The old building at the edge of the Forbidden Garden was nearly collapsing. Its walls were filled with long cracks like old wounds that had never healed. In some corners, thick moss had grown over the ancient stones that once formed part of a royal pavilion.
Now the place served only as a hiding spot.
Moonlight slipped through the narrow window that was partly shattered. The silver glow fell across the cold stone floor, creating streaks of light between the long shadows.
Lara stood near the window.
Her chest was still rising and falling quickly after their escape from the garden. Her breathing slowly began to steady, but her mind remained filled with tension.
Out there, Nafisa's guards were surely still searching for them.
Iskandar stood near the door, making sure no approaching footsteps could be heard. Meanwhile, the lion-ringed guard they had just met leaned against an old wooden table in the middle of the room.
Prince Kadir stood a few steps away from Lara.
His eyes were fixed outside the window, but it was clear his mind was working intensely.
A long silence lingered between them.
Finally, the lion-ringed guard spoke.
"I didn't expect you to escape that trap."
His voice was low and rough, like someone who had lived too long in the shadows.
Lara turned toward him.
"Then… you knew about that trap?"
The man nodded slowly.
"I knew Nafisa was preparing something tonight. But I didn't know she would send so many men."
Iskandar looked at him sharply.
"Who exactly are you?"
The man slowly raised his hand, revealing the same lion ring that Iskandar wore.
"I'm part of the old network of palace guardians."
He paused for a moment.
"Guardians loyal to the royal family… not to whoever happens to hold power."
Kadir slightly raised an eyebrow.
"An old network?" he said quietly.
"I've never heard of it."
The man gave a faint smile.
"You weren't supposed to."
Silence fell again.
Lara felt that something far greater than Nafisa's intrigue was unfolding. There was another layer of secrets that had long been hidden behind the palace walls.
"My name is Arman," the man finally said.
"And I have been watching Nafisa for three months."
Iskandar watched him carefully.
"And?"
Arman exhaled slowly.
"Nafisa doesn't just want to bring you down, Princess."
Those words made Lara freeze.
Arman continued.
"She wants to take control of the palace."
Kadir crossed his arms over his chest.
"That's not a big secret," he said.
"But she doesn't have that kind of power."
Arman looked at him.
"That's what you think."
Then he pulled something from inside his cloak.
A small scroll.
He opened it on the table.
Inside was a map of the palace.
But several points were marked in red.
Iskandar stepped closer.
"The eastern gate… the watchtower… the underground corridor…"
Arman pointed to one of the marks.
"These are the positions of Nafisa's men."
Then he pointed to another point.
"And this is where they will move when the full moon rises."
Lara felt her stomach tighten.
"Move… for what?"
Arman looked at her.
"To take control of the palace."
A heavy silence filled the room.
The night wind entered through the cracked window, making the small candle on the table flicker.
Kadir finally spoke.
"How many men does she have?"
Arman answered without hesitation.
"More than you think."
Iskandar clenched his fist.
"Then we must stop her before the full moon."
Arman nodded.
"That's why I was waiting for you, Princess."
Lara looked down at the map.
Those red marks felt like threats slowly closing around the palace.
Like a net tightening.
"How many days left?" Lara asked.
Iskandar answered.
"Four nights."
Four nights before the full moon.
Four nights before Nafisa's plan began.
Lara closed her eyes for a moment.
Then she opened them again with stronger determination.
"We can't wait until then."
She looked at Arman.
"We start now."
Kadir looked at her.
"Now?"
Lara nodded.
"If we let Nafisa gather all her people until the night of the full moon…"
She pointed to the map.
"…we will already be defeated before the battle even begins."
Iskandar smiled faintly.
"That is the right decision, Princess."
Arman nodded as well.
"Then we start from here."
He pointed to a secret corridor on the map.
"This passage connects the garden to the eastern watchtower."
Kadir narrowed his eyes.
"The place where Nafisa stationed some of her guards."
Arman nodded.
"If we can take that place first…"
He looked at Lara.
"…we can destroy half of her plan."
Lara stared at the map.
Adrenaline surged through her again.
This was no longer just about survival.
This was a war of strategy.
"Alright," she said.
"We do it."
The night wind blew stronger, making the leaves outside the window rustle against each other.
