Kai stood inside one of the largest tents in the camp, his eyes fixed on the scorched body lying on the table before him.

  King Sullivan.

  The former king looked barely recognizable. His clothes were burned through, his hair was singed, and patches of his skin were darkened as if scorched by intense heat. Two Mages stood on either side of him, quietly channeling light aspected mana into his body to stabilize his condition.

  Kai noticed the tremor in their fingers, but they were doing it carefully. He stood nearby with Duke Blackwood, Killian, Princess Amara, and a few other soldiers.

  Among them, Amara looked the most shaken. When word had spread that King Sullivan had appeared in the camp, she had run here without hesitation. Since seeing him like this, she hadn’t spoken a single word. Her fists were clenched at her sides, her eyes locked on the unmoving figure.

  Kai knew their relationship had never been warm, but it was clear she still cared deeply.

  After a long silence, Duke Blackwood spoke in a low voice. “I don’t understand,” he said. “How did he just… appear in our camp like this?”

  Killian frowned and crossed his arms. “The guards said he came from the far side of the camp,” he replied. “They thought he was just a burned wanderer at first. He asked to meet Lord Arzan by name. Then he collapsed while they were bringing him here.” He shook his head. “They didn’t recognize him at all. Not in that condition.”

  Kai nodded slowly, rubbing his temple as his thoughts raced.

  The story didn’t make sense.

  If Sullivan had escaped from the capital, he wouldn’t have come alone. Roderic would have been with him. And Regina would never have allowed him to simply walk away in the first place, especially after the wards had been raised.

  So how did he end up here?

  “There’s no point guessing,” he said at last. “We’ll only know the truth when he wakes up.”

  Until then, all they could do was wait. At least Kai knew that Sullivan was nowhere near dying.

  When he had first been brought into the tent, the former king had looked like a corpse with his clothes burnt and blood leaking out of wounds. For a moment, Kai had truly thought he was too late.

  Now, as the minutes passed, that fear eased—just a little.

  The two Mages soon stepped back from the bed, sweat on their brows from the careful control of mana. One of them looked at Kai and spoke in a low, tired voice. “We’ve done everything we can, Lord Arzan. He’s stable. The mana circulation is holding, and the healing potions are working. The cooling paste has slowed the burns from spreading.”

  Princess Amara turned to them at once. “Then… will he wake up soon?”

  The Mage hesitated. His eyes shifted to King Sullivan’s still face before he answered. “I don’t know, Princess. He should regain consciousness, but it could take hours. His body has been through too much.”

  Kai nodded slowly. “You both did well. You may go.”

  The Mages bowed and quietly left the tent.

  The moment they were gone, Amara moved to Sullivan’s side. She sat down beside the bed and took his hand in both of hers, in a careful grid as if afraid he might break. She didn’t say anything, but her eyes never left his face.

  Duke Blackwood turned to Kai. “Are you staying here?”

  “Yes,” Kai replied without hesitation. “The wards won’t fall anytime soon. Keep the pressure on them. Make sure the troops are ready to move the moment there’s a crack. If that happens, send for me immediately.”

  Duke Blackwood nodded and placed a hand on Kai’s shoulder before leaving the tent with the soldiers.

  Killian remained behind. “I’ll stay,” he said. “There’s nothing else I need to handle right now.”

  Kai nodded again, and the two of them took seats near the edge of the tent, watching and waiting.

  Hours would pass before anything changed. Kai knew that. Sullivan was old, and not a powerful Mage. Whatever had burned him had come close to killing him outright.

  He would have been able to predict things better if he knew how his condition had become so bad.

  For now, Kai had no clear answers.

  He only knew what it was not. It was not the work of a Mage. A mage would have focused their attack, burning the body evenly or crushing it outright, not leaving scattered scorch marks like this. It was not a beast either.

  A beast would have left claw marks, torn flesh, or bite wounds—and it would never have let Sullivan walk away alive. There were no signs of any creature capable of breathing fire in the area either.

  Whatever had injured the former king did not fit any familiar pattern. It sat outside Kai’s expectations, and that unsettled him.

  The hours passed slowly with that unanswered question hanging in the air. Kai remained seated near the edge, his thoughts circling the same possibilities again and again.

  Killian too, stayed quietly beside him, arms crossed and eyes never leaving Sullivan for long.

  Princess Amara never left her father's side, carefully guiding threads of water aspected mana over the smaller burns on Sullivan’s hands, easing the damage bit by bit. Her movements were steady, but Kai could see the worry she was trying to hide.

