Title: Shadow of the Eternal Flame - The Unknown Legend ( 2:2 )

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Deep silence… without end.

Khaled could no longer feel the ground beneath his feet, nor the cold, nor even his own body.

Only emptiness.

A vast emptiness that seemed to swallow everything.

Then…

something slowly began to appear.

A throne.

A massive throne made of pure darkness.

A dark violet aura moved around it like living smoke, breathing slowly within the void.

And upon it…

sat a man.

Ancient black armor covered in countless scars from forgotten battles.

Beside him rested a gigantic sword, releasing the same heavy purple glow.

But the thing that terrified Khaled the most…

was his eyes.

Calm…

yet behind them was something that felt capable of devouring the entire world.

“Who… are you?”

Khaled’s voice came out broken.

The man gave a faint smile.

Then said:

“I am Shado.”

Khaled froze instantly.

As if the name alone had dragged every memory back before his eyes.

The fire.

The screams.

The blood of his parents.

“You…”

Khaled clenched his fist violently.

“You’re the one who killed my mother and father.”

Shado continued staring at him calmly.

Then said:

“Your grandfather was truly skilled…”

Khaled paused for a moment.

“My grandfather…?”

“You didn’t know?”

Shado said it as if it were something completely ordinary.

“Wise Sef… is your grandfather.”

Khaled’s eyes widened in shock.

“He hid the truth from you.”

“He knew that if you became more attached to him…”

“…you would completely break once you lost him.”

For a brief moment, neither of them spoke.

But the rage inside Khaled slowly began to boil.

Then Shado said:

“Now that you know the truth…”

“Leave.”

He slowly rose from the throne.

The purple aura moved with him, as if darkness itself obeyed his will.

“I will not help you.”

“And I will not repeat the mistake of leaving you alive if you remain here any longer.”

The next instant—

Khaled moved.

Shadow exploded beneath his feet and rushed toward Shado like a sharpened blade.

But—

the darkness vanished before it could even touch him.

As if Khaled’s power had been completely swallowed.

“You truly believe…”

Shado spoke with terrifying calmness.

“…that darkness can harm me?”

Khaled charged again.

This time with his sword.

A scream of rage escaped him as he attacked with every last bit of strength he had left.

The blade crashed against Shado’s armor.

But the armor did not move even slightly.

Then—

a single strike from Shado.

Khaled felt as though the entire world had slammed into him.

He crashed violently onto the black ground, the air completely ripped from his lungs.

He tried to stand.

Then fell.

Tried again.

And collapsed once more.

Shado watched him silently.

Then said:

“Weak…”

“But…”

His words paused for a moment.

“Stubborn.”

Khaled slowly lifted his head.

Blood ran from the corner of his mouth.

Yet his eyes never lowered.

“I won’t…”

He struggled to breathe.

“I won’t let him die…”

Then he stood once again.

Slowly.

Shaking.

But standing nonetheless.

At that moment…

something in Shado’s gaze slightly changed.

“You remind me of them…”

He stepped closer.

“Your parents.”

“That foolish determination…”

“…before I killed them.”

Khaled’s breathing stopped.

Then—

something exploded inside him.

A scream burst from his throat, shaking the entire void itself.

The shadows around him moved violently, as if they had completely lost control.

And suddenly—

the darkness began gathering within his hand.

Not as chains.

Not as an aura.

But as a sword.

A long black sword, dense and overwhelming, releasing the same violet glow as Shado’s.

And for the first time…

Shado’s smile disappeared.

“Impossible…”

His eyes fixed on the sword.

“That ability…”

The next instant—

Khaled rushed forward.

He moved faster than before.

Not because he had fully become stronger…

but because his rage was forcing his body beyond its limits.

His strike broke through Shado’s defense.

And for the first time—

a crack appeared on the black armor.

The air itself felt frozen.

Shado looked at the crack…

then back at Khaled.

And Khaled was barely standing.

The sword slowly began fading from his hand while his body collapsed from exhaustion.

Then he fell to one knee.

Yet despite that…

he smiled.

“I hit you…”

A low laugh escaped from Shado.

Not mockery this time.

But genuine interest.

“…Interesting.”

He slowly approached him.

