Episode 26: The Cloak of Loyalty and the Prince of the Forgotten Crown
The forest fell silent.
Birds stopped chirping. Even the stream beside Ayra stilled, as if time itself had sensed something... ancient.
Ayra turned her gaze to the cloaked man standing near the trees. His presence felt off—not dangerous in a hostile way, but heavy... royal.
The boy beside her stiffened. Ayra felt the shift in his aura—panic. That calm, collected gaze was gone, replaced by something she hadn't seen in him before—fear.
> "That man," the boy whispered, his voice dry, "he shouldn't be here. No one from there should be here."
The cloaked figure slowly approached. His eyes, a deep golden hue, locked onto the boy's ring. He knelt—suddenly, shockingly—his forehead touching the earth.
> "My prince," he said, voice cracking with emotion. "You live."
Ayra blinked.
"Excuse me… Prince?"
The boy took a shaky step back, his ring glowing wildly now.
"I'm… not," he whispered, "I was never—"
The man raised his head.
> "You bear the Ring of Origin. The only one forged from the heart of the Primordial Flame. I forged it with your father's command before… before your disappearance."
> "You were betrayed by your own blood, cast into the lower realms… We searched all timelines, all dimensions, and now, here you are… alive, hidden—among enemies."
Ayra stepped between them.
"Whoa. Slow down, Mr. Drama Cloak. Can someone please explain?"
> "I am Velian," the man said, bowing once more. "One of the last living loyalists of the Multiverse King. And the boy you protect—he is the rightful heir."
Ayra's mind raced. Her heart thudded with a mixture of shock and realization.
> "If he's royalty... if his family tried to kill him..."
> "Then we're not just in danger," Ayra muttered, "we're part of something colossal."
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Back in the Multiversal Council Hall...
Twelve seats float above a glowing disk. Beings beyond comprehension sit in silence—until the Universal Observer speaks:
> "The anomaly has been located."
> "Two anomalies," another voice corrects. "The girl—Ayra—her power transcends even the omniverse. And now, the boy? A royal bloodline lost to war and betrayal? Together…"
A chilling silence follows.
> "Do we intervene?" asks one.
> "No," the oldest among them replies. "We watch. For now. And let the pieces fall."
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Ayra's Inner Thought (to us):
> So, Author… now I'm protecting a runaway prince with galaxy-sized baggage? What next? A pet dragon with a cosmic debt problem?
> …Wait. Don't get any ideas. Seriously. Don't.
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