Chapter 271: Fear of Iru
The King began to sing.
The hall slowly fell silent.
His voice rose, calm and warm, filling the vast chamber—
"Beneath the sun, the shaaadows play,
A silent haaand guides night and daaaay…"
Eyes widened. Conversations died.
Plates stopped clinking.
Everyone watched, captivated by the rhythm… by the King's voice.
"The kings may ruuule, the seas may roooar,
But secrets sleeeep behind the doooor…"
People sipped their drinks quietly, afraid to break the moment.
"The banners waaaave, the trumpets soouund,
Yet no true thrrone shall there be foouund…"
Heads began to sway.
Smiles appeared.
The song pulled them in.
"A whispered naaame, a fleeting spaaark,
Controls the tiiide from deep and daaark…"
Seraph Admiral Iru stiffened.
His smile faded.
"The stars aliiign, yet none can seeee,
The puppeteeeer of destinyyy…"
Iru's eyes widened.
His fingers tightened around his glass.
"…What?" he whispered, fear creeping into his voice.
"The world may boooow, and empires faaall,
But one unseeeen commands them aaaall…"
Even the Queen swayed gently, humming along.
The people were lost in the melody.
"The rivers twiiist, the mountains weeeep,
A hand unseeeen, the world it keeep…"
Ashryn nodded to the rhythm, smiling innocently—
unaware of the weight behind every word.
"The hidden croooown, the veiled miiiight,
Will rise unseeeen to claim the niiight…"
The song ended.
For a heartbeat—
Silence.
Then—
Applause erupted.
Cheers echoed through the hall.
The King laughed warmly.
Seraph Admiral Iru forced a smile.
"We… didn't know the King could sing this well," he said.
Voices overlapped—
"That was beautiful!"
"Touched my heart!"
"The best song I've ever heard!"
But inside Iru's chest—
Fear settled deep.
Because that song was not just music.
It was a warning.