The cold pre-dawn air of Stonehead Palace seeped into the room as James leaned toward the bed.
"Jai. Wake up."
His voice was low but urgent.
Beside Jai, little Arthur stirred beneath the blankets. His eyes slowly opened, still heavy with sleep, and he looked toward James with innocent confusion.
Jai groaned and rubbed his eyes before forcing himself upright.
His gaze immediately fell upon the small photograph lying near him.
Emma.
He reached for it almost instinctively.
James noticed.
His eyes narrowed as Jai held the photograph close to his chest.
"Why do you still have her photo?"
Jai said nothing.
James looked even more confused.
"And why were you sleeping with it on your chest?"
He reached toward the photograph.
Jai immediately pulled it away.
Without answering, he placed it inside his storage necklace.
James froze.
"Whoa."
He raised both hands slightly.
"Why are you suddenly so serious? Did I do something?"
Jai ignored the question and climbed out of bed.
He walked toward the window.
Outside, the sky was still gray.
"It's six in the morning."
He turned toward James.
"Why did you wake me up this early?"
Then he glanced toward Arthur.
"You woke him up too."
James's expression immediately became serious.
"Bro..."
Jai noticed the change in his tone.
"What?"
"Principal Abinay is here."
Jai stopped moving.
"What?"
"He's at the palace."
The last traces of sleep disappeared from Jai's face.
"The Principal?"
James nodded.
"Yes."
Jai immediately looked toward Arthur.
The boy was still half-awake.
Jai gently pulled the blanket higher around him and stroked his hair.
"Go back to sleep."
Arthur blinked at him.
"Big Brother..."
"It's okay."
Jai smiled faintly.
"Sleep."
Arthur slowly closed his eyes again.
Then Jai turned sharply toward James.
"Tell me everything."
James lowered his voice.
"I was in the garden training."
Jai listened carefully.
"Zayn came outside, so we started sparring for a while."
James folded his arms.
"Then a palace guard rushed toward us."
"What did he say?"
"He told Zayn that Principal Abinay had arrived and wanted to meet King Borin."
Jai frowned.
"At five-thirty in the morning?"
"Exactly."
James continued.
"We were both confused."
He began recounting the conversation.
"Zayn asked him, 'Mr. Abinay, why are you here this early?'"
Jai remained silent.
"And Abinay said..."
James lowered his voice mockingly.
"'Mr. Minister, I came to greet King Borin. Since becoming Principal, I haven't had the opportunity to meet him personally.'"
Jai's eyes narrowed.
"That's strange."
"It gets worse."
James continued.
"Zayn reminded him that it was only five-thirty."
"And?"
"Abinay said he's a morning person."
Jai stared at him.
James shrugged.
"I know."
"He also claimed he was too busy at the academy during the day, so this was his only chance to visit the King."
Jai's expression hardened.
"And Zayn let him through?"
"He was suspicious too."
James nodded.
"But Abinay is the Principal. He has an official position. Zayn couldn't just arrest him for arriving early."
Jai looked toward the door.
"Where are they now?"
"Zayn was leading him toward the King's private chambers."
James's expression became tense.
"I came straight here."
A cold feeling spread through Jai's chest.
Something was wrong.
Very wrong.
"Let's go."
They ran.
Their footsteps echoed through the sleeping palace corridors.
Jai's mind raced.
Abinay.
Vystan.
The Chronos-Cage aura.
The strange disguise.
And now he had arrived at the palace before sunrise asking to see the King.
None of it felt accidental.
They had barely reached the upper corridor when—
BOOM!
A violent crash echoed through the palace.
A human cry followed.
Jai stopped for half a second.
Then his eyes widened.
"The King's room."
James looked at him.
"How do you know?"
"Noise Specter."
Jai grabbed his arm.
"Come on!"
They sprinted toward the sound.
Jai threw open the door.
Chaos filled the chamber.
Furniture had been knocked aside.
Several guards were shouting.
King Borin stood near the center of the room, clutching his right hand.
Blood ran between his fingers.
Two of them had been badly mangled.
And on the floor—
Abinay.
Several Royal Guards had already pinned him down.
His arms were twisted behind his back.
His face was pressed against the stone.
Yet he was smiling.
Not nervously.
Not desperately.
Joyfully.
Jai felt his stomach tighten.
Abinay looked directly toward Borin.
"See?"
His voice carried a twisted satisfaction.
"You feel pain now, don't you?"
King Borin's expression darkened.
Abinay laughed.
"My Leader felt pain because of you."
Borin stepped toward him.
"Who sent you?"
Abinay's smile widened.
"You deserve to die."
His eyes burned with fanatic hatred.
"I missed today."
"But one day..."
He looked around the room.
"...you will die."
The guards tightened their grip.
Abinay continued.
"Your people will die."
"Everyone you want to protect."
His smile grew wider.
"Your son."
"Your daughter."
"No exceptions."
Zayn's face twisted with rage.
King Borin raised his uninjured hand.
"Do not touch him."
Zayn stopped.
Borin looked down at Abinay.
"What organization are you working for?"
Abinay remained silent.
"Who is your Leader?"
Nothing.
Borin stepped closer.
"You called him your King."
His voice hardened.
"Who is he?"
Abinay slowly opened his mouth.