In the distance, the faint sound of guards' footsteps could be heard.
They were still searching.
And the game had only just begun.
༶•┈┈⛧┈♛♛┈⛧┈┈•༶
The night air felt colder as they left the old building.
The sky above the palace was filled with thin clouds drifting slowly to cover the moon. Its silver light appeared and vanished in turns, casting shifting shadows across the garden ground.
Lara walked in the middle of the small group.
Iskandar led at the front, his steps light and nearly soundless. Behind them, Arman moved with care, his eyes constantly sweeping every corner of the path.
Prince Kadir walked beside Lara.
No one spoke for a moment.
Their silence was not born from having nothing to say — but because each of them was thinking about the risks they were about to face.
The Eastern Watchtower was not an easy place to enter.
If Arman was right, some of Nafisa's people had already been stationed there.
Iskandar stopped behind a large bush near the outer palace wall.
He raised his hand, signaling everyone to halt.
Lara immediately lowered her body.
Before them, a small stone path led toward the tower standing tall at the corner of the palace rampart.
The tower looked like a giant shadow beneath the night sky.
A small flame from a torch hanging at the tower entrance flickered dimly.
And there —
Two guards stood.
Arman whispered quietly.
"Nafisa's sentinels."
Iskandar observed them for a moment.
"Fewer than I expected."
Arman shook his head.
"Those are only the outer guards."
He pointed to a small window near the top of the tower.
"Inside, there are surely more."
Kadir crossed his arms over his chest.
"How many?"
Arman thought for a moment.
"Four… maybe six."
Iskandar looked at Lara.
"We can still take it."
Lara felt her heart beating faster.
This would be their first strike against Nafisa.
And the first step was always the most dangerous.
"What's the plan?" Lara asked quietly.
Iskandar pointed toward the tower wall.
"The secret passage Arman mentioned… the entrance is at the back of the tower."
Arman nodded.
"Correct."
He pointed to a narrow path nearly swallowed by wild plants.
"If we go in from there, we can surface inside the tower without passing the guards."
Kadir raised an eyebrow.
"And you're certain the passage is still usable?"
Arman smiled faintly.
"I used it just two weeks ago."
Iskandar looked at Lara.
"We need to move now."
Lara nodded.
"Alright."
They began moving through the shrubbery with care.
Their steps made almost no sound.
In the distance, the two guards at the tower entrance still stood at ease, completely unaware of their presence.
A few minutes later, they reached the back side of the tower.
This section was far darker.
No torches.
No guards.
Only an old stone wall covered in creeping vines.
Arman stopped before that wall.
He pushed aside the plants clinging to the stone.
Behind them was a small wooden door that nearly blended into the wall.
"Here."
He pressed the door open slowly.
Its hinges let out a quiet creak.
A dark corridor opened behind it.
Cold, damp air rushed out from within.
Lara caught the scent of earth and ancient stone.
Iskandar entered first.
He drew a short knife from his side.
"Slow."
They stepped inside one by one.
The corridor was narrow with almost no light.
Only a thin sliver of moonlight crept in through the door behind them.
Their steps echoed softly against the stone floor.
Arman was leading now.
He seemed to know this path well.
"This corridor was built hundreds of years ago," he whispered.
"Used by the royal family whenever they needed to leave the palace in secret."
Kadir glanced at the stone walls surrounding him.
"Fascinating."
They walked for a few more minutes before Arman finally stopped.
Before them was a small stone staircase rising upward.
"This leads to the lower chamber of the tower," said Arman.
Iskandar looked at him.
"How many usually guard the inside?"
"Two below. The rest above."
Iskandar nodded.
He looked at Lara.
"Once we're in, we move fast."
Lara drew a slow breath.
"Understood."
Iskandar climbed the stairs carefully.
He stopped before a small wooden door at the top of the staircase.
From behind that door came muffled sounds.
The voices of two men talking.
Iskandar turned back to face them.
Then he raised three fingers.
Three seconds.
Lara felt every muscle in her body go tense.
Iskandar lowered his fingers one by one.
Three.
Two.
One.
He threw the door open.
In a single motion, he stepped into the room.
The sound of a collision followed immediately.
Lara moved in behind him.
Inside the small chamber, two of Nafisa's guards spun around in shock.
One of them hadn't even managed to draw his sword.
