Chapter 423: A Throne Divided

Classic Blackwood – The Moment of Truth

The world stood still.

Classic's grip on the microphone tightened as his father's words echoed through the massive hall.

"Miss me?"

The sheer weight of Chris Blackwood's presence crushed the atmosphere, his mere existence rewriting history in an instant.

Gasps rippled through the gathered nobles. The Prime Minister paled. Some world leaders murmured amongst themselves, utterly shaken.

Classic forced himself to breathe.

This wasn't happening.

It couldn't be.

Yet—Chris stood before him.

Alive.

Whole.

And still commanding the room like he never left.

Classic clenched his jaw. "You should be dead."

Chris smirked. "And yet, here I am."

The tension between them was palpable.

A decade of mourning. A decade of preparing to take the throne.

And now?

Now the man Classic was supposed to succeed stood in his way.

The entire hall buzzed with uncertainty. Who ruled now?

Then—Skylar Blackwood rose from her seat.

Her eyes, sharp as ever, settled on Chris. For the first time in years, a storm brewed behind them.

"You deceived the world," she said, voice unwavering. "You let an empire grieve while you hid in the shadows."

Chris turned his head slightly, amusement flickering in his gaze. "And yet, the empire survived."

Skylar took a slow step forward, her hands tightening into fists. "No thanks to you."

The hall was silent.

All eyes flickered between them—between a ruler who had seized power and a king who had returned from the dead.

Classic exhaled, his heart thundering.

This was his moment.

His throne.

And now?

Chris was testing him.

Classic straightened, his voice cutting through the tension.

"Are you here to reclaim what's yours?"

Chris studied him, then let out a low chuckle. "That depends."

Classic's muscles tensed. "On what?"

Chris stepped closer. "On whether or not you're truly ready to rule."

Classic's eyes blazed.

This was it.

The battle for the empire had begun.