At that precise moment, everyone in the throne hall suddenly became aware of an additional figure — someone who didn't seem to be there a moment ago. He stood silently at the edge of the chamber, his hands calmly crossed over his chest, observing everything with two pitch-black eyes so steady and unblinking that their mere stillness was unnerving. A strange chill crept through the hall, as if his very presence swallowed sound itself.
"...Umm, who is this young man? why is there someone I don't recognize in the hall?" Marshal Livia finally broke the silence, her finger pointing toward the mysterious young man.
Immediately, everyone — except for the trio of Hedric, Heigra, and Draice — furrowed their brows.
None of them had noticed his arrival. Not a sound, not even a breath had betrayed his existence. It was as if he had been there all along, hidden in plain sight.
