CHAPTER 33: THE QUEEN OF GOBLINS AWAKENS

A thick blast of smoke burst through the chamber, coiling into the air like a serpent. The hooded men staggered back, eyes darting toward the entrance.

Four figures stood tall in the haze, their eyes glowing like stars in the dark.

Caelen stepped forward with a slow grin, green eyes glinting like emerald fire.

"Seems like we’re late for the party."

The men tensed, instinctively drawing back from the blood circle. Caelen tilted his head, smirking.

"We didn’t get an invitation card," he said coolly, "so we decided to invite ourselves."

One of the cloaked men stepped forward, pulling down his hood to reveal a face aged by time and twisted with malice. His voice was calm, but filled with contempt.

"I never thought you’d make it here," Eldric said. "It would seem Garrox was more useless than I feared. Couldn’t stop a single alchemist and his little pack of strays."

Caelen sighed, rubbing his neck lazily. "Old man... save the speech. Just step away from the creature behind you."

Eldric chuckled. "And who’s going to make me?"

Caelen’s grin sharpened. "Us, of course."

With a snap of Eldric’s fingers, the chamber trembled. Doors creaked open, and from the shadows, beasts began to crawl—snarling, twisted things with jagged claws and warped limbs.

Ryan’s eyes widened. "Those magical beasts... they’re—"

"Goblins," Caelen finished with a smirk, watching them pour into the room like a tide of nightmares.

Eldric extended his arms. "You misunderstand the situation, Caelen. You and your companions won’t be leaving here alive."

Caelen chuckled. "You really do talk too much, old man."

"Alfred," Eldric barked. "Kill them all!"

With a roar, the goblins lunged.

"Veralia," Caelen said calmly, "take care of them."

"Gladly," she replied, spinning her staff into her hand. She slammed it against the stone with a loud thud.

A wave of fire burst from the impact, engulfing the goblins. Their screeches echoed as they burned, the scent of scorched flesh and smoke thickening the air.

Above, Alfred and three other cloaked men launched into the air, weapons drawn. Caelen kept walking forward, unfazed.

"Ryan," Caelen said without turning his head, "handle them."

Alfred swooped toward Caelen, blade raised, but Ryan was faster—an icy sword clashed against Alfred’s steel, sparks flying. The two broke off, crashing into a far corner of the chamber in a clash of frost and fury.

Caelen didn’t stop walking.

He stepped through the flames, the fire dancing behind him like a cape. His glowing eyes locked onto Eldric.

The old man lunged with a dagger, but—

Shunk!

Spears of ice erupted from the ground, skewering Eldric through both arms and legs. Blood splattered across the stone, his body slamming to the floor.

The ice vanished, and Eldric began to crawl, dragging himself with trembling hands. Behind him, footsteps echoed—slow and steady.

Caelen followed, step by step, like a shadow of judgment.

"Old man..."

More spears formed in the air—crack!—one drove into Eldric’s right hand. Crack!—another into his left. Then one leg. Then the other.

He screamed, body twitching under the weight of agony.

Caelen finally stood over him. Eldric raised his head, teeth gritted, eyes trembling.

Caelen stared down, voice quiet. "How many people have you sacrificed?"

Eldric said nothing.

Caelen narrowed his eyes. "Have you ever heard of hell?"

Eldric stammered, "H-Hell...?"

Caelen knelt beside him, grabbing a fistful of his hair and forcing his gaze upward.

"I heard every village head is strong. But you?" Caelen scoffed. "You’re just a pebble."

"You dare—!" Eldric began, but was cut off as Caelen yanked his head back.

"Answer me, old man. How many people have you killed?"

"I... I don’t know the count..." Eldric whispered.

Caelen’s eyes narrowed with disgust. "Then it must’ve been quite the population, don’t you think?"

Eldric couldn’t meet his eyes.

Caelen’s voice dropped lower, a whisper laced with venom. "Do you ever wonder the pain a god feels?"

"God...? Pain...?"

"In a kingdom of over a hundred thousand people," Caelen said, "all praying to one god... good prayers, evil prayers, selfish ones. And that god hears them all. Every word. Every cry. And somehow still stays sane. It must be exhausting."

Eldric’s lips trembled. "Why... are you telling me all this?"

Caelen leaned in close, a wicked smile curling at the edge of his lips.

"Isn’t it obvious?"

He paused, eyes glowing brighter.

"You’re going to be a god."

A blast of silence fell.

Eldric stared at Caelen, his chest heaving.

"Huh...?" he muttered, blinking. "What... what are you talking about?"

Caelen stepped closer, his hand raised. "You must be tired being just a village head, huh? Maybe... what you’ve always wanted is transcendence." His green eyes flickered, chilling. "You’re going to be a god, Eldric."

"No—please," Eldric backed away. "I don’t want to be—!"

Caelen placed a hand on his head. His fingers spread gently, like a priest offering a blessing. "You get to be a god... for a while," he whispered. "Cherish it."

"NO—PLEASE, DON’T—!"

"Heal."

A sharp pulse of red light surged from Caelen’s palm. The air bent. The room twisted.

And in an instant—Eldric was gone.

His body remained, frozen and shaking... but his mind—his soul—was dragged into another place.

