The royal courtroom was tense.
The stench of fear and arrogance mingled in the air as the royal court tried to suppress the weight of their failure. Ministers and nobles whispered from their seats, eyeing the body on the ground—the prince's cousin, now unrecognizable, torn apart by Alen's fury.
Suddenly, the torches flickered.
A shadow entered. Silent. Swift. A royal executioner from the hidden order—his mission: end Alen before the Lion Clan could respond.
But he never reached Alen.
A single clap of compressed air echoed across the royal chamber. In the blink of an eye, the shadow's head was gone, his lifeless body collapsing like a puppet with cut strings.
Standing above him was a towering figure cloaked in darkness and silver light—Kael Varis, Alen's godfather and Shadow Commander of the Crimson Lion Clan.
He stepped forward and threw the severed head toward the throne with calm contempt.
Two words. That's all he said.
"War. Die."
He vanished.
The room went silent.
The King trembled as he stood. "Summon the Queen!" he roared.
The Queen entered in full regalia, calm and composed. "Yes, Your Majesty?"
"Did you authorize the hit on the Crimson Lion's heir?" he demanded.
The Queen tilted her head, pride gleaming in her eyes. "Yes. I thought it would end a threat before it began."
SLAP!
The King's hand struck her face so hard she staggered. Gasps erupted across the court.
"You arrogant fool!" he thundered. "This is not a common noble! You've doomed us all! Do you not understand what you've done?!"
A Lion guard, bloodied from his ride, entered and fell to his knees.
"Your Majesty… we confirmed it. Alen is the true heir of the Crimson Lion. And we received… a declaration. It contains two words. 'War' and 'Die.' The world will soon burn if we don't act."
Murmurs of horror spread like wildfire.
The Queen, now enraged, screamed, "Then why don't we call our allies?! Ask the northern kingdom, the Eastern Empire—"
The Lion guard looked at her like one might a madwoman. "Your Grace… Do you not understand? The Crimson Lion Clan is the reason our kingdom has peace. They brokered the truce between five continents. They guard the sea gates. They are why we haven't been invaded for 100 years."
The King slumped into his throne.
"We challenged the lion… and now its fangs are out."
---
Scene Shift: Inside the Northern Dragon Clan Hall
Ryen Drevaris, Lyra's older brother, stood before a golden dragon insignia surrounded by Elders.
"They threatened my sister. They threatened us," he said coldly. "The Crimson Lion's heir is with her. Our bond is now more than emotional—it's political."
One of the elders asked, "Do you propose… an alliance?"
Ryen's gaze hardened. "No. I propose intervention. The royal family needs to be replaced. They tried to kill a future Dragon Matriarch and the Lion Heir."
The chamber stirred. "That could spark a rebellion…"
Ryen looked back at them.
"Then let it."
---
Scene Shift: Academy Grounds
Lyra sat in the villa, pale and silent.
Alen approached her quietly. She was curled up, holding a pendant from her brother, tears staining her cheeks.
"I'm sorry…" Alen said softly. "I should've told you who I was. I should've trusted you with the truth."
She looked at him, broken but resolute. "Do you know what it's like to almost lose someone you love… because of secrets?"
Alen knelt beside her and took her hand. "I've never had someone who cried for me like you did. I've always been alone. That's why I was afraid. I didn't want to lose… this. You."
She stared at him for a long moment, then slowly leaned into his embrace.
"Don't do this again," she whispered. "Or next time… I'll kill you myself."
They smiled, tears mixing with laughter.
---
Ending Scene: Crimson Lion Fortress
High atop the burning pyres of war banners, the Head of the Crimson Lion Clan stood overlooking their army.
"Summon the banners," he said. "We march at dawn. The Lion has roared."
-E-N-D-