Iskandar moved like a shadow.
The knife in his hand was already pressing against the first guard's throat before the man could make a sound.
Arman seized the second guard from behind.
Kadir covered his mouth.
A few seconds later —
The room fell silent again.
Both guards were no longer moving.
Lara stood in the middle of the chamber, her heart still hammering.
Iskandar looked at the spiral staircase leading up into the tower.
"Four more," he said quietly.
Kadir drew his sword.
"Then let's finish it."
Above them, faint footsteps could be heard.
The guards higher in the tower still had no idea that the floor below had already been taken.
Lara stared at the staircase.
This was only the beginning.
If they succeeded in seizing this tower —
They would cut off one of Nafisa's eyes inside the palace.
Iskandar looked at Lara.
"Ready?"
Lara nodded.
"Ready."
Then they began ascending the stairs toward the upper tower.
Meanwhile, in the distance —
On one of the palace balconies.
A woman stood in silence, gazing toward the eastern tower.
Nafisa.
Her eyes narrowed slowly.
As though she sensed something was happening.
Something that was not going according to her plan.
And that night —
Their game grew more dangerous still.
༶•┈┈⛧┈♛♛┈⛧┈┈•༶
The spiral staircase of the tower felt narrow and dark.
The sound of their footsteps echoed softly against the cold stone walls. Each step felt like it was bringing them closer to danger.
Iskandar walked in front.
His short knife was ready in his hand.
Behind him, Lara followed carefully. She wasn't used to real battles yet, but tonight left no other choice.
Kadir walked right behind her, his sword half-drawn.
Arman brought up the rear, making sure no one was coming from below.
They climbed slowly.
From above, they could hear men talking.
"The shift change should have passed by now."
"Relax. No one dares come near this tower at night."
Lara swallowed hard.
The voices became clearer as they neared the top of the stairs.
Iskandar stopped a few steps before the wooden door that led to the tower's main room.
He signaled with his hand.
Four people.
He held up four fingers.
Then he pointed to each one:
Himself.
Kadir.
Arman.
And finally Lara.
The meaning was clear.
They would move together.
Lara took a deep breath.
Her hands felt cold, but her eyes remained focused.
Iskandar placed his hand on the door handle.
Then he whispered, very softly.
"Now."
The door swung open quickly.
The room inside the tower was quite spacious, lit by two torches mounted on the walls.
Four of Nafisa's guards immediately turned their heads.
Their expressions shifted from relaxed to shocked.
But Iskandar had already moved first.
He surged forward like a shadow.
The knife in his hand slashed towards the nearest guard.
The man didn't even have time to raise his sword before Iskandar brought him down to the floor.
On the other side of the room, Kadir drew his sword fully.
The steel blade glinted in the torchlight.
One of the guards attacked him with an angry shout.
Their swords met with a loud clang.
Meanwhile, Arman moved quickly towards the third guard.
The two men were instantly locked in combat near the tower window.
Within seconds, the room had turned into a small battlefield.
Lara stood still for a moment, trying to understand the situation.
One guard remained—
and the man was staring at her.
Their eyes met.
The guard gave a cynical smile.
"A little lost princess in the wrong place."
He raised his sword.
Lara felt her heart pound hard.
This was the first time someone had actually attacked her.
But before fear could take over—
she remembered something.
The training Iskandar had taught her a few weeks ago.
Footwork.
Balance.
And the courage to move first.
The guard attacked.
His sword thrust straight towards her.
Lara moved to the side.
The blade passed mere inches from her shoulder.
She grabbed the short wooden staff she carried and struck the man's wrist.
The guard grunted.
His sword fell from his grasp.
But the man was still bigger and stronger.
He tried to grab Lara with his bare hands.
Lara stepped back.
Then she swung her staff again.
This time it hit the side of the man's head.
The guard lost his balance.
Iskandar appeared from the side like a shadow.
With one swift motion, he brought the man down to the floor.
The room fell silent again.
Only the sound of heavy breathing could be heard.
Lara stared at the fallen man.
Her hands were still trembling.
Iskandar looked at her for a moment.
Then he gave a small nod.
"You learn fast."
Lara tried to smile, even though her heart was still pounding.
On the other side of the room, Arman had just taken down the last guard.
