Chapter Twenty-Two: The Sleeping Tyrant
17th of January, Year 787 — Dream Calendar
Fifteen Years After the Fall of Dream Land
Location: The New City, beneath the Pale Citadel
The world had changed.
Skylines of steel and marble now stood where fields once lay. The scent of war no longer choked the air—only the hum of new life and quiet whispers of the past. Above the city, suspended in clouds of enchantment, the Pale Citadel floated like a specter, watching over the land rebuilt from the ashes of the Dream War.
In a sealed chamber deep beneath its halls, surrounded by runes older than empires, the man who once broke the world—Andrew—slept beneath an obsidian crystal shell.
Unmoving. Untouched. Undying.
Until now.
Mihai stepped into the chamber, clad in elegant black robes, silver lines tracing the hem like veins of shadow. He approached the cocoon of crystal, his steps deliberate, his eyes locked on the man within.
Fifteen years. Fifteen years since Andrew had unleashed the wrath of a Grand Swordmaster to defeat Andreas… only to collapse from the very power that granted him victory. His soul had burned too brightly—too violently. And so it slept.
Mihai reached out and pressed a hand to the crystal.
He whispered one word.
"Awaken."
Light shattered.
The crystal exploded into dust, revealing Andrew, his body unchanged—still clothed in the same torn, bloodstained armor, still as sharp as the blade of a god. His eyes snapped open with a violent gasp, spirit energy roaring outward like a hurricane.
But Mihai stood still.
Unshaken.
Because in the final moments of their battle, Andrew had done something no one expected—he had shared a fragment of his aura with Mihai. Not to strengthen him in combat, but to protect him. To ensure Mihai could walk beside him without being destroyed by his power.
Now, the air calmed.
Andrew coughed. His vision spun. The weight of years pressed down on him.
"…Where…?"
Mihai knelt beside him, a faint smirk curling on his lips.
"Welcome back, Andrew. You've been gone for a while."
They walked slowly through the Pale Citadel. Andrew's limbs felt like rusted metal, but his mind sharpened with every step.
"What happened?" he asked, voice still hoarse.
Mihai gave a small nod.
"You won. But it cost you everything. You've slept for fifteen years. The world moved on without you."
Andrew looked out the window as they moved toward the high balcony. What he saw below made him pause: children laughing, merchants shouting, streets alive. Not with fear. With peace.
"Who rules the empire?" he asked.
Mihai's face darkened.
"Andrei."
Andrew froze. His fingers curled into fists.
"That's not possible. Andrei died during the Third War. I saw it. I was there."
Mihai nodded slowly.
"You saw what Andreas wanted you to see. Andrei survived—barely. He disappeared into the shadows, rebuilt his body, and founded the Pale Eye, an intelligence order built from the remains of the old Dream Empire. It was me he entrusted with leadership after he disappeared again… but make no mistake, he's alive. Somewhere."
Andrew's mind reeled. Everything twisted—Andrei, still alive? The empire intact in ways he never imagined?
"And Kael?"
Mihai's lips thinned.
"He's alive. Stronger than we ever expected. He carries both your spirit and Andreas's fire. He's already forged his own path—fighting his own wars. And soon, he will need you."
Andrew said nothing.
The silence between them was broken by the arrival of another presence—David, older now, scar across his cheek, but still carrying that calm, piercing look of a seasoned warrior. He nodded once, solemnly.
"You look like hell."
Andrew smirked faintly. "You don't look so glorious yourself."
David chuckled, then turned to Mihai. "Is it time?"
Mihai nodded.
"Let's show him what's left."
The doors of the quiet estate opened slowly.
The air was warm. The scent of tea and wildflowers drifted out like a memory.
And there—beneath the glow of crystal lanterns, surrounded by the gentle hum of birdsong—stood a woman. Her hair was silver now. Her robes plain. Her eyes still distant, but alive.
Natalia.
Andrew's breath caught in his throat.
She looked up.
And for the first time in nearly two decades… her eyes filled with tears.
"Brother…?"