[Kingdom Points: 20]
[Debt Remaining: 999 Years]
Kael woke up to the sound of rain pounding on stained glass.
He was slumped on a cold, cracked throne. Dust clung to his clothes... not the hoodie he'd worn to bed, but a black tunic with silver threads. His hands trembled as he gripped the armrests, feeling grooves worn smooth by centuries of kings.
This is… not my apartment.
The air smelled of damp stone and something faintly metallic, like old coins left in the rain.
A faint blue shimmer filled his vision. Words scrolled across the air:
[Welcome, Player.]
[You have inherited the King's Debt.]
[Failure to repay will result in Termination.]
"Termination?" His voice echoed in the vast hall.
The doors groaned open. A tall man in a crimson coat entered, boots clicking on the marble. His hawk-like nose tilted upward as he looked Kael over.
"So… you're the replacement." The man's voice was smooth, but each word landed like the click of a lock.
"Replacement?"
His smile didn't touch his eyes. "The previous king died. The debt remains. Twenty Kingdom Points boy barely enough to breathe."
Kael blinked, struggling to grasp the situation. "Kingdom Points?"
The man's gaze flicked to the shimmering display in Kael's eyes. "You'll learn. Or you'll die."
A piercing chime split the air inside his skull. The shimmer in his vision flared white.
[New Objective: Survive the First Day.]
He swallowed hard.
"And what happens," Kael asked, "if I don't?"
The man's smile widened.
"You'll find out before the sun sets."
To be continued…