The heavy doors of the royal office creaked open. Two soldiers dragged in a trembling man, throwing him down before King Jugram. A moment later, Lothar entered the room, quietly observing.
"Your Majesty," one of the soldiers said, bowing, "this man has been tormenting a family of ordinary humans. They were too afraid to complain, because he used his Voltra powers to threaten and silence them."
Jugram's eyes hardened. Without a single word, he drew his sword and, in one swift strike, slit the man's throat. Blood spilled across the floor.
"Take the body away," Jugram ordered coldly. "And clean this mess."
The soldiers bowed low. "As you command, Your Majesty." They lifted the corpse and hurried out, leaving the office heavy with silence.
Lothar's eyes widened. "Was that really necessary? For something like this… you could've just arrested him."
Jugram sheathed his sword with a metallic snap. "If I had locked him away, he would rot in a cell for a few years, then come out and commit the same crimes again. Better to end it now." His gaze fell on Lothar, sharp and unyielding. "You need to understand this, because one day you will sit on this throne. Sometimes, a king must be ruthless. Some criminals are exiled to the South, but others… must be erased."
Lothar swallowed, unsettled by the calm certainty in Jugram's voice. "Anyway… you asked me to come. Was there something important you wanted to discuss?"
Jugram's tone softened. "Nothing urgent. I simply wanted to speak with you. Come with me."
He led Lothar through winding corridors, down into the palace's depths. They stopped before a heavy iron door. When Jugram pushed it open, Lothar's eyes widened at the sight.
It was an underground chamber, lined wall to wall with shelves of ancient books and scrolls. In the center stood a large table, and at the far end—a throne-like chair.
"What is this place?" Lothar asked, stepping inside.
"This," Jugram said, "is the room of Zerek. These are his books, his records. Long before this palace was built, this chamber was his own sanctum."
Lothar frowned. "Zerek again… So who was he, really? And why are all of his things kept here instead of in the other kingdoms?"
Jugram's eyes glimmered as he looked around the room. "According to history and old tales, humans once saw him as a god. They say he descended from the heavens themselves and landed here, in the Central Kingdom. The five kingdoms already existed then, but fate brought him here first. No one knows why he came.
"At that time, the world was inhabited only by ordinary humans. Zerek had unbelievable powers—he could heal wounds, soar through the skies. People who saw it for the first time were awestruck, and they began to worship him. Soon, he became renowned, and in time, he was crowned the king of the Central Kingdom.
"Later, he married a woman from here, an ordinary human. Their children were the first hybrids, born with Voltra. But he didn't stop there—he married women from each of the five kingdoms, binding them all to him. That is how he became ruler of them all.
"To this day, every king across the five thrones is his descendant. And because the Central Kingdom was his true seat of power, all of his relics and records remain here."
Lothar listened, stunned. "But why show me all this? Why me?"
"Because you must know the history if you are to be my successor," Jugram said firmly.
Lothar hesitated. "But… I have no desire to be king. That's Light's dream, not mine. I don't want to stand in his way. But… if you truly command it, I'll take the throne."
Jugram's expression hardened. "Light is weak. He lacks leadership. I've told him this countless times, but he refuses to listen. A king must be strong, even heartless, in order to make the right decisions in dire moments. That is why I chose you."
Lothar's voice was quiet. "What's so special about me?"
"You are loyal," Jugram replied without hesitation. "Whatever I command, you obey without question. You are strong, and perhaps you don't even realize this… but you carry more Voltra than anyone else alive."
Lothar fell silent, the weight of his words pressing down on him.
---
Back at the restaurant
The scene shifted to Light and Karem, sitting across from each other.
"So tell me," Karem said, leaning forward, "this 'Dark' your grandfather mentioned… who exactly is he? How can you be so sure? What if Zerek's so-called vision was nothing more than a dream?"
Light lowered his gaze. "I don't know. But if that dream is real, then I'll be the one to defeat the Dark."
Karem smirked. "And what about King Leo's last wish? Will you really marry Hikari?"
"Ew, no! Never."
Karem raised an eyebrow. "Why not? Do you like someone else?"
Light flushed. "It's not like that. It's just… I don't see Hikari that way. She's just my childhood friend."
"But you do know," Karem said, "your father only became king on the condition of that promise, right? That you and Hikari would marry."
"Yeah, I know. In fact, my dad reminds me of it every single day. He swore to Leo he would make it happen."
"So?" Karem pressed. "What are you going to do?"
Light leaned back with a sigh. "I keep telling him… he's already king. Even if I don't marry Hikari, it's not like Leo is going to come back from the grave and take the throne from him."
Karem leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. "But if you want to be king, you'll need to impress your father and follow his word. If you refuse this marriage, won't he be disappointed in you?"
Light shook his head. "This marriage has nothing to do with me becoming king. Anyway, I'm done with my meal—and I still need to continue my training. I'll see you later."
Without waiting for Karem's reply, Light stood and left the restaurant.
On his way home, he cut through a narrow street. From the corner of his eye, he spotted a girl walking along the other side of the road. His eyes widened.
"Jane…" he whispered.
Before he could call out to her, a van screeched up beside her. The door swung open, and a man leaned out, grabbing Jane by the arm. In a blink, she was yanked inside, and the van sped off.
Light froze for a heartbeat, disbelief written across his face. "What?!"
And then, without hesitation, he broke into a sprint, chasing after the van with all his strength.