[Kingdom Points: 19]
[Debt Remaining: 999 Years]
The walk back to the throne room felt longer than before.
Servants lingered in the shadows, their eyes sliding away the moment Kael's gaze met theirs. One boy carrying a tray of chipped goblets froze mid-step until Veyren passed, then ducked into a side corridor without a sound.
Kael noticed it, not the fear of Veyren, but the fear of being seen with him.
The heavy doors groaned open again. Inside, the torches burned low, their flames swaying with every draft. The vast hall smelled faintly of damp fabric and ash.
Kael sat heavily in the throne, its stone back cold against his shoulders, mind racing.
The number 19 pulsed faintly in the corner of his vision, a constant reminder.
Every choice had weight.. Literally.
"Every choice has weight," Veyren said, tapping his ornate cane against the floor. "And every weight is recorded."
Kael looked up. "Recorded where?"
Veyren's eyes glinted. "In the Infinite Ledger. Tracks every point, every debt, every death. Controlled by the Warden."
"The Warden," Kael repeated slowly. "And where do I find them?"
"You don't."
The words were flat, final. But there was something in Veyren's tone, not ignorance, but deliberate refusal.
Footsteps echoed from the far end of the hall.
A young woman stepped through the archway, the torchlight catching strands of silver hair that framed her pale face. Her violet eyes were sharp enough to make Kael straighten without thinking.
She curtsied, but her gaze didn't drop. It locked on him, measuring.
"Princess Serenya," Veyren said. "Your new king."
Her lips curved faintly. "New kings don't last long here." The words tasted like a challenge.
Kael's display flickered.
[Two paths: Ally… or Enemy.]
He forced a smile. "Maybe I'll be the exception."
For a heartbeat, her eyes softened, or maybe that was wishful thinking. Then she stepped closer, her fingers brushing the armrest of the throne.
The torchlight stretched her shadow across the stone floor.
And then Kael's breath caught.
There were two shadows.
One moved perfectly with her. The other lagged half a step behind, twitching once, twice, as though deciding whether to follow at all.
The hair on Kael's arms prickled.
Veyren didn't react or pretended not to see it.
Kael kept his tone light. "And what's your advice for new kings, Your Highness?"
Her smile deepened just enough to hint at something unsaid. "Learn quickly… and never ask the wrong question twice."
She turned to leave, the twin shadows sliding over the stone like oil.
As she disappeared into the corridor, Kael felt the faintest shift in the air, a whisper of cold against his cheek, like breath that wasn't his own.
To be continued…