Nearing dawn in Stone Town.
The sky in the east began to pale, shifting from the deep black of night to a bruised purplish-blue. The air started to feel warmer, carrying the salty tang of the nearby sea, a sign that morning would soon arrive. Some early merchants began setting up their stalls in the corners of the still-quiet, impeccably clean streets,
In his luxurious private room, Martis sat in his large, carved chair behind a massive, polished oak desk. The room was utterly silent, lit only by a few oil lamps whose flames flickered slowly, casting dancing shadows on the dark wood paneling of the walls. A half-empty wine bottle and a single crystal glass stood at the corner of the vast desk.
Before him stood four figures in the distinctive white attire of his forces, their white cloaks draped over their backs. They were the remainder of his most trusted elite guards:
A large bald man, powerfully built, with a heavy axe tucked prominently into his belt; a green-haired woman, lithe and sharp-eyed, with a longbow slung expertly across her back;
A black-haired man whose face was perpetually half-covered by a black cloth mask, revealing only watchful eyes, and a brown-haired man, younger than the others, with a remarkably calm, steady gaze. They stood like statues, awaiting orders.
Martis stared down at the map of Tyelven spread across his desk, its surface marked with various symbols and hurried notations. The weight of the night pressed down on him.
After receiving the devastating news that Wilas, his loyal subordinate friend, was dead and Vorlag had disappeared,
Martis was now activating his emergency contingency plan. A final act of defiance. Although his innermost heart felt shattered, cracked by the sudden, brutal losses,
Martis forced his face to remain a mask of impassivity, compelling his racing brain to think calmly,
"The plan has changed," Martis said softly, his voice sounding hoarse. He pointed to several locations on the map of the capital city, far from Tyelven. "This information," he handed several small, sealed scrolls to the bald man, "must reach these contacts before dawn."
The bald man nodded, taking the scrolls carefully. "Understood, Sir."
"The three of you," Martis looked at the other three, "increase surveillance on the noble residences I mentioned earlier. Deliver the news when dawn breaks."
"Yes, Sir," they answered in unison.
After giving them their orders, Martis leaned back in his chair. The shadows under his eyes were clearly visible. Your destruction is only a matter of time, Prince, he murmured inwardly.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
A soft, polite knock sounded on the oak door of his study.
The four elite guards immediately tensed. Their hands moved to their respective weapons.
Martis raised one hand, signaling them to remain calm. "Who is it?"
"A guest, Lord Martis. Claiming an urgent message," answered a guard’s voice from outside the door.
Martis frowned. An envoy? Urgent? Suspicion immediately flared in his mind. Who would dare come this early, after everything that had happened?
"Let her in."
The door opened. A woman stepped inside. She was tall and graceful. Long, strangely bright pink hair flowed down her back. She wore a luxurious white and blue gown. Two small horns curved from her forehead. Her face was beautiful, her skin flawless, and her smile polite. Her pink eyes looked straight at Martis.
The four elite guards tensed further. They recognized this woman.
"Lord Martis," the woman said. Her tone was soft and melodic. "I bring an important message. Could we speak alone?"
A Dragon. Martis observed the woman from head to toe. He could sense the faint, high-level magic power emanating from her.
"Four of you," Martis ordered his guards, "wait outside the door. Don’t let anyone near."
The four guards hesitated for a moment, exchanging worried glances, but finally nodded and exited the room. The oak door closed again with a soft click , leaving Martis alone with his mysterious guest.
"Sit," Martis said, gesturing to the red sofa in front of his desk. He remained in his chair, maintaining distance.
The woman smiled and sat gracefully on the sofa. "Thank you, Lord Martis. I won’t take long." She placed a small bag on her lap. "The wine you are drinking comes from our kingdom, does it not? It’s quite difficult to find in this season."
Martis’s brow furrowed slightly. Small talk. "Indeed," he answered curtly. "Your products are never disappointing." Martis then took the wine bottle and filled one of the empty glasses, then offered it to the woman.
