A knight on horseback shouts at the top of his lungs, "Is everyone here? Is there anyone in this city who is missing? If someone isn't here, let this announcement be told to them as well. Now, listen carefully to what I am about to say!"
In the crowd, we see Commander Seraphina. She has come in disguise. Nearby, General Valerius is also hidden among the people, his face covered. In the surge of the crowd, the two accidentally bump into each other. Seraphina glances at the General, hides her face, and tries to move away. General Valerius catches up to her and whispers sternly, "No matter how much I forbid it, you never listen. I told you last night not to come here."
"If you told me not to come, then why are you here?" Seraphina retorts. "You shouldn't be here either."
"Arguing with you is useless," the General sighs. "I told you we would find out about the announcement anyway."
"I don't trust words passed from mouth to mouth," Seraphina says coldly. "Until I hear it with my own ears, I won't be at peace. And if you trust these fools so much, why did you show up?"
"My dear," the General whispers, "I knew you would come despite my warning. I couldn't leave you in danger, so I had to come."
"Now that you're here, keep quiet and listen," she snaps. "The announcement is beginning."
The crowd falls so silent it's as if the square is empty. The only sound is the rhythmic thud of a horse's hooves as a knight steps forward. He unfurls a scroll with both hands and bellows, "In three days' time, a tournament will be held! This year's tournament will be unlike anything seen in the last century. From now on, there will be only one tournament per year. Our Lord has decreed that the tradition of three tournaments is over!"
Suddenly, the General notices a few people staring at them. "Seraphina, I must leave," he whispers.
"Why?"
"I think I've been recognized. If that happens, we will both pay a heavy price. I should be at the castle with King Argus. If I stay close to him, he won't suspect us."
"Fine," she says quietly.
As the General prepares to vanish, he looks back at her. "Tell me everything tonight, Seraphina. Every single detail." In the blink of an eye, he disappears into the crowd.
The knight's voice pulls Seraphina's attention back. "My King has declared that the winner of this tournament will be granted enough gold to last five generations! Not only that, the victor will be appointed to a high rank within Evergard Castle!"
A man from the crowd shouts, "But My Lord, if there is so much gold at stake, tell us—what is the tournament? Who must we fight?"
The knight's face reddens with rage. "Silence, peasant! Interrupt me again, and you will regret it."
Seraphina clenches her fist. Like the King, his loyalists have changed their colors too, she thinks bitterly.
"To answer this fool's question," the knight continues, "there will be ten rounds. In each round, you will fight a prisoner. If you survive even eight out of ten rounds, the King will fulfill his promise."
A wave of fear washes over some, while the thieves and outlaws in the crowd look pleased.
"Now, the rules," the knight yells. "Rule One: Once you sign your name, you cannot withdraw. Anyone who tries to back out will be executed on the spot by a Ballista bolt. Think carefully before you sign. Rule Two: If anyone tries to help a brother, father, son, or husband inside the Arena, the tournament will be canceled immediately. The savior will be thrown into a dungeon for life, and the fighter will be banished to 'No Man's Land' forever!"
Hearing the name 'No Man's Land', Commander Seraphina begins to tremble. Her heart sinks.
"No Man's Land?" Decker asks from his hiding spot. "What on earth is that?"
"You don't know about No Man's Land?" Daki asks, surprised. "That's where the worst criminals are sent."
"And where is it?"
"It's the area outside the 'Wells of Justice'," Daki explains.
"And what is the 'Well of Justice'?"
Daki looks at him with wide eyes. "You don't know the Well of Justice and you call yourself a Prince? Have you never left the castle?"
"I have," Decker mutters, "but never this far."
"Quiet for now," Daki whispers. "I'll tell you everything later. Listen."
The knight's voice rings out one last time. "It is a fight to the death—either you kill your opponent, or you die by their hand. You have today to think. Tomorrow morning, we will begin taking names at this very spot. If you are willing to gamble your life for a better future, be here."
As the knights depart, chaos breaks out in the square.
Back at the castle, King Argus is still searching for Decker. He barks at his guards, "Go! Find him! Tell him his father is pleased with him and is waiting in his private chambers. Go now!"
Decker, still at Daki's house, asks again, "Daki, you were going to tell me about the Well of Justice."
"I don't know everything," she says, "but my father told me stories. Let me show you." She brings a piece of paper and draws a rough map with three circles. "Look, Decker. This area is vast. These three circles are the three wells known as the 'Wells of Justice'. They are actually massive walls, nearly 70 meters high. Inside each well, there is an entire kingdom—castles, cities, rivers, and even forests."
