The Last Sovereign: Rise of the Forgotten King

Long shadows were formed on the moist stone walls by the weakly flickering lantern in the shelter's corner. With his back against the chilly surface and his eyes fixed on the smoke-encased figure standing just past the shelter's entrance, Kael sat still.

The Shadowborn remained motionless, its bright red eyes staring at him with a hunger that seemed to consume the room's light. Its shape was a hideous combination of sinew and twisting smoke, with claws that coiled into the ground like iron hooks. Its throat growled a low growl that shook the air between them.

In order to summon the fire within him, Kael tightened his hands. But his hands stayed cold and useless as terror took hold of him like a vice. The animal stepped forward. A voice whispered behind him, "Kael." His eyes were half-open, hazy from sleep, and he could see Joren stirring when he looked over his shoulder.

Kael sternly whispered, "Stay down."

Joren's face flickered with surprise as he blinked. "What are you discussing—"

The snarl got louder. When Joren finally caught sight of the living shadow, his eyes became wide. It was a dreadful and monstrous creature with claws that seemed to drip darkness itself. His heart was pounding loudly in the cramped room as he stumbled to his feet.

"What… what is that?"

Kael breathed in quick spurts. The heat inside him started to stir, fierce and hungry, and his pulse beat. The fire in his chest begged to be let loose as he felt the Sovereign Core pulse.

The Shadowborn sprang forward. When Kael threw his hands forward, a crimson wave of fire screamed through the shelter as flames exploded from his fingers. The force of the heat, which was blinding, hit the monster like a tidal wave.

With a screech, the Shadowborn's hazy shape twisted as it was engulfed by the flames. The odor of burning shadow permeated the air, bitter and vile. Only a smoking scorch mark was left where the creature had stood when the fire had gone out. The crackling of dying embers was the only sound to break the long-lasting quiet between them.

Joren stood looking at Kael, his eyes wide with a mix of fear and wonder, his face pallid.

He said, "What… what did you just do?"

Kael's heart thundered and his chest heaved. Before the fire turned to smoke, it was still flashing along his fingertips when he gazed down at his hands.

"I…" His throat was dry as he swallowed hard. "I'm not sure."

"That was magic," Joren remarked in a shaky voice. "True magic."

Kael remained silent. Joren's face darkened as he stepped closer. "How much time?"

"What?"

"You have been able to do this for how long?"

Kael experienced a surge of fear and embarrassment. "It isn't what you think. I didn't request it. It simply happened. Joren squinted his eyes".

"And you didn't consider telling me?"

"I had no idea how!" Kael snapped. His voice cracked with the weight of his frustration. "Joren, I didn't want this. I'm also afraid".

"Scared of what? What aren't you telling me?"

Kael opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. "I'm trying to protect you," he whispered, and Joren shook his head slowly.

"You don't protect people by keeping secrets from them." Joren said

Kael clenched his fists. He wanted to scream, to explain everything, but fear choked the words before they could form. Instead, he turned away, his shoulders slumping under the weight of the truth he couldn't share.

Kael's chest still heaved from the surge of power. As the heat from his flames dissipated, the shelter's damp chill bit into his skin.

The heavy silence that followed the creature's demise weighed on him like a stone. His mind raced with what he had just done—fire that obeyed his command. It should have burned him too, but instead, it flowed from his hands like a loyal servant. Joren remained motionless, his wide-eyed stare unwavering. The dagger he had snatched from under his bed was still clutched in his hand, the tip trembling.

"I saw it," Joren whispered, almost to himself. "You… You made it burn."

Don't. Kael averted his gaze. "I can't be told not to by you! You didn't tell me you could do that, and that thing was coming for us. As though to stifle the memory of the flames, Kael pushed his palms together. "I wanted you not to see." Joren moved in closer.

"Why?" "Because it's risky!" The sound of Kael's voice reverberated off the walls. "Joren, I have no control over it. I have it. The more I utilize it, the stronger it gets. It always feels… easier.

