The platform trembled beneath my feet as the final memory faded into my soul. My breath slowed. My mind... felt whole. Not complete—there were still blanks—but the shattered glass of my past had begun to reform.
The system's words echoed in my head:
[Class Awakening Complete: Sovereign of the Fractured Realm] [Passive Skill Gained: Regal Presence – Weak-minded enemies tremble in your aura.] [Active Skill Gained: Realmcall – Temporarily summon a fragment of your lost kingdom to aid in battle or exploration.]
My body pulsed with raw energy. Not fire. Not lightning. It was like the air around me had finally remembered who I was.
And it bowed.
So… this is what it feels like to reclaim power that was once yours.
Behind me, the seven doors shuddered and sunk into the blackness. The obsidian archway leading back to the real world reignited with blue flame.
I stepped through.
---
The forest greeted me again—but it wasn't the same. The air was still thick, the trees still crooked and dead-looking, but now they leaned away from me. Even the wind seemed quieter. Like the world was holding its breath.
"I was wondering when you'd come back."
The voice came from the shadows.
I turned slowly, muscles tensed.
The same old hooded figures stood before me—this time, there were five. One of them, the tallest, stepped forward. His cloak swayed despite no wind.
"You've awakened."
"No thanks to any of you," I muttered.
He chuckled. "It was never our role to help. Only to witness. And now… we bear witness to a Sovereign who has not yet claimed his court."
"What do you mean?"
The hooded figure pointed to the dark horizon. "The Trial of Memory is over. Now begins the Trial of Dominion."
[New Quest Activated: Claim Your Court] Objective: Locate the scattered remnants of your former allies and rebuild the Sovereign's Council.
I blinked. "So… a fetch quest?"
"More like... a loyalty test."
The ground beneath me cracked, and a glowing path lit up through the forest. Beyond the trees, distant silhouettes moved.
Time to get walking.
---
My journey led me to the ruins of a broken watchtower overgrown with crimson vines. Two arched windows peeked out like tired eyes.
Inside, I found him—the first of the council.
A ghost.
He floated in midair, wearing half-plate armor and a tattered cape. His face was covered by a shattered mask.
"You abandoned us," he said before I could speak.
"I didn't remember—"
"Excuses of the weak."
He flew at me.
No fighting, I reminded myself. But maybe... something else.
I let my aura flare. Regal Presence pulsed outward.
The ghost froze.
He trembled.
Then—he bowed.
"Forgive me… My King."
[Ally Recovered: Wraith Captain Thorne – Loyalty: Shaky]
A voice echoed again:
[Progress: 1/7 Council Members Found]
---
The second was hidden within a shattered monastery deeper in the woods. A statue that watched me as I entered.
Not a statue.
A golem.
"Access denied," it said in a hollow tone. "Throne authority not verified."
"I am the Sovereign," I growled.
"Prove it."
I activated Realmcall. A fragment of a marble hall shimmered into existence behind me.
The golem's eyes lit up. "...Welcome back, Master."
[Ally Recovered: Sentinel Arkan – Loyalty: Stable]
[Progress: 2/7 Council Members Found]
---
The third was unexpected.
A child.
A small girl in a broken royal gown, humming in the ruins of a garden. She looked up when I approached, her eyes glowing silver.
"Did you remember me this time?"
My throat closed. "...I don't know."
She nodded. "That's okay. I remembered you."
She hugged me. My vision blurred.
[Ally Recovered: Oracle Lira – Loyalty: Unshakable]
[Progress: 3/7 Council Members Found]
---
By the time I'd found the fourth—an exiled general turned beast—the sun (if it even existed in this world) had begun to fade.
He snarled at me when I entered his lair. A hulking figure with furred shoulders and a wicked scar across his jaw.
"You reek of guilt," he said.
"I reek of a guy who's had a long day."
That made him laugh. A deep, thundering sound.
He stepped aside. "Prove you're worth following. Or die trying."
I offered him my hand.
He took it.
[Ally Recovered: General Varak – Loyalty: Growing]
[Progress: 4/7 Council Members Found]
---
I sat down on a fallen tree, breath heavy.
"Four out of seven. Not bad."
The hooded figure from before appeared again. "You're progressing faster than expected."
"I'm not here to play games. I want answers. Real ones."
He shrugged. "Then ask better questions."
I rolled my eyes. "Why did I lose my throne?"
He paused.
"You gave it up. Willingly. For a deal."
"...What kind of deal?"
"One that you'll regret remembering."
[Chapter end]
Who were the last three council members? What deal did Rael make that cost him everything? And what lies at the heart of the fractured realm he once ruled?
Next chapter: The Bargain Beneath the Black Moon