TIKKA MARKET
The air in Tikka market was thick, a heavy mixture of roasted spices and the rhythmic, iron clatter of boots against stone.
The City Guard moved through the market like a single, armored beast, their eyes scanning the stalls with predatory precision. Word had already trickled down from the high spires of the palace: the Princess was missing again. It wasn't the first time she had slipped away on her own, but the tension in the air felt sharper today.
The Antiquarian Shop
Inside a cramped shop that smelled of cedar and old dust, Zack stood before a counter, his heart hammering.
"Hey kid," the Antiquarian muttered, squinting through a jeweler's loupe. "Where did you get this from? It looks legit, but it's a fake. Yeah, the gold is real, and it's perfectly crafted ,I commend the person who made it,but I'm not easily fooled. I'll give you 80 gold glow-coins for it. You won't get a better offer, so what do you say?"
Zack stood there, weighing his options. He knew the value of what he held was higher. "You can't tell me this gold necklace is only worth eighty coins," he said, forcing a smile. "You know what? It's probably better if I try somewhere else."
"How about 150 gold coins?" the man barked, his eyes narrowing. "That's the highest I can offer. Besides, where did you get your hands on this? You must have stolen it."
"Just give it back," Zack snapped. "It's a gift from my mom.
She passed on, and this is all I have."
"That's some dumb lie you just told, kid," the Antiquarian scoffed. "This is a copy of the Queen's necklace, and a cheap one at that. It doesn't hold any powers like the real one does. But still, 150 is a good offer."
The man handed the necklace back. Zack tucked it into a small bag, though it wasn't fully covered. As he walked away, the Antiquarian thought to himself: The artifact looks so real, but I can't feel any power in it. The crafter must be incredibly skilled. I can't even tell the difference visually, but the real necklace is said to grant the holder domination over all, This one is silent. It must be a fake.
Zack, meanwhile, was lost in thought as he stepped back into the sun. He said the Queen .. he realized, the queen is late , so that must be the princess, I highly doubt that, She's rich, sure, but the Princess? That's impossible.
"Hey kid, what do you have there?"
Two guards stepped in front of him before he could clear the shop entrance. They had spotted the glint of gold in his bag. "You have a lot of explaining to do, kid. Where did you get your hands on that?"
Zack didn't answer. He turned and ran.
"Where did he go? That kid is fast!" the guard shouted. "Detection!"
They cast the technique, but the detection was cut off instantly. The guards stopped, confused. "What was that? You felt it, right? The detection was blocked." They looked around the market, but everything looked normal. "The kid must not be working alone. We need more guards."
THE BACK ALLEY
"That was close," Zack panted, leaning against a damp stone wall in the shadows. "I thought I was a goner. Why would the guards be after a nobody like me? Earlier, the changer said it was a cheap copy and the original held power... I should have just taken the 150 already."
He tightened his grip on the bag and began the long run back to the hideout.
THE PALACE
"Princess, did you take off the necklace your mother gave you?" Aurelia, her personal maid, asked with a gentle smile. "You've been acting weird. Tell me, what did you do while you were outside the palace wall?"
Charlotte's eyes lit up. "I met a boy, Aurelia. Zack, He has red hair, Would it be okay if I invited him over? He has other kids with him, Sarah, she's really sick. I had nothing to give, and I wanted to help her. They've been through so much. When I become Queen, I'll make everything right. Children won't have to sleep outside anymore. They'll eat until their hearts are content."
Aurelia knelt down and hugged the girl. "You'll be an excellent Queen, my Princess. But let's get the necklace back on. You must never take it off; it's a gift from your mother and carries significant value. It has special abilities to protect you from harm. So, let's get it back on."
"About that..." Charlotte whispered. "I gave it to Zack. So he could buy medicine for Sarah and food for them. I couldn't bear to see them that way. They are kids my age, Aurelia. It hurts."
Aurelia's smile faltered. Her heart sank. "I know you did that from kindness, but Princess... your decision will only create trouble for them. If the guards see that necklace on anyone else, there is a punishment for that."
