Chapter 2744: Story 2745: Beyond the Gate

The gate opened another inch.

A wave of freezing air swept through the chamber.

Ronan felt it pass through his armor and settle inside his bones.

“Darian!”

He rushed forward.

The First King struck him from the side.

Ronan crashed against the stone wall.

“Stay away from him!” the First King shouted.

Ronan pushed himself up.

“You’re protecting Darian?”

The First King stared at the opening gate.

“No.”

His voice trembled.

“I’m protecting the world from what follows him.”

Darian stood before the gate.

Violet flames covered his body.

The faceless figure beyond the darkness raised both hands.

“OPEN.”

Darian slowly extended his arm.

The gate opened wider.

Something moved behind it.

Not a creature.

An army.

Thousands of shadowy figures stood beyond the gate, motionless beneath a black sky.

Lyra stared.

“There are people in there.”

Kael shook his head.

“Not people.”

One shadow stepped forward.

Its body was covered in ancient armor.

Another followed.

Then another.

Soon, hundreds stood behind the gate.

Aren suddenly grabbed his head.

“They’re screaming.”

Elias looked at him.

“I can’t hear anything.”

“They aren’t screaming with their mouths.”

Aren fell to his knees.

“They’re screaming inside my mind.”

Ronan rushed toward him.

“What are they saying?”

Aren looked up.

“They’re saying...”

He stopped.

His eyes widened.

“They’re saying they remember us.”

Ronan looked toward the gate.

The armored shadows slowly raised their heads.

Their eyes began glowing red.

Then one of them spoke.

“FIRST SON.”

Another voice followed.

“SECOND SON.”

A third whispered:

“THIRD SON.”

Then thousands of voices joined together.

“FOURTH SON.”

Darian stepped closer.

“Who are you?”

The army answered together.

“THE ONES YOU LEFT BEHIND.”

Darian froze.

Images suddenly flashed across his mind.

A village burning.

Children screaming.

The four brothers being separated.

A fifth group of children being carried into darkness.

Darian fell to his knees.

“I remember them.”

Ronan approached carefully.

“Remember what?”

Darian looked at him.

“There were others.”

Kael’s face became pale.

“How many?”

Darian shook his head.

“Hundreds.”

The First King closed his eyes.

“They were the failed heirs.”

Elias stared at him.

“Failed heirs?”

The First King said nothing.

Ronan grabbed his armor.

“Explain!”

The First King looked toward Darian.

“The four of you were not the first.”

Silence.

Lyra slowly lowered her bow.

“Then who were they?”

The First King whispered:

“The others were experiments.”

The shadows behind the gate began moving.

One by one, they stepped into the chamber.

Their bodies were dead.

But violet light burned inside their chests.

Darian stood.

“They have my blood.”

Kael shook his head.

“No.”

Darian looked at him.

“They have something worse.”

The faceless figure finally stepped through the gate.

The moment it entered, every dead body in the chamber bowed.

The figure removed its bone crown.

Beneath it was a familiar face.

Darian stopped breathing.

Ronan stared.

Lyra whispered:

“Who is that?”

Darian’s voice broke.

“I know him.”

The figure smiled.

Then it spoke.

“You should.”

Its eyes opened.

They were violet.

“I am your first brother.”