Two days ago.
Kai and Armond walked in silence down the long corridor.
The night was giving way to dawn. Pale light slipped through the tall windows, stretching across the stone floor in thin, unnatural lines.
Dark stains of blood marked the path behind them.
No voices.
No movement.
Only the echo of their footsteps—slow, measured—carrying through the empty halls.
The palace felt… hollow.
As if it already knew it no longer belonged to the same people.
"I should've known."
Armond's voice broke the silence.
Kai glanced at him, expression calm.
"Known what?"
Armond let out a quiet breath, eyes forward.
"I should've known someone with your blood wouldn't be normal."
Kai didn't respond immediately.
His steps remained steady.
Unchanged.
"Normal?" he repeated at last.
The word lingered.
Armond gave a faint, humorless chuckle.
"You massacred them like it was nothing. No hesitation. No remorse. Not even anger."
A brief glance toward Kai.
"That's not normal."
Silence returned.
Footsteps echoed.
Then—
"And just like you… that kid wasn't normal either," Armond added. "No doubt you're related."
Kai let out a soft breath.
Then—
he smiled.
Faint.
Polite.
As if amused by something only he understood.
"I suppose that makes things simpler," he said.
Armond glanced at him. "Simpler?"
Kai's gaze drifted ahead again.
"If he's not normal," he said lightly, "then I don't have to treat him like he is."
Armond didn't respond to that.
For a moment, only silence followed.
Then—
"Well," Armond said, stretching slightly, "we can worry about him later. Right now—there are more important matters."
Kai raised an eyebrow.
"Like what?"
Armond smiled.
"It's time to crown you emperor."
Kai repeated the word under his breath.
"Emperor…"
Not with awe.
Not with hesitation.
Just… testing it.
Weighing it.
Then—
his lips curved again.
Small.
Controlled.
"Let's not keep them waiting."
And just like that—
he kept walking.
As if nothing had changed.
As if the weight of an empire meant nothing at all.
The throne room stood in silence.
What had once been a place of grandeur now felt… emptied of meaning.
Tall pillars lined the hall, reflecting pale morning light. Torn banners of House De Morvain hung from the walls—burned, stained, forgotten.
And beneath them—
The court.
Nobles. Generals. Advisors.
All standing.
All silent.
All watching.
The massive doors opened.
Every head turned.
Kai entered first.
His steps echoed—slow, even, unhurried.
Each one landing with quiet certainty.
Armond followed just behind, relaxed as ever, eyes sharp.
No announcement came.
No name was called.
Still—
the room tightened.
As if instinct alone told them what stood before them.
Kai walked forward.
His gaze rested on the throne.
Golden.
Elevated.
Waiting.
A noble near the front shifted, unable to hold himself back.
"Your—" his voice faltered. "Your Highness…"
Kai didn't look at him.
Didn't slow.
The nobles hands tightened.
"...the coronation preparations are incomplete," the noble continued carefully. "According to tradition, we require—"
"Tradition?"
Kai stopped.
The single word landed softly—
but it cut through the room.
He turned his head slightly.
Just enough.
His gaze fell on the man.
The noble froze.
Kai studied him for a brief second.
Then—
a faint smile.
Not kind.
Not cruel.
Just… dismissive.
"I see," he said.
A pause.
"Tell me—"
his tone remained light,
"where was this tradition… while the empire was rotting?"
No one answered.
No one moved.
The noble froze, then backed away.
Kai watched the silence for a moment longer.
Then turned away.
Already uninterested.
At the base of the throne, a velvet cushion rested atop a pedestal.
And on it—
The crown.
Untouched.
Kai stopped in front of it.
For a moment, he simply looked at it.
Not with awe.
Not with desire.
Just… consideration.
Then—
he reached out.
And picked it up.
No hesitation.
No permission.
No ritual.
Just action.
A faint shift passed through the room.
No one spoke.
No one dared too.
Kai turned slightly, the crown resting in his hand.
His gaze moved across the hall.
Measuring.
Weighing.
Then—
without a word—
he placed it on his own head.
Silence deepened.
Not uncertainty.
Not confusion.
Something heavier.
Acceptance.
Kai ascended the steps.
One.
Two.
Three.
Each step measured.
Unrushed.
When he reached the top—
he didn't sit.
Instead, he stood before the throne.
Looking at it.
Not with desire.
Not with pride.
Just… evaluation.
For a moment—
his expression shifted.
Subtle.
Unreadable.
Then gone.
The moment it settled—
something changed.
Not visibly.
Not loudly.
But undeniably.
The air itself felt heavier.
A few nobles lowered their heads instinctively.
Others simply stared.
Uncertain.
Afraid.
Kai turned.
Now seated.
Now crowned.
His gaze moved across the room.
Slow.
Deliberate.
Not searching—
deciding.
"Is there," he said calmly, "anyone who objects?"
Silence.
Kai leaned back slightly against the throne.
Relaxed.
As if this had always been his place.
"Good."
A faint pause.
"Then remember this moment."
His voice lowered—
quieter.
Sharper.
"Because from today onward…"
A small smile returned.
"This empire will run differently."
Not louder.
Not dramatic.
But final.
At the edge of the hall, Armond smiled.
Not with pride.
Not with relief.
But with quiet anticipation.
Others feared what would come next.
Armond didn't.
Because this wasn't change.
This was control.