Chapter 9 - THE LAST BATTLE OF BLACKWOODThe palace erupted into war.

Undead soldiers stormed through the gates.

Blackwood warriors met them in the courtyard.

Steel struck bone.

Magic tore through stone.

Draven stood at the center.

Ren beside him.

He looked at her.

“This is our last chance.”

She nodded.

“What do we do?”

“Trust me.”

“I already do.”

Their hands joined.

The bond activated.

Silver light spread outward.

The undead soldiers screamed.

For one second, they stopped.

Then Vesper shouted,

“BREAK THEM!”

The dead attacked again.

Draven charged.

He moved like a storm.

Every strike sent enemies flying.

But there were too many.

Captain Hale fell.

Alaric took an arrow to the chest.

Draven saw his father drop.

“FATHER!”

Alaric smiled weakly.

“Don't stop.”

Draven froze.

Alaric pointed toward the central tower.

“Vesper.”

Draven looked.

Vesper was climbing the tower with Karine.

Ren suddenly understood.

“He's taking her to the ritual chamber.”

“Stay here.”

“No.”

“Ren.”

“You said trust you.”

“Yes.”

“Then trust me too.”

She ran.

Draven followed.

They raced up the tower.

At the top was a circular chamber.

Ancient runes covered the floor.

Karine was chained to the center.

Vesper stood above her.

“You betrayed me.”

Karine laughed bitterly.

“I never belonged to you.”

Vesper looked at Ren.

“You still don't understand.”

Ren stepped forward.

“You made Draven believe he was broken.”

“I merely revealed what people already thought.”

“You manufactured the rejection.”

Vesper smiled.

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“Because despair weakens a guardian.”

Ren looked at Draven.

“And love strengthens one.”

Vesper nodded.

“Which is why you must die.”

He raised his hand.

The ritual began.

Black energy wrapped around Ren.

Draven attacked.

A barrier exploded between them.

He slammed into it.

“REN!”

She screamed.

The floor beneath her opened.

A voice echoed.

GIVE ME THE HEIR.

Ren's body began to lift.

Draven pounded against the barrier.

“I won't lose you.”

Vesper laughed.

“You already did.”

Ren looked at him.

Then at Draven.

She remembered his first kindness.

The night he knelt to wash blood from her feet.

The way he always stayed near the door so she would never feel trapped.

The way he had made himself smaller his entire life because everyone told him he was too much.

She smiled.

“Draven.”

He looked up.

“I love you.”

Everything stopped.

The ritual shattered.

Vesper screamed.

The bond exploded.

The silver light swallowed the room.

Ren fell.

Draven caught her.

Vesper staggered backward.

“What did you do?”

Draven looked at Ren.

Then at Vesper.

“You forgot one thing.”

Vesper stared.

Draven's eyes were no longer silver.

They were both silver and gold.

“The bond doesn't feed on fear.”

He held Ren close.

“It feeds on choice.”

Vesper's face twisted.

“No.”

Karine ripped free from her chains.

She grabbed a fallen sword and struck Vesper across the chest.

He staggered.

Draven stood.

“You wanted a weapon.”

He raised his blade.

“You should have remembered that weapons can choose their target.”

Vesper attacked.

The battle lasted seconds.

Draven blocked.

Countered.

And finally drove his sword through Vesper's chest.

Silence.

Vesper looked down.

Blood spread across his robes.

Then he laughed.

Draven frowned.

“Why are you laughing?”

Vesper whispered,

“Because I was never the final enemy.”

The tower shook.

A crack appeared beneath the floor.

The ancient king rose from the darkness.

The entire roof exploded.

A colossal figure emerged above the palace.

Everyone in Blackwood looked up.

The ancient king had changed.

He was no longer human.

Black wings unfolded behind him.

His eyes became endless black.

He looked at Ren.

“Little heir.”

Then at Draven.

“Guardian.”

He raised one hand.

Every dead soldier in the kingdom rose again.

Alaric crawled to his feet.

Draven's mother stood beside him.

Captain Hale lifted his sword.

Karine joined them.

Draven looked at Ren.

“We're outnumbered.”

Ren smiled.

“So?”

Draven laughed.

It was the first time his soldiers had ever heard their king laugh in battle.

He raised his sword.

“Then we make history.”

The ancient king roared.

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The army charged.

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