But just as they were starting to feel safe—
the creak of wood came from a corner of the room.
Kadir immediately turned his head.
"What was that?"
One of the guards who had fallen was still alive.
With his remaining strength, he crawled towards a small window in the tower.
His hand reached for the warning bell hanging there.
"Stop!" Arman shouted.
But it was too late.
The bell rang out loudly.
Its metallic clang echoed across the palace grounds.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
The sound was like thunder in the dead of night.
Iskandar swore softly.
"They know."
Kadir looked out the window.
Down in the courtyard, torches were being lit one by one.
Guards were running.
They were heading for the tower.
Lara felt tension grip her chest.
"How much time do we have?"
Arman answered quickly.
"Maybe a minute or two."
Iskandar moved instantly.
He closed the tower door and pushed a large wooden table in front of it as a barricade.
Kadir helped shove an old chest in front of the stairs.
A simple barricade.
But enough to hold them for a while.
Lara walked to the tower window.
From there, she could see the palace courtyard clearly.
More than ten guards were already running towards them.
Some were even carrying bows.
This was far worse than they had anticipated.
Iskandar looked at them all.
"We can't hold out here for long."
Arman pointed to the other side of the room.
"There's a flag rope outside the tower."
He pointed to a narrow window.
"We can go down from there."
Kadir sighed.
"Jumping from a tower now... that's a truly terrible plan."
Iskandar gave a faint smile.
"Sometimes a terrible plan is the only choice."
Down below, the sound of footsteps grew louder.
The guards had reached the tower door.
The first impact echoed from the stairs below.
They were starting to try and force their way in.
Lara looked at her friends.
The situation was getting crazier.
But deep inside her—
she felt something different.
Not just fear.
There was a new courage beginning to grow.
She was no longer just a girl hiding from palace intrigues.
Now—
she was part of the game.
Iskandar opened the tower window.
The night wind rushed in fiercely.
A long flag rope hung down the outer wall.
Iskandar looked at Lara.
"I'll go first. You're next."
Another heavy crash came from the stairs below.
The wooden door was starting to crack.
They didn't have much time left.
Iskandar grabbed the rope and slid down into the darkness of the night.
Lara stood at the edge of the window.
Below her were only the shadows of the garden and the distant ground.
She took a long breath.
Then she grabbed the rope.
And jumped down into the dangerous night.
Behind her—
the tower door finally gave way.
Nafisa's guards stormed in.
But the room was already empty.
And their game against Nafisa had now begun, out in the open.
༶•┈┈⛧┈♛♛┈⛧┈┈•༶
The night wind struck Lara's face as she slid down the flag rope hanging from the tower's side. The cold stone bricks scraped against her palms as she controlled her descent.
Below, the shadows of the garden looked dark and silent.
Iskandar had already reached the ground. He stood among the bushes, his eyes constantly watching the direction of the tower.
"Hurry," he whispered.
Lara finally touched the ground with both feet. Her knees trembled slightly as she released the rope.
A few seconds later, Kadir descended, followed by Arman who was the last to leave the tower.
As soon as his feet touched the ground, Arman immediately cut the rope with his small dagger.
The flag rope fell to the ground.
From the top of the tower, the sounds of footsteps and the shouts of guards began to be heard clearly.
"They're here!"
"Seal all exits!"
Iskandar turned to the others.
"No more time. We have to go."
Lara looked at the palace courtyard, now filling with the light of torches.
Nafisa's guards were running in every direction. Some of them were already near the tower.
If they had been even a few seconds late, they would surely have been caught.
Arman pointed to a narrow path between the garden trees.
"This way."
They ran.
The garden soil felt damp beneath their feet. Leaves rustled as they passed through the tall bushes.
Lara could almost hear the sound of her own heartbeat in her ears.
Behind them, the shouts of the guards grew louder.
"Search the garden!"
"Don't let them escape!"
Torches began moving closer like red stars running through the darkness.
Kadir ran beside Lara.
"That tower must be full of guards by now."
Iskandar answered without stopping.
"That's why we can't stop."
Arman suddenly slowed down.
He raised his hand, signaling for everyone to stop.
They hid behind a row of tall cypress trees.
In front of them was a stone path leading directly to the garden gate.
And there—
Three guards stood watch.
Lara breathed softly.
