Harsh brass gongs rang across the royal courtyards, shattering the quiet night.
Panic erupted below his balcony as shouting voices echoed through the winding corridors.
Kai stood perfectly still amidst the carnage, letting the cool breeze wash over his ruined silk robe.
Blood dripped from his fingertips, pooling onto the frozen marble beneath his boots.
Footsteps thundered down the hallway just seconds later.
Four squads of female Sandguard Elites rushed toward his shattered doorway, holding their spears ready for a fight.
They burst into the suite expecting to find an intruder standing over a dead consort.
Instead, they found a literal nightmare painted in crimson and blue frost.
Twelve bodies lay scattered across the frozen floorboards.
Shredded tapestries hung in ruined strips from the walls, blowing gently in the wind.
Guards and assassins alike shared the exact same gruesome fate.
