Chapter 30 – The Grand Scheme
From the very beginning, it was clear to everyone that Sin Ka was not just an ordinary brother to the king, but rather his strong right hand and closest ally. He had helped him ascend to the throne and supported him with strategy and intellect through many wars and crises that shook the kingdom. His was a brilliant mind, and his shadow never left his brother's council.
And after a full year had passed, once King Sen Han had secured his footing on the throne and began to feel that he could finally breathe with some measure of calm as he sat upon it, he realized that ruling was no leisurely walk—it was a heavy burden that consumed both heart and soul.
For the throne of Sunlight City was not an inherited seat like in other kingdoms. It was granted by the people's decision, by their choice, and that alone made the matter of ruling far more difficult, riddled with intrigue. And so, when the previous king died, many ministers and advisors emerged with schemes to seize power for themselves.
But the young prince Sen Han stood in their way. With the aid of his brother Sin Ka, he exposed the treachery of those ministers and counselors one by one, casting them out and clearing his path toward the throne after his father's death.
A full year passed since Sen Han took hold of the reins of rule, and the kingdom slowly began to settle. Yet the storm was not over; in truth, it was only about to pound on the palace gates—a savage and bloody storm unlike anything the king, or anyone else, could have imagined.
For after that year, Sin Ka's games began to unfold. It became clear that his help all along had never been out of loyalty or affection, but part of a meticulous plan to remove every obstacle from his way in the future. None, however, knew the truth.
Even the king himself, when he noticed small deceptions here and there, thought them trivial, well within control. He took no action against his brother, trusting him blindly—trust sown by their shared childhood, by memories of blood, laughter, and tears.
Now, as King Sen Han sat with his family at the dining table, his daughter spoke to him with a hint of worry. He smiled gently, reassuring her:
"Well, perhaps you are right, my dear… but I trust that my brother would never do anything vile or cruel. His heart is kind."
He spoke sincerely, truly convinced of his brother's heart. The two of them had lived together for so long, fought side by side in unforgettable battles, laughed and wept together. Their bond had become more than brotherhood—it was almost fate itself. And for that reason, the king never doubted his brother's intentions, nor dared to act against him.
After the meal, Prince Sen Ko excused himself, prepared his things, and departed for Black Shadow City.
That very same day, the young princess Sen Mi went out into her private flower garden, planted by her own hands beneath her window. She had tended it every day, watching it bloom, until the flowers became her silent companions.
She sat among them, her face radiant, her smile calm, the entire scene overflowing with beauty. She watered the blossoms herself, ignoring the many servants who could have easily done it for her.
But at that moment, a shadow loomed behind her. A creeping, heavy presence. Her heart skipped, and she spun around to find a man standing there.
"U… Uncle? You're here?"
The young princess stammered as she faced her uncle, Sin Ka. He was tall, pale-skinned, his features sharp, his gaze fixed. His deceitful eyes glimmered with strange cunning—a mixture of arrogance and calm. A reassuring smile curved his lips, but it was a smile that hid too much.
He stepped closer, his tone gentle:
"My dear, why do you trouble yourself with this? You have plenty of servants who could water the flowers for you. Why must you be the one to do it?"
His words were tender, but her heart recoiled. A nameless revulsion, a shiver of fear crawled through her. She had never trusted her uncle, not even as a child. Being near him always filled her with dread.
She could not tell if it was her heart, her mind, or simply her body reacting, but she knew one thing with certainty: she could not bear his presence for even a single minute. She would rather be cast into a dark place filled with spirits and demons than remain beside him.
Sin Ka reached out to place a hand on her shoulder. She wanted to step back, but fear chained her; she dreaded showing weakness or disrespect.
Before his hand could touch her, a dignified voice called from behind:
"Lady Sen Mi… the queen summons you."
Sin Ka turned to see the old head servant, Mai Na, standing a few steps away, bowing respectfully, his face calm.
Relief flooded the princess like a sudden salvation. She glanced at her uncle, bowed slightly, then ran quickly back toward the palace, Mai Na following with measured steps. As she left, the old man caught sight of Sin Ka's hand, glowing faintly with a strange, subdued light.
Sin Ka remained alone in the garden. He raised his eyes to the clear blue sky, wearing a serene expression. But inside him was something entirely different.
"Today is the promised day… I will have my revenge on everyone."
He crushed the flowers beneath his boots, destroying their beauty, then turned with a calm smile and walked away.
The sun yielded to the moon, and night settled quietly upon the beautiful world.
Inside the palace, in the council hall, King Sen Han sat, his expression sharp and anxious. Beside him was Queen Sen Mao, silent, her face shifting between fleeting smiles.
Before them sat Sin Ka, motionless as a mountain.
The king's voice wavered with sternness:
"Brother… what is this you're saying?"
Sin Ka lifted his eyes steadily, smiling as he met his brother's gaze:
"What I mean… is that the time has come, my brother. You have only two choices: either abdicate and disappear, and I will not harm you… or cling to the throne, and die."
His words fell heavy as stone. His expression was grave, majestic, shrouded by an aura of blood and death, as if dark phantoms coiled around him to declare his sinister intent.