Far away...
perhaps in another kingdom.
Perhaps somewhere far stranger.
A man watched the scene.
He wore a red shirt and black trousers.
Before him floated a shimmering image displaying the confrontation inside Stonehead Palace.
He saw Borin's injured hand.
A small smile appeared.
Then faded.
"This slave..."
His voice carried only irritation.
"...always does everything incorrectly."
He raised one hand.
Resting in his palm was a strange artifact.
A transparent black sphere.
Inside it, white mist rotated slowly like trapped wind.
The man closed his fingers.
CRACK.
The sphere shattered.
Back inside the palace, Abinay suddenly froze.
Jai saw it first.
Light.
Faint at first.
Then brighter.
It was coming from inside Abinay's body.
Jai's expression changed.
King Borin's eyes widened.
"Everyone!"
His voice thundered through the chamber.
"GET AWAY FROM HIM!"
The guards immediately released Abinay.
His entire body began glowing.
Abinay looked down at himself.
For a brief moment, even he appeared surprised.
Then his expression changed.
Acceptance.
Devotion.
Fanatic joy.
This life is yours, my King.
His smile returned.
I sacrifice myself for what is coming.
The light became blinding.
Then—
BOOOOOOM!
The palace disappeared beneath white light.
Stone shattered.
Windows exploded outward.
The floor cracked.
Walls collapsed.
A massive shockwave tore through the chamber and surrounding halls.
Nearly one-fifth of Stonehead Palace was destroyed in seconds.
Jai felt himself lifted from the ground.
For a moment, there was no direction.
No ceiling.
No floor.
Only fire.
Dust.
Pressure.
Pain.
James spun through the air beside him.
And in the middle of the catastrophe, one ridiculous thought somehow entered James's mind.
Why does this always happen to us?
Another piece of stone flew past his head.
Why is there always an explosion?
Then—
And why do we always end up flying through the air?!
Everything went black.
Jai heard crying.
Soft.
Broken.
He slowly opened his eyes.
White ceiling.
Clean sheets.
A sharp medicinal smell.
Hospital.
His entire body burned.
He tried to move.
Pain immediately answered.
Then he felt something holding his left hand.
Little Arthur.
The boy was sobbing.
On Jai's right side sat Morisa.
She held his other hand tightly.
Tears covered her face.
The moment she saw Jai's eyes open, she gasped.
"Big Brother!"
Then she shouted toward the doorway.
"Zayn!"
"James!"
Footsteps rushed closer.
James entered first.
Zayn followed.
Jai looked at them.
His relief disappeared almost immediately.
Everyone was hurt.
James's left arm was wrapped and immobilized.
One of his legs was heavily bandaged.
Zayn had burns covering parts of his face, neck, and arms.
Then Jai looked toward Arthur.
His heart tightened.
The boy's small hands and legs were badly burned and wrapped in thick healing cloth.
Morisa appeared to be the only one who had escaped serious injury.
Jai forced himself upright despite the pain.
"Arthur."
The boy looked at him.
Jai opened his arms.
Arthur immediately leaned into him.
Morisa followed.
Jai pulled both children close.
Every muscle screamed.
He didn't care.
"Don't worry."
He stroked Arthur's hair.
"Your Big Brother is fine."
Arthur sobbed harder.
"Nothing is going to take me away from you."
Morisa buried her face against his shoulder.
Jai then looked toward Zayn.
His expression changed.
Questions.
So many questions.
Zayn understood immediately.
"Don't."
Jai frowned.
"Not yet."
Zayn stepped closer.
"You need to heal first."
Jai glanced around the room.
"What happened after the explosion?"
"I'll explain everything."
Zayn's voice was tired.
"But after you rest."
He pointed toward Jai's injuries.
"The healer said all of us should recover."
Jai looked toward Arthur.
"Even him?"
"Yes."
Zayn nodded.
"She's one of the best healers in the kingdom."
Jai listened.
"Tier 6."
His eyes widened slightly.
Zayn continued.
"She has strong control over Wind, Earth, and Tree-related abilities."
"She uses them to create medicines and accelerate recovery."
He gestured toward the room.
"And she possesses a Tier 6 Healing Artifact."
Jai slowly relaxed.
"Arthur will recover?"
"Yes."
"James?"
"Yes."
"And you?"
Zayn gave him a tired smile.
"Unfortunately."
James laughed weakly from across the room.
Jai almost smiled.
Almost.
But then the questions returned.
Abinay.
Vystan.
The mysterious King.
The artifact.
The explosion.
The man who had activated Abinay's sacrifice from somewhere else.
Jai's expression darkened.
Zayn noticed.
"I told you."
He placed a hand on the side of Jai's bed.
"Rest."
"I promise you."
"When you wake up again, I'll explain everything we know."
Jai slowly leaned back.
The medicine was already pulling at his consciousness.
His eyelids became heavy.
But his mind refused to stop.
Who is this King?
Then another face appeared in his thoughts.
Black hair.
Red eyes.
Is it him?
The man from his visions.
The man with the crimson sword.
The man he had seen slaughtering the Stonehead royal family.
Was Abinay serving that person?
Jai's eyes slowly closed.
And one final question followed him into darkness.
If Abinay was willing to destroy himself for his King...
what kind of monster could inspire that level of devotion?