Chapter 0021: The Betrayal – Who Can Raiden Trust?
**Raiden's heart pounded as Lyra vanished into the shadows.**
Betrayal. The word echoed in his mind. Could he trust her?
He had worked with Lyra, shared plans, and fought side by side. But what if she was playing a deeper game? What if she was secretly loyal to the Shadow King all along?
Raiden shook his head, trying to push aside the doubt. No, she couldn't be. Not after everything they had been through.
But the warning was clear. The King was watching. Every move Raiden made now was a risk.
The Escape Plan
Raiden hurried back toward the door, his mind racing. The King knew. He had to get out of the library and back to safety before the guards returned.
But as he reached the exit, something shifted in the air—a heavy presence, dark and suffocating.
**The Shadow King's voice echoed through the corridors.**
"Raiden."
Raiden froze, his blood turning to ice. He had been caught.
A Dangerous Confrontation
He turned slowly, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword. There, standing in the doorway, was the Shadow King himself.
"You shouldn't have come here, Raiden," the King said, his voice like the hiss of a snake. "I warned you."
Raiden's heart raced, but he held his ground. "I didn't come here to betray you. I came for the truth."
The King's eyes glowed with dark amusement. "The truth? You think you can change the course of fate by simply searching for knowledge?"
He stepped closer, his presence overwhelming. "You are mine now, Raiden. You can never escape."
The Revelation
The King raised his hand, and the shadows around Raiden thickened, wrapping around him like chains.
"But I'll give you a choice," the King said, his voice now dripping with dark promise. "You can join me, fully. You can take your place as my disciple and wield the power of the crystal."
Raiden struggled against the shadows, but they were too strong. The King was playing with him. To join him would mean to become a slave to the crystal, forever bound to the darkness.
"I'll never serve you," Raiden spat, his voice full of defiance.
The King chuckled, his eyes narrowing. "Then you'll die like all the others who thought they could challenge me."
A Desperate Gamble
Raiden's mind raced. He needed a way out. A way to destroy the crystal, to kill the King, and to escape this trap.
Then, a thought struck him—a desperate, dangerous idea. He could use the King's overconfidence against him.
Raiden gathered every ounce of strength he had left, focusing all his energy on the shadows around him. He had learned to bend the darkness to his will—now he would turn it against the King.
"You may have the crystal's power, but you don't have control over me," Raiden said, his voice steady. "I will bring you down."
With a surge of power, Raiden broke free of the shadows that bound him, his body moving faster than ever before. In a single, fluid motion, he pulled a hidden dagger from his side and hurled it at the Shadow King's heart.
The King's Fury
The dagger hit the King's chest, but it didn't pierce the flesh. It sank into the dark energy that surrounded him, harmless.
The King roared, fury flashing in his eyes.
Raiden knew it had been a long shot. He had expected no less.
But the attack had bought him precious moments. The King was momentarily distracted, enraged by the audacity of his would-be assassin.
Raiden took a deep breath, his eyes searching for his next move. He had to finish this, now.
A New Ally
Before Raiden could act, a figure stepped from the shadows behind the King—Lyra.
"You should have listened," Lyra said, her voice cold and sharp. "The King was never your real enemy."
Raiden's eyes widened. "Lyra, what—"
She raised her hand, and with a wave of her fingers, the dark energy around the King faltered. "I've been working against him this entire time. The King is not what you think he is."
The Truth Unveiled
Lyra's words echoed in Raiden's mind, but before he could question her further, the King turned to face her, his expression twisted in rage. "You dare betray me?"
Lyra stood her ground. "The crystal is not just a source of power, Raiden. It's a prison. The King is not immortal. He's a vessel, a shell. He's been alive for centuries, but only because of the crystal's dark magic. And now… he's weakening."
Raiden's mind raced. The Shadow King was a prisoner of his own power?
Lyra continued, "The ritual you discovered—it's the only way to free him. But not in the way you think. Destroy the crystal, and you destroy him forever."
The Final Choice – Sacrifice or Salvation?
