The Forbidden Element

Rain fell hard over the ancient ruins, though no clouds loomed in the sky. The air above the Forbidden Palace twisted unnaturally—light bent at odd angles, and shadows crawled across cracked marble as if alive.

Surya stood at the edge of a forgotten kingdom.

The entrance loomed before him, a massive gate shattered by time but still pulsing with raw, violent energy. What had once been the center of the world now reeked of sorrow and unresolved hatred.

"This place feels... wrong," Kiran whispered, his usual bravado stripped by the atmosphere.

"It's not just ruined," Rudra added, tightening his grip on his blade. "It's cursed."

Saria stepped closer to Surya. "Are you sure this is it?"

He nodded. "Velmira said the last relic—The Celestial Vein—is hidden here. Without it, I can't face the Hollow King."

The crew walked past shattered pillars, each step echoing like a whisper in a tomb. Mosaics on the walls depicted kings long gone—men who wielded enormous power but had fallen to madness. Their eyes, though painted, seemed to follow them.

Then, from the far hall... a whisper.

"Come forth."

Surya stopped in his tracks.

The voice wasn't his own—but it echoed with the same power as the ability he wielded.

Rudra drew his sword. "We're not alone."

Suddenly, a golden chain shot from the darkness. Surya barely dodged, the weapon digging deep into the wall behind him.

Figures emerged—spectral, half-formed, remnants of once-great warriors. All of them bound by chains connected to a throne made of fractured crystal floating in mid-air. And on that throne sat a boy.

A boy with white eyes and a blood-red crown of ash.

"You're the new inheritor, aren't you?" the boy asked, voice devoid of age or warmth. "The next God of War. I've waited a long time to watch one of you die."

"Who are you?" Surya demanded.

"I am what you might become if you fail," the boy said, standing. "I was the first to wield Ascend. And I drowned in it."

He raised his hand, and the chained warriors surged forward.

Battle erupted.

Kiran leapt into the air, kicking one spirit so hard it scattered into dust, but three more took its place. Rudra's blade clashed with a chained general, every strike slowing under the weight of unnatural pressure. Saria unleashed a barrier to protect Surya—but it cracked from just one blow.

Surya stepped forward.

The boy watched, curious.

"Why don't you summon your dead?" he taunted. "Call them. Command them. Let them bleed for you."

"No," Surya said, aura flaring gold. "I don't fight through them. I fight with them."

He dashed forward.

Their swords met—gold against void.

In the clash, visions assaulted Surya's mind. Kingdoms devoured by darkness. A throne with no end. A god chained by his own creations.

The boy screamed. "You're not ready!"

Surya roared. "Then I'll become more than ready!"

The golden aura around him expanded. His ATOM energy spiraled upward—forming a spear of pure light—and with one final push, he drove it through the throne.

Shards exploded outward, light engulfed the hall—

And silence fell.

When the light faded, the boy was gone.

But on the ground, nestled in the shattered remains of the crystal throne, was a small vial—glowing like a heartbeat.

The Celestial Vein.

Surya knelt and picked it up. His eyes burned, but not with exhaustion—with understanding.

He turned to his crew. "We have what we need."

Saria smiled faintly. "Then let's finish this."

But far away, beyond the Forbidden Palace, deep within the Hollow King's newly awakened fortress...

The Watchers had gathered.

And one of them whispered:

"He's getting closer."

TO BE CONTINUED...