The weight of betrayal sat heavy in Arin's chest. His breathing was uneven, his fists clenched so tightly that his nails dug into his palms.
Leonhardt.
His best friend. His brother-in-arms.
The man who had stabbed him in the back.
And now, Arin knew exactly where to find him.
The Hall of Fallen Kings.
A place where traitors and forsaken knights were buried—not with honor, but with shame.
Evelyn, now fully awakened, stepped beside him. "You still intend to face him?"
Arin didn't hesitate. "I have to."
Valeria exchanged glances with Selene. Lilith simply grinned. "Ooooh, I love revenge stories~."
Seraphina, however, looked troubled. "Something is wrong. If Leonhardt was truly buried there, then how—"
Zareth cut her off. "He's still alive."
Silence.
Then—
A voice echoed through the ruined castle.
"I was waiting for you, Arin."
---
The Hall of Fallen Kings – The Ghost of the Past
The ancient tomb loomed before them. The air was thick with dust, the scent of decay mixing with the whispers of the dead. The walls were lined with statues of fallen warriors, their names long forgotten.
And standing at the center—
Leonhardt.
But he was different. His once-proud golden armor was shattered, rusted. His body was wreathed in a dark mist, his once-warm eyes now glowing an eerie blue.
He was no longer just a man.
He was something else.
> [New Entity Identified: Leonhardt, The Fallen Oathkeeper]
Status: Cursed Revenant
Threat Level: Extreme
Leonhardt gripped his broken sword. "It's been a long time, my friend."
Arin stepped forward, expression cold. "Don't call me that."
Leonhardt sighed. "I deserve that."
Selene's arrow was already nocked, Valeria's sword raised.
Seraphina whispered, "He shouldn't be alive…"
Leonhardt smiled bitterly. "I'm not."
His form flickered, a specter caught between life and death.
Arin tightened his grip on his sword. "Why did you betray me?"
Leonhardt's smile faded.
"I didn't have a choice."
---
The Truth Revealed – A Knight's Regret
The mist around Leonhardt thickened, and the tomb shifted.
A vision played before their eyes.
A memory—
A secret hidden from Arin for so long.
The day of Evelyn's execution.
Leonhardt knelt before the king, his expression torn.
"You will kill Arin," King Aldric commanded. "Or I will kill Evelyn."
Leonhardt's eyes widened. "You can't—!"
"Choose, Leonhardt."
His hands trembled.
His oath as a knight.
His loyalty to his king.
His friendship with Arin.
"I swear, I will not kill her."
The king's cold gaze burned into him.
"Then kill him instead."
The vision shattered.
Back in the tomb, Leonhardt's ghostly form looked at Arin, sorrow in his glowing eyes.
"I tried to save her," he whispered. "But I failed."
Arin's grip on his sword loosened.
The hatred in his heart… wavered.
Leonhardt hadn't betrayed him out of malice.
He had been forced to choose.
And in the end—
They had both lost everything.
---
The Final Duel – A Knight's Last Wish
Leonhardt raised his sword.
"Even in death, my sins bind me here." He took a deep breath. "So let's finish this."
Arin's gaze hardened.
"If that's what you want."
Lightning crackled around him.
Leonhardt smiled.
Their swords clashed—
One last time.
[TO BE CONTINUED…]