Chronos

He suddenly felt his body lighten, while his mind was dragged into a completely different dimension.

As the world around him disappeared into a dark mist, when he opened his eyes, he found himself in a weightless void. Before him appeared a figure dressed in an ancient wizard’s robe, holding a timepiece-like object. It was Chronos.

“Welcome, new user,” Chronos said, his voice a timeless echo. “Did you think you could roam freely? No… First, test your power.”

Lordhair; "What do you mean by that-" Before he could finish his sentence:

Suddenly, Lordhair's body was involuntarily pulled forward. He found himself inside a vast library surrounded by ancient stone walls. Hundreds, perhaps thousands, of books and scrolls lined the shelves. The blue light floating within made the place feel like a magical realm.

Lordhair called out to Chronos; "Why did you bring me here?"

“The Great Library of the Northern Kingdom…” Chronos whispered to Lordhair. This was a place where the greatest secrets were kept.

Chronos’s voice echoed: “This power is not merely a tool. It tests the user with wisdom. Now, find the knowledge you need.”

As Lordhair moved between the shelves, he pulled a random scroll. On it was an ancient text written in forgotten languages. As his fingers grazed the words, their meaning echoed in his mind:

“The owners of the Legendary Wolf were tested by the curse of the Draugr King. They swore to find and destroy the other half in every generation. Yet most, rather than breaking the curse, created a new Draugr King.”

Lordhair's eyes widened. This was the fate of Vermithor and his predecessors… The warriors of the North had dedicated their lives to breaking the Draugr King's balance. But throughout history, this cycle had been broken again and again, and instead of destroying the other half, they had created a new Draugr King.

“Why?” Lordhair whispered. “Why couldn’t they break this curse?”

As Lordhair pondered and looked around;

His hands wandered across the ancient scroll in front of him. The white wolf seal caught his attention.

This seal appeared in documents carrying the oldest secrets of the Northern Kingdom. As he opened the scroll, he felt the words almost whisper into his mind. The sentences were awakening a forgotten past, sending a chill down his spine.

At the beginning, there was no enemy in the Draugr King’s tale…

Lordhair furrowed his brows. The text said that the Draugr King had once been a weapon of war used by the Northern Kingdom. There had been a force that guided and controlled them. But over time, the Draugr King gained consciousness, realizing that the Draugrs were merely pawns. And that was when everything changed.

When the Northern Kingdom could no longer control them, the Draugrs had been declared enemies. Wars were waged against them, and even the strongest wolf warriors were sent to deal with the threat. Yet none had truly defeated the Draugr King. Because every time, another other half would appear and replace the Draugr King.

Lordhair took a deep breath.

How could this cycle be broken?

"Why does the other scroll mention that the Draugr Kings constantly change?"

If each Draugr King always had an other half and this cycle repeated itself every time, would Vermithor's end be like the others before him? And what about him? Was he also part of this fate, just because he had this knowledge?

Nira’s words came to his mind:

“You carry the same potential as the most powerful being in this dimension.”

Those words had always seemed like a prophecy. But now, as they blended with the scroll in front of him, everything appeared more complicated and real.

Who was the strongest? The Draugr King? Or… him?

Lordhair clenched his fists.

Once he understood this truth, he couldn’t wait to speak with Vermithor. But should he share it right away? If Vermithor’s fate was also leading to the same end, would it be wise for him to know? Or would it only burden him further?

Drowning in thought, he continued reading the rest of the scroll. The Ancient Fortress on the Northern Border.

This fortress had been sealed with a spell to prevent the Draugrs from entering. But because of this seal, the area had been cursed, enveloped by an unsettling aura. In the past, however, this place had been one of the most peaceful regions in the North. People had lived there. Happiness had reigned. But due to the Draugr threat, the Northern Kingdom had been forced to seal this area, and once a legendary place, it had become a land of the dead.

Even more interesting, however, was the truth about the other halves that appeared once every century. The other halves were born to be sent against the Draugr King. And all the legendary wolves in history had devoted themselves to destroying the Draugr King. Yet none had been able to break the cycle. They had only replaced the Draugr King with a new one.

This cycle… was it endless?

Lordhair closed his eyes. He was trying to absorb all of this information. If Vermithor’s fate would be like that of the past wolf warriors, then their destinies were connected here. He and Vermithor… Were they two pieces of the same cycle?

Lordhair took a deep breath as he placed the scroll back. The weight of this knowledge weighed heavily on his shoulders.

Suddenly, the library disappeared. Lordhair found himself back in the real world. He looked around; his soldiers were watching him with curiosity.

“What was it like?” one of the soldiers asked.

He hid the ancient artifact as if it had vanished, and answered coldly:

Lordhair narrowed his eyes. He couldn’t share that knowledge. “It has no special properties,” he said in a cold voice. “Just an old artifact.”

As the night fell, Lordhair and his team took shelter in the shadow of an ancient ruin. The fatigue of their journey had settled deep into their bones, but the questions in Lordhair’s mind kept him from sleep. He grasped the ancient artifact in his hands, closed his eyes, and pictured the Black Fortress in his mind.

