Chapter 28 - The King Who Never DiedFor a moment, Ethan stood in complete darkness.
Then the chamber vanished.
He found himself inside an enormous throne room.
Its windows overlooked a kingdom engulfed by a violet storm.
A figure sat upon a black throne.
The man wore ancient armor and a crown of twisted iron.
His face was hidden.
"Come closer," the figure commanded.
Ethan refused.
"Where am I?"
"Inside a memory."
"Whose memory?"
"Yours."
The figure rose.
Ethan saw that his hands were covered in the same circular mark.
"Twelve children," the stranger said. "Twelve opportunities to correct one mistake."
"What mistake?"
"I opened the first doorway."
The throne room trembled.
Beyond the windows, thousands of people ran through the streets.
Lightning struck the castle towers.
"I wanted to save my son," the man continued. "But time demanded something in return."
The figure removed his helmet.
Ethan stopped breathing.
The ancient king had his face.
Not merely a resemblance.
His exact face.
Only older.
"Who are you?"
The man stared at him.
"I am what happens when you refuse to let someone die."
Ethan shook his head.
"I don't understand."
"You will."
The man raised one hand.
A vision appeared.
Ethan saw Chicago.
His school.
His street.
Then he saw his mother standing beneath a black umbrella.
She looked terrified.
Behind her, the sky opened.
The ancient king leaned closer.
"The storm didn't bring you here by accident."
Ethan's voice trembled.
"Then who sent me?"
The stranger's golden eyes narrowed.
"You did."
The memory shattered.
Ethan collapsed onto the chamber floor.
When he awakened, he was holding the black iron crown.
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And every soldier in the room was staring at him.
Because the crown had begun to bleed golden light.
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