Chapter 22
The world seemed to shrink as Augustus stepped fully through the tear in the sky. The mountains beneath the hidden city trembled, as if the earth itself recognized him. Behind him, the tear slowly sealed, the sky closing until the battlefield felt suddenly smaller and more confined.
For a moment, everything went silent. There was no wind, no fire, no wings beating in the sky.
The First Sovereign floated above the mountains, enormous and overwhelming. As he descended, his form began to shrink, the massive body compressing into something closer to human. The power, however, did not fade. It became heavier, more concentrated. Golden light poured from his eyes, and ancient markings glowed faintly across his skin, symbols so old they seemed older than the mountains themselves. The air around him bent under the weight of his presence.
The dragons reacted first. They scattered through the clouds, wings beating sharply as instinct overpowered pride. Even the Dragon King moved back—not in fear, but in recognition.
Ariana felt it immediately. The power inside her surged violently, like two forces colliding inside her chest. She gasped and grabbed the edge of the broken balcony as pain shot through her body. Kael caught her arm. "Hey."
Her eyes flickered with unstable gold. "I can feel him." Kael looked up at Augustus. "Yeah. Me too."
But what he felt was different. The wolf inside him paced restlessly, not afraid but angry. Augustus continued descending until he stood on the air itself, as if gravity no longer applied to him. For several seconds, he said nothing. He simply looked around at the mountains, the dragons, and the burning city below. His expression was calm. Curious. Almost amused.
"So much time," he said slowly. "And yet nothing has changed."
His voice carried across the battlefield without effort. Every dragon heard it. Every warrior froze. Even the flames burning across the terraces seemed to dim.
Malrec lowered his head slightly. Augustus looked at him first. "You."
Malrec stepped forward. "I kept my promise." Augustus tilted his head. "Yes. You did." There was no praise in his voice, only acknowledgment.Then his gaze shifted to the palace. To Ariana.
The moment their eyes met, the power inside her exploded again. She staggered, nearly collapsing as Kael held her upright. "What's happening?" he asked. She struggled to breathe. "He's… pulling my power."
A faint smile appeared on Augustus' face. "Yes. But that power was never yours to begin with." Kael's wolf snarled under his skin. "Back off."
Augustus finally looked at him. His glowing eyes narrowed slightly. "Interesting."
The air around Kael shifted as the Wolf King's power rose. "The blood of the First Alpha still exists." Kael didn't flinch. "Surprise."
Augustus studied him more carefully. "That bloodline was meant to stand beside the Sovereign." Kael shrugged. "Still does."
Augustus turned back to Ariana, his expression sharpening. "And yet… something is wrong."
He moved closer, and every dragon in the sky instinctively shifted aside. Even the Dragon King lowered his head slightly. Ariana noticed. "You're bowing to him."The Dragon King's voice echoed in her mind. "He was our first master."
Augustus stopped above the palace and studied her in silence. His gaze was intense, searching. Then he frowned.
"You are incomplete." Ariana forced herself to stand straight. "What does that mean?"
Augustus raised one hand. The energy around her flared violently, and pain shot through her veins.She gasped. "Stop!" Kael stepped forward immediately. His power surged, and the air between them tightened.Augustus paused, then looked amused. "You would challenge me."
Kael's voice was steady. "Yes."
Augustus watched him for a moment, then smiled. "You remind me of the first wolf king."
Kael's eyes burned white. "Good. He didn't like you either." For the first time, Augustus laughed. The sound echoed across the mountains."That is true."
Then his expression hardened. "But he lost."
Augustus lifted his hand again, and Kael was thrown across the terrace with brutal force. He slammed into the palace wall, stone breaking apart around him.Ariana screamed. "Kael!"
But Augustus didn't look at him. His attention stayed on Ariana."You see? This is why the throne belongs to me."
Ariana forced herself upright, blood at the corner of her mouth. "You ruled once. Didn't work out."Augustus' eyes flashed. "The world needed order."
"You wanted control."
He didn't deny it. "Yes. And I will have it again."The dragons shifted above them, some circling closer to him, not attacking, but responding.
Ariana noticed. "You're controlling them." Augustus shrugged slightly. "They remember their master."
The Dragon King growled, a deep sound that shook the sky. "I remember the war."
Augustus looked up. "And you remember how it ended." The dragon did not answer. Ariana wiped the blood from her lip. "You're not the only Sovereign here."
Augustus looked back at her. "No. You are merely the replacement." The word hit harder than she expected. Replacement. Her eyes flared. "Then why are you afraid of me?"
"I am not afraid."
"Then kill me."
The battlefield went still.Behind her, Kael pushed himself back to his feet.
The Dragon King's voice echoed in her mind. "Careful."
But Ariana didn't step back.
"If you're the true Sovereign," she said, "then you shouldn't need my power."
Augustus studied her for a moment, then nodded. "You are correct."
He raised his hand. The sky darkened again. Dragons scattered. But this time, the power gathering in his palm was different. It wasn't gold, it was black, darker than anything they had seen before.
Ariana felt it instantly. Her blood turned cold. "What is that?" The man beside her spoke in a low voice. "That… is the power Augustus stole from the Abyss."
Augustus' eyes burned brighter. "Yes."
His voice rolled across the mountains.
"I am not just the First Sovereign."The dark energy in his hand expanded, swallowing the light around it. "I am the last one." Then he released it.
And the entire sky above the city collapsed into darkness.