Liora couldn’t breathe.

She stared at the man sitting upon the black throne.

The same golden eyes.

The same sharp jaw.

The same dark hair.

The same face she had seen beside her since childhood.

He looked like Kael.

But he was older.

Much older.

And unlike Kael, there was no warmth in his eyes.

Only darkness.

Liora slowly stepped backward.

“You…”

The man smiled.

“Yes.”

His voice was deep and calm.

“You finally remember me.”

Liora shook her head.

“You aren’t Kael.”

“No.”

He rose from the throne.

“I am Aren Ardyn.”

The name struck something inside her.

Aren.

Kael’s older brother.

The forgotten prince.

The prince everyone believed had died seventeen years ago.

Liora’s eyes widened.

“You were there.”

Aren smiled.

“I was always there.”

“You destroyed the kingdom.”

“No.”

His expression became colder.

“Your memories are incomplete.”

He raised his hand.

The darkness around the throne transformed into images.

A palace.

A battlefield.

Two princes.

Kael was only a baby.

Aren was seventeen.

Their father stood between them.

The King of Aetheria.

The royal family had been preparing for war against an ancient enemy.

The Shadow King.

But Aren remembered something different.

His father had discovered an ancient prophecy.

One son would save the kingdom.

One son would destroy it.

The prophecy named Kael as the Starborn.

Aren had been forgotten.

His father began treating Kael as the kingdom’s hope.

Aren became jealous.

Then afraid.

One night, he entered the forbidden chamber beneath the palace.

There he found a black crystal.

The Shadow Crystal.

It whispered to him.

“You can become stronger than your brother.”

Aren touched it.

Darkness entered his body.

The image disappeared.

Liora stared at him.

“You became the King of Shadows.”

Aren shook his head.

“I became what your world created.”

“You killed your father.”

“Yes.”

“You killed thousands.”

“Yes.”

“You destroyed everything.”

Aren looked toward her.

“And yet you still think Kael is innocent.”

Liora clenched her fists.

“He is.”

Aren smiled.

“Ask him.”

The chamber shook.

A deep blue light appeared beyond the doors.

Kael stepped inside.

His body was covered in glowing blue flames.

Two enormous energy wings spread behind him.

His golden eyes had changed.

One was blue.

The other was crimson.

Liora stared.

“Kael…”

He looked at her.

For a moment, the darkness disappeared from his face.

“Liora.”

Aren smiled.

“There he is.”

Kael looked at Aren.

“You.”

Aren stepped away from the throne.

“Brother.”

Kael’s expression hardened.

“You’re supposed to be dead.”

“So were you.”

Kael raised his hand.

Blue fire erupted.

Aren blocked it with one arm.

The impact shook the entire chamber.

Liora was thrown backward.

Kael attacked again.

Aren disappeared.

He appeared behind Kael.

A black blade formed in his hand.

Kael turned.

CLANG!

Blue energy and black darkness collided.

The shockwave shattered the throne.

Kael jumped backward.

Aren smiled.

“You’ve grown stronger.”

“I’ll surpass you.”

“You already have.”

Kael froze.

Aren looked at him.

“That’s why I’m afraid.”

For the first time, Liora saw fear in Aren’s eyes.

He wasn’t pretending.

He was genuinely afraid of Kael.

Then Aren looked at Liora.

“But there is one thing you still don’t understand.”

“What?”

“You aren’t merely the Silver-Eyed Guardian.”

Liora stared.

Aren pointed toward her chest.

“You are the last descendant of the Moon Queen.”

The chamber became silent.

Liora shook her head.

“My mother was a historian.”

“Your mother was the last queen of the Moon Realm.”

Liora’s eyes widened.

“No.”

Aren continued.

“The Moon Realm existed long before Aetheria.”

He raised his hand.

A silver image appeared.

A magnificent kingdom floating among the stars.

Its towers were made of crystal.

Its rivers reflected the moon.

And at its center stood a palace.

A woman with silver eyes stood on its balcony.

Liora whispered:

“Mother…”

Aren nodded.

“The Moon Realm was destroyed seventeen years ago.”

“By you?”

“No.”

Aren looked at Kael.

“By him.”

Kael froze.

Liora turned toward him.

“What?”

Kael’s face went pale.

“I don’t remember.”

Aren laughed softly.

“Of course you don’t.”

He stepped closer.

“Your mother sent you through the portal because she knew the truth.”

“What truth?”

“You were not sent away to escape the war.”

Aren looked directly into Kael’s eyes.

“You were sent away because you were the weapon that caused it.”

Kael’s breathing stopped.

“No.”

“You were born with the power of the Fallen Star.”

Aren continued.

“That power destroyed the Moon Realm.”

Liora stepped toward Kael.

“Is it true?”

Kael looked at her.

“I don’t know.”

Aren smiled.

“Ask yourself why your mother erased your memories.”

Kael grabbed his head.

Images returned.

A palace.

Fire.

His mother screaming.

The Moon Realm collapsing.

Liora standing before him.

A gigantic blue star above them.

Kael’s own hands glowing.

Then—

a massive explosion.

Liora was thrown into darkness.

Kael screamed.

“No!”

The vision ended.

He dropped to his knees.

Liora rushed toward him.

“Kael!”

He pushed her away.

“Stay back!”

“Kael—”

“I said stay back!”

Blue flames exploded around him.

