On the morning of the awaited trial, the day that everyone thought would witness the end of the greatest tyrant known to the Normadia Empire, the squares were filled with tension and anticipation.
The guards brought a carefully crafted dummy, identical in appearance to James Novera, and took it out of the prison as if it were the real prisoner, then placed it on the execution platform in the largest square of the empire.
The crowds were massive…
Thousands of voices rose at once, clapping and shouting madly:
"Kill him! Kill him!"
The scene was not only local, but the eyes of the entire world were focused on that moment, as the event was broadcast to all the kingdoms.
At the decisive moment…
The sword was raised…
Then it came down with force.
And the head of "James Novera" fell on the execution platform.
The square exploded with joy, and celebrations spread throughout the empire.
People laughed, danced, and believed that the nightmare had finally ended.
In another place, Silva was watching the scene from his home.
His eyes froze as he saw the execution of Tinibras's grandfather, but he could not go down to the cave to inform them of what had happened… as everything had already ended.
Or so everyone thought.
On the other side…
The Trio of Destruction arrived at the cave where the Novera family resides.
James was not dead.
His body was placed on a stone bed, restrained by a strong seal that prevented his movement, and he remained like that for several days… until his son, Henry, finally managed to find a way to break that seal.
At the moment the seal was broken…
James opened his eyes.
He slowly sat on his chair, then let out a low laugh… but it was full of victory.
The laugh of a man who deceived the entire world.
The laugh of a man who even triumphed over the emperor himself.
All those events… were merely part of his plan.
James, who had claimed all along that he loved death, was in reality one of the most attached to life.
And he was ready to do anything… to survive.
This was his only plan for survival:
Faking his death… then disappearing from sight.
Meanwhile, the emperor received sealed messages from the rest of the emperors of the world:
The Emperor of Vendor,
The Emperor of Darakria,
And the Emperor of Merdvar…
All of them congratulated him on eliminating the "killer" James Novera, and blessed him on the return of peace to the Normadia Empire.
In another place, Serin Veradis was standing with her daughter Amelia.
Grandmother Oliver entered, and Amelia began to play with her innocently, but something had changed…
Serin was no longer the same.
After what happened with James, she began to feel fear toward her mother… and even respected her more than ever before.
In the Kingdom of Salimar…
John was crowned king after the end of his father's funeral ceremony, and Lara Kars became queen beside him.
Thus, the status of the Kars family rose greatly, and their trade flourished in an unprecedented way.
In another direction, the relationship between Trido Jams and the Krio family changed unexpectedly, as he became a friend of the king of the family and his son Jackie, after they had been his fiercest enemies.
Because of the potential danger…
The emperor ordered an increase in the number of guards in the Eternal Dawn Council, and deployed high-level fighters to protect Salimar…
In the depths of the cave…
Tinibras was approaching the end of his training.
After finishing the training of body and spirit before the nobles' competition, he directly entered the meditation stage—which depends on purifying the spirit, regulating breathing, and the flow of energy (Vira) inside the body in a balanced and precise manner.
With time…
His energy became purer, and its consumption less.
When he finished the training, he felt that his body had become as light as a feather…
But that did not come without a price.
He had lost a lot of weight due to not eating during the training period.
For that, he took a short rest to regain his strength, relying on energy pills and elixirs stored inside the cave.
He felt happy…
He had completed the first three stages of the "Ruler's Cave" training.
Only three stages remained.
Tinibras moved toward the tunnel leading to the fourth training chamber.
His heart was beating strongly…
Bone-breaking training.
He entered cautiously, fear filling his chest.
But what he found inside… was not what he expected.
The room was empty.
He stopped in his place, astonishment appearing on his face.
Then he noticed only one thing…
A blue pill, carefully wrapped in a clean white cloth.
And beside it…
A jar filled with the same pills.
He moved slowly, his mind filled with questions.
Why is this pill alone wrapped?
What distinguishes it from the others?
Before he finished his thoughts…
His eyes fell on writing under the pillar on which the pill was placed.
He read it carefully:
"The fourth training: consume only one pill."
Then his eyes stopped at the note below…
"This training may lead to death.
You are solely responsible for your life."
Silence spread.
And for the first time since the beginning of his training…
Tinibras felt that death… was near.