The battlefield still smoldered. Ashes floated in the wind like black snow, settling on the broken ground where the Flamebound Titan had fallen. The air reeked of blood, steel, and smoke.
Rihan lay unconscious, his sword still faintly flickering with that unnatural blue-black flame. Around him, soldiers cheered, but there was also fear in their eyes.
Elira brushed sweaty hair from his forehead, whispering:
"Hang on, Rihan. Please."
General Kael approached, his face grim but his voice firm.
"Bring him to the capital. The king must see this boy with his own eyes."
The soldiers lifted Rihan carefully, almost reverently, as if carrying a sacred relic.
And so, the legend began its march toward Valdoria's heart.
---
🏰 Arrival at the Capital
Days later, the grand gates of Valdorium, the shining capital of Valdoria, opened to welcome the war-weary troops. The people flooded the streets, tossing flowers, shouting in joy.
"The Titan is slain!"
"The Chosen One walks among us!"
Rihan, still weak, sat on a horse led by Elira. His wounds had healed somewhat, but his body still ached from the strain of the Eclipse Flame. The cheers felt unreal to him.
They're cheering… for me?
But mixed within the celebration, he saw whispers, wary glances, and eyes that looked at him not with admiration, but fear.
---
👑 The Royal Court
The throne room of Valdoria was magnificent — marble pillars, golden banners, and a long crimson carpet leading to the throne itself. Upon it sat King Aldren Valdor, a stern yet wise ruler, silver hair crowning his regal figure.
Beside him stood High Chancellor Varus, a thin man with cold eyes that missed nothing, and several nobles dressed in silks and jewels, their faces masks of arrogance and suspicion.
Rihan bowed awkwardly, still not used to this world's customs.
General Kael stepped forward. "Your Majesty, the Flamebound Titan has been defeated. And it was by him." He gestured toward Rihan. "The boy wields a power… one unlike anything we have ever seen."
The hall erupted into murmurs.
"A boy? Impossible!"
"Did you not see the Titan's fire? Nothing could withstand that."
"But they say his sword burned with… black fire…"
The king raised his hand, silencing them. His sharp gaze fixed on Rihan.
"Step forward, child."
Rihan swallowed hard and obeyed.
"What is your name?" the king asked.
"Rihan… Your Majesty," he said quietly.
The king's eyes softened slightly. "You carry a heavy burden, Rihan. You saved countless lives. For that, Valdoria owes you a debt of gratitude."
But before relief could reach him, Chancellor Varus spoke, his voice like a serpent's hiss.
"Or perhaps, sire, this boy is no savior… but a danger."
Gasps spread through the hall. Varus continued, his eyes sharp on Rihan.
"I have seen such flames before, in ancient records. Dark fire, consuming all — friend and foe alike. Tell me, boy, what truly are you?"
---
⚖️ The Tension
Rihan froze, unsure how to answer. His chest tightened. The memory of the Eclipse Flame devouring the Titan's molten flesh returned vividly.
"I… I don't know," he admitted, his voice breaking. "The power just… awakened. I don't even understand it myself."
Some nobles sneered. "Dangerous."
"A cursed child."
"Perhaps even Draemir's pawn."
Elira stepped forward, fury flashing in her eyes.
"Enough! He saved us all when none of your soldiers could! Without him, Valdoria would already be burning!"
The hall fell silent.
The king studied Rihan for a long moment. Then he said:
"Chancellor, your concerns are valid. But so are Elira's words. This boy is dangerous — yet he is also necessary. For now, he will remain under my protection… and under my watch."
Varus's lips curled in a thin smile. "As you wish, sire. But power like his cannot remain unchecked."
---
🌑 A Shadow Watching
That night, as Rihan lay in the guest chambers of the castle, staring at the flickering torchlight on the walls, his heart felt heavy.
He remembered the Titan's scream, the Eclipse flame devouring it, the fear in the soldiers' eyes, the nobles' accusations.
"Who… am I?" he whispered into the darkness.
But far beyond Valdoria's walls, hidden within the obsidian fortress of the Shadowlands, Draemir sat upon his throne of molten stone, a wicked grin on his face.
"So the Eclipse awakens again," the demon king muttered. "But the vessel is still weak. No matter… I will break him, or I will consume him."
From the shadows, monstrous generals bowed. The war had only begun.