The city of FOR was unlike anywhere they'd ever seen. Towers pierced the sky like ancient spears, their stone faces veined with moss and crowned with leaves. The air held a strange tone—a mix of crisp cleanliness and heavy silence. As Lex, Lon, and Luo made their way down the wide streets, the world seemed to watch in uneasy stillness, every footstep echoing more loudly than the last.
Then—
A sudden shout split the quiet.
"KNEEL!"
A booming command, rolling through the air like a thunderclap. Lex's jacket fluttered in the force of it. All around them, heads snapped downward.
Lex turned, eyes wide. Dozens of people had already dropped to their knees, pressing foreheads to stone, as if terror itself had bent their spines.
Whispers raced through the crowd:
"The Prince is coming!"
The sentence trembled through the masses. Sweat gleamed on every brow; eyes darted, bodies shook in fear. Even children fell, small knees bruising against hard pavement.
Luo quickly surveyed their surroundings. "Hey… we should kneel."
Lex's expression twisted in disbelief. "Why? Just because someone yelled?"
Lon folded his arms coolly. "I'm not kneeling. Not even if I die."
Luo looked around, fists tense. "You idiots—if we don't kneel, we might actually die. Royal punishment is brutal."
Lex flexed his hands, jaw tight. "Then I'll fight."
Lon's fingers slipped to his katana, a cold grin flickering. "Yeah. I'm ready too."
Luo moved behind the boys, desperate—then, THUD! She cracked each of them on the head with her fist.
"Idiots. Then just SIT. Don't draw attention."
Lex and Lon grumbled, rubbing their skulls as they slouched on the street corner, eyeing the unfolding chaos with simmering defiance.
And then…he arrived.
A black carriage, polished and menacing, rolled to a stop. From it stepped a tall, imposing figure in obsidian robes. Gold thread braided the royal crest of Unity across his chest, catching every gleam of sunlight. His hair was midnight; his eyes—razor sharp and cruel.
A whisper rippled through the crowd:
"W-what—Prince Arion?"
Another hissed: "Shhh! Keep your voice down!"
Arion strode past the bowing masses like a god surveying insects. Power radiated from his every gesture, his gaze chilling.
Suddenly, an old man, nervous and trembling, made the mistake of raising his head.
Prince Arion halted. Disgust flashed across his face.
With a snarl, he stalked over and delivered a savage kick to the old man's ribs. The old man crumpled; the crowd gasped, recoiling in horror.
"How dare a weakling like you look at me?" Arion spat, voice icy with malice.
Lex sprang up, fists clenched, rage plain. "What the hell?! He just kicked an old man!"
Luo yanked his arm back. "Lex—don't. Stay out of this. Don't risk all our lives."
Lon's eyes darkened, voice a deadly whisper. "Unforgivable. I could end him now…"
Luo blocked Lon's advance, eyes frantic. "No! You want all 15 Kingdoms hunting us?"
Lex growled, "I don't care. Nobody gets to treat people like that."
At that moment—
Arion turned and stalked over to the trio, eyes gleaming with menace.
He saw they weren't kneeling.
Without warning, he kicked Luo in the face.
"LOU!" Lex shouted, heart lurching.
The blow was inhumanly fast—but Luo spun midair, landing on her feet with feline grace. She shook her head, unfazed.
Lex stared in awe and fury. "You bastard!"
Arion whipped out his weapon—a long-handled hammer, the Unity symbol carved deep into its black steel—and slammed it at Lex's jaw.
"Shut up. How dare you speak to me?"
Lex reeled; Lon stepped forward, katana flashing, slicing at Arion's arm.
CLANG—the hammer blocked it, sparks bouncing off cold metal.
Lon met Arion's gaze, deadly calm. "I'll kill you."
Arion laughed, sneering. "Unforgivable…"
The crowd murmured, terror mounting.
"They just attacked the prince!"
"Do they want war with Unity? Against all 15 Kingdoms?"
"They're finished!"
Lex rushed to Luo as she landed, breath shaking. "You okay?"
Luo stood, not a scratch visible—smiling with a quiet, dangerous confidence. "I'm fine."
Lex ran a hand over his face. "Why was I even worrying? Still… that jerk needs to pay."
Luo's knuckles cracked as she stepped forward. "I agree."
She leaped, slamming her fist down. BOOOOM! The stone ground shattered, fissures racing outward.
Arion dodged, sliding back with supernatural speed.
Lex grinned darkly,
"Now you've done it…"