Chapter 105 - Chapter 105: The King Beneath the World

The ground split open beneath Lyra.Kael moved first.He grabbed Lyra around the waist and pulled her away as the stone collapsed."Lyra!"She landed hard against his chest."I'm fine."Another crack tore through the chamber.Aurelia stumbled backward."The entire floor is breaking!"Garrick raised his weapon and searched the darkness below."Something is coming."A deep rumble answered him.The seven Hearts suddenly rose higher into the air.Their lights began circling faster.Lyra could feel something pulling at them.Not the Void.Not the Creator's weapon.Something older.Her mother reached for her."Don't let the Hearts separate."Lyra caught her hand."What is underneath us?"Her mother hesitated.That hesitation frightened Lyra more than the collapsing ground."You know what it is.""I know what it was."Her mother's eyes remained fixed on the opening."The First World had a ruler before the Creator ever arrived."The silver-eyed man slowly lowered his sword."A ruler?"His expression hardened."You mean him."Lyra turned toward him."You know who she's talking about?""I remember."His voice was quieter than before."Before the Creator came here, the First World already had a guardian."Another heartbeat shook the chamber.Boom.Dust fell from the ceiling.The Sovereign was still nowhere to be seen.Lyra glanced toward the darkness where he had disappeared."Can we survive this if he comes back?"The silver-eyed man didn't answer.That was enough.Kael stepped forward."Then we'll deal with whatever comes."The man looked at him."You don't understand.""Then explain."The silver-eyed man pointed toward the opening."The First World's king isn't a person."The chamber suddenly became freezing cold."He is the world itself."Everyone fell silent.Lyra felt the seven Hearts tremble.A voice rose from beneath them."Heir."Lyra froze.The voice wasn't loud.It didn't need to be.It seemed to come from every part of the First World at once.Trees outside began bending toward the palace.The ruined buildings shifted.Even the sky changed.A massive golden symbol appeared above the clouds.Lyra's mother grabbed her shoulders."Do not answer."Lyra stared at her."Why?""Because if you answer him, the First World will recognize you.""And what happens then?"Her mother swallowed."You become its queen."The silver-eyed man corrected her."No."Everyone turned toward him.He looked at Lyra."She becomes its ruler."Lyra stepped closer to the edge of the broken floor."What if I don't want that?"The voice answered before anyone else could."Choice is irrelevant."The seven Hearts suddenly flew toward the opening.Lyra reached for them."No!"Golden light exploded through the chamber.One by one, the Hearts stopped above the darkness.A figure began rising from below.First came two enormous hands made of silver stone.Then shoulders.Then a head.The figure continued growing until its face emerged from the darkness.It had no eyes.No mouth.Only a smooth silver face marked with the same symbol Lyra had seen on the throne.The crown.And the open hand.Lyra stared at it."I've seen that symbol before."Her mother nodded."It was carved into the First Throne."The silver-eyed man tightened his grip on his sword."The Creator didn't build the throne."Lyra looked at him."Then who did?"He answered with one word."The King."The giant slowly lifted its head.The seven Hearts began moving toward it.Lyra immediately understood what was happening."It wants the Hearts."Her mother shook her head."No."The giant extended one hand.The Hearts stopped."They aren't being taken."Lyra watched as each Heart began shining brighter."They're choosing."The first Heart moved closer.Then the second.Then the third.Soon all seven floated above the giant's palm.Lyra felt their connection weakening.She reached out."Come back."The Hearts remained still.For the first time since awakening them, Lyra felt fear.Not fear of death.Fear of losing everyone connected to her.Kael stepped beside her."Lyra."She didn't look at him."I can't feel them anymore.""Then we'll find another way."She shook her head."There may not be another way."The giant lowered its hand.The seven Hearts descended toward its palm.Then the First Flame inside Lyra suddenly burned.A sharp pain tore through her chest.She dropped to one knee.Her mother rushed toward her."Lyra!"The silver-eyed man stopped her."Wait."Lyra gasped.A golden mark appeared across her chest.The same symbol.Crown.Open hand.The seven Hearts stopped moving.The giant froze.For the first time, its expressionless face seemed to change.The voice returned.But this time, there was something different in it.Recognition."You carry the Eighth Flame."Lyra slowly stood."I don't carry it anymore."The silver-eyed man looked at her.Lyra placed a hand over her chest."The Firstborn does."A long silence followed.Then the giant lowered its head.The entire First World trembled."Then the vessel must kneel."The silver-eyed man stepped forward."No."The giant turned toward him."Firstborn."He raised his sword."You remember me.""You were my beginning."The man's eyes hardened."And you were my prison."The giant's hand closed.The seven Hearts vanished inside its palm.Lyra's blood ran cold.The giant spoke again."Then let the heir decide."Its enormous hand pointed toward Lyra."Kneel before the King…"The ground beneath Lyra's feet began glowing."