Chapter 15 - CHAPTER 15 THE FALLEN KINGDOM

A turned around, but there was no one. He started looking around, but the place was empty. He began walking. The sky started covering with clouds again. As he walked, he kept trying to find anyone."Why is there nothing now? Only these ruins… no blood," he muttered.He suddenly stopped. His eyes fixed on something that made him freeze. His eyes widened and his legs began shaking.K's voice came from behind him. "Why are you acting like you just saw a ghost?"K walked up and placed a hand on A's shoulder. In front of them stood a throne made of bones, with a skull wearing a crown placed on it. The throne was surrounded by dead bodies.K said, "Well, that's a good throne. Perfect for a person who rules over others."A finally moved. He turned toward K and looked into his eyes. "Wha… th…""Stop mumbling. I can't understand what you are saying," K said as he walked over and stopped beside the throne. He picked up the crown and threw the skull away. "This type of people are always attracted to the power of the throne. And even if they get it, it remains temporary."K held the crown over his own head. "Still, their hunger for power and greed demands a lot of sacrifice—no matter who they are." He lowered the crown and looked at A. "You also understand it, if I am right. A, come here."A's body moved on its own. His eyes were still wide. He reached K."So tell me," K said, "what do you think? Who holds the real power?"A tried to control himself. "It's… I… I don't kn… know."K lifted the crown and placed it on A's head. "You look great in it. It's like it was made for you. How about you sit on this throne too?"A's body moved against his will and sat on the throne. K moved behind it and stood there."Can you feel the power?" K asked.A took a breath. "I… I can feel it. It's almost like I can do anything, order anyone, and no one can stand against me."K leaned closer to A's ear and whispered, "Kill everyone who tries to go against your rule. Kill them all. How dare they reject your rule?"A large crowd of people suddenly appeared, walking toward them."Look at them," K said. "They are all against your rule."A spoke in a deeper voice, "You are right. You are right. How can they speak against my rule? I am the king. Kill them all… Hang their heads in the city square."As soon as A gave the order, an army marched toward the people and began killing them. Their screams filled the air.K said, "Look how they all shatter by your command. You are truly the king—almost like a dictator."Blood spilled everywhere. The only things left were headless bodies and a tyrant sitting on the throne."Look, A. How beautiful this power is. No one can go against you," K continued. "They all thought they could kill you by poisoning your drink, A."A spoke with an authoritative voice, "Guards, kill those traitors. Beat them till death."Two guards moved toward the half-dead people and began beating them. Their cries eventually went silent. The only sound left was A's laughter."Finally, everyone is gone. No one can stand against me," A declared.K said, "There are still some people who think they can select a new ruler. But at the end of the day, they selected you, A—because of the money and PR. You have whitewashed all your past crimes completely. There is no evidence left. So, A, how does it feel to sit on this throne? You can shape this world as you want. Every single person kneels in front of you when they have no freedom."A's expression had completely changed. It was now evil. His voice became heavier, carrying clear authority. "I am the strongest. I will change everything. This world is my kingdom. No one can go against my rule." He laughed. "These people—how easily they all kneel in front of power, fame, and money. I can buy their pride, love, and dignity, and nobody can stop me."K moved his mask slightly to the side, revealing one eye and half of his smile. "You are right. Now you can fulfill your dream, A. The absolute—"A cut him off before he could finish. "No one is interested in that useless dream now. I will teach them how to live in my way. I will tell them what they have to do and—"A suddenly stopped. His eyes fixed on the wristwatch, then on the dead bodies around him. It was as if he had just woken up from a trance.K placed his mask back properly and leaned close to A's ear. With a cold and scary voice, he said, "So, A, what is your next order? Do you want to kill more people for fun? Or how about we trick them and watch them fight and kill each other? They are stupid enough to become new entertainment for you."A was completely shocked. He looked around at the throne of bones, the dead bodies, and the ruins. Blood suddenly started dripping from the crown. A touched it. His hands began shaking violently.K's voice became even scarier and colder. "Scared already, A? This is not even half of how people become blind with power."A screamed and tried to remove the crown. "REMOVE IT! THAT'S NOT ME! I DID NOT— I DON'T DO THIS! PLEASE REMOVE IT! IT'S STUCK!"K laughed and pushed A off the throne. A fell to the ground, his body covered in blood."NO! NO! I… I…" He tried to stand up but kept falling. His attempts failed due to panic. "No… Nooooooo!"K sat on the throne. It had completely changed—the bones were now replaced by wood."A, calm down. I don't want you to die like this. It's really a pathetic way to die," K said, taking a small breath. "It's fun to watch, but I can't let my experiment go to waste like this. Just a little taste of power and his mind is already unstable."K walked toward A, who was still panicking. "I did not kill anyone. I… I… K, this…"K slapped him. "Sometimes old methods work better."A tried to grab K's hand as he helped him stand. A breathed heavily, as if he had just seen death.K's voice became calm again. "So, I hope you enjoyed it."Without a second thought, A removed the crown and threw it with all his strength. The crown broke into three pieces. A finally tried to control his breathing."WH—" K silenced him. "Stop it. We have already wasted a lot of time here, A. Our next lo—"A grabbed both of K's shoulders, his voice full of anger. "SHUT UP! DO YOU THINK THIS IS ALL JUST A GAME FOR YOU? WHO ARE THOSE PEOPLE? WHY DID YOU KILL THEM?"K replied calmly, "You are the one who killed them. You gave the order, not me, A."A froze and lost his grip on K's shoulders.K continued, "How easily you let power control you, A. Look at these bodies, this blood—everything is because of you."A ran away. "STAY AWAY FROM ME!"K remained standing and simply watched him run. "It's really becoming hard. Well, that's how things work. It's all for my dream.". — END OF CHAPTER 15 —