Three days after the monster attack, Riaz lay in the infirmary, bandages wrapped tightly around her body as she slowly opened her eyes.
"Wait…"
The images of her comrades dying came flooding back. She gripped her head, eyes wide, her breathing hitching before she forced herself to calm down. Her hand moved instinctively to the sword resting beside her, fingers tightening around the hilt.
The door opened. Prince Leoreo stepped inside, carrying a bouquet of flowers. The moment she saw him, her jaw clenched in disdain.
"Is that the look you give your dear, worried brother, Riaz?" he asked lightly.
"No," she replied coldly. "It's the look I give snakes… and I truly despise them."
"I'm hurt." He smiled anyway. "I wonder where it all went wrong with us. We used to be so close."
"The moment you started groveling to nobles and aristocrats for support to ascend the throne."
"I see… how interesting."
He placed the flowers on the table before turning toward the door. "I wish you a swift recovery, dear sister."
The smile remained on his face as he stepped into the corridor.
The moment the door shut, it vanished.
His expression twisted with barely restrained fury.
'I'll kill that bitch someday. I swear it.
But first… there's business that needs my attention.'
*****
Back in Midnight Haven, a beautiful sound soared through the darkened halls, a violin piece performed by yours truly under flickering lights. I had always believed the violin to be the most majestic instrument ever created and not just for its sound, but for the way it made the player appear… and of course, anti-heroic.
The ladies tried to watch discreetly, enchanted by the music. Paganini's 24th Caprice, a masterpiece in its own right echoed through the space, and mine was only a minor imitation. Yet even then, I had been considered a "prodigy" back at art school.
Luna and Black Rose finally returned from their mission investigating the main Ethridge Church. Luna shot a glare at the gushing girls as they returned to their duties. She and Black Rose waited for me to finish, and when the final note faded, they knelt before me.
"Lord Night Fallen, first, your piece is brilliant as always. Secondly, we've brought information on the Ethridge Church."
"Perfect… but it'll have to wait. You and Black Rose will take full control of… the boring—I mean, intricate matters regarding information."
Black Rose's eyes widened. "Lord Night Fallen, you're sure you want to leave such delicate tasks to us?"
"You have my trust. Do as you see fit… but still, any cool— I mean, decisive moves need to clear me first, got it?"
They answered in unison, "Yes, Lord Night Fallen."
Demios entered then, another of the Ten Moons, an elf with violet eyes and violet hair. Not the most athletic, but her genius with technology was unmatched, and her work ethic, ridiculous. She bowed, black rings under her eyes.
"Uh… uh… Lord Night Fallen…"
"You're drooling on the floor, Demios," Luna scolded her.
I turned to her. "Did you complete the task I gave you, Demios?"
Mid-bow, she snored, then snapped upright. "Y-Yes! Yes! I've successfully created identification for you and registered you at the Regal Knight Academy as a substitute instructor, under your name, Jack Freeds."
"Brilliant work, Demios."
Black Rose smirked. "I assume you're planning to infiltrate the nation from within."
Luna added, "Lord Night Fallen, your genius knows no bounds. You've already thought to investigate internally while we handle things externally."
I thought to myself, 'Well… not really. I just wanted another identity besides Night Fallen.'
"Yes, we must attack from every angle," I said. "Now then, Demios, when is my debut scheduled?"
She froze, still on her knees, drool flooding the floor. Luna smacked her lightly on the head. "Uh… uh… what? I-I'm not sleeping!"
Luna's glare burned into her soul. "Lord Night Fallen asks, when will he be set to begin?"
Demios's face drained of color at the sight of Luna's wrath-filled aura. "T-Two… two days' time… I'll be making myself scarce now."
She scurried backward.
"Get some sleep, Demios," I said.
"Yes, my Lord!" Her voice echoed as she retreated.
Then Luna turned her wrath on Black Rose. "And you… we need to have a word."
Black Rose sighed, a small smirk tugging at her lips. "And here I thought Demios quenched your wrathful thirst."
*****
At the Bermith Capital construction site, the city was still recovering from the monster's rampage. News outlets raced to cover the event, their front pages dominated by the masked figure who had single-handedly destroyed the high-level monster: Night Fallen.
The article read:
"A mysterious masked man appeared just in time to save the princess from a monster that had claimed the lives of ten knights. His identity remains unknown. Some speculate he may be a knight in disguise; others whisper he might have had a hand in creating the beast itself. Friend… or foe?"
*****
At the palace, Riaz entered the throne room, bandages wrapped tight around her body, eyes burning with questions. She didn't bow to the king but instead, she glared daggers at the nobles and aristocrats, who hastily covered their mouths, stifling whispers of insult.
"I am glad you're alive and well, my daughter," the king said, voice calm.
"Don't give me that, Father. Tell me why the knights weren't deployed to assist us, huh?!" Her tone cut through the hall.
One noble scoffed, mockingly, "You shouldn't raise your voice at the king, let alone your father—"
In a heartbeat, Riaz drew her sword. The blade hovered at the noble's throat before he could even blink. "Ten of my men died… ten good people. Now, putting a noble piece of shit in the ground isn't a fair trade, but it'll do for now."
The man trembled, wide-eyed, under her unrelenting killing intent.
"Enough, Riaz," Prince Leoreo interjected, his voice sharp. "I'm in command of the knights, remember? I'll give you the answers you seek."
Riaz held the blade a moment longer, then sheathed it and turned her gaze to Leoreo.
"The knights were assigned to another country to aid one of our sister nations in their war," he explained, a smirk tugged at his lips as his eyes narrowed. "I never deployed the Royal Guards here because I assumed Knight Riaz was competent enough to handle a single monster with her squad… but it seems I miscalculated."
Riaz's eyes widened, teeth gritted in disbelief. "What utter bullshit!"
She stormed from the throne room, leaving Leoreo with a smug grin. The king watched silently wth an unreadable expression. Around them, the nobles and aristocrats whispered among themselves.
"Guess she's not the knight she thought she was," one muttered.
"Maybe she should just accept being a princess and marry already," another added.
Riaz marched down the hall, fury burning in her chest. 'Mark my words… someday I'll wipe all of them out. I swear it.'
*****
Gabriel strode into the underground lab, annoyance etched across his face.
"Hey, Doc… your potion was a bust, but—"
His words stuck in his throat. Blood splattered across the floor, and Varz's body lay crumpled, a chunk of his face missing.
Gabriel staggered back, shock locking him to the spot. "W-What…? What happened here? Who could've—"
His expression hardened, eyes narrowing into a cold, flat glare. 'Why didn't he die when he finished the damn thing?' He ground his teeth. 'I was already planning on killing this pedophile once he completed the drug…'
With a grimace, Gabriel moved toward the cabinets, ransacking everything in sight. "Fine… someone else will finish the work. Nothing will stop me from joining the Divine Order… no matter the cost."
Then he saw a marking carved into the blood: Dusk.
'What is this…? Some kind of signature? A lot of shit has been going on… the masked guy, the movements of the Ethridge Church… I'm sensing a storm.'
He smirked. "When it's over… I'll be the one standing amid the ruin."
He grabbed what he needed and walked out, determination etched into every step.