The silence of the palace was not the silence of comfort.
It was the silence of waiting.
The black walls, cracked like giant bones, absorbed light instead of reflecting it. The twisted pillars rose like remnants of stone creatures frozen in the moment of death. This palace was not only a seat of power, but a tool of psychological pressure; anyone who entered felt smaller, weaker, closer to breaking.
Korval sat on his stone throne, slowly running his fingers along the armrest, as if counting the pulses of a merciless future.
He spoke in a low but sharp voice:
"One week."
Ashen showed no reaction. He stood there like a black mass of indifference; his presence alone was enough to disturb the air.
As for the giant abomination, it was laughing. Its laughter came out broken and overlapping, as if many voices were fighting for control of one throat.
Korval continued:
"The annual festival of the kingdom. In this week… everyone who needs to be present will gather."
Then he added with a cold smile:
"And the place will be full… more than it should be."
Korval said:
"Good. Send our messages to our dear guests."
The messages were not written with ordinary ink.
They were written with a mixture of diluted blood and a special ink, so the meaning would reach even those who read between the lines.
To the Crystal Kingdom
To His Majesty, the Crystal King,
In times when cracks multiply, nothing is more valuable than preserving clarity between neighbors.
It would be my honor to see you as a guest at my kingdom's festival, so we may confirm together that crystal, no matter how much pressure it faces, does not break… it reflects harsher light.
A friendly message?
Yes.
But between the words… a clear threat: we see you, and we know your weak points.
To the Kingdom of Tasso
To the Lord of the Iron Plains,
Your absence from my court has been long. Perhaps it is time to exchange toasts instead of official letters.
The festival is a chance to clear the air… before it becomes heavy with dust.
Dust in Tasso… means war.
To the Kingdom of the Seven Valleys
To the ruler of the warring valleys,
Perhaps our gathering will be proof that the seven can unite… even if only temporarily.
A dangerous hint.
Korval is implying his ability to divide them… or unite them by force.
To Arko
To the ruler of the City of the Single Wall,
The festival will be surrounded by protection, so do not fear betrayal.
Or rather… undeclared betrayal.
A hidden laugh in every word.
To Oraro
To the King of the Inner Sea,
The waves sometimes calm down, but we know what hides beneath them.
Be my guest, and let us drown together in a deeper discussion.
The Crystal Kingdom
A palace of transparent crystal, where every step reveals who walks and who watches.
The king sat surrounded by his advisors, light breaking around them.
One minister said:
"The invitation… is too clean."
The king replied calmly:
"Korval does not invite you to eat. He invites you to be seen eating."
Another advisor muttered:
"Refusing the invitation could be seen as hostility."
The king closed his eyes:
"And accepting it… may be worse."
Then he said:
"We will go.
But not as guests… as observers."
The Kingdom of Tasso
A palace of raw iron, where the smell of blood and sweat never fades.
The king slammed the table with his fist:
"Korval does not celebrate. Korval calculates."
The army commander said:
"It may be a trap."
The king smiled:
"And not going… is admitting fear."
He stood up:
"We go.
But every step is calculated… and our swords stay close."
The Seven Valleys
Seven representatives, seven chairs, no one sitting comfortably.
One said:
"He wants to test our unity."
Another replied:
"Or break us in public."
The oldest among them said:
"Korval only strikes when everyone is watching."
Silence.
Then:
"We go… but each valley protects itself."
Arko
The City of the Single Wall. Everything in it is defense.
The king read the letter slowly, then said:
"Undeclared betrayal… means betrayal will be declared."
His advisor laughed:
"Korval is honest in his lies."
The king said:
"We go.
A wall is only tested at the gate."
Oraro
A palace floating on water, calm on the outside… deadly on the inside.
The king threw the letter into the water and watched it dissolve.
He said:
"Korval invites us to drown…"
Then he smiled:
"Let us see who floats last."
The Melted Blood Sect
A red cave, where the ground itself pulses.
The sect leader said:
"Korval does not summon a sect… unless he needs blood."
One of the elders said:
"Or sacrifices."
The leader replied:
"We will go.
Blood… is spilled everywhere."
The Hundred Curse Sect
A temple covered in black symbols.
The high priest laughed:
"A festival?"
Then:
"No… this is a summoning."
One follower asked:
"Do we refuse?"
The priest replied:
"And since when do curses refuse invitations?"
The Spirit Assassination Organization
A room without windows.
The leader said:
"Korval knows our price."
His deputy replied:
"And he always pays… with someone else's blood."
The leader said:
"We go.
Great opportunities… are born from chaos."
The Eastern Mercenaries
A moving camp, fire, laughter, and knives.
The leader said:
"A royal festival?"
He laughed:
"That means contracts, chaos, and death."
Then:
"We move."
Conclusion
In his palace, Korval stood before a tall window.
The city below was preparing to celebrate…
unaware that it was being led toward a political massacre.
He whispered:
"The festival is not for joy…
but to separate the strong."
Elsewhere,
Ashen watched without emotion.
And the giant abomination laughed… the laughter of thousands of souls.
The week had begun.
And the world… was about to bleed.