"But can't people move between them?" Decker asks.
"My father said merchants used to travel between them years ago. But now, the 'Giant Gates'—the Gates of Justice—are sealed. Monsters and dark entities used to disguise themselves as traders to get inside. Now, the gates remain closed."
"Oh," Decker whispers, stunned. "And the land between these wells... is that Isangard?"
"The land inside and around our well is Isangard," Daki corrects him. "The wasteland between two wells is called 'No Man's Land'. No one goes there anymore because of the monsters. It's a death trap."
"But Daki," Decker asks, "can't the monsters just climb those walls?"
"Have you heard of the Blind Crows Knights?" Daki asks.
Decker's eyes snap shut. He clenches his fists so hard the veins in his arms bulge. A cold chill runs through his body. He is angry, but he stays quiet. "Who are they? No one ever told me about them."
"The Blind Crows are monsters themselves," Daki says softly. "They aren't like us. They guard the walls of the Well of Justice. Most people think they are myths from the past, but my father says they are still up there, watching."
"What makes them so special?"
"They have no eyes. They are blind. But their senses of hearing and smell are a thousand times sharper than any knight's. Even though they are blind, they can pin an insect to a leaf in the dark of a forest with a ballista bolt from miles away. They are silent killers."
Meanwhile, King Argus is informed that Decker is nowhere to be found. "My Lord, we have searched every inch of the castle. He is gone."
Argus realizes something is wrong. "Bring me the General. Tell him I command his presence immediately."
When the messengers find Valerius, he is already back. He finds the King in the garden, handing gold coins to a group of knights who then depart on horseback.
"My Lord, you summoned me?" Valerius bows.
"Decker is missing, Valerius," the King says without looking up. "He never leaves the castle. Have you seen him?"
"No, My Lord," Valerius lies, keeping his eyes lowered to hide his hatred. "If I find him, I will bring him to you."
"No need," Argus says coldly. "I have sent my own knights to search every house in the city. They will bring him to me."
"Forgive me, My Lord," Valerius says, "but I must ask. Your behavior has changed. You are no longer the man you were. You have even changed the sacred tournament. What is happening?"
The King tosses something at the General's feet. It is an ancient scroll, wrapped in silver rods with intricate engravings. Valerius picks it up with trembling hands. It was written 300 years ago by Argus's great-grandfather.
It reads: The 'Dire Dirge' tournament shall be suspended for three generations. For 300 years, there shall be three peaceful tournaments a year where no warrior shall die. But once 300 years have passed, the reigning King may choose to extend the peace or bring back the ancient game of death—The Dire Dirge.
As he finishes reading, Valerius begins to shake. Sweat pours down his face. His body turns hot as if he has a fever. He looks up to see King Argus wearing a horrific smile.
"My Lord," Valerius stammers, "you mean everything to the people. Why bring back this slaughter? The peaceful tournament keeps our people safe and our warriors honored."
"You speak well, old friend," Argus says. "I thought about it. But if this continues, every drunkard in the street will think himself a King. They must know who the King is. And what is wrong with it? The weak will die, and the strong will claim the prize. Look around, Valerius—people are killing each other for bread, stealing, and losing hope. This will reduce the population, save our grain, and stop the petty crimes."
Valerius grinds his teeth. Breaking all protocol, he snaps, "Argus, you've lost your mind! I am not just your General; I am your friend. What is truly going on in your head?"
"The Demon..." Argus whispers.
"The Demon?"
"The Demon's curse is destroying our kingdom," Argus growls.
"That curse will destroy us later—your twisted mind will destroy us first!" Valerius shouts. "If the curse was real, it would have happened long ago. He spoke of a 'Great Presence' coming—where is it? No one came! This drought is just bad luck, and Queen Isabella is sick. The people are scared of losing their Queen. They need you, Argus!"
"No," Argus says, his voice low. "The Demon's words are coming true."
"General, know your place!" the King roars. "This started because we saved that woman. If we had let her fall into that well, the Demon would have killed the child, and it would have ended there. "We ought to have struck a bargain with that fiend and banished him to some distant land, but we did not. We slaughtered him instead, and with his dying breath, he unleashed a curse that has withered our world. Never in five centuries gone by has this kingdom witnessed such a desolate drought."
Valerius gasps. "Decker? You are changing the rules of a 300-year-old tournament... for Decker? I want to hear it from your mouth, Argus!"
With a devilish grin, King Argus turns to walk away. He stops and looks back over his shoulder.
"He was supposed to die 18 years ago. I gifted him 18 years of life. Now, it is time to take that life back."
And with that, the King walks away.
End of Chapter