Zaiden Empire – Wrath Palace, King's Quarters
Midnight blanketed the imperial palace in a cold silence. Torches flickered along the ornate golden corridors of Wrath Palace, casting long shadows across the marble.
A man with a noble's robe and a missing eye approached the guarded door to the Prince's chamber. He knocked twice—softly but urgently—before stepping in.
The Prince stirred in his sleep, blinking wearily as he sat up in his bed.
"Minister Arion?" he asked, rubbing his eyes. "What brings you here at this hour?"
Arion bowed deeply. His voice trembled, but not from fear.
"My prince… King Louis V Zaiden has been murdered. His body was discovered just ten minutes ago."
Silence. For a moment, the world stopped spinning for the young prince.
"What…?" he whispered.
"You, Louis VI Zaiden, are now the rightful King of Zaiden. The empire is yours. We, the ministers of state and generals of the land, swear our loyalty to you—and shall make you Emperor. King of Kings."
The prince—now King Louis VI—threw off his covers and sprinted through the palace, heart pounding with disbelief. He pushed open the grand doors to his father's chamber.
And stopped.
There he was.
King Louis V lay in bed, eyes closed, with the faintest trace of a smile. His head, severed from his body, lay neatly on the floor beside the bed.
A clean cut.
One strike.
VI fell to his knees, overcome with emotion. Images from his childhood flooded his mind: his father laughing, teaching, protecting, ruling with wisdom and strength. He was the ideal ruler. Loved by the people. Feared by the enemies.
And now—dead.
"Who did this…?" VI muttered through clenched teeth.
Arion stepped forward. "After completing a task your father assigned me, I returned to report. That's when I saw the scene. And at the window, I caught a glimpse of her…"
"Her?" VI turned to face him.
"Princess Cleopatra. Daughter of Marek Redia. Heir to the throne of the Redia State."
"That's impossible. Cleopatra? She and my father… he trusted her."
"I know it's hard to believe, sire," Arion said. "But the guards saw the same thing. One of them is dead now—cut down during the escape."
VI's rage flared.
"Seal every exit in the city. Mobilize the Outer and Inner Heavenly knights. I want every general, every elite, every agent out there. Bring her to me—alive or dead."
Arion bowed. "Already done, Your Majesty."
The Weight of Inheritance
VI stood in silence beside his father's body. Guilt clawed at his chest.
"Yesterday… he gave me the Will of Time," VI said softly. "I told him I was ready. I thought it would be fun. I thought I could be like him—calm, wise, powerful. But I wasn't ready. I was foolish."
He looked at his father's head—peaceful even in death.
"He died powerless, defenseless. Because of me."
Tears welled in his eyes. But he didn't let them fall.
"From now on… I will show no mercy. I will destroy everything she loves, just as she destroyed the one person I loved the most."
The Will of Time – An Ancient Legacy
The Will of Time is a divine artifact passed through generations of Zaiden rulers, first granted to Louis the Great by a mythical dragon during the Age of dragons.
Its powers include:
Second Sight: Grants the ability to see 1 second into the future. With mastery, it can extend to 2 seconds.
Cursed Eye: Enables the user to view any point in the past or future across timelines—but at the cost of their lifespan. The longer the vision, the greater the price.
Timefall Realm: A unique Ki-generated 4D realm where time stands still for the entire world—except for the user. However, within Timefall:
The user cannot harm others unless they are also inside the same realm.
To fight or change events, the user must summon Timefall to include the target—bringing both into the 4D space.
Inside Timefall, the user gains a small buff: a 0.5-second future sight—which increases to 1 full second upon mastery.
This Will is passed only to those deemed worthy—usually the heir to the Zaiden