A hell of Caelen’s making.

WHOOSH—

Eldric found himself standing on cracked, black stone under a sky of ash. The wind blew with a low, bone-deep wail. The ground pulsed with heat. Everything burned.

He stumbled. "W-Where am I...?"

A massive crack tore open before him.

The earth split. Hundreds of blackened hands—long, twisted, finger bones exposed—erupted from the ground like a plague.

"No... no!!"

He turned to run—but there was nowhere to go.

The hands latched onto him.

One gripped his ankle. Then another. Then dozens.

He screamed as he fell to the ground, clawing and kicking. "LET ME GO!"

But they didn’t stop.

They dragged him.

One gripped his face. Another his chest. His skin began to split where they touched, as if rotting on contact.

The ground beneath him turned to black liquid—thick like tar.

"NO!! SOMEONE—!"

But no one could hear.

Only whispers. A million of them. Chanting. Crying. Screaming.

The voices of the dead.

The ones Eldric sacrificed.

The ones he betrayed.

They echoed in his ears until they bled.

"No no no no—!!!" he thrashed, but it was useless.

The last thing he saw—

A hand gripping his jaw.

Then darkness swallowed him whole.

---

In the real world.

Eldric’s body spasmed.

His eyes were wide open—white, rolled back.

Foam spilled from his lips. His mouth trembled. He was frozen in place like a broken puppet.

Caelen slowly let go of his head, standing.

"Enjoy your godhood," he muttered coldly.

Behind him, Alfred roared.

"You bastard—WHAT DID YOU DO TO THE LORD?!"

He lunged with a blade, full of rage and fury.

But—

SHUNK!

An icy blade flew across the room, stabbing clean through Alfred’s back.

He gasped, eyes wide.

Blood spurted from his lips.

Caelen turned slightly, smiling. "Good timing."

The blade ripped out.

Alfred collapsed.

Ryan stepped forward, the sword returning to his hand, made from crystalized ice. "Thank you, my lord."

Reina and Veralia joined behind him.

Reina tilted her head. "What do we do with this?"

Veralia pointed ahead. "There’s... a girl there."

Caelen turned.

His eyes narrowed as he stepped closer to the altar.

He looked at the girl chained beneath the seal—lifeless, bruised, cursed.

His fingers hovered over the pulsing mark on her chest.

Caelen’s voice dropped low. "What... in the abomination is this?"

He touched it.

FWWOOOOM—

The world bent again.

His body stiffened, but his mind was thrown into vision.

---

Flashes.

A battlefield.

A sea of goblins—noble, powerful, unstoppable.

At their heart—her.

The Goblin Queen.

Regal. Vast. Divine. Horned and crowned.

She unleashed magic so violent it shattered mountains and split rivers.

Next—

A moonlit altar.

She carved seals into the ground with her own blood. Her sisters bowed behind her, all silent.

She stood alone in front of a black gate, forming the final seal with her body.

Not for power.

To protect.

Time passed.

Her body became cold. Chained in a cavern. Unmoving.

Still she slept.

Still she guarded.

Then—

Hooded men.

Blood.

Sacrifices.

Forcing her to feed. Forcing her to take in souls.

She twitched in pain—but never moved.

Not dead.

Just trapped.

Last image.

Her face.

Half-withered, half-beautiful.

Her eyes—full of pain.

She reached forward.

Right at Caelen.

---

Black.

He gasped, stumbling back.

The room returned to normal.

"What did you see?" Reina asked.

Caelen didn’t answer.

But the seal was still glowing.

And the girl... was still watching.

Suddenly—

BOOM!

The door burst open.

Hundreds of goblins flooded the chamber.

Reina, Veralia, and Ryan turned. "We’ll handle this, my Lord!"

They rushed forward.

Veralia spun her staff, summoning a circle of fire that exploded outwards, engulfing goblins in a flaming storm.

Reina darted through them with wind blades, slicing down those who got close.

Ryan raised his hand and froze half the room solid—stopping a wave of attackers.

But still, they came.

Too many.

Reina panted. "Why are there so many?!"

Veralia blasted another group. "They’re not trying to kill us... They’re trying to protect her."

Ryan’s eyes widened. "That girl... she’s their queen."

Caelen walked to her again.

He stared at her broken, cursed body.

"I feel your pain," he whispered. "Your suffering..."

He placed his hands on her.

His eyes glowed green.

"Heal."

WHOOM—

A wave of green light erupted from him, surrounding her.

The entire room was drowned in blinding radiance.

The goblins screamed—covering their faces, their eyes burning from the purity.

BOOM—!

A powerful shockwave exploded outward, throwing everyone back.

Reina crashed into a pillar.

Veralia skidded across the ground.

Ryan slammed into the far wall.

Caelen held his ground.

Light flared—then calmed.

And then—

She rose.

Floating.

Eyes closed.

Hair glowing.

The air hummed with her presence.

Every goblin dropped to their knees, heads on the floor.

Reina blinked. "What... what is this power...?"

Veralia whispered, "She’s the queen of goblins..."

Ryan, stunned, murmured, "And we just... woke her up."

Caelen stepped forward, eyes locked on her glowing form.

"...Welcome back."