.Kenji sat slouched upon his throne, the weight of silence pressing down on him. A hollow ache gnawed at his chest, where once his wife's warmth had been.
"I am left alone in this world," he muttered, his voice dry and bitter. "She was the only one who ever stood beside me… and now she, too, is gone."
The heavy doors creaked open. Haruto, his most trusted advisor, entered with urgency in his step and a grim look in his eyes.
"My king," Haruto said, bowing low. "The people… they are stirring. Rumors spread that they are planning something."
Kenji scoffed, not even lifting his gaze. His voice dripped with disdain.
"Let them plan. They are nothing but insects. Let them crawl, let them chatter—they can do nothing to me."
But before Haruto could speak again, a thunderous crash shattered the silence. The sound rolled through the castle like thunder—wood splintering, iron screaming.
Kenji's head snapped up, eyes wide.
"What is happening?! Who dares pound on my doors?"
The answer came swiftly. The great hall's doors buckled under a second strike, then exploded inward in a shower of splinters. A mob of furious men and women surged forward, their eyes blazing with rebellion.
One voice roared from the front, filled with fury and resolve.
"We've had enough of your cruelty! No longer will we bow to you—you are no king of ours!"
Kenji's face twisted with rage.
"Guards! Slaughter them all!"
The royal guard rushed forward, steel flashing under the torchlight. The clash was instant—swords rang against shields, battle cries tore through the air. The hall became a storm of violence.
But for every guard, ten rebels surged forth. The tide could not be stopped. One by one, the king's defenders fell, until only silence remained.
The people raised their weapons high in victory, but when their eyes turned to the throne… it was empty.
A gasp spread through the crowd. Then someone shouted, pointing toward the royal chambers.
"Look! The crown—here!"
There, on the cold stone floor outside the king's private chambers, lay the glittering crown of the monarch.
Niko, one of the rebel leaders, stepped forward with narrowed eyes.
"He must have fled into his chamber. Break it down!"
The rebels hurled themselves at the heavy door. With a groan and splinter, it gave way—only to reveal an empty chamber.
"Search everywhere!" Niko commanded, his voice sharp. "The tyrant is hiding here, I know it!"
The rebels ransacked the room, pulling open chests and overturning furniture. Then, one man brushed against a book resting on the shelf.
Click.
The sound echoed unnaturally in the chamber. The entire bookshelf trembled, then creaked as it swung inward like a hidden door, revealing a narrow, dark passage descending into the depths of the castle.
The crowd stared, breath caught in their throats.
The king had vanished into the shadows.