corlis
Nile moved through the narrow back alleys, the only safe refuge left to him in a city that no longer welcomed his presence.
The black cloak covering his head concealed his weary features, while he clutched a bag in his hand, a bag that had taken significant time and effort to acquire.
Food was no longer something easily obtained, especially with police patrols sweeping the city more aggressively than ever. Fortunately, his face had not yet been posted, giving him a slim margin of freedom in his movements.
As he walked through one of the alleyways leading to the hideout, he suddenly froze upon hearing a conversation between two women standing at a street corner. One of them carried a yellow basket filled with flowers; the other held a wooden tray carrying fish pies that gave off a faint aroma.
The flower vendor said, "Did you see the new notice in the main square?"
The other replied, her voice a mix of curiosity and concern, "You mean the public trial announcement? Yes, I saw it… Quite rare, isn't it? It's been decades since a trial like that was held so openly."
She then added in a hushed tone, as if afraid someone might overhear, "What's strange is that they're holding the trial just two hours after posting the notice, as if they're in a rush to close the case."
The first woman waved her basket and said, "It must've been a serious crime… They only hold public trials like this when they want to send a message to everyone in the Amphibian Kingdom."
Nile's eyes widened, as if the words he'd just heard had struck his soul before reaching his ears. His hands trembled, and the bag slipped from his grasp, suddenly feeling impossibly heavy. A storm of panic tore through his mind. His family was being dragged into a public trial, to be judged before crowds and cameras.
He launched himself into motion, leaping from rooftop to rooftop, rushing back toward the city's upper tier. His feet slammed onto the tiles with the weight of his rising fury, and through clenched teeth he growled, "Damn it, what did you expect, you idiot? That this would solve itself while you did nothing?" Nile spat the words as if scolding himself. "That traitor… Hammer. He didn't say a thing about this. I never should've trusted him."
His fist clenched tightly, and his eyes blazed with a fire that looked ready to explode.
He knew all too well that reaching the upper level again wouldn't be easy. The central stairwell was now under surveillance, and familiar faces had become enemies.
But retreat was a luxury he no longer had. Not now. Not when his family had stepped into the fire.
He finally reached the massive central pillar—the beating heart of the tiered city. It was colossal, stretching across nearly four hundred thousand square meters. A towering structure of steel and stone, carved to link the three city levels in a majestic yet suffocating harmony.
Winding around the pillar were enormous spiral staircases that coiled upward like stone serpents, each level guarded by rings of stationed sentinels.
Nile stopped in the shadow of the structure, catching his breath, sweat mixing with dust and tension. He looked up, where the path to the upper tier loomed like an impossible mountain.
"Damn it…" he growled, eyeing the stairs. "Guards everywhere. There's no way I can just walk up."
He clenched his teeth, then struck the nearby wall with a violent punch, letting out a portion of his bottled frustration. He exhaled deeply.
"It doesn't matter… I'll make my way through. Even if it means using force."
Nile moved with firm strides toward the staircase, as if he had chosen the loudest path—because it was the only one left. The guards were positioned evenly, at least twenty-five soldiers in total.
"Halt right there!" one of them shouted sternly, raising his arm to form an unyielding human barrier. He followed it with a more formal tone:
"Identify yourself. Now."
Nile came to a stop, then closed his eyes for a moment, as if weighing his odds, and slowly exhaled before speaking:
"I'm a friend of Commander Hammer… Can you call him?"
His words were calm, but his eyes couldn't hide the tension coiled beneath them.
The guard stepped closer, and with him, Nile's heartbeat surged wildly, as if his chest had become a battlefield. Every thump reminded him that one wrong move could trigger a fight he wasn't ready for. Not yet. Not before he reached his goal.
The guard stopped right in front of him, scrutinizing him with a sharp look, as if trying to pierce through his face and see what lay beyond. Then, in a voice that left no room for debate, he said: "Who are you? Identify yourself. Show me your ID and your access permit."
Nile didn't respond immediately. He simply stared back into the guard's eyes, silent, while his mind raced chaotically.
"There's no way out of this…" he thought, forcing his expression to stay unreadable.
"Whether I show the ID or not, the result will be the same."
The guard extended his hand, expecting the documents as if any delay was a personal insult.
"What are you waiting for?!" he barked impatiently. "Give me the papers. Now."
At that very moment, Nile's hand had already slid to his belt, fingers brushing the hilt of his sword with practiced caution. He gripped it tightly, ready to explode into motion within a second. But just before he could draw his blade, before it all collapsed.
A calm voice broke the silence: "Guard… let him pass. He's with me."
The guard spun around instantly, his face paling, head dipping involuntarily at the sight of the newcomer.
"Commander Hammer! I-I didn't… I was just doing my duty," he stammered, stepping back in panic.
Hammer approached, placing a heavy hand on Nile's shoulder with quiet pressure.
"There's no need to worry. Return to your post."
He gave the order in a tone that brooked no argument. Then he turned to Nile, who still stood frozen, his body rigid from surprise.
"Come," Hammer said, walking toward the elevator embedded within the central pillar.
Nile followed him in silence. They entered the elevator, and as soon as his feet settled on the metallic floor, the doors shut behind them with a deep, echoing thud. Inside, a dim light glowed from embedded ceiling lamps, casting long shadows across their faces.
Hammer spoke in his calm voice: "I knew you'd come here. I expected this reckless move. You're as impulsive as ever… and if I hadn't stepped in, you'd be joining your family right now."
Those last words triggered Nile. The anger he'd been holding in burst out all at once, without thought. He stepped forward, grabbed Hammer by the collar, and slammed him hard against the wall.
