A single drop of water struck the stone floor.
Drip.
Kael slowly opened his eyes.
The magnificent courtroom, the burning capital, and the endless white plain had vanished.
He was back inside the First Royal Sanctuary.
The ancient braziers burned with pale blue flames, their light dancing across weathered stone walls. The silence was different now. It no longer felt empty.
It felt… watchful.
Kael remained kneeling for several moments, his breathing steady as he tried to separate memories from reality.
Had the people he met truly existed?
Sister Miriam.
Captain Lucien.
The First Queen.
Osric.
Even though the trial had ended, their voices still lingered in his mind.
His fingers instinctively touched the silver ring on his hand.
It was still there.
"So it wasn't just a dream."
The Keeper's Farewell
Footsteps echoed through the sanctuary.
Osric emerged from the shadows.
But he looked older than before.
Far older.
His silver hair had become completely white, and the lines on his face seemed deeper, as though the trial had stolen decades from him.
"You've returned," Kael said.
Osric smiled faintly.
"So you have."
Kael immediately noticed something was wrong.
"You don't look well."
"The Sanctuary has fulfilled its purpose."
The old Keeper looked around the ancient hall with affection.
"I remained alive because someone had to welcome the next king."
His voice carried neither fear nor regret.
"My duty… is complete."
Kael's expression changed.
"What do you mean?"
Osric chuckled softly.
"You already know."
Kael looked at him in disbelief.
"No…"
The old man nodded.
"I should have passed on centuries ago."
"The Throne merely granted me borrowed time."
A Promise Between Kings
Kael stepped closer.
"There has to be another way."
"There isn't."
Osric raised a trembling hand.
"The dead should not cling to the world of the living."
For a moment, neither spoke.
Finally, Osric broke the silence.
"When I was young…"
"I believed a king needed to be feared."
"When I grew older…"
"I believed a king needed to be respected."
He looked directly into Kael's eyes.
"Now I know…"
"A king must first be worthy of trust."
Kael remembered the System's words.
Authority is earned.
Not inherited.
Not demanded.
Earned.
Osric reached into his robes and produced a worn leather-bound journal.
Its cover bore the faded emblem of Aetherion.
"I wrote this over four hundred years."
Kael accepted it carefully.
The pages were filled with neat handwriting, maps, names, sketches of forgotten cities, and personal notes.
"It contains everything I learned while waiting."
"The places where the Royal Thrones once stood."
"The families who remained loyal."
"The mistakes we made."
Kael held the journal with both hands.
"I'll treasure it."
Osric smiled.
"No."
"You'll use it."
"A king who treasures knowledge but never acts upon it changes nothing."
The Sanctuary Sleeps
Without warning, the blue flames surrounding the chamber began to dim.
One after another.
Until only the fire behind the First Throne remained.
The sanctuary trembled.
Dust fell from the ceiling.
Kael looked around.
"What's happening?"
"The Sanctuary is returning to its slumber."
"It will not awaken again…"
"…until another worthy ruler seeks it."
The massive throne at the center of the chamber slowly dissolved into particles of golden light.
Its purpose had been fulfilled.
The First Oath had found a new bearer.
Authority
The Royal Covenant System appeared before Kael once more.
Unlike before, its interface had changed.
The faded crest of Aetherion now shone brightly.
Royal Covenant System
King: Kael
Authority: 3
Royal Relics: Ring of the First Oath
Royal Thrones Restored: 1/7
Kingdom Status: Destroyed
Citizens: 0
Royal Knights: 0
Treasury: Empty
Capital: Lost
Main Objective:
Restore the Kingdom of Aetherion.
Kael stared at the screen.
He laughed quietly.
"This might be the poorest kingdom in history."
Osric laughed with him.
"Every great kingdom begins with almost nothing."
Beyond the Sanctuary
Far outside the ruins…
Elara sat beside a small campfire beneath the ancient trees.
Three days had passed since Kael entered the sanctuary.
Three days.
She had considered leaving more than once.
Yet something stopped her each time.
Perhaps curiosity.
Perhaps guilt.
Or perhaps…
Hope.
Suddenly—
The ground beneath her trembled.
The enormous stone doors of the sanctuary slowly opened for the first time in centuries.
A warm golden light spilled into the forest.
Elara immediately stood, gripping her staff.
From within the light…
A lone figure emerged.
Covered in dust.
Exhausted.
But walking with steady steps.
Kael.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Then Elara folded her arms.
"You took your time."
Kael smiled weakly.
"I've had a busy few days."
She raised an eyebrow.
"You've been gone for three days."
He blinked.
"…Three days?"
Inside the trial, it had felt like only a few hours.
Before he could ask another question, Elara noticed the silver ring on his hand.
Her expression changed instantly.
She stepped closer.
"No…"
Her voice was barely above a whisper.
"That's impossible."
Kael looked at the ring.
"What?"
Elara's emerald eyes widened.
"You actually earned the First Oath."
For the first time since meeting her…
The calm and composed Grand Archmage looked genuinely shocked.
And Kael realized…
His journey as the Last King had truly begun.