Chapter Fifty-Five– The End That Wasn't
The throne room of the Shadow Fortress was cloaked in darkness and power. A haunting silence lingered between the towering obsidian pillars, broken only by the faint flickering of black flames lighting the halls. Andrew sat on his throne of voidstone, his gaze heavy and unmoving, dressed in robes darker than night itself.
At his side, Natalia stood quietly, sensing the tension crackling through the air.
"Bring them in," Andrew ordered, his voice low but thunderous in the silence.
The great doors groaned open, revealing Kael and Lira, led by shadow guards. Their bodies were tired, but their wills unbroken. They stepped forward slowly, gazes set on the throne where Andrew waited.
Andrew raised a hand. "Step forward, Lira."
Lira blinked but moved ahead without hesitation. Andrew descended from the throne and approached her closely, speaking just loud enough for her to hear.
"Take care of Kael and Natalia," he whispered. "Don't speak it aloud. You'll understand in time. I am leaving Mihai in charge of Ashren. I will restore the borders and begin expansion into the other continent."
Lira's eyes widened. "You're leaving?"
Andrew didn't respond. He just gave her a gentle nod and turned away. "Go."
She obeyed, confused and cautious, retreating to stand beside Mihai, Andrei, and Alex—all silent, as if waiting for something only they understood.
"Natalia," Andrew called softly.
She stepped forward, brows furrowed. "What are you planning?"
"You will be Queen of Ashren," he said. "Take care of everyone."
"What? Andrew, you're still—"
He raised his hand, and mana flowed from his palm, silencing her words mid-sentence. She flinched, understanding that something was deeply wrong. But he turned away again before she could speak more.
"Kael."
Kael stepped forward without hesitation. His eyes met Andrew's with a piercing calm. No fear. No regret.
"I brought you here," Andrew said. "There's one more thing—"
Kael's hand moved.
A hidden blade of light, forged from his own inner power, shimmered to life and pierced Andrew's heart.
Time stopped.
The shadows recoiled, the room trembled.
Andrew's eyes widened in disbelief. The blade burned through him like a divine fire, unraveling the darkness within. He staggered back, breath catching in his throat.
"You really did it," he whispered. "You… chose this."
Kael pulled the blade free, his expression resolute. "There was no redemption for what you became."
Andrew fell to his knees. Then, like ash on the wind, his body dissolved and vanished without a trace.
Natalia cried out and rushed forward, dropping to the spot where her brother had stood. "No… NO! You were supposed to be saved!"
Kael knelt beside her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "He made his choice. We all did."
The silence that followed was overwhelming. The Shadow Generals—Mihai, Andrei, and even Alex—stood motionless. Then, as if freed from a curse, the shadows across the kingdom dissipated. Cities were no longer under Andrew's grip. The darkness lifted.
Ashren was free.
The celebration was unlike anything seen before. The people rejoiced as if awakening from a long nightmare. Children played in the streets, marketplaces buzzed with life, and banners of peace rose above the walls of every city.
One by one, the pieces of war were gathered and made right.
Mihai and Andrei were imprisoned for their crimes, stripped of power.
Alex, forgiven by the people, returned to lead his homeland once again—reborn in purpose.
GreenWolf vanished into the forests, taking with him the silence of a man who had walked the edge of darkness and turned back.
Kael, still recovering from his final blow, lay unconscious for three days before finally waking. Lira had not left his side. Her tears dried only when he opened his eyes again.
And David—David walked the quiet paths of the capital, the shadow of questions still lingering in his eyes.
"How could Andrew make such a mistake?" he wondered again and again.
But he smiled, for the world was healing.
And in the heart of the city of Riven, a great celebration was held. Fireworks lit up the sky. Families reunited. The freedom fighters had won.
The war was over.
Peace had returned.
And far, far away, beyond the sight of any eye, within the fabric of the void itself…
A presence stirred.
Two crimson eyes opened in the abyss.
A whisper echoed through time and space:
"But what they didn't know… it was all according to Andrew's plan."
He was not dead.
He was still watching.