Chapter 2638: Story 2639: The Eye Beneath

The crimson eye opened.

The enormous eye stared upward, its pupil narrowing.

Then the voice came.

CHILDREN OF THE FIRST BLOOD.

Kael felt the words inside his bones.

Lena gripped his hand.

“What is it?” Elias asked.

The Sleeping King stared into the darkness.

“The first witness.”

Seraphine turned pale.

“You said the First Blood was oldest.”

“It was,” the King replied. “But this existed before the kingdom and throne.”

Veyr suddenly laughed.

“You see? I told you! The Origin was never the beginning.”

The colossal eye shifted toward him.

A red beam erupted from the darkness.

It struck him directly.

Veyr’s monstrous body froze.

“No!”

Veyr screamed as crimson energy poured through him.

“I am the Origin!”

The voice answered.

YOU ARE ONLY A VESSEL.

Veyr collapsed.

Kael looked at his father.

“Can we stop it?”

The Sleeping King shook his head.

“Not by fighting.”

“Then what do we do?”

“Complete the blood bond before it rises.”

The ground shook violently.

Cracks spread across the valley.

Ancient chains emerged from beneath the earth.

They wrapped around something hidden below.

The dead knelt.

The Last March lowered their weapons.

Isabella stared at the darkness.

“What are they afraid of?”

Adrian answered quietly.

“Everything.”

Lena stepped forward.

Her queen’s symbol burned brighter.

“I can hear it.”

Kael turned toward her.

“What does it say?”

She closed her eyes.

“It wants us to choose.”

“Choose what?”

“Who will carry the First Blood.”

Elias looked at Kael.

“You.”

Kael shook his head.

“No. All three of us.”

The Sleeping King approached.

“That choice has never been made.”

Kael looked at him.

“Then maybe it is time.”

The siblings joined hands again.

Their blood formed a single crimson circle.

The ancient chains began breaking.

One.

Two.

Three.

Each explosion shook the mountains.

Veyr slowly lifted his head.

His eyes were no longer red.

They were completely black.

He smiled.

“You’re too late.”

Kael turned.

Veyr’s body suddenly dissolved into black smoke.

The smoke rushed toward the Blood Gate.

Lena screamed.

“He’s going inside!”

Kael charged, and Elias followed.

But the gate erupted with crimson fire, throwing them backward.

The Sleeping King raised both hands.

“Children, listen to me!”

Kael struggled to stand.

“What?”

“You cannot enter as warriors.”

The King looked toward the opening.

“You must enter as blood.”

The crimson circle expanded.

Their bodies began turning into pure light.

Kael felt his sword slipping from his hand.

Lena’s feet disappeared.

Elias looked terrified.

“Father!”

The Sleeping King smiled sadly.

“I will be waiting on the other side.”

The siblings vanished into the Blood Gate.

The battlefield disappeared.

Darkness surrounded them.

Then Kael heard a heartbeat.

BOOM.

Lena appeared beside him.

Elias appeared on his other side.

Ahead stood a colossal throne made entirely of crimson bone.

And sitting upon it was a figure wearing a crown of blood.

The figure slowly opened its eyes.

“You have finally returned.”

Kael raised his head.

“Who are you?”

The figure smiled.

“I am the first king who ever died.”

Then the throne began to bleed.

The mountains trembled.