"I expected more than this, little boy."
The King's voice echoed throughout the grand hall.
Kais clenched his teeth.
His eyes widened in disbelief.
The Ice Spirit...
A being that had always seemed invincible...
Was now pinned to the ground beneath the King's hand.
With only one hand, the King gripped one of the Ice Spirit's horns and forced its head against the floor.
The ancient spirit's entire body trembled.
Yet it couldn't even move.
As if...
An insurmountable gap existed between them.
The Ice Spirit roared.
A deadly cold spread across the hall.
But the King didn't even blink.
"You make too much noise."
Then he waved his hand.
BOOOOM!
The massive body of the Ice Spirit was hurled through the air like a rag doll.
It crashed into one of the black pillars with overwhelming force.
The pillar shook.
But not even a scratch appeared on it.
The Ice Spirit fell to the ground.
Motionless.
...
Kais was stunned.
"What... just happened?"
His breath caught in his throat.
"But that's one of Kali's spirits..."
His eyes remained fixed on the Ice Spirit.
Waiting for it to stand.
Waiting for it to attack again.
But nothing happened.
"Get up..."
His voice trembled.
"Get up..."
Then suddenly he shouted:
"GET UP ALREADY!"
His fists tightened.
"Icy! I was counting on you!"
But the Ice Spirit gave no response.
Silence filled the hall.
And then...
The King laughed.
A quiet laugh.
Yet full of mockery.
"Ha... ha... ha..."
The corner of his lips curled upward.
"You are far too weak."
Kais trembled with rage.
The veins on his neck bulged.
His hand clenched into a fist.
Slowly, he turned his face toward the King.
For the first time...
The fear in his eyes faded.
And something else replaced it.
Rage.
Pure and burning rage.
The King noticed the change.
His smile deepened.
"Oh?"
Kais lowered his head.
His hair fell over his eyes.
The golden energy around his body began to tremble.
Then his lips moved slightly.
And he spoke only two words:
"Primordial Decree."
BOOOOOOOOOOM!!!
A colossal explosion of golden light erupted from Kais's body.
The entire royal hall shook violently.
The black diamond-like pillars rang loudly.
Cracks spread across the floor.
Kais's power continued to rise.
Golden strands floated through the air.
As if space itself were bending before that force.
Kais breathed heavily.
Even he didn't know what was happening.
"This..."
His hands trembled.
"What is this power...?"
At that moment...
A soft laugh echoed through the hall.
Kais turned his head.
The boy seated on the smaller throne beside the royal throne...
Was smiling.
His silver eyes sparkled with excitement.
Unlike the guards...
He hadn't taken a single step back.
As though the wave of power had no effect on him at all.
The gray-skinned boy slowly rose to his feet.
His smile widened.
"Finally..."
His voice was calm.
Yet somehow everyone in the hall heard it clearly.
"After a thousand years... another one has appeared."
Kais frowned.
"What do you mean?"
The boy didn't answer.
He simply stared at the golden energy surrounding Kais.
As if he could see something no one else could.
Meanwhile...
The King remained exactly where he stood.
He hadn't stepped back.
Not even his cloak had moved.
As though that enormous explosion...
Was nothing more than a gentle breeze to him.
The King's golden eyes remained fixed on Kais.
But this time...
That bored expression was gone.
For the first time since Kais had entered...
There was genuine interest in his gaze.
A faint smile appeared on his lips.
"You make far too much noise..."
His voice echoed through the hall.
"I thought you could wield the Founder's power, but... you've disappointed me, little one."
The King's aura began to unfold.
WOOOOOOOM...
Suddenly the massive ceiling trembled.
The black pillars groaned.
And for a brief moment, Kais's heart stopped.
Because he realized...
Everything he had witnessed so far...
Had been only a fraction of the King's true power.
Kais clenched his fists tightly.
The golden energy around him continued to surge.
But this time...
His anger wasn't about power.
It wasn't about fear.
Only one thing remained in his mind.
Ashlor.
Suddenly he raised his head and shouted:
"I don't care about power or any of this nonsense!"
His voice thundered through the hall.
"WHERE IS MY BROTHER, ASHLOR?!"
Kais took a step forward.
His eyes had turned red.
"Ever since you brought me here, all you've talked about is power!"
He gritted his teeth.
"I didn't come here for that!"