"The gate is guarded."
Iskandar looked around.
"If we go back towards the tower, we'll run into more people."
Kadir observed the guards at the gate.
"Three people aren't a problem."
Arman shook his head slowly.
"They aren't the problem."
He pointed towards the road further ahead.
Several other torches were seen moving closer.
"Other guards will arrive within a minute."
A tense silence fell among them.
Lara stared at the guards at the gate.
If they didn't get past that point now, they would be trapped in the garden.
Iskandar finally spoke.
"We have no choice."
He looked at Kadir.
"You take the one on the right."
Kadir nodded.
Iskandar looked at Arman.
"You take the left."
Arman nodded calmly.
Then Iskandar turned to Lara.
"The middle one... I'll handle."
Lara took a deep breath.
Seconds later, they moved.
Iskandar slipped out from the shadow of the trees like a living shadow.
Arman and Kadir followed from two sides.
The three guards at the gate didn't even have time to react properly.
The clash of metal was heard.
One of the guards tried to shout, but Arman had already subdued him.
In a matter of seconds, the small skirmish was over.
Iskandar looked towards the road.
The guards' torches were getting closer.
"Quick."
They passed through the garden gate and entered a darker stone path behind the palace.
Once they were a few hundred meters away, the sounds of the guards began to fade.
But the tension still hung in the air.
Lara finally stopped behind an old stone wall that bordered the garden.
She looked towards the tower, now filled with torchlight.
"Now they know," she said softly.
Iskandar nodded.
"Yes."
Kadir crossed his arms.
"And they also know there's someone brave enough to attack their position."
Arman stared at the tower with a serious expression.
"This will make Nafisa move faster."
Lara looked at him.
"Faster?"
Arman nodded.
"If her plan was for the full moon... now she might move it forward."
A heavy silence fell among them.
The night wind blew gently across the palace grounds.
From a distance, the sound of the tower bells could still be heard occasionally.
Iskandar finally spoke.
"At least we managed to take one of their positions."
Kadir sighed.
"And started a small war."
Lara looked at the tower one more time.
Behind the torchlight and the shadows of the guards, she could imagine Nafisa's anger.
That woman must know by now.
And she would certainly not remain silent.
Lara closed her eyes for a moment.
When she opened them again, her resolve was clearer.
"If Nafisa wants to speed up the game..."
She looked at her friends.
"...then we have to move faster too."
Iskandar smiled faintly.
"That's what I wanted to hear."
But deep within the palace—
On a high balcony overlooking the garden—
A woman stood calmly.
Her black dress moved gently in the night wind.
Nafisa.
Her eyes gazed towards the eastern tower, filled with torchlight.
A guard stood behind her, head bowed.
"Lady Nafisa... the eastern tower has been attacked."
Nafisa did not look surprised.
She only smiled faintly.
"So they finally make their move."
The guard hesitated for a moment.
"Should we accelerate the plan?"
Nafisa looked at the sky.
The moon was almost full.
She nodded slowly.
"Yes."
Her smile grew thinner.
"The full moon is too long."
She stared into the dark garden in the distance.
"This game... we will finish it sooner."
And that night—
The shadow war in the palace had truly begun.
༶•┈┈⛧┈♛♛┈⛧┈┈•༶
The night wind felt colder when they finally stopped outside the palace garden.
The place was a narrow alley between old stone walls and a row of tall, overgrown trees. The torchlight from the main courtyard barely reached this spot.
Only shadows and silence remained.
Lara leaned against the stone wall for a moment, trying to calm her breathing, which was still heavy after the escape from the tower.
In the distance, the sound of warning bells could still be heard occasionally.
A sign that the entire palace was now on the move.
Iskandar stood a few steps away from them, observing the palace courtyard from behind a gap in the wall.
"The guards have spread out," he said quietly.
Kadir walked closer.
"How many?"
Iskandar narrowed his eyes.
"More than twenty in the front courtyard."
Arman breathed softly.
"The east tower really panicked them."
Lara looked towards that tower.
From where they stood, the east tower appeared as a black silhouette with flickering torchlight around it.
Their plan had worked—
but now the entire palace was alert.
And that meant Nafisa also knew.
Lara turned to Arman.
"If Nafisa knows about this... what's her next move?"
