Chapter 2711: Story 2712: Beneath the Throne

Ronan fell through darkness.

The sound of Lyra’s scream disappeared above him.

He reached for his sword, but the darkness swallowed everything.

Then—

CRASH!

Ronan struck cold stone.

Pain shot through his body.

For several seconds, he could not move.

Above him, the opening had vanished.

He was completely alone.

A faint red light appeared in the distance.

Ronan slowly stood.

His forehead burned.

“Lyra?”

Only silence answered.

“Kael!”

Nothing.

Then he heard footsteps.

Slow.

Heavy.

Coming from somewhere ahead.

Ronan raised his sword.

“Who’s there?”

The footsteps stopped.

A man’s voice echoed through the darkness.

“Ronan.”

Ronan froze.

It was the same voice from before.

“My son.”

Ronan stepped toward the red light.

“Who are you?”

The voice answered:

“You already know.”

Ronan’s breathing stopped.

“Father?”

Silence.

Then a figure appeared.

An old man stepped from the shadows.

His clothes were torn and covered in dust. His face was scarred, his hair completely white, but his eyes were unmistakably familiar.

Ronan stared at him.

He remembered those eyes from childhood.

A memory suddenly returned.

A small house.

A warm fire.

His father’s hand resting on his shoulder.

Then the village burning.

Ronan’s eyes filled with anger.

“You’re alive.”

His father nodded.

“For many years.”

“Why didn’t you find me?”

The man looked down.

“I tried.”

“You abandoned us.”

“No.”

His father’s voice broke.

“I was imprisoned.”

Ronan lowered his sword slightly.

“By whom?”

The answer came from behind them.

“By me.”

Ronan turned.

Elias stood at the edge of the chamber.

His black veins had spread across his face.

Ronan stared at him.

“You followed me.”

Elias shook his head.

“I was already here.”

Ronan’s father looked at Elias.

“You shouldn’t have come back.”

Elias smiled.

“I never really left.”

Suddenly, chains rattled in the darkness.

Ronan looked behind his father.

Massive black chains stretched from the walls into the shadows.

At the end of them stood a gigantic stone throne.

Ronan’s father was chained to it.

Ronan stepped forward.

“Who did this?”

His father looked toward the ceiling.

“The First King.”

Ronan’s hand tightened around his sword.

“Why?”

“Because I discovered the truth.”

“What truth?”

His father looked directly into Ronan’s eyes.

“The First Kingdom was never built to rule the dead.”

The chamber trembled.

“It was built to imprison them.”

Ronan looked around.

“Then what is the First Beast?”

His father whispered:

“The first creature ever created by the dead.”

Elias stepped closer.

“And it is waking.”

A tremendous roar shook the chamber.

Dust fell from the ceiling.

Ronan’s father looked terrified.

“It has found your blood.”

Ronan looked at his glowing sword.

“What does it want?”

His father answered:

“It wants to become human.”

Suddenly, the red mark on Ronan’s forehead exploded with light.

A gigantic shadow appeared behind him.

Two red eyes opened.

Ronan turned slowly.

A voice whispered beside his ear.

“GIVE ME YOUR BLOOD...”

The chains around his father shattered.

And something enormous began climbing out of the darkness beneath the throne.