The night was strangely still…The air of the capital drifted slowly over the palace rooftops, as if watching the approach of something it wished it didn't have to witness.
Inside Ken's chambers, candles melted inch by inch, their wavering light dancing over scattered documents—some stamped with Darius's seal, others bearing the smudges of Ken's frustrated fingers.
Gray stood before him, shoulders tense, expression carved with a seriousness he didn't often wear.
Gray entered and spoke in a low voice:
"My lord… I found something we'll never obtain by waiting or hoping for luck."
Ken lifted his head sharply.
"Speak."
Gray stepped closer.
"One of the storage depots owned by Darius's Financial Foundation.A secondary warehouse in the Middle District.It holds the original archives—records that bypass every council."
Marvin's eyes widened.
"Impossible… those sites are heavily guarded."
Gray shook his head.
"Not all of them. One is accessible.If there are documents exposing the source of Darius's funds… they're there."
A heavy silence fell.
Then Ken said, without the slightest hesitation:
"We're taking them."
Marvin struck the table.
"Ken! If we infiltrate Darius's foundation… that's open treason!"
Ken replied with cold calm:
"And everything Darius has done over the years—what do you call that?"
Marvin had no answer.
Past midnight…
Four shadows moved through the narrow alleys of the capital.Gray led them, dressed like a night merchant, a mask covering half his face.Three men from his special unit followed silently.
The warehouse stood behind a low wall, with a lone guard snoring deeply beside the gate.
They slipped in through the back—far too easily.
One of the men whispered:
"The place is too quiet."
Gray answered in a flat tone:
"That's what scares me."
They entered the depot.
The air smelled of old paper, metal seals, and wooden crates marked with the names of various companies—all tied to Darius.
Gray found the target: a heavy iron box with a simple lock.
They cracked it open…
Inside were documents stamped with Darius's original seal:
Gold transfer files…Funding contracts…Ledgers that never touched the palace accounts.
Gray muttered:
"This… this is worth half the kingdom."
But before they escaped—
A sharp twang split the air.An arrow struck one of Gray's men, who screamed:
"Ambush!"
Guards burst in instantly.
They seized the fallen man.Gray and the remaining two fled through a side exit, dragging the iron box with brutal effort.
An arrow skimmed past Gray's ribs—close enough to tear his cloak—but he survived.
By sunrise, the capital erupted like a spilled barrel.
The city was buzzing.The palace churned with tension.Nobles traded rumors like merchants haggling over silk:
"A theft from Darius's foundation!"
Inside the council chamber, Darius stood in the center—clothes immaculate, a cold smile resting on his lips.
He spoke loudly:
"Someone seeks to undermine the kingdom's economic trust.We will find them… even if they hide behind ten walls."
The king, furious, declared:
"I order a full investigation—and Lord Darius will personally supervise it."
Ken stood in the back of the chamber, silent, watching his brother behave as if he owned the palace.
In Ken's chambers
Gray and Marvin were struggling to open the iron box when the door burst open.
Elaine entered, her face drained of color.
"Ken… Darius requested full authority over the investigation.Father agreed…and he intends to arrest you if he finds one single thread tied to you."
She stepped closer, her voice trembling:
"His men are watching your chambers… be careful."
Ken gave a short, humorless smile.
"I expected as much."
Marvin sat at the table as he finally pried the box open, pulling out the first ledger.
His face changed completely.
"These… these aren't ordinary documents."
He handed Ken a sheet.
It bore Darius's clear signature on contracts titled:"Transfer of Gold from the Royal Treasury to External Vaults."
Another sheet:
Gold moved during the third crisis—transferred to a company that didn't exist in the official registry.
Another:
A payment to a minister… in exchange for silence.
Marvin whispered, voice tight:
"This isn't corruption… this is a blueprint to reshape the entire kingdom.If we reveal these now, some will believe us…but the king? I can't guarantee him."
Gray said firmly:
"We should give them to the king before he imprisons us all."
Marvin raised a hand sharply.
"No! He won't believe a word. He'll claim they're forged… or part of a conspiracy against Darius."
Silence again.
Then Ken spoke slowly—as if carving the decision onto his own chest:
"We won't give them to the king.We'll reveal them to everyone—in the next council."
Gray's eyes widened.
"That's a declaration of war."
Ken answered:
"Darius declared it long ago."
Later that night
As Ken reached to extinguish the candles, he noticed a folded slip of paper slid under the door.
He bent to pick it up.
The seal—
Darius's personal seal.
Ken opened it.
A single line written with suffocating clarity:
"The throne cannot hold us both."
Ken lifted his eyes…
And for the first time, he realized that Darius had stopped hiding his war.
He had started it openly.
The chapter moves forward—past the line from which there is no return.
End of Chapter.