Gretchen rode at full speed through the early morning mist, his horse cutting through the silence of the forest. The moment he reached the waterfall, he froze.
The sight before him shattered something inside.
The golden deer's head lay upon the rock—lifeless, desecrated.
His chest tightened. Rage and grief burned through him at once.
He already knew who had done this.
Dian.
He had seen it in his eyes the day before—that cold, careless cruelty.
Without a word, Gretchen dismounted and lifted the head carefully, as though it still deserved dignity. Then he turned his horse toward the Arkan palace.
The royal court fell into stunned silence as Gretchen entered.
He walked forward, placed the severed head before the throne, and dropped to one knee.
King Rashnamon rose immediately, shock and fury overtaking his calm nature.
"Such a heinous crime… Who dared to disrespect the traditions of the Arkan clan?" he demanded.
Whispers spread across the court. Faces twisted with disgust. Some looked afraid—this was not just cruelty, it was an omen.
Gretchen lifted his head.
"It was Dian. I saw him hunting in the forest yesterday."
Rashnamon's gaze sharpened.
"Did you see him kill the deer?"
"No, Majesty," Gretchen admitted, his voice steady but heavy with certainty. "But I know it was him."
A pause.
"Dian… son of the commander of the Seven Gates," Rashnamon said slowly.
Then his tone hardened.
"Do not bring me assumptions. I will speak with the Seven Gates myself."
He looked at the deer's head again, his expression softening with sorrow.
"Give it a proper burial. It deserves respect."
Gretchen bowed silently and lifted it once more.
Without a word, Raiken—his brother—and Lanchen—his closest friend—fell into step behind him.
They didn't need to ask.
They never did.
Raiken had always stood beside Gretchen, unconditionally. No question, no hesitation—only loyalty.
Lanchen's devotion ran just as deep. Though not born into the royal bloodline, he had been raised as one of them. Rashnamon had taken him in after his father's death, and from that day, the three of them had been inseparable.
Brothers in everything but name.
They rode back to the forest.