The Forbidden Element

The world stopped.

Surya's breath hitched.

He looked down—Varun's hand was inside his chest.

His heart... had stopped beating.

A wave of unimaginable cold spread through his veins, seeping into his very soul. His limbs trembled, his golden aura flickering violently as if struggling to survive. His sword slipped from his fingers, clattering onto the frozen ground below.

Varun smirked.

"Disappointing," he muttered. "I expected more from the so-called 'Prince of the Fallen Kingdom.'"

He tightened his grip.

Surya's body convulsed. The ice was no longer just freezing his flesh—it was invading his core, erasing him from within. His once unshakable will flickered, drowning in the abyss of Varun's power.

Was this it?

Was this how his journey ended?

No.

Not yet.

A faint whisper echoed in his fading mind.

"Stand up, my son."

His father's voice.

King Veer Raj.

Suddenly—a pulse.

Deep inside Surya's frozen chest, something stirred.

A faint warmth. A defiant ember refusing to be extinguished.

And then—

BOOOOOOM!

A golden explosion erupted from within Surya's body, blasting Varun backward.

The tyrant grunted as he skidded across the battlefield, the dark mist around his body wavering. His eyes narrowed as he watched Surya, now kneeling on the ground, gripping his own chest.

He should be dead.

But he wasn't.

His heart... had started beating again.

Thump.

Thump.

Thump.

Each beat grew stronger, faster—until his golden aura surged back to life.

The frozen wound on his chest sealed itself. The frost invading his veins burned away. His body refused to break.

Varun's smirk returned.

"Hah... So, you're still standing?"

Surya rose to his feet, his breathing ragged but unwavering. His golden eyes burned like miniature suns, radiating a new, deeper intensity.

"You're not the first tyrant I've faced," he muttered, flexing his fingers. "And you won't be the last."

Varun chuckled, cracking his neck. "Good. It wouldn't be fun otherwise."

Then—he vanished.

Surya's instincts screamed.

CLANG!