Chronos’s voice echoed in his mind: “Are you ready, traveler? You’re about to embark on a journey with your soul, but what you see may change you.”

Lordhair said nothing, focusing only on his task. His body lightened for a moment and then completely vanished. Using the power of the ancient artifact, he arrived at the Black Fortress in silhouette form. The cold stone walls of the fortress were familiar to him, hidden in shadows. Stealthily, he moved toward Vermithor’s room.

Through the crack in the door, he heard Solve and Vermithor talking. Solve’s voice was filled with worry:

“Will Lordhair accept this fate? Telling him he should become the Draugr King would feel like betrayal. And besides, nothing will change that way. We have to break this curse.”

Vermithor took a deep breath. “Do we have any other choice? As Nira said, he is the most powerful being in this dimension. If Lordhair is not the other half of the Draugr King, who will be?”

“The curse is too complicated. If we can’t break it, we’ll lose both Lordhair and the war.”

A shiver ran through Lordhair. They… were planning to make him the Draugr King! His breath caught in his throat, but they kept talking.

Solve whispered, “What if he finds out? What if he doesn’t trust us, or leaves us?”

Vermithor’s voice was harsh. “We can’t tell him. If this is his fate, he’ll find out when the time comes. He has to be the other half of the Draugr King. If he thinks of leaving us, I’ll find him and force him to become the Draugr King!”

Lordhair stood frozen in place. Hearing that others were determining his fate filled him with indescribable anger and disappointment. His heart raced as the echo of their words burned into his mind.

He had started his journey as a man questioning his identity, but now, he was being asked to become someone else. Was he to become the Draugr King? Or would he write his own fate?

Lordhair had used the power of the ancient artifact to reach the Black Fortress in an astral form. He had overheard Solve and Vermithor’s secret conversation, but when he tried to stay longer to learn more, he suddenly felt a force pulling him back. The ancient magic surrounding the Black Fortress did not allow him to stay as long as he wished. No matter how hard he tried, his soul could no longer advance, and he was forced to retreat.

When Lordhair opened his eyes, he realized the camp was still bustling. Despite the night, some soldiers were awake, chatting around the fire. He silently rose, adjusted his cloak, and began to observe them. The night sky was clear and bright, with a gentle wind rustling the nearby bushes.

Around the fire, three soldiers were joking with each other. One, a bit older, with a beard and a large build, was named Garen. The other two were younger, energetic, and talkative. One was tall with a sharp face, nicknamed "Fox," and the other was shorter and muscular, always stretching his arms to appear strong. They called him "Stone."

Lordhair walked over and sat silently with them. The soldiers fell quiet for a moment, then Garen grinned. “Our commander finally joins us regular soldiers,” he said. Fox and Stone chuckled lightly.

Lordhair smiled slightly. “If you haven’t slept, you’re either very brave or very foolish,” he replied.

Fox said, “Sleep? A guy like me needs to be alert at all times. Who knows, we might be attacked in the middle of the night.”

Stone immediately interjected, “Fox, didn’t we learn last week that your biggest fear is the cold? We found you wrapped in a blanket, shivering last night.”

Garen couldn’t hold back his laughter. “Yeah, if someone attacks the camp, the first thing Fox would do is run and hide in the warmest place.”

Fox pouted. “I’ll take these baseless accusations to court,” he said, crossing his arms.

Lordhair, feeling the camaraderie among the soldiers, said, “Warriors heading into battle need morale. But listening to you guys, I’m starting to think you’ll wear each other out before the enemy even shows up.”

Stone puffed out his chest. “We’ll wear the enemy out, Lordhair. I promise you, my big muscles and I won’t disappoint.”

Fox smirked. “If muscles were enough to win a battle, Stone would already be a legend. But, unfortunately, there are things that require intelligence.”

Garen shook his head. “Look, even Prince Lordhair joined our silly conversation. That’s what a good leader does—he listens to his men and spends time with them.”

Lordhair, feeling the warmth of the fire on his face, realized he had fully blended in with the soldiers. Being with them for a moment allowed him to forget the heavy truths burdening his mind. But deep inside, he couldn’t shake the thoughts of Vermithor and Solve’s conversation. No matter what the truths were, these soldiers trusted him, and he couldn’t abandon them.

After a while, Garen asked seriously, “Lordhair, where is this journey taking us?”

Lordhair paused for a moment, thinking of the truths he had learned from the scroll, but gave no hint on his face. Looking Garen in the eye, he said, “To a place where only the best warriors survive.”

The soldiers exchanged looks and smiled. Fox said, “Then we’ll definitely survive,” and their laughter filled the air.

"Everyone except the guards, rest up. We leave at first light," Lordhair said, taking a deep breath as he began to walk toward the other side of the camp. He had made a decision within himself. He would keep the knowledge to himself for now and go along with Vermithor’s plans. At least until the right time came. Because if this cycle of fate couldn’t be broken, he would be the one to break it.