The Last Silver

The word remained.

AWAKEN.

Dinraal stared at the Mithril Gaunt.

The silver letters burned across its surface.

Then they vanished.

Claire leaned closer.

"What does that mean?"

Dinraal flexed his restrained hand.

"I was hoping one of you knew."

Isolde looked at him.

"You've been wearing that thing for years."

"Yes."

"And this has never happened?"

"No."

The bands around his wrists suddenly tightened.

Dinraal grunted.

Then the room disappeared.

He stood beneath a black sky.

Dinraal spun around.

The underground chamber was gone.

There were no restraints.

No Isolde.

No Claire.

Only darkness.

Then a voice spoke.

"Finally."

Dinraal froze.

He knew that voice.

His breathing stopped.

Slowly, he turned.

A man stood several meters away.

Silver armor covered his body.

A sword rested at his side.

His hair moved in a wind Dinraal could not feel.

Dinraal stared.

The man looked exactly as he had in the memories.

Older.

Stronger.

Unmistakable.

"Father?"

Emperor Bahamut smiled.

Dinraal didn't move.

For years, he had dreamed of this moment.

He had imagined what he would say.

What he would ask.

How he would react.

Now that the impossible stood before him, he had nothing.

His knees gave out.

Dinraal dropped to the ground.

Bahamut's expression changed.

"Dinraal."

The name was enough.

The dam broke.

"Why?"

The word escaped before he could stop it.

Bahamut stepped forward.

Dinraal looked up.

"Why did you leave us?"

Silence.

Dinraal's hands curled into fists.

"Why didn't you fight?"

Bahamut stopped.

"Why did you let him kill you?"

The darkness seemed to stretch forever around them.

Dinraal stood.

Anger replaced grief.

"You were the Emperor!"

His voice echoed.

"You were supposed to be the strongest!"

Bahamut said nothing.

Dinraal stepped closer.

"You were supposed to protect Mother!"

Still nothing.

Dinraal's voice cracked.

"And me."

That finally changed something.

Bahamut lowered his head.

For the first time, Dinraal saw something he had never expected to see in his father.

Regret.

"I failed you."

Dinraal froze.

Bahamut looked at him.

"I failed all of you."

The anger in Dinraal weakened.

But it did not disappear.

"What happened?"

Bahamut looked toward the darkness.

"I made a choice."

Dinraal's eyes narrowed.

"Vael said the same thing."

Bahamut turned sharply.

"What did you say?"

Dinraal stepped back.

"You know that name?"

Bahamut's expression darkened.

"Vael is alive?"

"You tell me."

For the first time, the Emperor looked genuinely unsettled.

Dinraal watched him carefully.

"Who is he?"

Bahamut remained silent.

"Father."

"A very calculating man."

Dinraal stared at him.

His anger immediately returned.

"Of course."

"Dinraal—"

"No."

He turned away.

"You finally appear after sixteen years, and you still won't tell me anything."

"Time is short."

Dinraal laughed bitterly.

"That's convenient."

Bahamut grabbed his shoulder.

Dinraal turned.

The Emperor's expression had changed.

"Listen to me."

Dinraal became still.

"The man you call Vael is dangerous."

"That much I've noticed."

"He cannot have the Gaunt."

Dinraal looked down.

"Why?"

Bahamut hesitated.

Dinraal immediately noticed.

"You're hiding something."

"Yes."

The honesty caught him off guard.

Bahamut continued.

"And I am going to keep hiding it."

Dinraal stared at him.

Bahamut sighed.

"You inherited your mother's stubbornness."

"Apparently."

A faint smile crossed Bahamut's face.

Then it disappeared.

"The Gaunt did not bring you here simply to speak with me."

Dinraal looked around.

"Then why am I here?"

Bahamut stepped away.

The darkness shifted.

Images began appearing around them.

Thousands of them.

A battlefield.

A burning city.

A throne.

A child.

Dinraal's heart stopped.

The child was him.

Bahamut stood beside him.

"What you are seeing is not the past."

Dinraal frowned.

"Then what is it?"

"Possibilities."

The images changed.

Dinraal saw himself.

Older.

Standing atop a throne.

The Mithril Gaunt glowed on his hand.

Bodies covered the floor beneath him.

Dinraal looked away.

The next image appeared.

He was standing beside Isolde.

They were surrounded by people cheering.

A new banner flew above them.

The image vanished.

Another appeared.

Isolde was dead.

Dinraal froze.

He stepped toward the vision.

"No."

It vanished.

Another.

Claire.

Johanna.

General Gremory.

One after another.

Dead.

Dinraal turned toward Bahamut.

"What is this?"

Bahamut's expression remained grim.

"Your future is no longer fixed."

"My future?"

"Your choices are beginning to matter."

Dinraal laughed.

"They always mattered."

"Not like this."

The Mithril Gaunt appeared between them.

Floating in the darkness.

Bahamut looked toward it.

"For generations, the Right of Rule followed a simple path."

Dinraal listened.

"The Gaunt chose a ruler."

"And?"

"And the ruler shaped the future."

Dinraal frowned.

"That seems straightforward."

Bahamut looked directly at him.

"You misunderstand."

The Emperor's voice became quiet.

"The Gaunt does not simply recognize rulers."

The darkness trembled.

"It creates them."

Dinraal stared.

Before he could respond, the world cracked.

A loud sound echoed through the darkness.

Bahamut turned.

"No."

Dinraal looked around.

"What is happening?"

Another crack.

This one was louder.

Bahamut grabbed Dinraal's shoulders.

"Listen to me."

"Father—"

"Wake up."

Dinraal frowned.

"What?"

The darkness began collapsing.

"WAKE UP!"

