The Unrivaled Holder: Rise of the Dragon Monarch

Elven warriors who had once been prepared to strike were now frozen, their expressions shifting from hostility to pure disbelief. The Supreme Officers—unwavering until now—exchanged anxious glances, their confidence shaken.

But among them, no one looked more shocked than Queen Luviyah herself.

Her golden eyes remained locked onto Fafnir's stigmata, her usual composed expression faltering ever so slightly.

"This… cannot be," she whispered, her voice barely above a breath.

Slowly, she lifted a hand to her forehead, her fingertips brushing against the same glowing mark that now pulsed on Fafnir's palm.

The realization struck her like a dagger.

For the first time in over a hundred years… she was not the only one.

Gasps rippled through the elven ranks.

One of the Supreme Officers, his voice filled with unease, took a step forward. "Your Majesty… what is the meaning of this?"

Another officer, normally composed, faltered. "That mark—it's the same as yours…!"

The murmurs among the elven warriors grew louder, confusion and fear swirling through their ranks.

The Supreme Officer who had nearly attacked me earlier stood paralyzed, his usual fury replaced by uncertainty. His hand twitched toward his weapon, but he did not draw it.

It was clear—none of them had known.

Not her most trusted warriors.

Not her kingdom.

No one knew their Queen had been carrying this curse for over a century.

Then—Luviyah closed her eyes.

She inhaled deeply, reclaiming her regal composure.

Then, in a single breath, she spoke with authority. "Enough."

The murmuring ceased instantly.

Her Supreme Officers, though visibly shaken, immediately straightened. The elves, though still unsettled, obeyed without hesitation.

Finally, she turned her piercing gaze back to us. "Tell me." Her voice was calm but laced with quiet urgency. "Where did you get that mark?"

Ingi, who had been watching the entire exchange, stepped forward. Without a word, he lifted his own hand, revealing the same stigmata.

Luviyah's eyes darkened.

"From a cunning demon," Ingi said simply. "A while ago."

A flicker of something unreadable crossed her face.

A hundred years.

A hundred years of searching, of trying to rid herself of this mark, of carrying the burden alone—only to now discover she was not alone at all.

She exhaled, her expression unreadable once more. "I see."

The elves around us, however, were not as composed.

One Supreme Officer, unable to contain himself any longer, stepped forward. "Your Majesty," he spoke sharply, his voice trembling slightly, "if you have carried this mark for a hundred years… why have you never spoken of it?!"

Luviyah turned toward him, her gaze sharp and unwavering.

She did not answer.

And that silence alone was enough of a response.

The Supreme Officers exchanged unsettled glances. Their Queen—their unwavering, all-powerful ruler—had hidden this from them.

Before they could react further, I spoke. "If you've carried this curse for a hundred years, that means you've been looking for a cure."

Luviyah's gaze flickered toward me. "And?"

I stepped forward. "That means we have the same goal."

A pause.

Then, I continued. "We believe that Zarathorak might hold the key to undoing this."

The elves visibly stiffened.

A sharp intake of breath rippled through their ranks. Every single elf in the area reacted to the name.

One Supreme Officer's expression twisted into pure disgust. "You would seek that monstrosity for salvation?!"

Another officer's voice was filled with fury. "Zarathorak is nothing but ruin! To even speak his name so freely is blasphemy!"

I did not back down. "We don't know if he has the answers, but we don't have any other leads."

Adrian folded his arms. "Frankly, if there was another way, we'd take it."

Fafnir scoffed. "Not like we're doing this because we want to."

Luviyah remained still, her golden eyes unreadable.

Then, slowly, she spoke.

"Zarathorak does not grant salvation. He only brings destruction."

The weight of her words pressed down on us, but I did not falter.

"And yet," I said, meeting her gaze, "you have searched for a cure for a hundred years and found nothing."

A tense silence.

"Can you really afford to stop us?"

The elves stiffened.

Even Luviyah herself… hesitated.

The pause was brief, but it was there.

For the first time in a century, she was forced to consider the possibility—that someone else might succeed where she had failed.

Finally, she exhaled.

