The ancient throne room was silent.
Massive stone pillars rose toward the ceiling like the trunks of dead giants, their surfaces carved with faded runes from a forgotten age. Torches burned along the walls, their flames flickering weakly in the heavy air, casting long shadows that crawled across the cold stone floor.
At the center of the chamber stood a black altar.
And on that altar lay a man.
Count Arden Kaelthorn.
Blood spilled from the corner of his mouth as he coughed weakly. His body was covered in deep wounds cuts, burns, and bruises earned through countless battles. His armor had been shattered, and his breathing had become slow and uneven.
Life was quietly slipping away from him.
Yet his hand still held his sword.
The blade rested against the stone beside him, stained dark red.
Arden's lifeless eyes stared blankly at the ceiling above, as if searching for something beyond the cracked stone and fading torchlight.
Footsteps echoed softly through the throne room.
A young man stepped into the light of the torches.
His posture was elegant, his clothes perfectly clean despite the chaos that had unfolded here. Dark eyes looked down at the dying count with quiet indifference.
Crown Prince Alaric von Kaiser.
The future ruler of the Kaiser Kingdom.
He stopped beside the altar and studied the wounded man for a moment.
Then he spoke.
"Count Arden… truly impressive."
His voice was calm, almost respectful.
"I must say, I'm genuinely impressed. You really were my most loyal follower."
The prince stepped closer, standing beside the altar. His black eyes rested on Arden's face, completely devoid of emotion.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Then the prince continued.
"I'm sure you have many questions."
He paused briefly before adding,
"But by now… you must already understand why you had to die."
Arden coughed again, blood staining his lips.
He didn't bother turning his head toward the prince.
His voice was hoarse and broken.
"…I simply knew too much."
Each word came slowly, forced out with what little strength he had left.
A faint smile appeared on the prince's face.
"I like smart people, You were loyal, Arden.Unfortunately, loyalty does not make a man safe… only useful" Alaric said softly.
The prince turned away from the altar and began walking across the throne room.
His movements were graceful, almost leisurely.
Behind the throne stood a massive demon statue, carved from dark stone. Its horns curved toward the ceiling, and its empty eyes seemed to watch the entire chamber.
Alaric stopped in front of the statue and looked up at it.
"Still… I should thank you, Lord Arden."
His voice echoed lightly through the chamber.
"You and your hundred soldiers."
"Your sacrifice made it very easy for me to complete my mission."
Arden said nothing.
He didn't even fully understand what had happened anymore.
The disappointment inside him had grown too heavy.
For twenty years he had served the prince faithfully.
He had carried out every order.
Secret assassinations. Political purges. Dirty work that the royal family could never perform openly.
He had trusted the prince more than anyone.
Even considered him a friend.
And yet…
In the end, it was that same prince who led him to this altar.
It had started with a promise.
Alaric had told him that the time had finally come for him to break through to Rank Five.
All Arden needed to do was clear a newly discovered labyrinth.
The mission seemed simple.
The labyrinth had only been ranked Level Four.
Arden was confident.
He gathered a hundred of his soldiers and entered without hesitation.
They fought their way through the floors one by one until they reached the twentieth floor.
There, they faced the boss monster.
A massive serpent.
A Rank Four monster.
The battle had been fierce, but Arden eventually cut the creature down with his sword.
But the moment the serpent died—
The labyrinth began to collapse.
The entire dungeon shook violently as the walls cracked and the ground split apart.
Before anyone could react, a powerful teleportation spell activated beneath their feet.
In an instant, they were transported to this ancient throne room.
Confusion spread among the soldiers.
And then suddenly—
They began attacking each other.
No one understood why.
Some lost control of their minds.
Others fought like madmen.
Arden had been forced to defend himself.
One by one, the soldiers died.
When the madness finally ended…
Only Arden remained.
And then the altar lit up.
Ancient runes began glowing beneath his feet.
That was when the great doors of the throne room slowly opened.
And Prince Alaric walked inside.
From that moment, Arden understood.
Everything had been planned from the beginning.
The labyrinth.
The teleportation.
The slaughter.
All of it.
A sacrifice.
The prince slowly returned to the altar.
He stood beside Arden once more and looked down at him.
"Goodbye, Lord Arden."
His voice remained calm.
Almost gentle.
A flash of steel cut through the air.
The blade moved once.
The sword slid across Arden's throat.
Warm blood spilled across the altar.
The prince wiped the blade calmly before turning away.
Behind him, the torches flickered as the ancient runes on the altar began to glow brighter.
And Count Arden Kaelthorn took his final breath.
Or so it seemed.