The woman smiled and took the crystal glass. She swirled the glass slowly before taking a sip. After placing the glass down, the woman began to look around the room. "A beautiful place. Must be comfortable. Were you able to sleep well tonight, Sir?"
Martis remained silent, not answering her question.
The woman then took out a piece of bread from her pocket. "My favorite bread while staying here. Maybe I’ll return to the human kingdom just to buy this bread." She began to eat the bread slowly, her eyes still fixed on Martis.
After chewing her bread, the woman tilted her head slightly. "During my time here, my view of humans has begun to change, Lord Martis." The woman paused, trying to recall some things. "Like... you are very friendly. You are diverse. And you are not as evil as I thought. I’ve even made friends with some humans, you know. Amazing, isn’t it?"
She leaned her body forward slightly. "You know? I’ve even begun to question why our kingdom hates you so much." She paused for a moment. "Plus, you are extremely interesting." She glanced at the map on the desk. "Like how a human can convince criminals to cooperate, and even persuade the race that has hated him the longest." The woman fell silent and looked back at Martis. "No one has ever done that before."
Martis still didn’t respond. His eyes were focused on the woman, analyzing her every gesture, trying to guess the direction of this conversation.
The woman sighed lightly. "All because of that ’Starfall,’ they say?" the woman continued, her tone still light. "I am deeply concerned about the massacres everywhere. So many human lives lost in vain. It also makes your position difficult, doesn’t it? Allies leave, Guardians arrive. It must be very troublesome, hufff." She sighed again.
Martis narrowed his eyes. He could sense where this was going. "Stop talking nonsense. State your business."
The woman’s smile faded slightly, replaced by a flatter, colder expression. "We greatly appreciate our cooperation thus far, Lord Martis. You have been a useful partner. Truly useful. I deeply regret your current situation." She paused for a moment, her pink eyes staring straight into Martis’s. "But you know, secrecy is our lifeblood. And it would be disastrous if our kingdom found out that we were cooperating with a human."
The woman put on a sad facial expression and shook her head gently. "I am sad, Lord Martis."
"I will fix this. I have already prepared a plan," Martis said curtly.
"Oh?" The woman looked stunned. "I wonder, what kind of genius plan could get you out of a situation where the most important person in your organization is dead and kidnapped?" She smiled again, a smile that now felt fake.
"Unfortunately, Lord Martis..." Her smile disappeared. "...that makes you a risk we can no longer tolerate."
The woman now wore a pouting expression. "Huff. But, well, honestly, I still want to work with you!" She paused for a moment, pretending to think while placing one hand on her chin. "Hmm. Let me find a way."
After a few seconds’ pause, her face brightened. "Ah, I have an idea!" A smile returned to her face. She took out a silver coin from her robe. "How about we decide with a coin toss, Lord Martis?"
"Stop playing games," Martis said, his tone cold.
"If it’s heads, I will help you and cooperate with you. If it’s tails... well, we’ll see!"
Cling!
The woman flicked the coin with her finger. The silver coin spun rapidly, floating in the air, reflecting the lamplight. The woman smiled widely as the coin reached the peak of its rotation. Martis calmly watched the coin.
Slap! The coin fell into the woman’s cupped hand.
"Ooh, your future is right here. Are you nervous?! You should be! You should be!" the woman said cheerfully. "I’ll count to three, okay, then I’ll open!"
A strong sense of foreboding pierced Martis’s chest. He began to gather his telekinetic energy discreetly, ready to react.
Three...
Two...
One...
Creak...
The study door opened again.
A man stepped inside. The man was tall, with jet-black hair. He wore an all-white outfit that strangely looked like a formal uniform. The uniform was covered in dark red bloodstains, still wet, on the chest and sleeves. His face was handsome, but his expression was flat, emotionless. He looked at the pink-haired woman.
"My part is done, Veronica," the man said.