“Except you,” she says, and I deflate with relief. “But you have to get everyone to leavenow. The Amheuk is gone. The Gray Void is gone. They just need to leave. Make sure the seraphim and the suhoshins carry the ones who can’t fly. Just do it now. Please.”
“They’re going to want a little more expla—”
“Hurry.” She screams, her body jerking and writhing.
“What’s happening, Sunny?” I jump to my feet. “Are you hurt—”
“You have to go, Ethan.” She opens her eyes, and her pupils are engulfed in white flames. And her voice booms like the roar of fire when she says, “Go now.”
I don’t want to leave her, but her desperation breaks my heart. She isterrified, and I can’t refuse her.
“I’ll come back,” I vow. “Wait for me, Sunny. I’ll come back to you.”
For a split second, the brown of her eyes flickers through the white. “I know.”
I take off in a run, back toward the capital.
The dream.
My recurring dream about the fiery ruination of the worlds rockets back into my consciousness. The female in my dreams—the one engulfed in white flames—is Sunny. I see her face clearly now, as well as the destruction that lies around her.
Everything burns.
I run faster, my heart thumping in my throat. My lungs burn, but I push myself harder. I have to hurry. I need to get everyone out. She will never forgive herself if even a single person gets hurt because of her. Everyone has to leave.
Now.
I burst through the gates of the walled capital and run straight into Jihun.
“Ethan, what’s wrong?” He catches me by the shoulders, and the rest of my friends huddle close. “Where’s Sunny?”
“You have to get everyone out,” I pant. “You have to evacuate everyone to the Mortal Realm.”
“Why?” Jihun shakes me once when my eyes slide away.
“Everyonehas to go,” I growl, shoving his hands away. “No exception. And it happensnow.”
“But, Nephew—” the Queen of Sky begins.
“Now!” I shout. “Everything burns. Please,Imo. Get everyone out.”
“The prophecy of the End of Days ...” she breathes, her eyes widening in fear. I can only nod. She gives my hand a firm squeeze and goes into action. “Bora, Taeyoung, and Jihun. Begin the evacuation. Without question, and without delay. Your king has willed it.”
I feel my friends’ questioning glances and the fear of those around me. I ignore them all. I summon my golden axe and silver axe, then stalk to the wall of the capital. Then I pour the force of my magic into my axes and slash anXinto the fabric of the realm, making two realities flicker in the air.
How did I do that?
But I ignore even my own question and rip open another exit.
I am the King Foretold.
It is not my destiny to save the Realm of Four Kingdoms but to save the people. They are the soul of this realm. I cut anotherXinto the boundaries of the Kingdom of Sky.
I will save them all.
I hear the din of shouting and the swoosh of wings as people make their way out of the realm. But I have no time to pay them heed. My aunt and my friends will evacuate the Shinbiin into the Mortal Realm.
I have to focus on creating more exits because only I can do that.