The purple aura began surrounding Khaled little by little.

“You use darkness in a very interesting way.”

“That is why…”

He looked directly into his eyes.

“I will help you…”

“…only this once.”

In the next moment—

everything returned.

The cold.

The ice.

The battle.

Khaled suddenly opened his eyes.

Neol stood directly before Abdulrahman.

His ice blade raised—

only a single moment away from striking down.

But before it could move—

a massive shadow appeared in front of Abdulrahman.

A shield.

A black shield formed from darkness itself, completely blocking the icy strike.

For the first time—

Neol’s eyes widened.

As for Khaled…

something inside him had changed.

The power within his body no longer felt the same.

And in his hand—

a sword appeared.

But not the sword he had created before.

This blade was far larger.

Heavier.

A terrifying purple aura flowed from it endlessly.

“So…”

Khaled whispered.

“This is your power, Shado…”

Shadow exploded beneath his feet.

And in a single instant—

Khaled vanished.

Neol tried to react—

but Khaled appeared directly in front of him.

One strike.

The black blade passed through the ice…

as if it had never existed at all.

Neol’s eyes widened.

Then a dark line appeared across his body.

And in the very next moment—

the entire frozen battlefield exploded apart.

Neol dropped to his knees.

The icy seal on his forehead slowly began to crack.

Then—

he collapsed.

The shadows surrounding Khaled gradually calmed.

And Abdulrahman felt the flames inside him finally stabilize again.

Their wounds slowly began healing beneath the darkness surrounding them.

But the power disappeared just as quickly.

Khaled collapsed to the ground from exhaustion.

Beside him…

Abdulrahman fell as well.

Both of them looked toward Zira…

silent forever.

And for the first time in years…

Khaled could not find a single word to say.

Hours later…

the two stood before Zira’s grave.

The air was still.

And the silence felt heavier than the war itself.

Then Wise Sef appeared.

He stood before the grave for a long time…

before quietly saying:

“He was… my dearest friend.”

Khaled suddenly looked at him.

Then asked:

“Why did you hide the truth from me… grandfather?”

Sef froze in place.

“…Did Zira tell you?”

Khaled slowly shook his head.

“No.”

“Shado did.”

And in that instant—

all calmness disappeared from Sef’s face.

“What?!”

He stepped toward him immediately.

“You spoke to him?!”

“He helped me.”

Sef remained silent for a moment.

Then said in a heavy voice:

“Listen to me carefully, Khaled…”

“Shado is not just a spirit.”

“He is a disaster.”

“If he ever completely takes control of you…”

“…everyone you love will die.”

Khaled clenched his fist.

Then quietly replied:

“But he saved us.”

Sef stared at him for a long time.

Then slowly closed his eyes.

“…Then he has acknowledged you.”

Elsewhere…

inside a dark frozen hall—

a man sat upon a throne of ice.

His face hidden beneath the shadows.

But his blue eyes shone with deadly coldness.

The Ice King.

"Salman".

One of the soldiers knelt before him.

“My lord…”

“Neol… has fallen.”

For a moment, the room became deathly quiet.

Then Salman spoke calmly:

“Impossible.”

“He possessed the First Level of the Ice Seal.”

The soldier swallowed his fear.

Then continued:

“The one who defeated him… was a shadow user.”

“From Aros.”

“And he ended the battle with a single strike… using a massive black sword.”

Suddenly—

the atmosphere inside the hall changed.

“…A black sword?”

Salman slowly rose from his throne.

“Has the Shadow Lord returned…?”

The silence inside the hall deepened.

Then Salman let out a cold, quiet laugh.

“It does not matter…”

He turned toward the darkness behind him.

“Can you do it, Rose?”

From within the shadows—

a girl with icy eyes stepped forward.

She bowed quietly.

“As you command… my king.”

Salman smiled.

But there was no warmth in that smile.

“Prepare yourselves, Aros…”

The air inside the hall froze completely.

“Your own people…”

“…will be the ones who destroy you.”

............................

To be continued...

So, who is Rose? What does the Ice King intend to do? What will Khalid and Abdulrahman do? And what does it mean that your sons will destroy you? We will find out in Chapter Five.

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