The tower began collapsing.

Aren stepped backward.

“Now you remember.”

Kael’s eyes filled with tears.

“I killed them.”

Liora shook her head.

“You were a child.”

“I killed them!”

“You didn’t choose it!”

“I don’t know what I chose!”

The blue flames grew stronger.

The tower walls cracked.

Aren smiled.

“Yes.”

“That’s the power I remember.”

Liora looked at Aren.

“What do you want?”

Aren’s smile disappeared.

“Freedom.”

He pointed toward the sky.

“The Shadow Realm has been sealed for thousands of years.”

“Then why release it?”

“Because this world was never meant to survive forever.”

Aren raised his hand.

Black energy spread across the ceiling.

“The human kingdoms stole the power of the stars.”

“The Moon Realm stole the power of the shadows.”

“Now both realms are breaking.”

Liora stared at him.

“What happens if they break?”

Aren looked toward Kael.

“The world ends.”

Silence.

Then Kael stood.

His tears had stopped.

His eyes were calm.

“You won’t destroy this world.”

Aren laughed.

“And how will you stop me?”

Kael looked at Liora.

She understood.

“You’re going to fight him.”

“Yes.”

“You might die.”

“I know.”

She grabbed his hand.

“Then I’m coming.”

Kael looked at her.

“No.”

Liora frowned.

“You don’t get to decide that.”

“This is my fight.”

“No.”

She stepped closer.

“This has always been our fight.”

Kael stared at her.

Then slowly smiled.

“You haven’t changed.”

“Neither have you.”

Aren watched them.

For a moment, his expression softened.

Then it disappeared.

“Enough.”

He raised both hands.

The entire tower exploded.

---

Kael and Liora were thrown into the open air.

Below them, Noctis was collapsing.

Black towers fell.

Bridges shattered.

Dark creatures fled through the streets.

Above them, the seven stars had turned completely crimson.

Liora fell.

Kael grabbed her.

His blue wings opened.

They rose into the sky.

But Aren followed.

He floated above them.

A black crown appeared over his head.

“I am done waiting.”

Darkness poured from his body.

It covered the sky.

Kael pushed Liora behind him.

“Stay close.”

Liora raised her silver hands.

“I can fight.”

“I know.”

Aren attacked.

A black wave crossed the sky.

Kael countered with blue fire.

The collision created an explosion bright enough to illuminate the entire kingdom.

For several minutes, they fought among the clouds.

Blue flames.

Silver light.

Black shadows.

Each attack shook the mountains.

Kael struck Aren across the chest.

Aren crashed through a tower.

Liora created hundreds of silver blades.

They flew toward Aren.

He blocked them.

Then disappeared.

He reappeared behind Liora.

A black sword moved toward her heart.

Kael saw it.

“No!”

He flew between them.

The sword pierced his chest.

Everything stopped.

Liora’s eyes widened.

“Kael…”

Aren pulled the blade free.

Kael fell.

Liora caught him.

Blood stained her hands.

“No…”

Kael smiled weakly.

“You’re crying.”

“Shut up.”

“You always cry when you’re scared.”

“I’m not scared.”

“You are.”

Liora pressed her hands against his wound.

Silver light surrounded them.

“I won’t let you die.”

Kael looked at her.

“You can’t heal this.”

“I don’t care.”

The silver light grew brighter.

Aren watched silently.

Then something strange happened.

The silver energy entered Kael’s body.

His wound began closing.

Aren’s eyes widened.

“No…”

Liora’s eyes glowed brighter.

Kael’s blue flames returned.

Aren whispered:

“The Moon Queen’s blessing…”

Liora stood.

Silver light surrounded her entire body.

Her hair floated upward.

A crescent-shaped mark appeared on her forehead.

Kael stood beside her.

His wings expanded.

Blue and silver energy merged.

The sky changed.

The seven crimson stars became white.

Aren stared upward.

“No.”

Kael looked at him.

“This ends now.”

Aren smiled.

“Not yet.”

He raised his hand.

The sky split open.

Behind him appeared a gigantic black gate.

Something was moving inside.

Something enormous.

A hand emerged.

Then another.

Liora stared.

“What is that?”

Aren looked at Kael.

“The true King.”

Kael’s eyes widened.

“You aren’t the King?”

Aren shook his head.

“No.”

The black gate opened wider.

A gigantic figure appeared behind it.

A crown of darkness.

Eyes like dying stars.

A body larger than mountains.

The King of Shadows had awakened.

Aren stepped toward the creature.

“My role is finished.”

The King placed one enormous hand upon Aren.

Darkness swallowed him.

Liora screamed.

“Kael!”

Kael grabbed her hand.

The creature looked down at them.

Its voice shook the sky.

“Starborn.”

Kael stared upward.

The creature smiled.

“Moon Guardian.”

Liora’s silver eyes burned.

The King raised his hand.

“Return to me.”

Kael’s blue wings opened.

Liora’s silver aura exploded.

They stood together beneath the seven white stars.

Kael whispered:

“Liora.”

“Yes?”

“No matter what happens…”

She looked at him.

“I know.”

He smiled.

“Then let’s finish this.”

The King of Shadows descended.

The entire sky turned black.

And for the first time in seventeen years—

the last guardian and the forgotten prince stood together.

Not as children.

Not as survivors.

But as warriors.

The final battle had begun.