"But how?" Luo asked, her voice low with uncertainty. Lex and Lon nodded, silently agreeing as their eyes darted to Zen, who stood by the wall with his trademark grin.
Zen's reply was instant, cocky and laced with dark humor. "I already have plans for them! Right now, they don't have any alliance, so they're all alone… perfect prey. Wahahaha!" His laughter echoed in the cramped room, wild and almost infectious, but the mischievous glint in his eyes left the others unsure whether to worry or laugh.
The three exchanged glances, stunned in a funny way.
"This child..." Luo muttered, still not used to Zen's unpredictable energy.
"What a kid, but… well," Lex said, sweating, unable to keep a straight face.
Lon, absentmindedly muttering, got louder, "Isn't he just a kid?" The air in the room suddenly dropped to a hush; Luo and Lex stared at Lon, but Zen was already fired up, anger painted across his face.
"You… Die…" Zen growled, comically furious, but just as he was about to lunge, Rayn's finger twitched from the bed. Zen turned, the fire in his eyes instantly replaced with hope.
"Rayn? Hey, did you wake up?" Zen rushed to Rayn's side, concern overtaking his earlier bravado.
"Ah, Zen," Rayn whispered, voice weak but smiling as he slowly opened his eyes. He looked at the gathered friends. "Thank god you're okay, kids," he said with relief, that small gesture enough to lift the tension in the room a little.
Lex, ever the worrier, stepped forward. "How did you get this much damage, Rayn?"
Rayn managed a tired grin, waving off concern. "Don't worry. This was all because of my technique. I pushed too far this time." He reached up to scratch his head, feigning lightness.
"Aren't you a little too carefree?" Luo teased, though her eyes shimmered with relief.
Now sitting up, Rayn's tone became serious. "Now that I'm awake… Zen, what about Ren?"
Zen's expression darkened. "Well, from his wounds, I don't think he'll survive. From the damage he will die i think."
Rayn gazed down, accepting the grim truth. "No regrets, then. We should plan our next move—this isn't over." Suddenly, Rayn clenched his teeth, flashes of memory returning: Lex out of control, wild in the heat of battle, his own friends turned stranger for just a moment.
"You…" Rayn pointed at Lex, brows furrowing. "What were you doing back there? You lost control—and beat me and Ren. You even stabbed him."
Lex's eyes widened, horror etched on his face. "Huh? Me? I… I didn't do anything," he said, voice trembling, innocence and guilt mixing.
"It was clearly you, Lex. You came out of nowhere and attacked. You beat me, Ren… you—" Rayn began, but Luo interrupted, stepping up to protect Lex.
"It's not his fault, Rayn," she said firmly. "It's just his condition. When he's unconscious, he doesn't know what he's doing. None of us blame him, and you shouldn't either."
"Yeah, it's not his fault," Lon added. "He'd never hurt us for real."
Lex felt his composure slipping. "Youguys…I—" His voice wavered as emotion threatened to break him.
Zen, ever direct, cut in, changing the mood entirely. "Who are you, Lex? If you can beat both Captain and Ren, something's up. They're supposed to be the most powerful here—you know?"
Lex stared at his hands, lost. "I don't know. I just… I just blanked out."
Rayn shook his head, letting out a sigh. "Let's drop it for now—we've got urgent matters to settle."
Zen hesitated but relented. "Yeah, I know. But you're on my list, Lex," he muttered, half-joking, half-watchful.
With Rayn now alert, the room shifted its mood to the future. "Right now there are no alliances standing with the king. This is our perfect chance," Rayn declared, his voice regaining authority.
Luo leaned back against the wall. "What about the Unity? Aren't they his strongest supporters?"
Rayn gave a sly smile. "That won't be a problem. I've already planned everything. The Unity will abandon the king."
"No way—he's the king of one of the fifteen kingdoms! How can they just drop him like that?" Luo shot back, astounded.
Rayn's words were sharp. "Because of fear. They fear public opinion; what if people everywhere start a rebellion? Even if it's just a 'what if'—they're scared. So they'll kick the king out before he can bring harm to them."
Lon let the truth soak in. "I see. That's actually good for us—less trouble."
Luo shook her head. "I didn't think it would come to one of them betraying their own."
Zen interrupted, voice firm. "Well, I think we should plan about taking him down first—no use waiting."
Rayn nodded approvingly. "Good point, Zen. That's already in motion."
"How and when?" Zen asked, curiosity spiking.
Rayn looked each friend in the eye. "I already spoke to the Unity—they'll send some of their best warriors to destroy the king."
The revelation shocked everyone.
"Did you… make a deal with them?" Zen asked, anxious.
"Yeah, but they didn't want anything. They just want the king gone," Rayn replied.
"So they agreed?" Luo repeated, eyes widening.
Rayn nodded. "They're ready."
Lex let his shoulders ease. "That's good news. Finally."
Lon stretched, sensing tension slipping away. "First, we should rest up. I'm fine, so you guys—"
Luo and Lex chimed in together, smiling. "We're fine too!"
"You monsters—after fighting guardians," Zen joked, rolling his eyes, and the four shared the light-hearted moment, laughter bouncing in the quiet.
Their smiles, for the first time in days, felt real.
Scene shift: The king's meeting room
The mood was nothing like the warmth below. King Arayon stood tall, but the stress in his face was obvious. Prince Arion lingered a step behind.
"Father," Arion spoke softly.
"Send all the children, women, and anyone who can't fight away—find a secret place, send them by tunnel," King Arayon ordered, voice steely. "Others might see me as evil, but my family is everything."
"Understood, Father," Arion bowed in respect, determination matching his father's.
Arion hesitated before speaking. "But how will we take on the Unity? They're too strong."
The king's reply was grave, his eyes darker than ever. "There's no way we can take them on by force, Arion. This is about our value, our dignity. We can't let ourselves be looked down on by everyone—even if we lose, they should remember what it means to oppose a true king."
Arion nodded, the weight of responsibility settling on his shoulders. Deep inside, fear gnawed at him, yet he would follow his father into the storm, no matter how hopeless.