  After some time, Kai stood and moved closer to the bed. He had already checked Sullivan once when he was first brought in, but now he wanted to be sure. He placed a hand lightly over Sullivan’s chest and released his mana, letting it flow slowly through the man’s body.

  He examined every part with care—his heart, his lungs, his organs, even the damaged flesh.

  That was when Kai noticed two things clearly. First, Sullivan was improving. His breathing was steadier, and his organs were functioning properly. The healing was working, slowly but surely. Second, buried deep within his body, there were faint traces of something else that he had missed the first time.

  Shadow aspected mana.

  Kai frowned and pulled his hand back. When he told Killian and Princess Amara what he had sensed, both of them looked confused. Shadow mana was dangerous and unstable, but even that did not explain the burns or the state Sullivan had arrived in.

  If he had fought a Shadow Mage, the damage would have been far worse, and far more obvious.

  In the end, there was nothing more Kai could do for now. Sullivan would have to wake up on his own.

  To keep the mood from growing heavier, Kai shifted the conversation away from the war. He spoke with Princess Amara about her water magic, asking about her progress and offering advice where he could. Killian joined in now and then, listening more than speaking. They waited together, passing the time in quiet conversation, while the former king lay unconscious between them, holding answers none of them yet had.

  Apparently, Amara was close to reaching the third circle now, and she spoke about it with a quiet excitement that hadn’t been there before. For the first time in a long while, she sounded hopeful.

  “I think I got stuck after reaching the second circle,” Princess Amara said softly. “With everything going on, it was hard to focus. The assembly, the war, my mother… it all weighed on me.” She paused, then continued, her grip tightening slightly around Sullivan’s hand. “But recently, I started learning healing spells. It gave me something clear to aim for. I want to reach the third circle so I can use stronger healing magic.”

  Kai nodded, understanding her well. “Healing spells are among the most important forms of magic,” he said. “I mainly use light-aspected healing myself, but that’s only because I was never good with water mana. My element clashes with it.”

  Amara nodded in return. “I might be able to help you with the basics, if you’re interested.”

  Kai smiled faintly. “Maybe, once I have more—”

  “Lord Arzan,” Killian suddenly said urgently. “He’s waking up.”

  At once, all of them turned toward the bed.

  King Sullivan stirred, his fingers twitching slightly. His brows knit together as he let out a low groan, his eyes fluttering before slowly opening. He squinted against the light, breathing unevenly.

  Stolen story; please report.

  Kai moved to his left, while Amara and Killian stepped closer on the right.

  Sullivan’s gaze wandered for a moment before settling on Amara. His expression softened, confusion clear in his eyes. “Amara… is that you?” he asked weakly.

  She nodded, her voice trembling. “Yes, Father.”

  He swallowed, wincing as he tried to move. “Where… where am I?” he asked. “Why are you here?”

  Kai stepped forward, meeting his gaze. “You’re in my army camp,” he said calmly. “We found you unconscious, badly burned, near the outer camp. You collapsed before you could explain anything.”

  King Sullivan turned his head toward Kai, his eyes widening for a moment. Then he went quiet, as if memories were crashing back into him all at once. He tried to push himself up, but Amara immediately placed a hand on his chest.

  “You don’t need to get up,” she said softly.

  Sullivan let out a small breath. “It’s fine,” he replied. “There’s no real pain. At least not enough to keep me lying down.”

  He slowly sat up, his feet dangling down the bed and looked straight at Kai. “I’m guessing I wasn’t unconscious for long if you’re here instead of fighting Regina and her forces.”

  “A few hours,” Kai answered. “Maybe half a day. But I don’t understand how you even reached the camp. Did you escape the castle through some hidden path in your garden?”

  Sullivan gave a weak chuckle. “Something like that,” he said. “But far more complicated.” His expression grew serious. “I’m just glad I reached you in time.”

  Killian frowned. “What do you mean, Your Majesty?”

  Sullivan glanced at him briefly, then turned back to Kai. “I escaped the royal castle for one reason,” he said. “To give you a chance to end this war in a single strike. To give you a way to ambush Regina.”

  Kai’s eyes widened. Even hearing it sounded impossible. Reaching the castle directly was dangerous enough, wards or not, and Regina would never leave it undefended. He had never even considered an ambush because of how impossible it sounded. But he could feel no deceit in Sullivan's words.

  “How?” Kai asked simply.

  Sullivan met his gaze and spoke quietly. “Teleportation circle.”

  Kai frowned. “You have a teleportation circle inside the castle?”

