The arena was quiet again.
Ten thousand survivors stood on the dark battlefield, surrounded by the bodies of those who had failed before them.
Above them, Queen Nythera Valerys watched in silence.
Her crimson eyes were no longer scanning the crowd.
They were locked on one person.
Aurelion.
He stood among the survivors like he belonged nowhere and everywhere at once. Calm. Uninjured. Almost bored.
And somehow… completely unimpressed by her empire.
Nythera did not like that.
But she also did not dislike it.
Vaelis noticed the way her gaze lingered.
"Your Majesty," he said carefully, "shall we begin the next trial?"
Nythera slowly stood.
"Yes."
The massive arena floor trembled again.
New structures rose from the ground — tall black pillars arranged in enormous circular formations.
Each circle large enough for exactly one hundred contestants.
The survivors watched nervously as the pillars locked into place.
Nythera's voice echoed across the arena.
"The Third Trial is different."
A holographic display appeared above the battlefield again.
10,000 contestants
The number split into groups.
100 circles
100 contestants each
"Inside every circle," Nythera continued, "only one of you will survive."
The arena fell completely silent.
Even the most hardened warriors understood what that meant.
Ten thousand people.
One hundred survivors.
Ninety–nine deaths in every circle.
Nythera smiled slightly.
"This is the Trial of Truth."
Someone in the crowd shouted, "Truth?"
Nythera nodded.
"Yes."
Her crimson eyes gleamed.
"In this trial… you will show who you really are."
The pillars surrounding each circle suddenly began to glow.
Energy barriers formed between them.
Each group of one hundred contestants was now trapped together.
Kael Varyn rolled his shoulders with a grin.
"Now we're talking."
Soren Vale quietly studied the people trapped inside his circle.
Rowan Thorne watched everyone like a predator studying prey.
Darius Sol lifted his sword calmly.
"I suppose this is where the unworthy fall."
And Aurelion…
Simply sighed.
---
High above, Nythera leaned slightly toward Vaelis.
"Which circle is he in?"
Vaelis checked the imperial display.
"Circle seventeen."
Nythera focused the projection.
The arena zoomed in.
Ninety–nine warriors surrounded Aurelion.
Some of the strongest fighters remaining in the competition.
None of them looked weak.
Vaelis crossed his arms.
"This will be interesting."
Nythera nodded slowly.
"Yes."
---
The energy barriers flashed.
The trial began.
Chaos erupted instantly.
Blades clashed.
Power weapons fired.
Men screamed.
The circles became slaughter pits.
Inside Circle Seventeen, three warriors rushed Aurelion at once.
He didn't move at first.
Then—
He stepped forward.
The fight ended in seconds.
Three bodies fell.
The rest of the circle froze.
Someone whispered,
"What… are you?"
Aurelion looked mildly annoyed.
"A participant."
Two more fighters attacked.
He disarmed one without effort and threw the other across the arena floor.
Their bones broke when they hit the ground.
The circle slowly began to realize something terrifying.
They weren't trapped in the arena with each other.
They were trapped with him.
---
High above, Nythera leaned forward again.
Her interest was no longer hidden.
"He's faster than before," she murmured.
Vaelis nodded slowly.
"And still holding back."
Nythera's crimson eyes narrowed.
"That's what bothers me."
---
Time passed.
Circles slowly emptied.
Contestants killed each other.
Screams faded into silence.
Eventually…
Only a few fighters remained in each circle.
Until finally—
The arena display changed.
100 survivors remain
The energy barriers collapsed.
The survivors stood across the battlefield, breathing heavily.
Only one person remained in each circle.
Kael.
Soren.
Rowan.
Darius.
And Aurelion.
Nythera stepped forward once more.
"You have survived the Third Trial."
Her voice echoed across the arena.
"One hundred remain."
The survivors looked up at her.
But Nythera was already looking at someone else.
Aurelion.
She studied him for several seconds.
Then spoke again.
"The next trial…"
She paused.
"…will not be a battle."
Murmurs spread through the survivors.
Nythera's smile returned.
"The next trial will decide who among you is worthy to stand beside me."
The hundred survivors waited.
Then she said something unexpected.
"The next trial… will be a conversation."
Confusion spread instantly.
But Nythera didn't explain further.
Instead she turned and began leaving the arena.
Before disappearing, she said one final thing.
"Tomorrow… I will speak with each of you."
Her crimson eyes flicked briefly toward Aurelion again.
"Individually."
---
Later that night, inside the throne chamber…
Nythera stood before a massive ancient archive screen.
Vaelis approached quietly.
"You wanted the oldest records we possess."
"Yes."
The archive began scanning ancient imperial history.
Thousands of years of records.
Nythera studied them carefully.
Then one file appeared.
An ancient legend.
Older than her empire.
The image showed a man.
Dark hair.
Pale skin.
Sharp features.
The same calm expression.
Nythera froze.
The file's title read:
"Aurelion – The First Bloodborn."
Her eyes widened slightly.
Vaelis whispered,
"That… cannot be possible."
Nythera slowly smiled.
"Oh…"
Her voice was almost a whisper.
"So that's who you are."
She closed the archive.
Her excitement had returned.
Tomorrow would be very interesting.
Because the man competing to become her king…
Might actually be older than the Queen herself.