Ortinos (voice calm, yet sharp as a blade):
"Miron, look at me. Do you truly believe those gates opened by the grace of your courage alone?"
Miron (laughing without lifting his eyes from his sword):
"Ortinos, you always spoil great moments with your philosophy. Yes, they opened because we were stronger, because Medon's army consists of cowards."
Nerar (stepping forward):
"No, Miron. They opened because someone pulled the bolts from behind them. Darius saw a shadow leaving your room—a man dressed in gray. Who was that? And what did he offer you in exchange for your loyalty to the Coup Council?"
Miron (standing abruptly, slamming his sword onto the marble table with a piercing ring):
"My loyalty is to the Revolution! The man you saw is merely a 'messenger' bringing us hope. He brought us maps, ammunition, and promised that the King would flee the moment he saw our legions at the capital's gates. Do you expect me to refuse help while my men die of the cold?"
Ortinos:
"This isn't help; this is 'fattening' the victim before the slaughter. You are now the face of this Council, and they are nothing but puppets in the hands of 'Ajax.' Have you ever asked yourself why this man's face has never been seen?"
Miron (approaching Ortinos, his eyes gleaming with madness):
"I don't care about his face! I care that he gave me the power your books never did, Ortinos. Tomorrow we march on the capital. You will be with me, or you will be behind me with the old and the weak. Choose your place."
Chaos in Medonia
Meanwhile, in the capital "Medonia," fog enveloped the Royal Palace. Serge, Rakion's deputy, was leading a secret investigation unit in an underground vault, staring at a pile of charred papers found in the office of Chancellor Valerius.
Serge (to his investigators):
"What did you find in the remnants of the Chancellor's mail?"
Lead Investigator:
"Sir, we found the remains of a letter bearing the 'Silver Raven' seal. It is the crest of a family exiled a century ago. The letter refers to the coordinates of 'Camp No. 7,' which exploded. The documents place the Chancellor at the heart of the conspiracy."
Rakion (entering suddenly, his face pale from lack of sleep):
"Do you have definitive proof?"
Serge:
"We have more than that, sir. We found transfers of rare crystal currency paid into secret offshore accounts in the name of the Chancellor's wife. Valerius is 'Ajax'... or at least, he is the hand that moves him."
Rakion (drawing his sword in rage):
"That fox! He sat beside me, convincing me to stay silent while he sold my army to the rebels. I won't wait for the King's trial. We will tear him apart now!"
This was exactly what the real Ajax had planned: to strike the top of the pyramid against itself. As Rakion headed for the Chancellor's chambers, Valerius had already received another message from Ajax: "Rakion has discovered your secret; he will kill you tonight. Escape through the southern passage; my men are waiting for you."
In the dark palace corridor, Rakion's force clashed with the Chancellor's guards. A small but bloody battle erupted in the heart of the King's security center.
Valerius (screaming as he ran):
"Royal Guards! Rakion is staging a coup! He wants to kill the Chancellor and the King to seize the throne!"
Rakion (roaring):
"Liar! You are the traitor who blew up the camps!"
Chaos reigned. The Royal Guard no longer knew whom to follow. Amidst this turmoil, Antoine and his "Frost Princes" squad, dressed in Royal Guard uniforms, were silently eliminating both sides, further fueling the discord.
The Rebel Camp: The Calm Before the Storm
Ortinos returned to his tent to find Romelius reading an ancient book by dim candlelight.
Romelius:
"Did you confront him, my son?"
Ortinos:
"Miron is lost, Master. He sees nothing but the crown. I fear we are creating a new tyrant to destroy the old one."
Picos (entering suddenly, his face reflecting genuine terror):
"Ortinos, Nerar... come and look at the square!"
The comrades stepped out to find thousands of rebel soldiers standing in long lines, being supplied with "Crystal Energy Potions." It was a glowing blue liquid said to give a warrior double strength and immunity to pain.
Nerar (whispering):
"This is forbidden alchemy... it turns humans into unthinking killing machines. Who brought these flasks?"
Zara the Sniper (passing by them, drinking from a flask):
"A gift from the 'Great Supporter.' Tomorrow, we smash the capital's walls."
Ortinos:
"Romelius, this is not a popular revolution. This is a planned mass suicide. Ajax doesn't want the rebels to rule; he wants them to vanish along with the Royal Army in a single holocaust."
The Final Symphony
The real Ajax stood before a window overlooking the distant city. Behind him, Antoine had just returned, his clothes stained with small drops of blood.
Antoine:
"Sir, Rakion killed Chancellor Valerius in the palace courtyard. King Medon suffered a heart attack from the shock and is now under our protection... meaning, under the protection of 'my men' dressed as his guards."
Ajax (with a calm smile):
"Excellent. And the rebel army?"
Antoine:
"They drank the crystal potions. Tomorrow at dawn, they will attack with barbaric violence. No one will be able to stop them, and they won't be able to stop until their hearts burst from the energy."
Ajax:
"Then the stage is set. Tomorrow, Medonia burns. When the smoke clears, the people will find no king to protect them and no revolutionaries to rule them. They will find me... the man who will save them from the chaos he created himself."
With the first thread of light, the horns of war sounded. Miron's army, appearing like a legion of blue-glowing zombies, marched toward the capital's walls. Miron was at the front, screaming in a non-human voice.
Ortinos (grabbing the hands of Nerar and the other comrades):
"Listen to me carefully. We will not fight in this war. Our mission now is to infiltrate the palace through the sewers Miron told us about. We must find Ajax before the show is complete."
Picos:
"And what about Miron?"
Ortinos (sadly):
"Miron died the moment he drank from his cup. We must save what remains of Crystalis."
As the walls fell under the strikes of the suicidal rebels, the comrades dove into the depths of the city in search of the snake's head. Above, the sky over the capital began to turn an ominous purple, signaling the start of the "Final Symphony."