The heavy doors slammed shut behind them. The echo rolled through the stone hall like a warning. Two Vaelthorn guards forced Stanford to his knees, binding his wrists tight with iron cord. Blood from the arrow wound still stained his shoulder and sleeve.
Reinhardt dragged a chair across the floor and sat down directly in front of him, one leg crossed over the other. His expression was calm, but his eyes burned with something cold.
"So…" he said at last, his voice almost conversational. "I've finally become the traitor you were hoping for. Congratulations, dear brother."
Stanford lifted his head, eyes furious. "You don't know who you're dealing with!" he shouted, the sound cracking in his throat. "I'm the future king! You dare to put me on the floor like a criminal?!"
Reinhardt didn't even blink. He leaned forward slightly, resting his elbow on his knee. "Future king," he repeated softly. "You killed every other crown prince before you and clawed your way to the title. You've used force and fear on the innocent. And you call that a future king?"
He grabbed Stanford by the collar and yanked him forward until their faces were inches apart. The prince groaned as pain shot from his wounded shoulder.
"Stanford," Reinhardt whispered, his voice low and even. "How many times have I told you—stop showing your weakness in front of me. It makes me want to destroy you."
Stanford froze. For the first time in his life, he truly saw the man in front of him — not the quiet brother from the palace, but the hero who had slaughtered demons on battlefields. There was no warmth left in his eyes.
"W-what… what are you going to do with me?" he stammered. His bravado crumbled into trembling words.
Reinhardt held his stare for a long moment, then released his collar and straightened. "You're my hostage now," he said flatly. "I'm going to use you to break this little kingdom of yours."
Stanford's breath hitched. He looked at Elric, standing silently by the door. But Elric didn't move. She kept her arms crossed, her face unreadable; she had never seen Reinhardt like this.
Without another word, Reinhardt rose from the chair. His boots thudded against the stone floor as he walked past Elric. "Keep him alive," he ordered the guards. "He's worth more breathing."
As Reinhardt and Elric stepped into the corridor, Stanford began to thrash against his bonds, shouting after them. "Where are you going?! Let me go! Do you hear me?! Let me go!" His voice echoed down the hall but no one answered.
Outside, the air was colder, the corridors quieter. Elric quickened her pace to walk beside Reinhardt, her cloak whispering against the floor. She finally spoke, her tone low but sharp.
"Are you serious about this?" she asked. "Are you really going to make a coup against the kingdom?"
Reinhardt didn't stop walking. "The king branded me a traitor before I ever raised a blade against him," he said. "He sent his armies to capture us. They've already chosen war."
Elric glanced at him, searching his face. "And Stanford? What will you do with him?"
Reinhardt's eyes flicked ahead, unreadable. "He'll be useful. As long as Kael still breathes, Stanford lives. If Kael dies…" His voice trailed off. His hands clenched at his sides. "…then there's nothing left to restrain me."
They turned a corner. Behind them, Stanford's shouts had faded, swallowed by the thick stone walls.
Elric felt a chill run down her spine. She realized this was no longer the same prince she had been ordered to watch over. This was a man who had already stepped past the point of no return.
Reinhardt's boots echoed against the flagstones as he strode back down the corridor. The torches flickered with the gust he carried behind him. Elric followed in silence, her green eyes flicking nervously between his back and the heavy door ahead.
He pushed it open without knocking.
Inside, Robert stood near the table, his arms folded tightly. Beside him, Iris was wringing a blood-stained cloth in her hands. Both of them turned at once when Reinhardt entered.
"How is Kael?" were the first words out of his mouth. His voice was sharper than he intended, but the question tore from him before anything else. Iris being here could only mean the ritual was done. It had to be done.
Iris's expression hardened. "No," she said flatly. "We're not even halfway finished. Kael is much weaker than we thought. Jaesper's having a hard time repairing his core."
Reinhardt's jaw tightened. His gaze slid to the adjoining door—the one that led to the chamber where Jaesper was working on Kael. He didn't dare open it. Through the wood, he could feel Jaesper's concentration like a storm; if he disturbed him now, it might undo everything.
He turned back to Iris, forcing himself to stand straight. "Iris," he said quietly. "I need your help. Tonight we're going to ambush the Imperial Palace."
The room went still.
Robert took a step forward, eyes wide. "Don't be insane, Reinhardt," he hissed. "You're planning a coup d'état?!" His fingers clenched. "I know you're angry, but this is—this is treason."
Reinhardt shoved Robert's hand away, the sound of it sharp. "They already branded us as traitors, Robert. After everything we've done for them—after all the times we begged for their help—they turned their backs." His voice was like a blade, every word cutting through the air.