In that moment, Sen Han's heart quaked. His reply trembled with both sorrow and despair, for he had always believed goodness lingered in his brother's heart—that their bond was unbreakable. Yet with a single threat, everything shattered like ash in the wind.
"Why, brother? After all we have shared, after all these years! You stood by me in my first battles, you helped me become king… and now you say you'll kill me? Why?!"
Sin Ka sighed deeply, then raised his head with pride dripping in arrogance. He looked upon his brother's anguish with eyes that knew only cruelty.
"Why? Are you truly that foolish? Your father—or rather, that cursed father of yours—was the one who slaughtered my family, my clan, who wiped my city from existence without mercy.
And you… you fool! When I helped you, did you really think I did it out of love for you?!"
He shook his head, laughing darkly, mocking with sweeping gestures:
"No… no… no, idiot! I did it for many reasons. First, you were far too weak for me to overthrow directly, so I waited for my time. And now… now I already control this city from within, more than you could ever imagine.
Second, those vile ministers and counselors who opposed you would have opposed me as well. So I used you as a tool to rid myself of them. It worked perfectly.
And third, most important of all… I am the true king of this city, my dear brother!"
A sly grin spread across Sin Ka's face. Slowly, he turned toward Queen Sen Mao, his eyes burning with cunning, his voice filled with utter confidence:
"Isn't that right, my dear Sen Mao?"
King Sen Han's features froze in disbelief and grief, then twisted into rage as he spun toward his wife, desperate to find denial in her eyes. But what he found was something he had never expected.
She smiled with a calm, deadly air. Rising slowly from her chair, her steps deliberate, her face radiating buried passion, she walked to Sin Ka's side. Looking at her husband, her eyes held nothing but disgust and loathing, as if she had never known him.
It was as though the palace ceiling had crashed upon him. His brother declared war on him coldly, while he was still wrestling with the city's troubles. And now his beloved wife, the woman he had cherished his entire life, the mother of his two children, stood beside his enemy. She had cast him aside completely.
Everything collapsed around him, as though fate itself was mocking him. Yet he refused to surrender to despair. He rose from his seat in a flash, his sword gleaming with deadly resolve, ready to resist to his last breath.
"So… Sen Mao was yours from the beginning, wasn't she?!"
Sin Ka's gaze was cold as ice. His words dripped like knives:
"No… no… no. Sen Mao means nothing to me. She truly loves you, adores you with all her heart. There was never anyone else in her soul but you. But… that is precisely my gift, you fool!"
Sen Han's heart trembled. Even as he struggled to stand firm, the truth was far more terrible than he imagined. If his wife had been Sin Ka's lover, the betrayal might have been easier to bear—just a fleeting treachery. But this… this was worse. Her very soul had been ensnared by his brother's cursed ability.
Tears welled in his eyes as memories of every moment, every tenderness, every love he thought eternal came crashing down, revealed now as nothing more than a cruel game.
Cold sweat streamed down his brow. His spirit was torn between rage and grief.
He was shaken for two reasons.
First, because his wife had been enslaved, and he now had to save her, his children, and his people, knowing Sin Ka would kill them all if left unchecked.
And second… because he was stunned to his core: how could his brother possess such a gift, when once he swore he had none?
"How is this possible? Did you not claim you had no gift?!"
Sin Ka sighed calmly. He pushed Queen Sen Mao gently aside, though not far, her eyes still locked on him as though her very life belonged to him.
His voice was quiet, like the hush before a storm:
"Well… all of this is part of the grand scheme, my dear brother. Believe me, I never wanted to do this to you. But you left me no other choice. My gift now controls your wife completely. So… what do you say, brother?"
Sen Han's heart shook violently. In that instant, he knew this fate had been written long ago—since the day Sin Ka discovered he was not truly of the "Sen" bloodline. Every step had been plotted, every move leading to this deadly trap.
He was cornered, no escape, no hope of survival. He looked down at his sword, the blade that had carried him through countless battles, the steel that had known victories and blood, the sword he once wielded beside this very brother. But all those memories shattered beneath Sin Ka's sneering grin, a smile like a dagger thrust into his chest.
With no other choice, the king fell to his knees. His forehead touched the floor, his voice breaking with desperate, genuine plea:
"I beg you… spare my wife and children. Take me, do what you will, I will not resist. But please… leave my family out of this."
He was sincere, broken yet unbowed in spirit, hoping some fragment of mercy still lingered in his brother's heart.
Sin Ka approached with steady steps, looming over his kneeling brother. His voice was cold as death:
"Fool… do you really think I don't want to control you? From the very start, that was my plan—to bend you, make you obey my every command. But my gift does not work on those stronger than me. And you, my brother… you are far stronger than I."
He paused, then crouched down before him, laying a heavy hand on his shoulder. His eyes flared with blazing violet light, reflecting in the king's gaze like a glimpse of hell itself. A wide smile, dripping with contempt, spread across his face as he whispered with venom:
"But… every other soul in your pathetic family is weaker than me. Which means… they are all mine."
Then Sin Ka burst into a fit of wicked laughter, savoring his brother's tears, delighting in his agony like a monster at last feasting on his favorite prey.
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