"So why not let it out?" Joren's dagger-grip whitened, his face hardened, suspicion etched in his young face. "Why keep it a secret if it could have kept us safe all this time?"

Kael clenched his jaw, feeling the fire in his chest stir as if it were feeding on the feelings he was experiencing. "Because I'm afraid of what it makes me," he said.

"What are you afraid of? You just destroyed one of those things with it. We'd be dead without your magic." Kael squeezed his eyes shut. The word "magic" sent a cold shiver through him. "You don't understand. That wasn't just fire. It comes from something old… something dangerous." Joren's silence stretched too long. When Kael opened his eyes, his friend was staring at the burned symbol on the floor again—the strange mark that looked like twisting roots or talons. "I felt it,"Kael murmured. "When I touched the mark. It's connected to the creature somehow… and to me."

Joren gave him a quick look. "To you? What are you saying? Kael chewed his lip, unable to think of anything to say. "I'm not the only one with the fire. It's a component of another thing. I haven't figured it out yet, but time I use it, it draws me farther into— An unexpected surge of wind slammed against the shelter's entrance from the outside, causing it to moan.

The two youngsters jerked their heads in the direction of the door. Outside was someone, or something.

"Has it returned?" he muttered. Kael gave a headshake. His heart increased as he extended his senses outward. He sensed the shadow of the Shadowborn still there, but this was different, a presence older and colder than anything he had ever experienced.

A faint blue, ghostly glimmer crept in beneath the door. Unnaturally, the shadows twisted and twirled as though they were alive. With his fire scorching just beneath his skin, Kael stepped to the center of the room.

"Remain behind me," he instructed Joren.

"Not possible ". Joren took a step next to him, holding his dagger firmly. "I will not hide once more." The door opened with a squeak. The cloaked man stood in the fog-streaked lane beyond.

The figure stated in a deep, powerful voice, "You have to get out of here." "We have seen the fire within you. They'll come get you. The breath caught in Kael's throat. "Who are you? What do you want from me?" A hand was raised by the figure. At their fingertips, blue light flickered, creating forms that moved and flowed like water. For a moment, an old symbol flared and then vanished.

You carry the Sovereign Core," they said. "Its power will either save this world… or consume it." Joren took a step forward.

"What are you talking about? He doesn't even know what that is!" The hooded figure turned slightly, and though their face remained hidden, their gaze seemed to pierce right through Kael. "He will learn. But learning comes at a cost." Kael's Heart thudded in his chest. "Who sent you? Why are you helping me?" "I am no ally, boy." The figure's voice darkened. "I am merely the first of many who will find you."

Abruptly, the fog grew thicker, circling the figure as if it were alive. They were gone when it cleared.

Joren turned to Kael. "The Innermost Sovereign? What is that? Fear rising, Kael shook his head. "I'm not sure." "You think I'll believe that?" Joren's suspicion was growing as he spoke sharply. "You kept me in the dark about the fire. Are you concealing anything else? "Nothing'!" Kael's fists clenched as he resisted the heat rush that threatened to explode. "I'm being honest with you." "So why do I feel as though I no longer know you?" Kael wasn't prepared for the depth of the words. Unable to look his friend in the eyes, he cast his gaze downward.

"This is not what I wanted," he said. "Anything at all."

The tension persisted even if Joren's visage eased a little. "I didn't either. However, we are now in it. Kael raised his head. "Are you still with me?" "For the time being." As they collected what little they had, the tense alliance hung between them. However, even as they got ready to depart, Kael felt the burden of something much more than trust or friendship bearing down on him.

A deep, resonant hum vibrated through the air as they entered the darkness, the fog coiling at their feet. Kael halted.

"Have you heard that?" Joren scowled.

"Listen to what—" A huge hand, wreathed in smoke and black as midnight, sprang out from the ground, causing the ground under them to split open with a jagged crack of flame and shadow. "Go!" When Kael yelled, the hand seized his ankle and dragged him into the shadows. Though it was too late, Joren lunged.

The world around Kael disappeared, and his cry reverberated into the emptiness.