The Last Silver

For several seconds, no one moved.

The ancient chamber groaned around them.

Darius stood beneath the broken hull of the Ashen vessel, black cloak drifting through the dust.

Behind him, the Ashen soldiers waited.

Ahead of him stood Gilgamesh.

Alexander.

Cleopatra.

Julius Caesar.

Four names that should have belonged to history.

Four people who had somehow survived long enough to become something beyond Dinraal's understanding.

And every one of them was looking at the Mithril Gaunt.

Dinraal hated that.

He slowly lowered his hand.

"I'm getting tired of everyone staring at this."

Darius smiled.

"You should be."

Dinraal frowned.

"That wasn't an invitation to continue."

Alexander laughed.

Darius ignored him.

"The Gaunt is reacting."

Gilgamesh stepped forward.

"Don't listen to him."

Darius tilted his head.

"Why not?"

"Because you are trying to provoke him."

"Am I?"

"Yes."

Darius considered this.

Then smiled.

"It's working."

Dinraal looked at Gilgamesh.

"It is a little."

Johanna appeared beside him, weapon raised.

"Dinraal."

"I know."

"Do you?"

"No."

"Good. At least we're being honest."

The First Weapon roared.

Everyone turned.

The massive creature was shaking.

Black light continued spreading across the Mithril Gaunt.

With every crack, the red lights within the creature's eyes grew brighter.

Cleopatra's expression hardened.

"We need to leave."

Alexander looked toward her.

"Now?"

She stared at him.

"Yes, Alexander. Now."

"But he just arrived."

Caesar looked at her.

"He brought an army."

Alexander shrugged.

"I've had worse guests."

Darius's smile disappeared.

The Ashen soldiers raised their weapons.

Alexander's hand immediately moved to his sword.

Finally, Dinraal thought.

Someone was taking this seriously.

Gilgamesh looked at Darius.

"You're working with them."

Darius looked almost offended.

"Working with?"

He glanced behind him.

"The Ashen serve a purpose."

"They erase civilizations."

"Exactly."

Silence.

Claire stared at him.

"That is your defense?"

Darius looked at her.

"You are young."

Claire raised an eyebrow.

"And you're insane."

Alexander laughed loudly.

Caesar closed his eyes.

Cleopatra looked toward the ceiling.

Gilgamesh almost smiled.

Darius, however, did not.

His attention returned to Dinraal.

"You've learned the law."

Dinraal said nothing.

"The fewer humans who remain, the stronger they become."

The words seemed to change the air.

Dinraal remembered Earth.

The ancient world.

He remembered Methuselah standing alone against an army.

Gilgamesh destroying an entire battlefield.

Alexander's presence.

The power contained within a handful of surviving humans.

Darius took another step forward.

"But you've misunderstood something."

Gilgamesh's voice became sharp.

"Darius."

The ancient king ignored him.

"The power does not merely grow."

Dinraal felt the Gaunt burn.

Darius continued.

"It remembers."

The chamber disappeared.

Dinraal found himself standing in darkness.

Again.

He clenched his teeth.

"I'm getting tired of people doing this."

A voice answered him.

"So am I."

Dinraal turned.

He stared.

A woman stood several feet away.

She wore a long, simple robe.

Her hair was silver.

Her face was unfamiliar.

Yet something about her felt ancient.

Not powerful.

Not in the way Gilgamesh was powerful.

Older.

Deeper.

"Who are you?"

The woman smiled sadly.

"That question has been asked more times than you can imagine."

Dinraal looked around.

"Where am I?"

"Inside."

"That doesn't explain anything."

"It rarely does."

Dinraal crossed his arms.

"Are you going to start speaking cryptically too?"

The woman considered.

"No."

Dinraal waited.

She pointed into the darkness.

A light appeared.

Then another.

Thousands.

Millions.

Soon, the darkness was filled with stars.

Dinraal stared.

"What am I looking at?"

"Humanity."

The lights multiplied.

Countless stars.

More than Dinraal could comprehend.

"Every human?"

"Yes."

Dinraal stepped closer.

The lights changed.

Some were brighter.

Others dimmer.

Then one disappeared.

A nearby light brightened.

Dinraal froze.

Another disappeared.

Again, the remaining lights grew brighter.

"The law," Dinraal whispered.

The woman nodded.

"The law."

Dinraal looked at her.

"Who made it?"

"I don't know."

"Gilgamesh said—"

"Gilgamesh knows stories."

Her expression softened.

"I know what I have seen."

Dinraal stared at the lights.

"What does Darius mean when he says it remembers?"

The woman's face became grave.

The lights began to disappear faster.

Dinraal watched.

As each one vanished, the remaining lights grew brighter.

But something else happened.

Memories appeared inside them.

Faces.

Voices.

Lives.

Dinraal's breath caught.

"When a human dies…"

The woman spoke quietly.

"Nothing is truly lost."

Dinraal slowly turned toward her.

"Their strength."

"Yes."

"Their memories?"

"In fragments."

The lights continued vanishing.

Dinraal stared in horror.

"You mean every surviving human carries pieces of the ones who died?"

"Eventually."

The woman looked at him.