**Raiden stood frozen, his mind reeling from Lyra's revelation.**
The Shadow King, a prisoner of his own power? The crystal, the source of all his strength, was a cage—his eternal prison.
But the path forward wasn't simple. Raiden had a choice to make, one that would shape the future of the Dominion and his own soul.
The King's Fury
The Shadow King's rage reached a boiling point. "You dare turn against me, Lyra?" he hissed, his eyes glowing with seething darkness. "You were always a pawn. Just like him."
Raiden barely had time to react as the King swung his hand, sending a pulse of energy that cracked the floor beneath them. The force was overwhelming, but Raiden held firm, his body moving to the side in a blur of speed.
"Raiden, the choice is yours," Lyra said, her voice trembling but resolute. "Destroy the crystal. Free the King—or let him continue his reign, trapped in this dark power forever."
The weight of her words pressed down on him. If he destroyed the crystal, he would kill the King, and with him, the Dominion would fall into chaos.
But… what if this was the only way to break the cycle? What if the King's reign had been nothing but a cursed existence, dragging the entire kingdom into darkness?
The King's Plea
The King's voice grew quieter, almost pleading. "You don't understand, Raiden. I was once a ruler, a conqueror, with a kingdom full of life and light. But I… I gave it all up for power. I chose immortality, and in doing so, I condemned everything I loved."
His face twisted with torment. "The crystal was supposed to be my salvation. But it became my prison. You think I wield power over the Dominion, but I am controlled by it, by the darkness I unleashed. I am a slave to the crystal's will, just as you could be."
Raiden took a step forward, his breath shallow. "And if I destroy it, you die."
The King nodded solemnly. "I will die. But my death will free this land… it will break the chains that bind me."
The Dilemma
Raiden's heart beat in his ears as he considered his options. Could he destroy the crystal? Could he bring himself to kill the King, even if it meant ending the Dominion's reign of terror?
But what would become of the people? What would become of the kingdom without a ruler, without a source of power to protect it from external threats?
Lyra's Warning
Lyra's voice broke through the silence. "Raiden, the King's death will cause chaos, yes. But it will also bring freedom. For too long, this land has been ruled by a false god. We can rebuild. Together."
Raiden glanced at her, still unsure. "And you? Why didn't you tell me sooner? What are you really after?"
She looked away, regret flashing in her eyes. "I was afraid you wouldn't understand. But now, I know it doesn't matter what I want. This is bigger than both of us."
A Moment of Clarity
Raiden closed his eyes, the weight of the decision pressing down on him like a thousand stones. He could feel the power of the crystal pulsing in the air, filling his veins with an unnatural warmth.
But as he opened his eyes, he knew what had to be done.
"I will destroy it," Raiden said, his voice unwavering. "The King's prison ends tonight."
The Final Strike
Raiden raised his hand, drawing upon the energy he had learned to control. The shadows twisted around him, fueled by his resolve.
The King screamed, his face contorted with rage and fear. "No! You can't do this! I am the Dominion! Without me, you will all fall!"
But Raiden was beyond his words. He had seen the truth. The kingdom was not a kingdom—it was a cage. And it needed to be destroyed.
With one final surge of power, Raiden thrust his hand forward, sending a blast of dark energy straight into the heart of the crystal.
**The crystal shattered.**
The Fall of the Shadow King
The explosion of light and darkness that followed was blinding. The ground trembled as the crystal cracked, its power unraveling in a cascade of energy.
For a moment, everything went silent. Raiden's vision blurred as the immense power of the crystal flooded the room.
When the light faded, the King was on the ground, his body crumpled, the energy that once sustained him gone. The Dominion's ruler was no more.
Aftermath
Raiden stood in the ruins of the library, breathing heavily, his body shaking from the exertion. Lyra stood beside him, her face a mixture of relief and sorrow.
The King was dead. The crystal was destroyed. But what came next?
The Dominion was no longer under the rule of the Shadow King.
Now, it was up to Raiden to lead, to rebuild, to forge a new path for the kingdom.
But the price had been high. Too high.
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(To be Continue...)