Silence fell over the royal hall for several heavy moments…
A silence that was not natural, but one filled with fear and shock.
The advisor had vanished as if the earth itself had swallowed him, leaving behind nothing but a fading stain of black shadow slowly dissolving across the marble floor of the palace.
Vail stood before King Theron and his family, his back turned to them, his long sword planted into the ground before him.
The dark crimson cloak behind him moved slowly, as if it breathed with the heavy air inside the hall.
No one moved.
Even the soldiers who had been moments away from attacking the king… had completely stopped.
Their eyes were fixed on that strange man.
The knight who had appeared from nowhere.
The one whose shadow had swallowed the advisor as if he were nothing more than prey.
Captain of the royal knights Donovan tightened his grip around the hilt of his sword.
He was a large man with a powerful build, wearing thick black armor marked by the scars of countless battles. On his shoulder was a silver mark, a symbol that he was one of the kingdom's Mark bearers.
He narrowed his eyes at Vail.
"Soldiers…"
he said in a low but sharp voice.
"Prepare."
The soldiers moved slowly, the faint grinding of armor echoing as they surrounded Vail from every direction.
Nearly fifty soldiers.
Some were Mark users.
Others were among the finest knights of the kingdom.
Yet despite that…
Fear was clearly visible in their eyes.
Because they had never seen anything like what had just happened.
Donovan raised his voice.
"Stranger! Return the advisor immediately, or we will consider you a traitor to the kingdom!"
Vail did not move.
He simply stood there, his head slightly lowered.
The air around him was still… as if the shadows themselves were watching.
He sighed slowly.
Then he raised his head.
His eyes were different now.
Not filled with anger.
Not with sorrow.
But with something else…
A cold emptiness.
He spoke quietly.
"I can't."
Donovan frowned.
"What?"
Vail answered in a low voice.
"He's dead."
The hall trembled with murmurs.
The soldiers whispered among themselves.
"Dead?!"
"Did he kill him?!"
Donovan raised his sword.
"You fool! Do you even realize who you killed?!"
Vail did not answer.
Instead, slowly…
He pulled his sword from the floor.
The sound of metal scraping against stone echoed across the hall like a declaration of war.
The shadows beneath his feet moved.
Slowly…
Then they began to spread.
One soldier noticed.
"Captain… the shadow—"
But before he could finish—
The shadow suddenly moved.
Dozens of black tendrils burst from the ground like serpents and lunged toward the soldiers.
One of them shouted,
"Watch out!"
Three soldiers leapt backward quickly, while the shadow wrapped around another soldier's leg.
It yanked him violently to the floor.
"AAAGH!"
The soldier tried to stand, but the shadow felt like a giant hand crushing him down.
Donovan raised his hand.
"Fall back!"
Then blue light erupted around his body.
This was his Mark.
The Mark of Strength.
Donovan launched himself toward Vail with incredible speed.
His sword collided with Vail's blade.
The clash of steel thundered through the hall.
But…
Vail did not move even a single step.
He held the blade with only one hand.
He looked directly at Donovan.
Then said calmly,
"I don't want to kill you."
Donovan gritted his teeth.
"But we want to kill you!"
He pushed his sword harder.
This time Vail moved.
He vanished for a split second.
Then—
He appeared behind Donovan.
The captain's eyes widened.
"Impossible—!"
But before he could turn—
He felt something cold touch his neck.
Vail's sword.
Vail spoke quietly.
"Call off the soldiers."
Donovan froze.
The soldiers around them were already in chaos.
Some were trying to cut through the shadows gripping them.
Others stared at Vail in terror.
One of the Mark users shouted,
"Attack together!"
Five figures rushed toward Vail at once.
Their Marks ignited with energy around their bodies.
One wielded the power of fire.
Another wind.
The third possessed immense physical strength.
Time seemed to slow inside Vail's mind.
He remembered the words of The Scribe.
"This is the power of the Mark of Shadow… feel their pain…"
He looked at the soldiers' faces.
Fear.
Anger.
Duty.
He sighed.
Then whispered to himself,
"I'm tired…"
But his body moved.
The shadows around him erupted like a storm.
The fire soldier leapt forward.
"Die!"
He unleashed a massive fireball.
But before it could reach—
The shadow split open in front of Vail and swallowed the flames entirely.
The soldier froze in shock.
"What—"
In the next moment—
Vail appeared before him.
One strike.
Just one.
The hilt of the sword struck the soldier.
He collapsed unconscious.
Vail had not killed him.
But the battle continued.
The wind soldier attacked from behind.
He rushed forward with blinding speed.
But Vail simply raised one hand.
The shadow beneath the soldier's feet hardened instantly.
He lost his balance.
Then the shadow rose around him like a cage.
Completely trapping him.
The soldiers began to step back.
Fear was spreading among them.
One of them whispered,
"This… this isn't human…"
But Donovan shouted,
"Hold your ground!"
He suddenly pushed Vail's blade away from his neck and leapt backward.
He raised his sword high—
Then slammed it into the ground.
Blue light exploded across the hall.
A massive shockwave shattered the shadows binding the soldiers.
They were free.
Donovan looked at Vail.
"You're strong…"
Then he smiled harshly.
"But we are fifty."
Silence filled the hall for a moment.
Then—
All the soldiers moved.
Fifty knights.
Charging at once.
The sound of armor and blades thundered across the floor.
It looked like a wave of steel crashing toward a single man.
But Vail did not move.
He did not raise his sword.
He did not attack.
Instead…
He closed his eyes.
Memories flooded his mind.
The screams he had heard.
The pain.
The blood.
The children abandoned in the streets.
He slowly opened his eyes.
The shadows around him trembled.
Then—
They exploded.
A black ocean erupted from the ground.
It spread across the entire hall.
Wrapping around the soldiers.
One of them screamed,
"Impossible!"
But the shadows were faster.
They grabbed swords.
Legs.
Arms.
They slammed soldiers to the ground one after another.
Within seconds…
Most of the soldiers were on the floor.
Some unconscious.
Others unable to move.
Only five remained standing.
And among them…
Donovan.
The captain looked around in disbelief.
Then returned his gaze to Vail.
"What… are you?"
Vail did not answer.
Instead he said quietly,
"I don't want this power."
He lifted his sword slightly.
Behind him the shadow moved like two massive wings.
One of the soldiers trembled.
"Captain… we can't win…"
But Donovan did not retreat.
He tightened his grip on his sword.
Then said slowly,
"Maybe."
He pointed his blade toward Vail.
"But we are the knights of this kingdom."
Then he charged again.
The swords clashed once more.
This strike was even stronger.
But Vail blocked it easily.
He looked into Donovan's eyes.
Then said calmly,
"You're brave."
He pushed him back.
Donovan fell onto one knee.
Breathing heavily.
But before the fight could continue—
A voice came from behind Vail.
The voice of King Theron.
"Enough."
The entire hall froze.
Everyone turned.
The king had risen from his throne.
Queen Elara stood beside him, while Princess Mira stared at Vail with wide eyes.
The king spoke with a calm yet powerful voice.
"Knight…"
He looked at the soldiers scattered across the floor.
Then at the shadows moving behind Vail.
Then he asked,
"Who are you… really?"
Silence filled the hall.
Vail stood for a moment without answering.
Then he said quietly,
"No one."
But the king's eyes narrowed slightly.
Because he saw something in Vail's face.
Something he had not seen in many years.
A deep sorrow…
The kind of sorrow only kings who have lost everything carry.