Dinraal's eyes snapped open.

The underground chamber returned.

Isolde was kneeling beside him.

"Din!"

He blinked.

Claire stood nearby.

"What happened?"

Dinraal tried to sit up.

His restraints were gone.

Isolde stared at him.

"You collapsed."

Dinraal looked at his hands.

The glowing bands had shattered.

Claire looked toward the Mithril Gaunt.

"It did that."

Dinraal slowly rose.

The Gaunt was brighter than before.

A soft silver glow surrounded it.

Then the door exploded inward.

Three armored guards entered the chamber.

Dinraal raised his hand.

The first guard stopped.

Not because he wanted to.

His body simply froze.

The guard looked down.

Then back toward Dinraal.

Fear filled his eyes.

Dinraal stared at his own hand.

A word appeared in his mind.

He didn't understand why.

But he knew what it meant.

Still.

The guard tried to move.

Nothing happened.

Dinraal's eyes widened.

The others raised their weapons.

Dinraal looked toward them.

Another word.

Sleep.

Both guards collapsed.

Silence filled the room.

Claire stared at Dinraal.

Isolde stared at him.

Dinraal stared at the unconscious attackers.

Then he looked at the Mithril Gaunt.

"Father?"

No answer.

The glow faded.

The Gaunt returned to normal.

Claire slowly approached the door.

"Are we leaving?"

Dinraal nodded.

"Yes."

Isolde moved beside him.

He looked at her.

She smiled.

"What?"

Dinraal looked away.

"Nothing."

She folded her arms.

"Dinraal."

He sighed.

"What?"

"You called me."

Dinraal frowned.

"Of course I did."

"No."

Her expression softened.

"When you were unconscious."

Dinraal became still.

"I did?"

"You kept asking if I was safe."

Claire's smile widened.

Dinraal immediately looked toward the door.

"We need to move."

Isolde followed him.

Her smile never faltered.

They moved quickly through the underground corridors.

Dinraal led the way.

His HUD was still malfunctioning.

But something else had changed.

He could feel the building.

Not physically.

Something deeper.

A strange awareness lingered at the edge of his mind.

He knew where people were.

He knew where the walls ended.

And somehow—

He knew where Vael was.

Dinraal stopped.

Isolde nearly collided with him.

"What?"

Dinraal looked down a dark corridor.

"He's nearby."

Claire frowned.

"Your HUD?"

Dinraal shook his head.

"No."

He didn't know how to explain it.

He simply knew.

They turned the corner.

And found Vael waiting.

He was alone.

His silver mask had returned.

Dinraal raised his hand.

"Still."

Nothing happened.

Vael tilted his head.

Dinraal's expression darkened.

He tried again.

Still.

Vael remained standing.

Then he laughed.

"So that's what the Gaunt showed you."

Dinraal stared at him.

"You knew."

"I suspected."

Vael slowly walked toward them.

Isolde drew her rapier.

Claire raised her weapon.

Vael stopped.

"I would not do that."

Dinraal moved in front of them.

"Why?"

Vael looked past him.

Toward the women.

Then back to Dinraal.

"Because you still think I am your enemy."

Dinraal's expression hardened.

"You kidnapped us."

"Yes."

"You attacked an entire city."

"Yes."

"You're trying to take the Mithril Gaunt."

Vael paused.

"No."

Dinraal narrowed his eyes.

Vael extended one hand.

"I am trying to keep it from the person who truly wants it."

The corridor trembled.

A distant explosion echoed through the underground facility.

Then Dinraal felt it.

Dozens of life signs.

Approaching.

Claire's face paled.

"More of your soldiers?"

Vael looked genuinely confused.

"No."

Dinraal's hand moved toward his weapon.

Then he remembered.

It was gone.

A familiar voice echoed through the corridor.

"PRINCESS!"

Isolde froze.

Dinraal looked toward her.

Johanna emerged from the smoke.

Her weapon was raised.

Several guards followed behind her.

Then Johanna saw Dinraal.

Her expression changed.

"YOU."

Dinraal sighed.

"Oh, good."

Isolde stepped forward.

"Johanna, wait!"

Johanna ignored her.

Her weapon remained aimed at Dinraal.

"You kidnapped the princess."

Dinraal looked at Isolde.

"She knows about the attack, right?"

Johanna's eyes narrowed.

"Move away from her."

Dinraal glanced at Vael.

Vael was gone.

Dinraal stared at the empty corridor.

"Of course."

Johanna stepped closer.

"Where is the masked man?"

Dinraal looked toward her.

"I was about to ask you the same question."

Isolde moved between them.

"Both of you, stop."

Johanna stared at Dinraal.

Then at Isolde.

"My lady, are you hurt?"

Isolde hesitated.

"No."

Johanna lowered her weapon slightly.

Dinraal raised an eyebrow.

Isolde looked away.

"Not anymore."

Johanna frowned.

"What does that mean?"

Claire cleared her throat.

"It's complicated."

Dinraal looked down the corridor.

Something was wrong.

The feeling had returned.

The awareness from the Gaunt.

But now it felt different.

Colder.

Bigger.

Something was approaching.

Dinraal slowly raised his hand.

"Everyone."

They looked at him.

"Get behind me."

Johanna immediately frowned.

"Absolutely not."

The walls shook.

Dust fell from the ceiling.

A deep sound echoed through the underground facility.

Not an explosion.

A roar.

Every person in the corridor froze.

Claire whispered, "What was that?"

Dinraal stared into the darkness.

His expression changed.

For the first time since arriving on the planet—

he looked afraid.

"I don't know."

Then two enormous red eyes opened at the far end of the corridor.

And something began to crawl toward them.

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