Beneath the Drayton Empire, in a chamber buried deep underground, it was filled with wax and damp. Shadows flickered across the walls, and in the center stood a group of men in a circle - some masked, some bare-faced. All of them are silent.
At their head sat their commander, his fingers tapping the armrest of his chair, his smile as sharp as a sword.
"The ambush failed," he said, his voice raspy. "And the princess is still breathing."
Silence fell over the room. Men swallowed hard. Others stiffened. But the commander chuckled.
He said thoughtfully. "It doesn't matter." "Her death was never the goal. Now, the problems will only grow. Soon, war will be the only path left."
A masked man spoke. "What about the king?"
The leader's smirk widened. "Enraged. My men have done their work well, whispering doubt into his ears, stoking his fury. Even now, one of them moves through the castle, pushing him further into the fire."
A hooded figure shifted at the edge of the room. "Then why did we attempt to kill the princess? If she's meant to unite Drayton and Ingocia, then her death could ruin some plans."
The leader let the question hang, his smirk never faltering.
Then he laughed. "She is a symbol. A tool. If she lives, she plays her part. If she dies, her father will turn to Ingocia anyway for war. It doesn't matter how we take the way, it all ends the same."
Another voice, quieter but firm. "Kevin... He's trying to hold his father back."
The leader's smirk faded slightly. His fingers stopped drumming. "Watch him closely. I don't trust this kid. He has his own will."
A figure near the leader's right spoke up. "Kevin is loyal, but he hesitates. He's not like his father. He thinks too much. And... he's kind."
The leader exhaled. "It's ok for now, we need his strength. But if he becomes a problem…" His voice dropped lower. "Kill him."
A ripple passed through the room. Some masked figures stiffened. One man near the wall spoke, his voice deep and steady. "Kevin is strong. It's not that simple to kill him."
The leader leaned back. "I never said it would be simple. But his weakness is his kindness, so it's easy to end him."
A taller masked figure spoke carefully. "And what of Devotion? They suspect a third party. And they have… the Phantom Hand."
Silence. Then, a name uttered like a curse by one of the men. "Yuri."
No one wanted to admit it, but they all knew that Yuri was not a man to be ignored.
"He was there," said the masked man. "He caught the arrow with his bare hand. I saw it myself."
The leader laughed. "You all think too much." His voice was light, dismissive. "Yuri is just one man. Strength alone does not change the course of wars."
The masked man clenched his fists. "However, when we started the war with Polon, we can't ignore what he did..."
The leader interrupted him with his raised hand. "We will move on. The war is coming. When the battle rages, even the most brilliant minds will not have time to think. Let him try his best to stop the inevitable." He lowered his hand and continued, "Remember, this time is different, the whole organization is in on this."
He stood up, a wide grin spreading across his face. "It's time for the final spark. The devotion will burn. We have to start with our final plan."
The figures around him straightened. The decision had been made. The pieces were set.
The leader clasped his hands. "We have already won this game."
The flames quivered. Shadows stretched across the stone walls. In the darkness, the invisible hands of war continued to move.