Elric, still near the door, exhaled slowly. "And now you've taken Prince Stanford as a hostage. My land will be branded traitorous too." Her emerald eyes locked with his. "Then I'll stand with you. Both Iris and I will."
Reinhardt shook his head. "No. You and Robert will keep this place safe. Kael still needs protection." His tone left no room for argument. "I'm enough by myself."
"You can't be serious," Robert said, stepping between him and the door. "You fought demon armies, yes—but this is the royal family. This is your own blood!" His voice cracked. "Reinhardt…"
Reinhardt's lips curved in a humorless smile. "I'm a one-man army," he said softly. "I will destroy them."
Robert's throat tightened. He knew it was true; his brother had once stood alone on a battlefield while rivers of demons surged against him. But facing the crown, facing their own family—this was something darker. Slowly, hesitantly, Robert reached out and caught his brother's hand.
"Please," he whispered. "Be careful, Brother."
Reinhardt looked at him for a long moment. Then, without a word, he slipped his hand free. His boots scraped against the floor as he turned away.
"Iris," he said over his shoulder. "Come with me."
Iris tossed the cloth into a basin and straightened, her face pale but resolute. "Yes," she murmured.
Together they left the room, the heavy door shutting behind them with a hollow thud. In the silence that followed, Robert stared at the door, fists trembling, and Elric glanced toward the adjoining chamber where Kael still lay motionless. None of them could hear the quiet storm of thoughts swirling in Reinhardt's mind as he walked into the dark.
-----------------------------------------
The chamber was quiet except for the low, steady hum of magic. Jaesper's hands hovered above Kael's body, strands of pale light snaking from his fingers into the shattered fragments of the hero's mana core. Sweat glistened at his temple, but his focus never wavered.
Reinhardt stood at the threshold for a long moment, staring at Kael's still figure. At last Jaesper spoke without lifting his eyes. "I can hear your planning from out there," he said quietly. "Before you go, meet Lord Kael first. It may be your last chance for a while."
With a small nod, Jaesper shifted just enough to let Reinhardt pass. He didn't stop working.
Reinhardt moved slowly, each step heavy, until he reached the bedside. Kael lay pale against the sheets, his chest rising shallowly, faint traces of blood staining his chin. Reinhardt sank to one knee beside him, the polished steel of his gauntlet clinking softly as he reached out.
He took Kael's hand gently. It was warm—barely—but warm enough to give him a flicker of hope. "I've made up my mind, Kael," he murmured, voice trembling though no tears fell. "I will destroy this kingdom… just like we planned long ago."
He swallowed hard, tightening his grip on Kael's limp fingers. "Only this time, I'll go without you." His thumb brushed over Kael's knuckles. "I'll fight them, Kael. You too—don't give up. I will never let you go. Fight for your life…"
Carefully, he wiped the dried blood from Kael's chin with the edge of his sleeve. For a moment his composure cracked; then he stood.
Behind him, Jaesper exhaled slowly but didn't look up. "We'll be done, maybe by tomorrow," he said. "I've managed to restore half of his core already. You want him to wake up, right?"
Reinhardt turned, his crimson eyes glinting under the glow of Jaesper's magic. "Then pray," he said simply.
He left the room, shutting the door behind him with quiet finality. Outside, Iris was already waiting, her cloak drawn tight, the faint shimmer of magic circling her fingertips. She straightened when she saw him, but her eyes flicked to the man he was dragging.
Reinhardt had Stanford bound, forcing him to kneel as they walked. The prince thrashed against his bonds, his face red with fury. "Let me go! Where are you taking me?!"
Reinhardt didn't answer. He kept walking, grip like iron on Stanford's collar.
Iris raised a brow but kept her voice steady. "Where do you want to go?" she asked, wanting to confirm the target before she began her spell. The teleportation circle was already half-formed at her feet.
"Direct to the court," Reinhardt said coldly.
Stanford froze mid-struggle, eyes wide. "The court? What do you mean—the court?!" His voice cracked with panic. "What are you planning?!"
Reinhardt didn't so much as glance at him.
Iris, however, tilted her head, looking between them. "To the Imperial Court… are you certain?" she asked softly.
Reinhardt nodded once. "Yes. There's no turning back."
Iris exhaled, then planted her staff into the earth. Arcane light swelled, curling upward like silver fire. The circle flared to life around them, runes spinning.
Stanford struggled harder, but it was useless; Reinhardt's grip was unyielding. "You can't do this!" the prince shouted, panic edging his voice. "You'll damn yourself, Reinhardt!"
Reinhardt's expression didn't change.
Light swallowed them. For a heartbeat the room was empty except for the dying echo of magic, and then they were gone.