The moment Seraphina vanished with Lumina in a flash of silver light, something inside Ashen shattered completely.

Rage blurred his eyes, the blazing, hot, blinding, and all-consuming rage flooded every vein in his body.

The betrayal, the lies, the countless deaths, and the image of his mother dying alone crashed over him like a tidal wave.

"You!" Ashen roared, rising from his knees with murderous fury.

Before King Aden could react, Ashen exploded forward. His fist, wrapped in crackling dark energy and dragonfire, slammed into his father’s chest with brutal force.

The impact sent the King crashing backward through his own throne, splintering ancient wood and marble.

"You monster!" Ashen screamed, voice raw with pain. "You killed my mother! You destroyed everything!"

Aden rose slowly, blood trickling from his lips, yet a cold, twisted smile remained on his face. "Finally showing your true nature, boy?"

The fight erupted with savage intensity.

"I have never hidden it in the first place." Ashen roared with rage as he attacked him again like a man possessed.

In his body filled with rage, he summoned his full Drakonis heritage scales rippling across his arms, eyes burning blood-red as dragon essence surged through him.

He unleashed a barrage of brutal blows, each one strong enough to crack stone.

Aden met him head-on, matching his son’s ferocity with centuries of ruthless experience and dark magic.

The throne room became a battlefield.

Ashen’s claws raked across his father’s shoulder, tearing through royal robes and flesh.

Aden retaliated with a blast of void energy that slammed Ashen into a pillar, cracking it down the middle. Blood sprayed.

Bones groaned. Ashen roared and charged again, tackling his father through the air.

They crashed into the floor, trading vicious blows, fists, claws, and pure hatred. 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

"You used her and killed her like an animal!" Ashen bellowed, pinning his father momentarily and driving his fist repeatedly into Aden’s face. "You poisoned Lumina! You controlled me like a puppet!"

Aden laughed through bloodied teeth. With a surge of dark power, he flung Ashen off him and rose, his own eyes glowing with malicious power. "Weak. Just like your mother."

The fight turned even more brutal. Ashen summoned a massive dragon claw construct that tore through the hall, ripping chunks out of the ceiling.

Aden countered with tendrils of shadow that wrapped around Ashen’s limbs, trying to crush him. Ashen broke free with a deafening roar, charging forward and plunging his hand straight into his father’s chest.

With a sickening, wet sound, Ashen ripped out King Aden’s beating heart.

Blood poured like a river. Aden staggered back, eyes wide, yet he did not fall.

Ashen stood panting, holding the still-pulsing heart in his blood-soaked hand, chest heaving with exhaustion and fury.

"You are my son after all, you will always have that bitter rage, that greed,. Aden coughed up blood but smiled a defiant grin. "You can’t kill me that easily, boy. Not without taking my head as well. But go on... try."

He wheezed, eyes gleaming with malice. "In the end... It will be Lumina who finishes me. Never you..."

Ashen roared in frustration and prepared to strike again when the entire palace shook violently.

A deafening uproar erupted from outside. Horns blared. Explosions rocked around. Instantly the guards burst into the hall, faces pale with terror.

"My Lord! The King of Shadowver has launched a full-scale assault! His armies are at the gates they brought people from the Abysland!"

Just then he heard his father cough. "It’s all on you now son... fight it.." his father’s voice growled.

Ashen stared down at his father with bitter rage, "I won’t die now." he whispered.

Chaos exploded across the palace. In the distance, the roar of dragons answered the call as Drakonis’ forces began summoning their ancient beasts to defend the realm.

Ashen’s body trembled with exhaustion, but he forced himself to move. Even now, duty burned in him.

He staggered toward the balcony to summon the greatest dragon when another wave of pain hit him, the backlash of ripping out his father’s heart.

He fought with everything he had left. Ashen transformed partially, massive dragon wings tearing from his back as he dove into the fray outside, unleashing devastating attacks against the invading forces.

He fought like a berserker tearing through soldiers, clashing with enemy champions, and roaring commands to the summoned dragons that filled the sky with fire and shadow.

But his body had reached its limit.

After what felt like an eternity of brutal combat, Ashen’s vision blurred. A final, powerful strike from an enemy general sent him spiraling down. He crashed hard into the palace courtyard, bloodied and broken, consciousness fading rapidly.

"My Lord!" A familiar voice cried out.

Aria appeared through the smoke and chaos. The loyal attendant fought her way to him, dragging his battered body behind cover while shielding him

"Stay with me! You have done enough!" Meanwhile, inside the palace corridors, another tragedy unfolded.

Serena suddenly gasped, clutching her stomach as sharp, agonizing pain tore through her.

Blood bloomed across her dress. Before she could react, Rhynera emerged from the shadows, a cruel smile on her face and a bloodied dagger in hand.

"You have always been in the way, if you had never appeared I would have had a good life with Adam." Rhynera hissed, attacking with surprising skill and ferocity.

Despite the stabbing pain and growing weakness, "You bitch! Because you couldn’t carry his child, you want to end mine?"

She laughed out, "Well it’s doing my sister a favor but... I don’t plan on ending just your child but you!"

Serena fought back fiercely. The two women clashed in a deadly dance, blades flashing, as they shot lighting and fire at each other.

Serena, while wounded, could still hold on to Ryhnera, but Rhynera was driven by pure hatred and ambition. They traded vicious blows, crashing through halls and destroying priceless artifacts.

In the end, Serena landed a fatal strike driving her blade straight through Rhynera’s heart. Rhynera’s eyes widened in shock as she collapsed, dead before she hit the ground.

But the victory came at a terrible cost.

Serena staggered back, blood pouring from the deep wound in her stomach. She slid down the wall, breathing shallow and ragged. A faint, sad smile touched her lips as her vision faded.

"Gu... guess we are both going to die today." she struggled to speak and Rhyners with blood pouring out of her mouth shethe grind.

"You bitch!" she whispered with her final breath.