The royal chamber slowly fell into silence.
Only moments earlier, the room had been filled with blazing fire, ancient runes, and the furious roar of Infernos. The sealing ritual had shaken the entire castle, and the terrifying power of the ancient flame had nearly destroyed the fragile body of the newborn child.
Now the glowing magic circles began to fade.
The sealing mages stood scattered across the chamber, exhausted beyond words. Some leaned against the stone pillars while others collapsed to their knees, their mana completely drained after performing the forbidden ritual.
The air still burned with leftover heat.
At the center of the chamber lay the fallen Monarch.
Kaal Grimheart.
The man whose power had protected the kingdom for decades.
The ruler whose strength had made neighboring nations fear the Grimheart throne.
Now he lay motionless upon the cold stone floor.
"KAAL!"
Queen Elina rushed forward and dropped beside him, lifting his head gently into her arms.
His breathing was faint.
The overwhelming presence that once filled the chamber had nearly vanished.
One of the elder sealing mages stepped forward quickly and placed a trembling hand against the Monarch's chest, releasing a small healing spell.
For several tense seconds, the chamber held its breath.
Finally the mage spoke.
"He still lives."
A quiet wave of relief spread through the room.
But the elder mage's face remained dark.
"…Barely."
Across the chamber stood the two cradles.
Inside the first cradle slept Leon Grimheart.
The newborn rested peacefully, unaware of the chaos that had taken place. A faint golden glow surrounded him, small sparks of light dancing softly in the air.
The divine power of Astra.
In the second cradle lay Ragna Grimheart.
Unlike his brother, faint crimson markings now glowed beneath the child's fragile skin.
Ancient sealing runes.
The prison that now contained the flames of Infernos.
One of the elder mages carefully examined the runes.
"The seal is stable… for now."
Another mage asked quietly,
"For how long?"
The elder mage hesitated.
"Infernos is not ordinary magic."
"No seal can contain it forever."
The chamber grew silent again.
At that moment, Kaal's fingers moved weakly.
"Elina…"
His voice was faint, almost a whisper.
The queen's eyes widened instantly.
"Kaal!"
Slowly, the Monarch opened his eyes.
His vision was blurred, but he could see the worried faces around him.
Then his gaze slowly moved toward the cradles.
His sons.
For a long moment, he simply watched them.
Then he spoke quietly.
"The ritual… succeeded."
Elina shook her head, tears forming in her eyes.
"You nearly died!"
"You gave away Astra… and then removed Infernos from your own body!"
"Why would you do this?"
Kaal gave a faint smile.
"It was necessary."
His gaze slowly turned toward the knights and sealing mages.
"I must give my final orders."
Even in his weakened state, the authority of the Monarch filled the room.
The knights immediately straightened.
The mages bowed their heads.
Kaal took a slow breath.
"The power of Astra… now belongs to my firstborn son."
His eyes rested on Leon.
"He will inherit the light of the Grimheart bloodline."
The knights bowed in respect.
But Kaal's expression grew serious.
"The younger child…"
His gaze shifted toward Ragna's cradle.
"The power sealed inside him must remain secret."
"Infernos must never be spoken of beyond this chamber."
"If the world learns that the Grimheart bloodline holds that power…"
"…this kingdom will become a battlefield."
The sealing mages immediately bowed.
"As you command, Your Majesty."
Kaal then turned his gaze back to Elina.
His voice became softer.
"There is something important you must do."
Elina leaned closer, gripping his hand tightly.
"What is it?"
Kaal looked toward the cradle where Ragna slept.
"The child must grow with love."
His voice trembled slightly.
"He must learn peace."
"He must learn kindness."
"If his heart remains calm… the seal will remain strong."
Elina listened silently.
But Kaal's eyes darkened slightly.
"But if he loses those emotions…"
"If he loses control of himself…"
"…then the seal may break."
The sealing mages felt a chill pass through them.
They had already felt Infernos earlier that night.
Even sealed, the ancient flame had nearly destroyed the chamber.
Kaal slowly looked toward Leon's cradle.
"That is why Leon must become strong."
His voice carried a quiet seriousness.
"If the day ever comes when Ragna loses control…"
"…then Leon must be able to stop him."
Elina's heart tightened painfully.
"They are brothers…"
Kaal nodded slowly.
"I know."
"And I pray that day never comes."
His breathing began to grow weaker.
Outside the chamber windows, the capital city stretched across the night.
Thousands of lights flickered through the streets.
Earlier that evening the sky had turned red.
The ground had trembled across the entire city.
People had gathered in the streets, staring toward the royal castle in fear.
No one knew what had happened.
But everyone felt that something had changed.
Kaal looked toward the distant city.
"For many years… my strength protected this kingdom."
"No enemy dared invade."
"No lord dared betray the crown."
His voice weakened.
"But now… that strength is gone."
Silence filled the chamber.
Kaal's eyes slowly closed and opened again.
"I wonder what will happen when I am gone."
"Will the nobles remain loyal…"
"…or will they fight each other for power?"
His breathing became slower.
"Will the people remain united…"
"…or will the kingdom divide?"
A faint sadness appeared in his voice.
"Without a strong ruler… inequality will grow."
"The powerful will take more."
"And the weak will suffer."
Elina's tears fell quietly.
Kaal turned his gaze once more toward the two cradles.
Leon.
Ragna.
"My sons…"
"…will inherit a difficult world."
He slowly tightened his weak grip on Elina's hand.
"Protect them."
"Raise them well."
"The future of this kingdom…"
"…belongs to them now."
His voice faded into a whisper.
"With Astra…"
"…and Infernos…"
"The world itself may one day tremble."
Then his hand slowly fell still.
The chamber remained silent.
No one moved.
Finally the elder mage lowered his head.
"The Monarch… has passed."
Elina's quiet sob echoed through the chamber.
Outside the palace walls, the citizens of the capital continued to stare toward the royal castle, unaware that their ruler had just died.
The strongest Monarch in the world was gone.
And inside the silent chamber…
Two newborn brothers slept peacefully.
One carried the light of Astra.
The other carried the sealed flames of Infernos.
No one beyond those walls knew the truth.
But on that night, the fate of the kingdom quietly changed.
Because the future of the Grimheart throne…
…now rested in the hands of two children.
And one day—
The world itself would learn their names.