Night descended upon the capital like a breath held too long.
Inside a secluded wooden house hidden beyond the city's edge, a single lantern flickered. Its weak light danced across grim faces seated around a rough table. No one spoke.
The Prime Minister moved slowly around them, his fingers gliding over the worn wood. Calm. Controlled. Deadly.
"The king has changed," he said at last, his voice low and measured."And that change is no longer useful to us."
He stopped walking.
"He has betrayed our command. And when a king refuses to obey…"A thin smile curved his lips."he dies"
One of the men shifted uneasily. "Our spies report that he moves without guards now. He walks among commoners. Markets. Streets."
The Prime Minister nodded. "Exactly, He believes himself invisible."
Another man spoke, hesitant. "But Senapati Shunga has returned. If he truly stands with the king"
"He won't," the Prime Minister cut in sharply. "Not when the moment arrives."
Silence swallowed the room.
The Prime Minister placed both hands on the table and leaned forward.
"The temple ritual is tomorrow," he said. "Tradition demands humility. Minimal security. No noise. No army."
His eyes turned to the hooded man seated opposite him.
"You will strike from a distance," the Prime Minister continued. "Use a bow. During the crowd's applause. Confusion will hide your hand."
He paused.
"Make it look desperate. Messy. A failed ambush."
The hooded man swallowed hard. "And… after?"
The Prime Minister straightened, his smile widening.
"After," he said softly, "a new era begins. With a new king."
Murmurs spread through the room.
The Prime Minister raised a hand for silence.
"Allow me to introduce him."
He gestured toward the far end of the table.
"Vishaal Maurya," he announced. "Half-brother of Brihadratha Maurya. The rightful blood of the throne."
The lantern light revealed a man seated comfortably in his chair. Long hair. Sharp eyes. A smile that didn't reach them.
Vishaal leaned forward slightly, fingers interlocked.
"If i became king then you can do anything, i don't stop you" he said.
The room fell still.
Far away, within the palace walls, Satya stood alone on his balcony, gazing at the same moon.
Below him, the capital slept.The city that had mocked him.Pitied him.Forgotten him.
Footsteps sounded behind him.
Shunga approached quietly.
"Everything is ready," Shunga said. "The man is in position. He knows what he must say."
Satya did not turn. "Good."
Shunga hesitated. "Your Majesty… once this begins, there is no turning back."
Satya finally faced him. His expression was calm, but his eyes burned with resolve.
"There was never a way back," he said."Only forward."
The wind caught his long hair, lifting it like a silent declaration.
"Either I rule this empire," Satya continued,"or I die trying."
Above them, the moon watched in silence.
Both sides believed the trap was theirs.
Neither knew who would survive the dawn.