Lieutenant Mara's POV:
The door slammed shut behind King Chris, the echo hanging in the air like thunder that refused to fade.
The war room was in ruins. Shattered screens, broken tables, and trembling officers filled the silence. Every man avoided eye contact, afraid even to breathe too loud.
General Soren stood still for a long moment, eyes locked on the door the King had just exited. His jaw was tight, his face unreadable — but I could see it. The shame. The fury. The fear.
Then he turned around slowly.
"All units, stand at attention."
Every soldier, every officer, snapped up instantly. The sound of boots hitting the ground echoed like gunfire.
Soren's voice was low, but it carried enough power to shake the room. "You all just witnessed what happens when the King walks into his own command and finds weakness. That was mercy."
No one spoke. Even the sound of the flickering lights felt too loud.
He walked toward the broken screen and kicked aside a fallen chair. "From now on, this headquarters is under reconstruction orders. No one leaves until I say so. No officer sleeps until we can detect the King's shadow from a mile away."
He turned to me. "Lieutenant Mara."
I straightened immediately. "Sir."
"You'll oversee gate protocols personally. I want every face, every entry, every breath documented. If anyone tries to walk in without clearance — you shoot first, ask after."
"Yes, General."
He paused for a moment, his eyes narrowing. "And find out where the King went. Don't follow — just know."
"Yes, sir."
When he walked out, the others began to move, cleaning the mess, resetting equipment, their hands shaking. I didn't help them. I just stood there, staring at the spot where the King had stood minutes ago.
That energy still lingered — like heat after a wildfire.
I walked to the broken glass on the floor and picked up a shard. I could still see the faint reflection of my own eyes in it — tired, but burning with something new.
I whispered under my breath, "He's not just testing us… he's preparing for something."
Because deep down, I knew — Chris Blackwood never acted without reason. If he was angry today, it wasn't just because of negligence.
Something bigger was coming.
Something that would shake even the throne itself.
—To be continued—