"That is why the oldest humans are so dangerous."

Dinraal thought of Methuselah.

Gilgamesh.

Cleopatra.

Caesar.

Alexander.

They were not simply powerful because humanity had become rare.

They carried something else.

Pieces of thousands of lives.

Thousands of years.

He felt sick.

"What happens when there is only one?"

The woman closed her eyes.

For a long time, she said nothing.

Then—

"Everything."

Dinraal stared.

The lights disappeared.

One by one.

Until only a single light remained.

It burned brighter than a sun.

The darkness around it vanished.

Dinraal shielded his eyes.

Inside the light, he heard voices.

Countless voices.

Screaming.

Laughing.

Crying.

Living.

Dying.

The woman looked toward it.

"The last human would carry humanity itself."

Dinraal whispered.

"And the Ashen want that?"

The woman's expression became terrified.

"No."

The darkness shook.

"They want to control it."

Dinraal returned to the chamber.

He fell to one knee.

Isolde immediately reached him.

"Din!"

He raised one hand.

"I'm fine."

"You always say that."

"I know."

"You are never fine when you say it."

Dinraal looked at her.

"That's fair."

Johanna looked toward Darius.

"What did you do?"

Darius spread his hands.

"Nothing."

Gilgamesh stepped forward.

"Liar."

Darius's eyes moved to him.

The two ancient kings stared at one another.

Dinraal slowly stood.

His head was pounding.

He looked at Gilgamesh.

"Is it true?"

Gilgamesh didn't answer.

Dinraal's voice rose.

"Is it true?"

Alexander's expression darkened.

Caesar looked away.

Cleopatra closed her eyes.

That was enough.

Dinraal laughed bitterly.

"Of course."

Gilgamesh finally spoke.

"Yes."

The word echoed through the chamber.

Dinraal stared at him.

"If there is only one human left…"

Gilgamesh nodded.

"The power of humanity would gather within them."

Claire whispered, "That would make them—"

"A god," Alexander said.

Everyone looked at him.

Alexander shrugged.

"What?"

Cleopatra's expression became cold.

"Do not call it that."

Caesar looked toward her.

"Why?"

"Because the last time someone called themselves a god, three civilizations burned."

Alexander looked offended.

"I was not the only one involved."

Caesar folded his arms.

"You conquered half the known world."

Alexander pointed at him.

"And you didn't?"

Dinraal stared at them.

"Is this really the time?"

Caesar and Alexander answered together.

"No."

Then they continued staring at each other.

Darius laughed softly.

"This is why you failed."

Silence.

Alexander's expression changed.

Dinraal felt it.

The entire chamber seemed to grow heavier.

Darius noticed.

But he didn't retreat.

Interesting.

Darius continued.

"Humanity survived because it learned to divide itself."

Cleopatra's eyes narrowed.

"What do you mean?"

Darius looked toward her.

"You know."

Her face hardened.

Caesar noticed.

"Cleopatra."

"Don't."

Darius smiled.

Dinraal looked between them.

He was beginning to recognize that tone.

There was history here.

More history than anyone had told him.

Darius looked toward Cleopatra.

"You stayed when the others left."

Gilgamesh stepped forward.

"Enough."

"No."

Darius's attention shifted to Caesar.

"And you."

Caesar's hand moved toward his sword.

"You followed her."

Cleopatra turned sharply.

"I did not ask you to."

Caesar looked at her.

"I know."

The words were quiet.

Too quiet.

For the first time, Cleopatra had nothing to say.

Dinraal looked at Isolde.

She looked back.

Neither understood.

Darius smiled.

"Four thousand years."

Caesar's expression darkened.

"Darius."

"And still neither of you can decide whether you hate each other."

Cleopatra drew her weapon.

Johanna immediately took a step backward.

Dinraal whispered, "Instinct?"

"Yes."

Caesar stared at Cleopatra.

"Put that away."

She looked at him.

"Why?"

"Because you're angry."

"I'm always angry."

"That is not helping your argument."

Alexander laughed.

Cleopatra turned toward him.

Alexander stopped.

Darius smiled.

"There it is."

The complicated history between Cleopatra and Caesar hung in the air.

Dinraal had heard legends.

Romances.

Wars.

Betrayals.

But legends were apparently much simpler than reality.

Cleopatra looked at Caesar.

"You left."

The laughter disappeared.

Caesar became still.

Dinraal felt the change immediately.

Darius smiled faintly.

Caesar answered.

"Yes."

Cleopatra's grip tightened around her weapon.

"For centuries."

"I know."

"You died."

Caesar looked down.

"Yes."

"And then you came back."

Dinraal blinked.

What?

Cleopatra continued.

"And you didn't come looking for me."

Caesar finally looked at her.

"When I woke, I didn't know where you were."

"That is not the same thing."

"No."

The silence between them was enormous.

Caesar stepped toward her.

"I looked."

Cleopatra's expression flickered.

For the first time, something vulnerable appeared beneath the anger.

"How long?"

Caesar smiled without humor.

"Too long."

Dinraal slowly looked away.

Johanna was doing the same.

Claire suddenly found the floor fascinating.

