The Throne of the Forgotten

The world shifted around Kyle, the battlefield dissolving into a vast chamber of stone and shadow. The shattered ruins of an ancient kingdom reassembled themselves, as if time itself was reversing to reveal a place that had been buried beneath the weight of history.

At the center of it all stood the Throne of the Forgotten King.

It was unlike anything Kyle had ever seen—carved from blackened obsidian, etched with golden sigils that pulsed faintly with an unknown power. The seat itself was massive, its edges jagged, as if it had been forged in the heart of war rather than crafted by mortal hands.

And as soon as Kyle laid eyes on it, the pull returned.

It was stronger now.

Before, it had been a whisper in his bones, a faint call trying to drag him into a past that wasn't his own.

But now?

Now it roared.

The Forgotten King stood between Kyle and the throne, his tattered royal armor reflecting the dim, eerie glow of the chamber. His cracked steel crown shimmered, catching the flickering light as if the shadows themselves were drawn to it.

Kyle gritted his teeth, gripping the Fallen King's Blade tightly. His body was aching, his muscles burned from the battle that had brought him here, but he wasn't done yet.

A final notification pulsed in his vision.

---

Trial Progression: The Throne's Reckoning

You have wounded the Forgotten King. The Trial is nearing its end.

Two Paths Remain: Take the Throne or Defeat the King.

Choose.

---

Kyle's breath slowed.

Take the throne?

A dark, creeping sensation coiled around his heart. Was that what this was all about? Was this trial meant to make him a king?

His gut twisted at the thought.

He wasn't here to rule. He wasn't here to inherit some forgotten empire.

But the King wasn't going to let him walk away without a fight.

The massive figure took a step forward, and Kyle could feel the power in the air intensify.

Then, the King raised his hand.

The very walls of the chamber cracked as shadows erupted from the ground, swirling into twisted figures of black mist and cold fire.

They were not quite human, nor were they mere specters. They wore the remnants of battle-worn armor, their hollow eyes burning like silver moons.

The Legion of the Forgotten.

Kyle had fought undead, wraiths, mercenaries, even the Black Legion, but this?

This was something else entirely.

The shadows turned their empty faces toward him, their bodies shifting unnaturally as they surrounded him.

Then, they attacked.

Kyle moved on instinct, his sword flashing as he parried the first strike, twisted away from another, and lashed out in a counterattack that sent one of the shadowed warriors collapsing into black mist.

They were fast, but Kyle was faster.

Another shadow lunged at him, its jagged blade cutting through the air toward his back—but Kyle anticipated the movement, spinning at the last second and driving his sword straight through its chest.

The creature didn't bleed.

Instead, its body shattered like glass, vanishing into the air.

A notification pulsed.

---

Legion of the Forgotten Slain: +1.

Trial Completion Progress: 10%.

---

Kyle cursed under his breath. Ten percent?

There were so many more of them.

He barely had time to recover before three more shadows descended upon him at once, their swords flashing in perfect synchronization.

Kyle gritted his teeth and dove into the fight.

His blade clashed against theirs, the impact sending vibrations through his arms. He sidestepped, using their own momentum against them, redirecting one into another before cutting both down in a single powerful arc.

The moment they dissolved, another notification flickered.

---

Legion of the Forgotten Slain: +2.

Trial Completion Progress: 30%.

---

Kyle breathed hard, sweat dripping down his forehead.

They just kept coming.

And through it all, the Forgotten King watched.

The massive figure had not moved, his silver eyes locked on Kyle, as if measuring him, waiting to see if he would fall or rise.

Kyle didn't fall.

Another shadow came at him from the side—Kyle pivoted, bringing his sword upward in a brutal slash that severed the creature's form in two.

Trial Completion Progress: 50%.

The remaining shadows hesitated.

Kyle saw it.

Doubt.

He pressed forward.

His blade flashed again, cutting down another, and another—each time, he felt the weight of the trial shifting, the power of the throne resisting his defiance but also bending to it.

Trial Completion Progress: 80%.

Kyle exhaled sharply, blood dripping from his arm where one of the shadows had landed a glancing blow. He was almost there.

The last two shadowed warriors remained, standing at the King's side.

Kyle raised his sword.

The King finally spoke.

"Will you claim it?"

Kyle's breath caught.

The Throne pulsed behind the King, its energy calling to him once more.

For a split second, Kyle saw what could be—

Him, sitting upon that throne, the weight of the forgotten kingdom upon his shoulders, power beyond anything he had ever dreamed pulsing through his veins.

The Land bowing before him.

No more running.

No more hiding.

No more being hunted.

Only ruling.

Only conquering.

Kyle gritted his teeth.

"No," he growled.

The vision shattered.

The Throne pulsed violently, as if it were rejecting his answer.

But Kyle didn't care.

He charged.

The King raised his sword for the final time.

The last two shadowed warriors lunged toward Kyle, but he cut through them like they were nothing.

Their bodies dissolved into mist.

---

Trial Completion: 100%.

---

The Forgotten King moved to strike.

Kyle met him head-on.

Their blades clashed, but this time, Kyle did not break.

The Fallen King's Blade pulsed violently, the energy contained within it fully awakening.

The King staggered.

Kyle pressed forward, driving his sword deep into the King's chest.

A pulse of power exploded outward—

And then, the King fell.

The trial was over.

A final notification burned across Kyle's vision.

---

Trial Completed: The Throne's Reckoning.

Title Acquired: The Warborn Ascendant.

Fallen King's Blade – Fully Awakened.