Arman didn't answer immediately.
He seemed to think for quite a while before finally speaking.
"If I were in her position..."
He stared at the palace with a serious expression.
"...I wouldn't wait for the full moon anymore."
Kadir raised an eyebrow.
"What do you mean?"
Arman looked at them one by one.
"Tonight's attack tells Nafisa that we know her plan."
He pointed to the east tower.
"And someone like her won't let her enemies prepare."
Iskandar nodded slowly.
"She'll speed everything up."
Silence enveloped the small group again.
Lara felt her stomach tighten.
If Nafisa's plan was accelerated—
that meant their time was even shorter.
"We have to find out what her plan actually is," Lara finally said.
Kadir looked at her.
"We already know part of it."
"Not enough."
Lara pointed towards the palace.
"The east tower is only one point on Arman's map."
She looked at Arman.
"There's still the gate, the underground passage, and other towers."
Arman nodded slowly.
"True."
Iskandar crossed his arms.
"So we need more information."
Kadir sighed softly.
"And the best way to get information in the palace..."
He looked towards the dark windows of the palace.
"...is to go back inside it."
Lara stared at the palace.
That towering building looked calm from the outside.
But she knew now—
inside, it was full of secrets, betrayals, and danger.
The night wind blew gently, rustling the leaves of the trees.
Iskandar finally said,
"We can't go back through the main gate."
Arman nodded.
"There's another way."
He pointed to the back of the palace.
"Under the royal kitchen, there's an old storage passage."
Kadir smiled slightly.
"You seem to know all the secret paths in this place."
Arman replied with a faint smile.
"I've lived in the shadows of the palace for too long."
Lara stepped forward a little.
"If that passage gets us in without being noticed..."
She looked at the three of them.
"...then we use it."
Iskandar looked at her for a moment.
Then he nodded.
"Alright."
But before they could move—
the sound of footsteps was heard in the distance.
Everyone immediately tensed up.
Several guards were walking along a garden path not far from where they were hiding.
Their torches illuminated the ground around them.
Lara held her breath.
If those guards saw them—
they wouldn't have a chance to escape again.
A few seconds felt like minutes.
But finally, the guards continued walking without looking towards their alley.
When the sound of footsteps faded, Arman spoke again in a low voice.
"We can't stay here long."
Iskandar nodded.
"Then we move now."
They left the narrow alley and moved towards the back of the palace.
The journey took several minutes.
They passed a small stone path, a quiet little garden, and an old storage shed that was almost never used anymore.
Finally, they arrived at a low building attached to the side of the palace.
From the outside, the building looked like an ordinary shed.
Arman stopped in front of an old wooden door.
"Under here."
He opened the door slowly.
The room inside was dark and filled with empty wooden shelves.
Arman walked to the corner of the room and pushed an old chest aside.
Beneath it, a small iron door was visible in the floor.
He opened it.
A narrow stone staircase was visible below.
Cold, damp air rose from the passage.
"The storage passage," said Arman.
Iskandar stared into the darkness.
"A perfect place to enter unseen."
Kadir breathed softly.
"And also a perfect place to be trapped."
Lara looked at the stairs.
Dark.
Narrow.
And full of uncertainty.
But she knew they had no other choice.
She looked at Iskandar.
"We go in."
Iskandar descended first.
One by one, they followed.
The stone stairs brought them down into a cold underground passage.
The sound of their footsteps echoed softly between the old stone walls.
The passage was long and dark.
But the further they walked—
the closer they got to the heart of the palace.
And without them realizing it—
on one of the palace's high balconies—
Nafisa stood gazing into the darkness of the garden.
A guard had just delivered a report to her.
"Lady Nafisa... the attackers have disappeared from the garden."
Nafisa smiled faintly.
"Let them."
The guard looked confused.
"No need to pursue?"
Nafisa shook her head slowly.
"No."
She looked towards the palace.
"Because they will surely return."
Her smile grew colder.
"And this time..."
She whispered softly.
"...I am already waiting for them."
Underground, the footsteps of Lara and her friends continued to echo through the secret passage.
Without them realizing it—
a more dangerous game was waiting ahead.
And the shadow war in the palace had only just begun.
^ ^
(ovo ) /-------------------\
( > )> | TO BE CONTINUED |
V V \-------------------/