amber eyes widened. "The future?"

"Not the entire future, Your Majesty." Enki shook his head. "Only fragments. Images. Moments. Possibilities."

He carefully touched the container.

"I discovered this only after repeated examination. The crystal does not merely preserve energy. Under certain conditions, it can reveal a vision of something that has not yet occurred."

Kael stared at it in disbelief. "Then perhaps we can see who is behind the attacks."

"Perhaps."

Enki’s gaze shifted toward Lytharion. "And perhaps...the Lord of Darkness will recognize the one who carries such power."

Lytharion didn’t answer; he had gone completely still, too still.

Kael noticed. "Lytharion?"

The Shadow King’s golden gaze was no longer merely cold; there was something else within it...recognition. Enki noticed the change immediately.

"My Sovereign..."

Lytharion’s fingers slowly curled into a fist, his jaw tightened. The crystal remained motionless upon the table. Yet Lytharion stared at it as though he had suddenly seen something far beyond its golden surface.

Kael stepped closer. "You know something."

Lytharion didn’t respond; his breathing became heavier and his eyes burned with an ancient fury.

Then—

CRACK.

The wooden floor beneath his feet splintered. Kael’s eyes widened. "Lytharion—?"

Darkness erupted around the Shadow King.

WHOOOOOOOOSH—!!!

His human form disappeared beneath a violent storm of shadows. Black fur spread across his body, his limbs grew, his claws struck the marble, and his golden eyes became two burning embers within the darkness.

And within seconds—

THUUUUUUD!!!!

An enormous black wolf stood inside the audience chamber. Kael rushed toward him. "Lytharion!"

The enormous wolf turned his head; for one brief moment, Kael saw something in those eyes...he only saw rage. Rage directed at something buried so deeply that even the Shadow King himself had tried to forget it.

Then—

BOOOOOOM!!!!

The wolf leapt through the enormous window. Kael rushed to the window.

"LYTHARION!"

Far below, the enormous black wolf landed upon the palace grounds.

THUD!

A deep growl rolled across the courtyard.

GROOOOOOOOOWL—!!!

The sound shook the very walls of the Imperial Palace, then the wolf turned, and darkness gathered around his enormous body.

And before Kael could call his name again—

WHOOSH.

He vanished into the night. Kael stood frozen at the window, his hand remained stretched toward the darkness.

"Lytharion..."

Behind him, Enki stared at the window; his expression had become pale. Because whatever Lytharion had recognized... It had frightened even the Lord of Darkness.

And that could only mean one thing.

The enemy they were searching for was not a stranger to Lytharion. Perhaps...Lytharion already knew exactly who it was.