Alexander whispered to Gilgamesh, "This is uncomfortable."

Gilgamesh whispered back, "You invited yourself."

Darius's smile widened.

"How touching."

Cleopatra turned toward him.

The ancient chamber shook.

Every loose stone rose from the floor.

Darius's smile vanished.

Cleopatra's eyes burned gold.

Dinraal took a step backward.

"Oh."

Alexander slowly smiled.

"Now that's interesting."

Gilgamesh looked at him.

"Don't."

Cleopatra raised her hand.

The stones shot forward.

Darius moved.

The attack tore through the space where he had been standing.

Ashen soldiers opened fire.

The battle resumed.

"MOVE!"

Dinraal grabbed Isolde's arm.

They dove behind the remains of an ancient pillar.

Johanna and Claire followed.

The chamber erupted into chaos.

Alexander launched himself forward.

His sword flashed.

Three Ashen soldiers fell before Dinraal could follow the movement.

Caesar drew his weapon.

Unlike Alexander, he moved with brutal efficiency.

No wasted motion.

No unnecessary strikes.

Cleopatra raised both hands.

Gold light swept across the battlefield.

Ashen weapons shattered.

Gilgamesh walked directly toward Darius.

The ancient king didn't run.

Neither did Darius.

They collided.

The impact created a shockwave that knocked soldiers from their feet.

Dinraal stared.

"Humans are ridiculous."

Claire nodded.

"I'm starting to agree."

The First Weapon roared.

Everyone stopped.

Its enormous body rose higher.

The creature turned toward Darius.

Then—

toward the ceiling.

A deep sound echoed from above.

Not an explosion.

A signal.

The Ashen vessel responded.

Its engines ignited.

Dinraal's blood went cold.

"What's it doing?"

Vael appeared beside them.

His armor was damaged.

Blood covered one side of his face.

"Leaving."

Dinraal frowned.

"That sounds good."

Vael looked upward.

"No."

The black vessel began rising.

The ceiling tore apart.

Dinraal watched it climb through the atmosphere.

Johanna checked her communicator.

Then her face went pale.

"Dinraal."

He turned.

"What?"

She showed him the display.

Every Ashen ship in orbit was moving.

Not toward the planet.

Away from it.

Claire stared.

"They're retreating?"

Vael's expression hardened.

"No."

Gilgamesh suddenly shouted.

"EVERYONE DOWN!"

Dinraal turned.

Too late.

Darius smiled.

Then disappeared.

A moment later—

the sky went dark.

Orbit

The Chancellor stood on the bridge of his flagship.

Every officer was staring at the tactical display.

The Ashen fleet was withdrawing.

The Chancellor's expression did not change.

"Track them."

The navigator swallowed.

"We can't."

"Why?"

"They aren't leaving the system."

The Chancellor walked toward the display.

"What?"

The navigator pointed.

The Ashen vessels had formed a massive ring around the planet.

Thousands of ships.

Their positions were exact.

Too exact.

Aurelius stared.

Then whispered—

"No."

The tactical officer turned.

"Chancellor?"

Aurelius moved toward the communications station.

"Get me a channel to the surface."

"Sir, the interference—"

"NOW."

The signal connected.

Static filled the chamber.

Then Dinraal's voice came through.

"Aurelius?"

The Chancellor closed his eyes.

"Listen to me."

Dinraal was silent.

Aurelius's voice became urgent.

"The Ashen aren't retreating."

Below, Dinraal looked toward the communicator.

"We noticed."

The Chancellor looked at the tactical display.

Every ship in the ring activated.

"Then you have to get off that planet."

Dinraal looked upward.

"Why?"

The Chancellor's face went pale.

"Because they're going to destroy the planet."

Dinraal froze.

The entire bridge went silent.

Aurelius whispered—

"You cannot fall here."

The Ancient Chamber

Dinraal stared at the communicator.

Isolde slowly turned toward him.

"You heard the man."

Above the planet—

the Ashen fleet activated.

A beam of black light descended from the sky.

Not toward the capital.

Not toward the Chancellor's fleet.

Toward the ancient chamber.

The First Weapon screamed.

The Mithril Gaunt shattered.

Dinraal fell to his knees.

Silver fragments floated around his hand.

Everyone froze.

Gilgamesh turned.

For the first time—

true fear crossed his face.

"No."

The fragments of the Gaunt began spinning around Dinraal.

One by one, they dissolved into his skin.

Dinraal screamed.

Memories flooded him.

Not his memories.

Thousands.

Millions.

Ancient voices.

Ancient lives.

Earth.

Wars.

Kings.

Queens.

Children.

The first fire.

The first death.

The first human who had looked at the sky and wondered what existed beyond it.

Dinraal collapsed.

Isolde ran toward him.

"DINRAAL!"

Gilgamesh grabbed her.

She fought him.

"Let me go!"

"You can't!"

"Why?"

Gilgamesh looked at the boy screaming on the floor.

His voice broke.

"Because the Gaunt isn't breaking."

The silver fragments vanished.

Dinraal's eyes opened.

They were glowing.

Gilgamesh finished the sentence.

"It's choosing."

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