Chapter 9 - Echoes of The Forgotten life
The clearing fell silent.
Jason stood frozen beside his father's grave, unable to process what he had just heard.
The last king of the Ravencrest Empire.
The words sounded ridiculous. Impossible.
He had spent eighteen years being mocked for lacking a wolf. He grew up in a small cottage on the edge of the Blackfang Pack. He struggled to earn respect from people who barely acknowledged his existence.Kings belonged in legends.Not in his life.Not in his story.
A bitter laugh escaped his lips No.His voice came out rough.
No, that's impossible.The stranger didn't argue.
He simply watched.
That calm expression irritated Jason more than anger would have.You expect me to believe that?
Jason pointed toward himself.
I can barely defend myself against ordinary warriors.
I spent my entire life being called useless.
Now suddenly I'm some ancient king reborn?
The stranger remained silent.
His patience felt endless.Almost frightening.
Jason's frustration continued to rise Say something.
What exactly do you want from me?
The man's gaze drifted toward the mountains in the distance.
For a moment, sadness crossed his face.
I want you to survive.
The answer caught Jason off guard.
He expected manipulation Lies.
Threats Not that.The stranger looked back at him.Because they're already coming.
A chill spread through the clearing.
The lead enforcer frowned.Who's coming?
The stranger's eyes narrowed.
The people who killed him the first time.
Nobody moved.
The wind rustled through the trees overhead.
Somewhere nearby, a night bird called out.
Jason suddenly became aware of how cold the forest had grown.Elena stepped forward.
That's impossible.
The stranger slowly shook his head.
No.
What's impossible is believing they ever disappeared.His voice lowered.
The Ravencrest Empire didn't fall because it was weak.
It fell because someone betrayed it from within.
Jason felt something stir inside him.
Not a memory An emotion Raw hatred.
It appeared without warning.
Strong enough to make his chest tighten.
Images flashed through his mind.
A grand hall, Golden pillars.A throne standing empty.
Blood staining white marble floors.Then a scream.A woman's scream.The vision vanished instantly.jason stumbled backward.
His breathing became uneven.The stranger noticed.So did Elena.the memories are waking up.jason clenched his jaw.
Stop calling them memories.They're not mine.
A faint smile touched the stranger's face.
You keep saying that.
Another flash exploded behind Jason's eyes.
A battlefield.Rain pouring from dark skies.
Thousands of warriors kneeling.
An enormous silver wolf standing atop a mountain of corpses.
Then came a voice.A familiar voice.
One he recognized instantly, Protect the crown.
The words echoed through his mind.
The vision shattered,Jason grabbed his head.
Pain lanced through his skull.
This time he couldn't stop the gasp that escaped him.
Elena immediately rushed to his side.
Jason ,Her voice sounded distant.
Muffled.
Like he was hearing it through water.
The stranger's expression darkened.it's happening too quickly.
The lead enforcer turned sharply.
What is?
The answer came immediately.His soul is remembering.Jason forced himself upright.
His entire body felt unstable.
Like his world had shifted off balance.
Enough.He glared at the stranger.
Who are you?
The question had been waiting since the beginning.
The stranger looked toward Adrian Ravencrest's grave.A long silence followed.
When he finally spoke, his voice carried a weight that made everyone listen.I was once his guardian Jason frowned, The stranger nodded.
The last Ravencrest King.The one you used to be.
The answer only created more questions.
Before Jason could ask another one, the lead enforcer suddenly raised a hand.
Quiet.Everyone fell silent.
The warrior's eyes focused on the darkness beyond the clearing.
Jason noticed it a second later.Movement.
Not one person,Several.
Branches shifted in the distance,Leaves rustled.
Footsteps.Many footsteps.
The stranger cursed under his breath.
Too late.
The lead enforcer immediately drew his sword.
Who's there?No response.The forest remained dark Still.
Then figures emerged from between the trees,One, Five,Ten,twenty.More followed behind them.Jason's stomach tightened.
Every newcomer wore black armor.
Their faces hidden behind silver masks.
Not Blackfang warriors.
Not Council Enforcers, Something else.
Something far more dangerous.
The lead enforcer's expression changed instantly.
For the first time since meeting him, Jason saw genuine fear, Impossible.
The warrior took an unconscious step backward.
They found us already?
The stranger's face hardened.i told you they were coming.
One of the masked figures stepped forward.
His movements were calm.
Controlled,Confident.
The kind of confidence possessed by someone who had never known defeat.
The forest seemed to hold its breath around him.
Then the masked man spoke.
A deep voice echoed through the clearing.
Hand over the Ravencrest heir.
Jason felt his pulse quicken,Nobody moved.
The masked warrior continued,You know why we're here.
The stranger slowly stepped in front of Jason.
His posture changed.
The calm, weary man was gone.
Something dangerous stood in his place.
Something ancient.
The air itself seemed heavier around him.
The masked leader laughed softly.
Still protecting him after all these years.
The stranger's eyes narrowed.
Still hiding behind masks after all these years.
A tense silence followed, Jason looked between them,Neither sounded like strangers.
They knew each other.
The realization sent a chill through him.
The masked leader removed his helmet.
Elena gasped.
The lead enforcer's face lost all color.
Jason stared,The man looked young.
Far too young.
Yet his eyes carried centuries of cruelty.
The stranger beside Jason immediately clenched his fists,Hatred radiated from him.
Pure, Undisguised.the masked leader smiled.
The expression never reached his eyes.
At last, His gaze settled on Jason.The dead king has finally returned.
Jason felt his heartbeat stop.Then the man's smile widened.
And he spoke the name that had been erased from history.Welcome back, King Aether Ravencrest.
