Months had passed since the South had finally fallen into a fragile silence. The
common folk had no words for what had transpired—they only knew that a "ghostly
plague" had vanished and a 7-foot monster had walked among them before
disappearing back into the mist. The terror had faded into a peaceful rumor, and the
Empire of Suiseiryu was breathing once again.
However, in the lush, golden capital of Virellia, the "noise" was about to return with a
vengeance.
A travel-worn carriage taxi rattled to a halt before the towering, ornate gates of the
Royal Palace. The door creaked open, and a ten-year-old boy stepped out. He was
dressed in a stif, uncomfortable royal suit, his silver hair catching the morning sun.
Behind him followed two young women—Rose and Noel. They were older, elegant,
and carried themselves with a grace that hid the fact that, until recently, they had been
living in a frozen cave.
The three of them stared at the massive palace doors in stunned silence.
"Hey, Big Brother..." Noel whispered, tugging at the boy's sleeve. "Is this really your
home? Are you sure we aren't at a god's temple by mistake?"
The boy, formerly known as the Snowman, looked at the towering spires and sighed.
"He said it was home. But with that man, 'home' could mean a palace or a very
expensive prison. I'm not sure."
Rose, the eldest and most mature of the group, pulled a crumpled, dirt-stained map
from her pocket. "The address is correct. That 7-foot monster you call a father
dropped this map personally. We even asked the locals—this is the place. Besides, if
we were in the wrong spot, the guards would have poked us with spears by now,
right?"
The boy took a deep breath, his small hands trembling as he reached for the giant
brass handles of the palace door. He was ready to face his destiny—or at least a very
awkward family reunion.
"Hey! Stop right there!" a voice chirped from behind them.
The three spun around, hearts hammering. Standing in the palace's entrance garden
was a woman of divine beauty, wearing a serene, genuine smile. Behind her, a
child—who also looked about ten years old—was happily whacking a wooden
practice dummy with a stick.Rose bowed deeply, her voice shaking with respect. "Hello! Please, we were invited
here! My name is Rose, this is my sister Noel, and this is my brother... Snowman."
The lady nodded gently, her smile never wavering. "I don't want to stop you from
entering," she said kindly. "But could you do me a small favor? Take about ten steps
back from that door. Maybe fifteen, just to be safe."
Confused but terrified to disagree, the trio scrambled backward into the grass.
BOOM!
The palace doors didn't just open—they detonated. A localized explosion of fire and
black smoke billowed out, and two figures came flying through the wreckage. One
was a green-skinned Goblin youth, laughing hysterically; the other was a Lion-Kin
demi-human who looked like he was vibrating with pure, unadulterated rage.
"I am going to kill you, Ryuki!" the Lion-Kin roared, his mane bristling. "Come here
and die like a man! I'm going to turn your ears into a necklace!"
"You have to catch me first, Leo!" Ryuki cackled, flipping through the air with
efortless agility. "Just give up! I won't tell the others you're slow, I promise!"
Leo let out a primal growl and unsheathed a razor-sharp katana from his hip. The two
of them blurred into a whirlwind of steel and shadows, sprinting across the courtyard
and disappearing around the corner of the palace without even noticing the three
stunned visitors standing in the dirt.
Rose, Noel, and the Snowman-boy stood frozen, their mouths hanging open. They
looked back at the beautiful lady in the garden. She was still smiling, completely
unbothered by the fact that her front door had just been turned into toothpicks.
"There," she said sweetly, gesturing to the smoking, doorless entrance. "Now you're
free to go inside.