  Sullivan nodded. “In my garden. I hid it there long ago, and it finally served its purpose. Sadly, it can only be used one more time. That is why I believe you are the right person to use it.”

  Amara’s eyes widened. “Mother never knew about it?”

  “No,” Sullivan replied calmly. “She lost interest in me once the war began. I simply did what she wanted so she would leave me alone. The circle is still intact, and it will take you straight into the castle. From there, I believe you already know what must be done.”

  Kai nodded slowly, his mind already working through the steps. Then he paused. “But how does it function without a Shadow Mage?”

  Sullivan exhaled and murmured, “A shadow orb. A pure crystallization of the aspect. I obtained it a long time ago.”

  Kai’s eyes widened. An orb like that was priceless. Not only was it sought after by blacksmiths and Mages alike, but even using one improperly could permanently alter a person’s aspects to new heights, letting them easily pull on their elements. To use one in a ritual like this was no small thing.

  Sullivan continued, “I hid the orb near the ritual circle. We should not waste time. Use it, enter the castle, kill Regina, and bring down the wards.”

  Kai nodded again, a sharp resolve settling in his chest. “Where is the circle?”

  “To the left of the city,” Sullivan said. “There is a small cave along the side of a hill. You will find it there. Place the orb in the center of the ritual and push your mana into it. That should be enough. Roderic will be waiting for you in the garden.”

  Kai nodded. “Thank you,” he said quietly. “You have no idea how much this helps.”

  Sullivan let out a dry chuckle. “Say that after you take the city,” he replied. His expression hardened a little. “Don’t waste time. Regina is paranoid right now. There's a good chance she would come to the garden to finish me, and you should get there before that. Hurry!”

  Kai turned at once and looked at Killian. “Tell Duke Blackwood everything,” he said. “Get the army ready at the city gates and prepare the siege breakers. The wards will come down soon.”

  Killian nodded without hesitation. “Do your best, Lord Arzan.”

  Kai gave him a brief smile, then turned to Princess Amara. She opened her mouth as if to say something, but no words came out. Kai met her eyes, gave her a final nod, and then stepped out of the tent.

  The moment he was outside, he activated his [Flight] spell. Mana surged through him, and he rose into the air, crossing the camp in seconds. Rows of tents blurred beneath him as he headed straight toward the location Sullivan had described.

  Less than ten minutes later, he reached the hill and found the narrow cave hidden along its side. He slipped inside without slowing and didn't doubt that he was in the wrong place. He felt a strong, unmistakable trace of shadow aspected mana floating through the air and touching his skin. The residue of the circle.

  Kai followed it deeper into the cave until the teleportation circle came into view.

  The lines that were carved into the ground were worn, some cracked with age. Near the edge, he found the orb partly hidden beneath a loose stone. He picked it up carefully and looked at it. It gave off a faint light and it really didn't seem to have enough power for more than one teleportation.

  Kai studied the formation for a moment longer. The work was crude in places. Several lines were fractured, the flow uneven. His gaze darkened slightly as he understood why Sullivan had been burned during the transfer.

  “I’m not making that mistake,” Kai muttered.

  He placed two fingers against the first damaged line and sent a thin thread of mana into it.

  The mana seeped into the groove, filling the cracks like liquid light. The line steadied and the glow evened, instead of flickering.

  Kai moved on to the next break, then the next. He worked patiently, never rushing, feeding only what was needed. Too much mana would overload the structure. Too little would leave weak points behind. Sweat rolled down his temples as he adjusted angles, corrected overlaps, and reinforced the symbols one by one.

  Minutes passed like that.

  Gradually, the circle began to respond. Each of the lines connected together and fell into rhythm, each part syncing with the next.

  A soft purple glow spread across the entire array, no longer harsh or unstable.

  Kai exhaled slowly.

  Once he was sure it would hold, he stood and stepped into the center of the circle. The space beneath his feet felt strange, like standing underwater. He picked up the shadow orb and placed it into the hollow Sullivan had prepared for it. The orb sank in perfectly.

  He rested his palm against it.

  For a brief moment, doubt crossed his mind. What if this didn't work? What if he was being too hasty? But then, there was no better way to end Regina once and for all.

  So, he pushed his mana forward.

  The orb ignited instantly.

  Purple light exploded outward, flooding the cave and drowning out every shadow. The circle roared to life beneath his feet, symbols blazing as space itself began to twist. The ground vanished, the air tore apart—and Kai was swallowed whole as the teleportation activated.

  ***

  A/N - You can read 30 chapters (15 Magus Reborn and 15 Dao of money) on my patreon. Annual subscription is now on too.

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