Behind massive stone walls stood a beautiful white castle, rising from a vast plain. At its highest point, on a balcony, a man stood with his arms crossed, gazing at the sky where dark clouds were forming and distant lightning flashed.
He looked to be in his twenties. His pale skin and deep blue eyes contrasted with his neatly styled blond hair. His athletic build gave him the presence of a celebrity—perhaps he was one, for he was none other than the King of Camelot himself:
Arthur.
From the shadows behind him emerged an old butler, his gray hair and silent steps as ghostly as his presence. But the king paid him no mind. He continued staring at the sky with complete indifference.
At last, the butler broke the silence with a deep bow.
"We've found the source of the letter, Your Majesty."
Arthur remained silent. He turned slightly to glance at the butler with detached disinterest.
"It comes from the Kingdom of Heaven…" the butler continued.
Arthur frowned and turned his gaze back to the clouds, from which large raindrops had begun to fall.
With a cold voice and an arrogant look, he muttered:
"What business does that lost kingdom have with an insignificant swordsman from the forest?"
"We're not sure, Your Majesty. But… the dual-core knight we sent has disappeared, along with the soldiers who went for the reward."
A brief silence followed. Then, the king's voice rang out like thunder:
"Send a guard. Harris. He'll be enough."
Before the butler could respond, Arthur added:
"And give me Gomyriad. Looks like this will be a long rain."
The butler dropped to his knees and extended his hands forward. A white light shone between his palms, and from it appeared a magnificent and elegant spear. Its hilt was edged with gold, and it measured about two meters in length. Three razor-sharp blades emerged from its body—two at the sides and one at the tip, sharp enough to pierce any surface.
The king studied it for a second, then laid a hand on the hilt. He gripped it firmly and lifted it behind his head.
What happened next was shocking—even to the butler, who was no stranger to such displays.
Arthur braced his feet and arms with force, a powerful red aura erupting around him. Then, with monstrous strength, he hurled the spear toward the sky.
It broke the sound barrier and pierced through the clouds, creating a massive hole above. A second later, a shockwave blew away the sky's darkness, allowing warm sunlight to bathe the kingdom.
The spear returned in golden sparks to Arthur's right hand. He handed it back to the butler, who made it vanish between his hands.
"Do you want him alive or dead, Your Majesty?" the butler asked, bowing once more.
The king smiled as he admired the beautiful sunlight shining over his lands. Then he answered, cheerful and expectant:
"Bring him to me alive."
But...
"If he resists, tell Harris he may break a few bones and bring him half-alive. We only need his mouth, after all."
"Wouldn't you agree, Lord Doss?"
A chill ran down the butler's spine at the king's question, but he took a deep breath and steadied his racing heart.
"Yes, Your Majesty. My only wish is to fulfill your wishes."
And just as he had appeared, he vanished once more into the shadows, leaving the king alone on the balcony.
A minute passed after Lord Doss's disappearance, and then:
"Charlotte," the king said, his voice heavy and laced with malice.
"Yes, Your Majesty?" replied a youthful voice before him, as a woman seemed to peel away an invisible veil in space itself. She appeared with short blond hair that brushed her delicate neck, porcelain-white skin, and childlike green eyes. A beautiful woman with the aura of nobility.
"Watch Lord Doss for me. I'm going to pay Heaven a visit," said the king.
"Yes, Your Majesty, but… with all the trouble lately, what will happen to the kingdom if we're attacked while you're away?" she asked, her tone tinged with concern.
"The first prince will return from his journey very soon. Don't worry about that. Just focus on the task I gave you," he said, forming a warm smile.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Charlotte offered a slight bow and vanished behind a cloak of invisibility.
Arthur let out a light sigh and looked out over his vast kingdom: the elaborate wooden houses, the paved streets glowing in the daylight.
"All this peace will soon disappear," he thought, gazing at the streets of his own realm with pity.
"A rift in the sky, huh? How ironic."
That thought passed through his mind just before he disappeared in a radiant light and ascended toward the sky.
His destination: the enormous castle surrounded by ruins.