…or watch the Seven Hearts die."Lyra looked at Kael.Then at her mother.Then at the Firstborn.Finally, she looked at the ancient King.She slowly stepped forward.But instead of kneeling, Lyra raised her hand.The open-hand symbol on her chest began to shine."I already made my choice."The First World went completely still.Lyra's voice carried through the ruined palace."I don't kneel for power."The seven Hearts suddenly erupted with light inside the King's hand."And I won't let anyone use the people I love as a reason to control me."The King's head lifted.For the first time, a mouth appeared on its silver face.And it smiled."Then you are finally worthy of the throne."Behind Lyra, the ancient palace doors opened by themselves.Beyond them stood a throne that had never been empty.And someone was already sitting on it. Lyra stood at the entrance of the ancient throne room.No one moved.The person sitting on the throne remained perfectly still.Kael stepped closer to Lyra."Don't go in."Lyra kept her eyes on the figure."Who is that?"Her mother didn't answer.The Firstborn did."I know him."Lyra turned."Who?"The silver-eyed man looked almost pale."Your father."Lyra's breath caught."No."Her mother covered her mouth."That's impossible."The figure slowly lifted his head.The face was older than the image Lyra had seen in her father's message, but she recognized him immediately.The same eyes.The same sharp features.The same scar above his eyebrow.Lyra stepped forward."Dad?"The man opened his eyes.For a moment, nothing happened.Then he smiled."My little girl."Lyra couldn't breathe.Her mother rushed forward, but an invisible barrier stopped her."Don't!"The woman struck the barrier with both hands."That's not him!"Lyra turned sharply."What do you mean?"Her mother shook her head."I watched your father die."The figure on the throne chuckled."She watched a body die."He slowly stood."But your father was never just a body."The throne room shook.Kael drew his sword."Stay away from her."The man glanced at him."You are Kael."Kael stiffened."You know me?""I know everyone who has stood beside my daughter."His gaze moved across the room."Seraphine. Aurelia. Selene. Rylan. Garrick. Caelan."Caelan stepped forward."You're not him."The man smiled."You would know."Caelan's expression hardened."I buried him.""And yet here I stand."Lyra couldn't take her eyes away from him."If you're really my father, tell me something only you would know."The man walked down the steps."When you were six, you broke your mother's favorite cup."Lyra's eyes widened."You blamed it on the cat."Aurelia frowned."There was no cat.""I know."A small smile touched his face."That was the problem."Lyra's eyes filled with tears."Dad…"Her mother suddenly shouted."Lyra, don't touch him!"Lyra stopped.Her father looked toward her mother."You always were afraid of what would happen if she found me."Her mother stared at him."Because I knew what you became."The man's smile disappeared."I became what I had to become."The Firstborn raised his sword."You didn't become anything."He pointed the blade at the throne."You were taken."Lyra looked between them."Taken by whom?"The Firstborn answered."The King."The enormous silver figure still stood behind them, watching.Lyra's father turned toward it."You kept me here for centuries."The King gave no response.Lyra's father continued."You used my memories. My blood. My connection to the First Flame."Lyra's voice trembled."Why?"Her father looked at her."Because the throne needed a guardian."He placed his hand against his chest."And I was the last one who could survive it."Lyra looked at the throne."Then why did everyone believe you were dead?""Because your mother needed you to grow up without becoming a target."Her mother shook her head."I wanted you to have a normal life.""And I wanted you to have a chance to choose your own."Lyra stepped closer."Choose what?"Her father looked at the seven Hearts trapped inside the King's hand."The same choice your mother tried to protect you from."The throne behind him began glowing.Lyra immediately recognized the symbols.The crown.The open hand.Her father pointed toward them."The throne isn't asking you to rule."He looked directly into her eyes."It's asking you to decide who gets to exist when this world ends."Lyra's blood ran cold."What does that mean?"Her father didn't answer.Instead, the seven Hearts suddenly broke free from the King's hand.They shot across the chamber.One entered Seraphine.Another entered Aurelia.Then Selene.Rylan.Garrick.Caelan.The final Heart stopped in front of Lyra.Everyone watched.Lyra reached toward it.The Heart touched her palm.A vision struck her.She saw the First World burning.She saw the Creator standing before the throne.She saw her father fighting beside him.She saw the Sovereign kneeling before them.And then she saw something that made her blood freeze.Her mother stood opposite them.Holding a newborn Lyra.The Creator raised his weapon.Her father stepped in front of them.The weapon struck him.But instead of killing him, it split his soul.One half remained with the throne.The other half…Lyra opened her eyes.Her father stood before her."Now you understand."She could barely speak."You're not completely alive.""No."He touched her cheek."I'm what's left of your father's soul."Tears slipped down Lyra's face."Can I save you?"He smiled sadly."That's why the throne brought you here."Her mother screamed."No! Don't listen to it!"The throne began shaking.The King finally moved.Its massive hand reached toward Lyra.The Firstborn stepped between them."Not yet."The King stopped.Her father's expression became serious."Lyra, listen carefully."She wiped her tears."I'm listening.""If you take the throne, the First World survives."He paused."But your father dies completely."Lyra froze."And if I reject it?"Her father looked toward the collapsing sky beyond the palace."The First World disappears."Kael stepped beside Lyra."Then there has to be another choice."Her father smiled."That's what I've been waiting for."The throne suddenly cracked.A dark light emerged from beneath it.The King's voice shook the entire world."There is no third choice."Lyra looked at the throne.Then at her father.Then at the seven Hearts.Her expression hardened."Then I'll make one."The crown symbol appeared beneath her feet.The open hand appeared above her.And somewhere beneath the First World, the Eternal Void began to laugh.