"Why?!" he shouted, his voice filling the confined metal box. "Why didn't you tell me something this important?! Didn't you say you'd support me from the shadows?!"
Hammer firmly removed Nile's hands, staring back at him with that same composed expression that had always gotten under his skin. It wasn't condescending—it was that quiet detachment, as if he saw the full picture while everyone else could only grasp a fragment.
He spoke in a low but steady tone: "I'm just like you. I only found out moments ago. Even though I'm the official supervisor of the investigation… the decisions are made by the council. I'm not included in their meetings. It seems Vortex doesn't trust me.
He appointed Gareth as an intermediary between the investigation unit and the council to keep me out. Even the other members avoid discussing what goes on in those meetings."
He paused, eyes fixed on the elevator wall, then added with a voice heavy with frustration: "I never expected Vortex to announce the queen's death this way… through a public trial. It's a bold move, but calculated.
This won't be just a trial, it's going to be a massive political performance, broadcast live. The goal isn't to reveal the truth… but to shape it."
He shook his head before continuing: "He knows the impact this news will have on the people. The queen wasn't just a ruler… she was a symbol. Most of the population revered her. Any word of her assassination would spark riots in the streets.
But Vortax… he flipped the script. He chose to serve 'justice' on a silver platter. Justice that would satisfy the people's thirst for revenge—even if it's based on a lie."
He lifted his gaze and looked Nile straight in the eye: "The people mourn… but they're easily deceived when you hand them a villain. That's what Vortex understood.
That's why he created an enemy from within. Someone to pin everything on. And the closer that person was to the queen… the more dramatic it becomes."
"It's also a chance for him to appear as the savior—the firm, righteous leader. He'll stand before the masses, preaching about 'justice' and 'order' and 'holding the guilty accountable,' and the people will forget who the real killer is… if it was even a murder to begin with."
Nile understood what he meant, but inside, he was seething. His fists clenched once more, and his voice came out sharp and full of blame: "This is all your fault, Hammer."
He stepped closer, until only inches separated them :"If you had let me free them that day… if you hadn't stopped me, none of this would've happened."
Hammer suddenly snapped, raising his hand toward Nile as if trying to hold him back.
"Enough of this. Think clearly, not emotionally. Do you even understand what you're about to do? Do you grasp the consequences? You're talking about going up against the leaders of the Storm Division.
Five of the kingdom's most dangerous fighters, plus Gareth—Vortax's right hand and head of the entire security force. Are you really going to face them alone? Just to save your family?"
He shook his head in frustration, then added, stressing each word: "If you think you even have the slightest chance of defeating them all… you're delusional."
Nile's jaw trembled. His voice burst from his chest like an arrow: "Then what do you want me to do?! Sit in silence? Watch them be dragged into a trial on false charges?!"
Silence fell for a moment as Hammer stared at him. Then his expression softened slightly. He finally said in a quiet voice: "If you look at this from another angle... your family is the only card Vortex holds over you. Their captivity is what paralyzes you, what keeps you from thinking like a knight, or like a free man."
He raised his voice a little, then spoke as if delivering a venom-laced truth wrapped in reason: "Maybe... their disappearance is the price for your freedom. A small sacrifice—if it gives you the strength to fight back."
Nile's fist shot toward Hammer's face in a surge of blind rage—but it didn't land. Hammer raised his arm in time to block it, stepping back half a pace. He didn't say a word, only stared silently at Nile, then shifted his eyes toward the sword at Nile's waist.
He sighed, then spoke in a reflective tone:
"The yellow sword you carry… it's not just a weapon. That blade has been passed from one knight to another, generation after generation, for over fifteen hundred years.
They say it was first wielded by Moonlight D gar herself, before she gave it to the first knight. She said then that this sword wasn't meant for war—but to remain beside the ruler, as a second set of eyes. That's why it's always stayed in the hands of those entrusted with guarding the throne."
Hammer paused, letting the silence weigh on Nile's chest, then continued in a more serious tone: "You asked me once where my loyalty lies, and I answered you truthfully. Now it's my turn to ask: Tell me, Nile... what are you?"
He stepped in close, eyes locked on his: "Are you the knight… or the son?"
A deep mechanical tone rang out as the elevator doors slowly slid open, signaling their arrival at the top floor. Nile stood frozen in place, eyes downcast, his grip clenched tight around the sword's hilt.
Hammer walked out of the elevator, then turned halfway and raised his hand in a wordless farewell—cold and without warmth.
"You're on your own now. Don't expect any more help from me."
"If you really want to save your family that badly… there's a very simple way. Hand Corlis over to Vortex, and remove all doubt.
Pledge your loyalty to him. I doubt the knight's oath means much to you when compared to your family. Isn't that right? It should be easy… for someone who holds no principles."
He let out a faint chuckle, as if telling a tragic joke he knew the other wouldn't laugh at.
he raised his hand and ran it through his hair. "Honestly? I feel a bit sorry for that boy, Corlis. He's become prey—hunted from all sides. All his life, he never once felt wanted, even though he's the heir and the future king.
But that's just how the world works. Weakness isn't an excuse. No one will respect a weak king... If you're not strong, then you're a burden. And if you're a burden, your fate is to be used."
"Farewell."
Hammer walked away, leaving Nile standing alone in the middle of the corridor.
Everything around him was silent, except for his mind. Thoughts gnawed at him, and words echoed endlessly in his head: '
It felt as though every door had slammed shut in his face all at once. And the worst part… was that the ugliest choices were starting to look like the only ones left.
He stood in the middle of that internal wreckage—between the sword and the blood, between duty and mercy, between friendship and betrayal.
His hands were still gripping the sword's hilt… but his heart?
He no longer knew what it was holding onto.