"Very well."

The elves gasped.

One of her Supreme Officers stepped forward, his voice frantic. "Your Majesty—!"

She lifted a hand, silencing him instantly. "If there is even a sliver of truth in their words, I will not be the one to stand in their way."

Her golden eyes met mine one final time. "But be warned—if you fail, if your actions bring ruin instead of salvation, I will erase you myself."

I did not waver. "Understood."

A long pause.

Then, Luviyah slowly lifted her hand.

A pulse of shimmering light radiated outward, and before we could react—

The entire world blurred.

The sensation was weightless, like floating in an endless stream of magic. The golden trees, the marble battlefield, the elves—all of it vanished.

Then—solid ground returned.

I staggered slightly, inhaling sharply as I recognized my surroundings.

We were back.

The very spot where we had been before the ambush—before everything changed.

Luviyah's voice echoed one last time, though her form was nowhere to be seen.

"Find your cure."

With a flicker of golden light, she vanished, and with her, the overwhelming presence of the elven army. The Supreme Officers hesitated for only a moment longer before following their Queen's departure, their wary eyes lingering on us until they too disappeared into the shadows.

Silence fell over the battlefield.

Fafnir let out a sharp breath, rolling his shoulders. "Finally. I was getting tired of standing around."

Cedrick adjusted his shield, though his posture remained tense. "That could've gone a lot worse."

Adrian smirked. "Could've gone a lot better too."

Chad spun his spear in his hand before resting it against his shoulder. "No point wasting time. Let's move before anything else decides to stop us."

I nodded. "Let's go."

And so, we continued our journey.

Time passed in near silence.

The road stretched long and uneventful, but the further we traveled, the more the land around us changed.

The vibrant greenery of the elven lands faded into dry, ashen terrain. The air grew heavy, thick with an unnatural stillness. The sun, once high in the sky, now loomed low on the horizon, casting a crimson glow over the world.

And then, at last—we arrived.

Before us stood the Obsidian Wastes.

A vast, desolate expanse of jagged black stone stretched endlessly before us. The land itself was cracked and fractured, steam hissing from unseen vents beneath the surface. The temperature had risen significantly, the air thick with an oppressive heat that seemed to pulse from below.

And at the far end of the wasteland—a massive, gaping chasm.

The entrance to Duskveil Hollow.

Beneath that abyss, hidden deep within the darkness, Zarathorak awaited.

I took a deep breath. We had finally made it.

Behind me, the adventurers stood in silence, gazing upon the ominous landscape before us.

Then, Chad broke the quiet.

"This is where we part ways."

I turned to face them. They all wore serious expressions.

Cedrick nodded, his grip tightening on his shield. "We've come as far as we needed to. Our job was to make sure you got this far safely."

Adrian smirked slightly, though there was no mockery in his tone this time. "And I'd say we did a damn good job."

Ronan crossed his arms. "We need to report back to the Guild. Eldrin needs to know what happened these past few days—about the elves, and this place."

I exhaled. I had expected this, but it still felt strange to part ways after everything.

"You've helped us more than enough," I said sincerely. "Thank you."

Chad grinned, nudging me with his elbow. "Just don't die down there, alright?"

Cedrick nodded. "Good luck."

Adrian waved a hand lazily. "Try not to piss off any more royals."

Ronan gave a small smirk. "Not that it hasn't worked in your favor so far."

Fafnir scoffed. "Tch. Worry about yourselves. You're the ones heading back through dangerous territory."

Chad laughed. "We'll be fine."

With that, the adventurers turned back toward the path they had come from. We watched them for a few moments until they disappeared into the distance.

And then, it was just the three of us.

Me. Fafnir. Ingi.

Standing before the entrance to the abyss.

I turned back to the chasm.

A cold gust of wind swept up from below, carrying with it the scent of smoke and something ancient.

Fafnir cracked his knuckles. "No turning back now."

Ingi exhaled. "Stay sharp. We don't know what awaits us below."

I took one last look at the burning red sky above.

Then, without hesitation—

We stepped forward.

And descended into Duskveil Hollow.