The Forbidden Element

Surya's eyes fluttered open to an endless white void.

There was no sky, no ground—only an infinite expanse stretching in every direction. His body felt weightless, yet something pressed down on his soul—a crushing force unlike anything he had ever felt before.

Then, he heard them.

The voices of the kings.

"He is not ready."

"Too reckless."

"And yet, he walks this path."

The pressure intensified, his lungs tightening as if an unseen force was testing his resolve.

Surya clenched his fists, his golden aura sparking violently. "If you want to judge me, do it to my face!"

The void shifted.

A grand throne materialized before him—tall, cracked, ancient. Symbols of forgotten rulers were etched into the stone, glowing faintly with golden light.

And sitting atop it—

A man cloaked in shadows.

His piercing gaze felt like fire on Surya's skin. His presence alone made the air heavy.

Surya knew immediately.

This was no mere illusion.

This was the First King.

The man who once held the throne of the Strongest Kingdom.

"You seek power," the First King's voice rumbled. "But power alone does not make a king."

Surya stood firm. "I don't just want power. I want to protect what's mine."

The First King's eyes narrowed. "Then prove it."

The air cracked—and suddenly—

Surya wasn't alone anymore.

Saria, Kiran, Rudra—his crew stood behind him.

Except... something was wrong.

Their faces were blank. Their eyes were empty.

They weren't moving.

The First King's voice echoed. "This is the price of a weak king."

Surya's heart pounded. No.

"You failed to protect them."

The scene changed.

The sky turned black. The ground was littered with bodies.

His crew lay before him—lifeless. Saria's hand reached toward him, unmoving.

A nightmare.

A vision of what could be.

His breathing quickened. "Stop this!"

The First King's eyes pierced through him. "A king carries the weight of every life under his rule. Can you bear it?"

Surya's hands shook. The images burned into his mind.

But then—

He took a step forward.

"That won't happen," he said, his voice steady.

The First King's brow arched. "You believe you can defy fate?"

Surya's golden aura flared, brighter than before. "I don't believe in fate."

"I make my own destiny."

The void shattered.

The weight lifted.

Surya gasped as he stumbled forward, the vision fading.

When he looked up, the First King was gone.

Only the throne remained.

And then—

A deep voice whispered in his mind.

"Then take your first step, King of the Forgotten."

Golden energy surged through Surya's veins.

His vision blurred—

And when he opened his eyes—

He was back in the temple.

But something was different.

His body felt lighter, stronger. His aura unstoppable.

And in his palm—

The sigil of the First King burned with new power.

Surya exhaled.

He had passed the test.

But this was only the beginning.

TO BE CONTINUED...