#Chapter 282: The King's Test

I stepped through the shimmering portal that Liam created and a wave of familiarity washed over me.

I had grown used to the feeling of traveling through a portal. Thankfully, it only felt like a pinch now.

The portal led to the entrance of the Ethereal Palace. The grandness of it never failed to impress me, but today, there was an underlying sense of apprehension gnawing at the edges of my excitement.

It had been a while since I'd been back to the palace. With graduation, I had been too busy to attend my usual training sessions.

Lucas couldn't accompany me this time. He was swamped with responsibilities, and I couldn't blame him. The weight of his newfound role at Busch Enterprises was immense, and I knew he needed to focus on that.

He also needed to remain at home in case his father woke up. There were other things that required his attention, so I couldn't blame him for doing what was best.

Still, I couldn't shake the feeling of unease at being separated from him.

We had been throug