The doors didn't simply open.
They burst inward with a violence that split the moment in half, wood cracking against stone, hinges screaming as if the room itself objected to what was entering. Splinters scattered across the polished floor. The echo rolled through the dining hall and settled in the chandeliers overhead, making the crystals tremble.
Rebellious soldiers flooded in like a black tide.
Boots pounded in unison. Steel glinted. Their armor was mismatched, scavenged from different regiments and eras, painted over in harsh strokes of red and soot. Some carried spears, others blades, others crude firearms slung across their backs. Their faces were tight with conviction, with fear disguised as righteousness.
At their center walked a man in full black knight armor.