THE HIDEOUT
The peace of the crumbling building was shattered as guards rushed inside. They grabbed the children, shoving them into the dirt. In the struggle, a guard struck Sarah. She fell hard, coughing violently.
Zack rushed out from the back, unaware of the scale of the raid. "Sarah!"
He saw her on the ground and lunged, punching at a guard to free the others, but a heavy shield slammed into his head, pinning him to the floor. Sarah's frail body twitched, blood pouring from her lips.
"Take her to a doctor! She's dying!" Zack screamed, his voice cracking. "Whatever this is, it has nothing to do with them! Please!"
The sight of Sarah and the other children in pain was too much. A roar of heat erupted from Zack's chest, wild and uncontrollable. His entire body was engulfed in flames as his birth element, Eno, finally poured out. But it wasn't enough; the guards converged with water technique, dousing his fire into steam.
Then, Animus stepped into the building.
"Sir, you shouldn't have come here," a guard said. "We have it under control."
"Don't tell me what to do, you imbecile," Animus hissed. "It's your fault the Princess slipped away. So, this is the kid with the necklace? Where did you get this?"
"It was given to me by a girl! Help Sarah!" Zack sobbed.
"And where is this girl?"
"I don't know!"
Animus looked at the other children. "Maybe this will help you remember. Kill those two."
"Sir, but they're only kids," a guard protested.
Animus didn't hesitate. He swung his hand, and a long, dark scythe formed, taking the guard's head in a single stroke. Terrified, the other guards turned their blades on the children.
"No!" Zack screamed. "I'll kill every last one of you royals! I swear it! I'll hunt you all until there's nothing left!"
Animus took the necklace and turned to leave. "Kill him as well."
THE PALACE
Back at the palace, Charlotte had bolted from her room after Aurelia's warning, only to collide with Animus in the hallway.
"My lady," he said smoothly, holding up the gold jewelry. "Your stolen goods have been recovered. A reminder of why you should not leave the castle."
"He didn't steal them! I gave them to him!" Charlotte shouted. "Release him at once! I command you!"
"I'm afraid that is impossible, you must be mistaken" Animus replied, his eyes vacant. "The boy was a thief. He and his accomplices were executed on the spot"
Charlotte's legs gave out. She crumpled to the floor, sobbing into her hands.
"You killed children... over a jewelry? He was just a boy..."
Animus looked down at her. "A thief is a thief, Princess. If I had left him, what would he grow up to become?"
Tears rolled down her face like oceans. Suddenly, her eyes shifted—turning a brilliant silver-white with a prism refraction. "Tell me... are you satisfied? You killed him for nothing."
"You dumb child," Animus snapped, his own composure slipping. "I'll be happy to kill anyone over and over and over again,a child, a baby just to see you through! I'll gladly throw away my life for your sake! I am ready to go to any length, even if it kills me!"
The words came out of him without thinking. He blinked, then recovered. "Excuse me, Princess. Duty calls."
Veritas... the Eyes of Judgment, Animus thought as he walked away. She has shown all six eyes. Impossible. A child with this much power... the more she grows, the more she will understand what she is.
THE KING'S CHAMBER
Animus entered the stale, sick-scented room. The King lay on his bed, coughing into a cloth. "Animus... bring... Charlotte..."
As Animus bowed, a dark whisper slithered into his ear: End his life, Claim the throne. Find the Book of Tova.
He left the room without a word. Charlotte was still on the floor , Aurelia was beside her, her grief hardening into stone.
"Your Majesty," Animus said, "as future Queen, you must learn the law is absolute. This is the cost of disobedience. The King demands you."
Charlotte wiped her eyes. She stood, her voice as cold as ice. "Laws that murder children are not laws,They are sins, If I am to rule, I will not do it from a cage, I'll rewrite those laws myself, even if they are curved into existence itself"
She brushed past him.
Minutes later, the doors groaned open. Charlotte emerged holding a massive volume: The Sovereign Six Eyes. Her face was pale, her eyes vacant.
"Father is dead ," she announced.
The news spread across the continent. At twelve years old, Charlotte was the Sovereign of Tikka, ruling a kingdom built on secrets and the blood of the innocent.