Darkness. Footsteps. Screaming. Eustass was running—but no matter how fast he moved, the shadows were catching up. Blood on the walls. Fire in the sky. And behind him, a familiar voice whispering his name like a curse.
"Traitor."
He gasped.
"Lord Eustass," a soft voice called.
A hand gently shook his shoulder.
"You're dreaming, my lord. Wake up."
Eustass blinked, sitting up fast. His chest rose and fell like he'd just run a marathon. Sweat dripped down his forehead, and his usually sharp face looked pale and shaken. He stared at the ceiling of his chamber, still breathing hard.
"Same dream?" the maid asked, her voice laced with concern.
He nodded slowly, wiping his face. "Yeah… again."
The maid, Mira, looked at him with a mix of worry and familiarity. This wasn't the first time she'd found him like this. "I brought tea, but… the First Prince summoned you. He's waiting at the palace."
Eustass sighed, already moving. "Of course he is."
In just a few minutes, he changed into his usual advisor outfit: dark navy robes lined with gold embroidery, a silver crest pinned at his collar—marking him as the First Prince's right hand. A symbol of pride… and pressure.
As he stepped outside, the capital buzzed with early morning energy. Carriages rolled by. Guards marched in formation. Nobles whispered behind fans. Eustass didn't care. He had one job—serve the Prince, no matter the cost.
The palace doors opened before he even knocked. The servants knew him well by now.
Inside, the First Prince lounged on his throne-like seat, legs crossed, sipping wine like it was already evening.
"Eustass," the Prince said with a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "Right on time."
"I live to serve, Your Highness," Eustass replied, bowing slightly.
"Let's skip the formalities. Sit," the Prince said, gesturing lazily. "We have matters to discuss. The western nobles are growing restless. They're questioning the new tax reforms you drafted."
"They'll calm down," Eustass replied, flipping through the scrolls in his satchel. "Most of them are just throwing a tantrum because they can't evade levies anymore. If we stay firm, they'll fall in line."
The Prince chuckled. "You make it sound easy."
"It is easy," Eustass muttered, then quickly added, "if we keep the pressure consistent."
He laid out maps, numbers, and projections—talking fast but clear, like someone who's done this a thousand times. Because he had. This was Eustass' life: fixing royal messes, calming nobles, managing funds, and keeping the First Prince's reputation untouchable.
"You're too good at this," the Prince said at one point, a strange glint in his eyes.
Eustass smiled faintly. "That's why you keep me around."
The Prince didn't reply.
The meeting dragged on for hours. As noon hit, the advisors around the hall came and went, but Eustass stayed—taking notes, arguing policy, solving crises like it was just another Tuesday.
But deep inside, the nightmare still clung to him. A shadow in the back of his mind. A whisper he couldn't shake.
And for some reason… the Prince's eyes felt colder than usual today.
---
Next day, Eustass arrived at the palace gates, his boots clicking against the marble floor as sunlight spilled through the high windows. The guards gave him a brief nod—everyone here knew who he was. After all, he wasn't just some noble. He was Advisor Eustass, the Prince's most trusted right-hand man.
Inside the royal chamber, the oldest prince stood by the tall window, hands behind his back, watching over the kingdom like it was already his.
"You're late," the prince said without turning.
"My apologies, Your Highness," Eustass replied, slightly bowing.
The prince finally turned around, his expression unreadable. "We need to talk. Sit."
Eustass followed the command without question and sat across the prince. The air was tense.
"The kingdom's gold... it's gone."
Eustass blinked. "Wait, what? All of a sudden?"
"It's been disappearing for a while now," the prince continued, voice low. "But I kept it quiet. Even the King doesn't know. I needed to be sure."
Eustass furrowed his brows. Disappearing? How the hell did I not know about this? He ran the numbers in his head, trying to trace any irregularities in the last few weeks, but came up blank. He was the advisor—this kind of thing shouldn't be flying past him.
"You think it's an inside job?" he asked cautiously.
The prince didn't answer directly. Instead, he stepped closer. "That's what I need you to find out."
A heavy pause.
"Me?" Eustass echoed, surprised. "You're asking me to retrieve the missing treasury?"
"You're the only one I trust with this," the prince said, a rare edge of vulnerability in his voice. "I know it's a lot, but I need you on this, Eustass."
Eustass hesitated—not because he didn't want to, but because something felt... off. Why now? Why hide this even from me?
But he shoved the doubt down. This was the prince. His prince.
"Of course," Eustass finally said, standing. "I'll get it done."
The prince smiled faintly. "I knew I could count on you."
Eustass bowed again, but inside, his thoughts were racing. Something's not right.
As Eustass walked out of the prince's chamber, the heavy door clicking shut behind him, his mind was still spinning.
Missing gold? From where? How? And why the hell didn't I know?
He barely noticed the hallway—the polished floors, the flickering torches—but he did notice the guards. They were staring.
Not in a disrespectful way. But… different.
Their posture was stiffer. Their eyes, more alert. Watching him, not just guarding the room.
Eustass didn't say anything. He just gave them a nod, forced and brief, and kept walking.
Something's off. I can feel it. Even they know something I don't.
He shook the thought off, brushing the red cape off his shoulder as he stepped outside the palace gates. His horse was already waiting, dark and tall, stomping slightly. He climbed up without a word and rode off toward his private mansion at the edge of the royal district.
—
The sun was lower by the time he arrived. The mansion gates creaked open, and standing at the front steps was Mira—his personal maid and most trusted confidant.
She bowed with a small smile. "Welcome home, Lord Eustass."
He nodded and dismounted, handing the reins to a stablehand nearby.
Inside the grand sitting room, he slumped onto the long velvet sofa. Mira followed, her eyes already scanning his face.
"You're pale," she said softly, sitting beside him. "Did the prince nag you again? Or is it worse?"
Eustass leaned back, hands steepled under his chin. "He gave me a mission."
Mira tilted her head. "A mission?"
"A serious one," he muttered, eyes staring blankly at the ornate ceiling. "He told me the kingdom's treasury… is missing."
There was silence. Mira blinked. "Wait… what?"
"Yeah. Gone. Golds, funds, all of it." He exhaled hard. "Apparently it's been disappearing for a while now."
Mira's voice dropped. "That doesn't make sense. You'd know. You're the advisor. You practically manage the entire royal economy."
"That's what I said—well, thought," Eustass replied, rubbing his temples. "If something that big vanished, I'd be the first one to see the red flags. Not the last."
Mira leaned back, processing everything. "If the king finds out, it'll be war. Chaos. The kingdom would collapse under its own lies."
"I know…" Eustass whispered. "That's why I'm worried."
They sat in silence for a moment.
Mira looked at him again, more serious this time. "You think someone's lying to you?"
Eustass didn't answer.
But in his chest, a quiet, cold feeling settled in.
Yeah. I think so too.