Chapter 18: The Crown Beneath the Ashes

The hall was too quiet. Stone beneath their feet felt hot, like it had soaked in the rage of centuries. The walls whispered—words from forgotten tongues, names of people no longer remembered. And ahead, at the end of the corridor, stood a massive obsidian door engraved with nine burning eyes. Nyra's voice broke the silence. “So… this is it? The throne room?” Ravaa nodded, slowly. “It was once called The Chamber of Oaths. Now it holds the Oathbreaker.” Kael flexed his bruised arm. “Raakaa.” Zayn scoffed. “The great betrayer. Let me guess—he used to be just like you.” Ravaa said nothing for a long while. Then, he sat down—cross-legged on the stone. His golden light dimmed until only faint glimmers remained. The others exchanged glances but said nothing. Finally, Ravaa spoke. “Let me tell you what they erased from your stories.” “Before there were nine realms, there was one world—Solkarin, the Original Flame. It was a world of spirit and matter, blended in balance. The Creator—the Source—birthed only one thing: the Sword of Resonance, infused with nine primordial essences. And from this, He shaped two beings. Me… and Raakaa. Not brothers. Not enemies. Not even opposites. Complements. I was light in form, designed to guide the sword. Raakaa was dark in will, meant to test it. We were not made to rule. We were made to serve.” Lilu, curled against a cold pillar, blinked. “Then how did he… change?” Ravaa’s eyes dimmed. “It began with the humans.” The Rise of Raakaa “The Creator gave us the sword, once the humans began praying for help. Their world had turned into torment—the demons had emerged from cracks in reality, mindless and hungry, forged from the sorrows of human suffering. Raakaa was the first to act. He hunted demons with a fury I could not match. Humans praised him, built temples in his name, sang songs in forgotten languages. I… simply watched. Advised. Never interfered more than needed. And slowly, Raakaa began to want more. He asked the Sword to choose him as its bearer. It refused. It turned toward me. That moment… broke him.” Zayn muttered, “So it was envy.” “No. Envy would have been cleaner. What grew inside him was not just jealousy—it was disgust. He saw humans not as beings to protect, but as tools of validation. The sword chose me? Then it was wrong. The Creator was wrong. The entire system was wrong.” Riven spoke for the first time. “So he betrayed you.” Ravaa turned, eyes dim but sharp. “No… he betrayed reality itself.” The Sundering “Raakaa ripped open the sky. He hurled the sword against the molten core of Solkarin. The explosion shattered the world into nine shards, now called realms. Each realm twisted and chained by the demon kings he raised. He carved a throne above them all, in a space beyond realm or time, and waited for the day he would rip the sword’s soul in half—me—and rebuild the cosmos in his image.” Kael exhaled slowly. “What stopped him?” “I sealed myself away. Sacrificed my full form, divided my essence, and gave one piece to each realm to keep balance. That’s why I’m incomplete. But he’s incomplete too. Because the sword never truly accepted him.” The Betrayers Within A long silence. Then Riven narrowed her eyes. “So… what now? We walk in there and fight a god?” Zayn spoke coldly. “No. We survive. Maybe find a way to sell the sword. Still thinking about that, Ravaa.” “You’re not ready,” Ravaa said softly. “But the sword will not wait forever. It chose one of you. You must find out who.” Kael stepped forward. “How do we know you're not lying?” “You don’t.” Ravaa’s honesty was chilling. “And what if Raakaa already knows we’re here?” asked Lilu. “He does,” said Ravaa. “The moment you stepped into this realm, his eyes were upon you.” Echoes in the Wall Suddenly, the obsidian walls around them shifted, revealing images etched in gold fire. A city burning. Children taken in chains. A king laughing on a throne of skulls. A shadow with nine wings watching from above. And in the heart of the storm—a mirror, reflecting not Raakaa… …but each of them. Kael staggered back. “What the—” “This is his power,” Ravaa said. “He doesn’t force loyalty. He shows you what you want, what you fear… then lets you betray yourself.” “Like you betrayed him?” Zayn asked. “No. I loved him. That was my mistake.” Ravaa turned, facing the door. “But now… we step into the mouth of the throne.” The Path Ahead The doors slowly began to open. A low hiss of steam. Heat rolled out like breath. Beyond was not a chamber—but a void, filled with floating stairs, crimson skies, and a cathedral made of bone hovering above a swirling vortex of lava. And on the highest point, a shape sat on a burning throne. His eyes were open. Waiting. Ravaa turned to the five. “If you still doubt me, now’s the time to run.” Zayn, Nyra, Kael, Riven, and Lilu stood together. Each scarred. Each shaken. But none stepped back. Kael looked ahead. “We came this far. Might as well knock on the devil’s door.” Lilu gripped the sword. “Let’s find out what we’re made of.” Nyra narrowed her eyes at the throne. “And maybe what Raakaa fears.” Ravaa, for the first time, smiled. “Then walk with me, not behind me.” And they stepped into the void—toward the throne of the betrayer.