Another step.
"WHERE IS ASHLOR?!"
"I SAID, WHERE IS ASHLOR?!"
Kais's voice echoed throughout the hall.
His eyes burned with fury.
The Elven King, seated upon his enormous throne, merely looked at him.
Then calmly asked:
"You want your brother back?"
Without hesitation, Kais answered:
"Yes."
His gaze turned cold.
"And if even a single hair on his head is missing, I'll wipe your entire bloodline from existence myself."
Several guards frowned.
But the King merely smiled faintly.
"There will be no need for that."
He leaned forward slightly on his throne.
"You can get your brother back very easily."
Kais narrowed his eyes.
"How?"
The King answered:
"Return the power you stole."
Instantly, anger flared across Kais's face.
"I DIDN'T STEAL ANY POWER!"
The King tilted his head.
Then said calmly:
"Then where did the power you used to summon that white fox come from?"
Kais hesitated for a moment.
Then firmly replied:
"That power was given to me by the God of Death and Life."
"Oh?"
Snap!
With a simple snap of the King's fingers...
The Royal Magician immediately stepped forward.
His golden robe dragged across the floor.
He extended both hands before him.
His aged eyes closed.
And he began to chant:
"O forgotten heart of time...
O keeper of the memories of the First Blood...
From the mists of souls and the roots of creation...
By the command of the Heirs of Dawn...
Lift the veil..."
The air within the hall began to tremble.
Golden light poured from between the magician's fingers.
"Reveal yourself...
First Spirit Crystal..."
WOOOOOOOM!
A wave of magic spread through the hall.
The black pillars shook.
Golden light gathered at the center of the room.
Slowly...
Something began to take shape within the light.
At first it was no larger than a fist.
But it grew larger with every passing moment.
Until—
A gigantic crystal in the shape of a heart appeared in the air.
A transparent heart.
Radiant.
Yet dormant.
Kais instinctively took a step back.
"What is that...?"
With hesitation, he moved closer.
His eyes couldn't leave the heart-shaped crystal.
One of the guards suddenly stepped forward.
His sword slid halfway from its sheath.
"Stand back!"
But before he could take another step—
The King said lazily:
"Leave him alone."
The guard immediately stopped.
Lowering his head.
"As you command, my lord."
Kais no longer paid attention to them.
He moved closer to the crystal.
Until he finally reached out.
And touched it.
The moment his fingers made contact—
WOOOOOOM!
Kais's eyes suddenly widened.
He quickly pulled his hand back.
His breathing became heavy.
The King noticed the change in his expression.
"What happened?"
Kais remained silent for a few moments.
Then shook his head.
"Nothing."
The King watched him for several seconds but said nothing.
Kais looked back at the crystal.
Then asked:
"Whose heart is this?"
A heavy silence fell over the hall.
The Royal Magician slowly stepped forward.
His gaze fixed on the crystal.
"This..."
His voice softened.
"Is the heart of our clan's Founder."
Kais frowned.
"The Founder?"
The King rose from his throne.
His heavy cloak dragged across the floor.
"A thousand years ago."
His eyes turned cold.
"When the Golden Elves were the most powerful race in this world."
The magician continued:
"In those days, our Founder possessed a power capable of touching the soul of the world itself."
"A power no human should ever have obtained."
Kais listened silently.
The King stood beside the crystal.
Placing his hand upon its transparent surface.
"But then..."
Anger seeped into his voice.
"Humans took that power from us."
"They stole it."
Kais raised an eyebrow.
"Humans?"
"Yes."
The Royal Magician replied:
"A war occurred that most history books never even mention."
"At the end of that war, the Founder's power vanished."
"And his heart was extinguished forever."
Kais looked at the crystal once more.
"So you're saying the power inside me..."
The King finished the sentence for him.
"Is that very power."
Silence.
"The power that was taken from our clan a thousand years ago."
Kais quietly said:
"But I never stole it."
"I know."
Everyone looked at the King in surprise.
The King never took his eyes off the crystal.
"You are not a thief."
"You are merely the latest person to inherit that power."
Kais looked confused.
"Then why do you want to take it from me?"
The King smiled coldly.
A smile that looked more like a wound than joy.
"Because what was inherited..."
His gaze slowly settled on Kais.
"Wants to return to its rightful owner."