The night air was thick with smoke and heat. The once vibrant garden behind the castle was reduced to a scorched battlefield. Craters marred the ground. Statues of past kings lay shattered. Trees smoldered like funeral pyres under a crimson moon.
Luci stood at the edge of the largest crater, his chains rattling softly in the breeze, watching as the corrupted king was hauled away by a group of elite knights. Not a single one of them dared meet Luci's eyes.
He turned slowly, walking back toward the shattered banquet hall with a casualness that did not belong in the aftermath of a battle. His feet crunched over glass, ash, and broken tiles. The scent of roasted chicken still lingered faintly in the air—a sharp contrast to the chaos he had just unleashed.
Christian and Brian followed behind, silent.
Brianna met them halfway, her armor slightly scuffed from helping civilians escape. Her eyes darted to Luci, then to the damage behind him.
