Location: The Hollow Basin – After the Fall
The battlefield was quiet.
Not peaceful.Just… holding its breath.
Snow covered the bodies of the fallen masked soldiers, erasing them from memory almost before Kairo could even blink.
The Masked General's broken spear lay half-buried in frost.
Above it all, the sky pulsed with bruised, purple clouds. Like the world was angry it had lost control.
Kairo Veltz sat by the shattered Violin Tower, Velvara beside him, still humming low broken melodies only he seemed able to hear.
His body felt wrong.Not broken.Not bleeding.
Different.
Like the world no longer fit around him the way it used to.
"System Update: Crownless King Status Active.""Warning: Silent Thrones have been alerted to your existence."
Gix floated down, landing on Kairo's shoulder like a lazy devil.
"Welp, Meatblade, congratulations. You didn't just break the world's rules…"
She smirked.
"…You put yourself on a hit list reserved for literal cosmic nightmares."
Kairo stared at her, deadpan.
"Sounds about right."
SCENE SHIFT — UNKNOWN LOCATION
Far away, across the black deserts of Lucentia, inside a cathedral of frozen stars—
The Silent Thrones stirred.
There were five of them:
NameTitleDescriptionThrone of SorrowThe First MournedDraped in weeping veils of dead timelines.Throne of ChainsThe World's WardenBound in broken promises and forgotten pacts.Throne of HungerThe Eater of TomorrowsA shifting mass of eyes, mouths, and regrets.Throne of GlassThe Shattered ProphetSees only futures that end in betrayal.Throne of SilenceThe Empty KingNo face. No voice. Only endings.
They spoke without speaking.
Their words were stitched into existence like scars across time itself.
"The Crownless King has awakened."
"The Echo Web destabilizes."
"Velvara is loose."
"We must intervene."
Decision:
Do they destroy him immediately?
Or mold him into the very thing he fears becoming?
The answer was unanimous.
"Let him think he's free.""And when he believes he's won—""We will erase him… from every memory."
SCENE SHIFT — KAIRO'S CAMP
Later that night—
Kairo stared at a fire too stubborn to die.
Lyria sharpened her daggers while humming off-key.Ayleth sat with her arms folded, watching the shadows.Gix chewed on marshmallows she pickpocketed from an unlucky merchant.
And Velvara?
She just leaned against Kairo's back, silent.
Breathing.
He closed his eyes.
And dreamed.
But not of past failures.
No.
This time, he dreamed of a throne made of broken crowns.Of a kingdom where the only rule was choice.Of Velvara laughing beside him.Of Lyria dancing in blood-soaked fields.Of Ayleth smiling—truly smiling—for once.
But the dream cracked.
A hand reached from the void.
A hand made of silence.
"You don't belong here," the voice said."You don't deserve peace."
FLASH – SYSTEM ALERT
"Dream Corruption Detected.""Silent Throne Projection Engaged.""Memory Core at Risk."
Kairo woke up instantly.
Sweat freezing to his skin.
Eyes wild.
Sword already in hand.
Velvara looked at him, calm.
"They found you, didn't they?"
He nodded.
"They tried to take the future."
She smiled.
Not sad.Not broken.
Hopeful.
"Then we'll just steal it back."