(Chapter Starts)
Sirius led Kairo to his private room and shut the door behind them. The air felt heavy, filled with things neither of them had said yet.
"Sit," Sirius said, pointing to a chair near the table.
Kairo hesitated but then sat down, keeping his sharp eyes on his brother.
Sirius leaned against the table, crossing his arms. "So, what do you want to know?"
Kairo took a deep breath. His mind was full of questions, but one mattered most. "Do you know who really killed Father?"
Sirius raised an eyebrow, almost amused. "You really think I'd tell you if I did?"
Kairo clenched his fists. "I know it sounds crazy. Everyone says Eldoria was behind it. That was their plan, right?"
Sirius sighed and shook his head. "No, Kairo. Everyone is wrong."
Kairo frowned. "What do you mean?"
Sirius's face darkened. "Father was killed by two assassins. But they weren't hired by Eldoria. The government only told people that so they would believe it."
Kairo's heart pounded. "No... that's impossible."
All his life, he had believed Eldoria was responsible. It was the reason Solmaria hated them. If that wasn't true, then everything he thought he knew was a lie.
"You're lying," Kairo muttered. "Why would someone from Solmaria kill Father? He was the best leader this country ever had."
Sirius let out a small chuckle. "Kairo, the world isn't as simple as you think."
Kairo's breath caught in his throat.
"You believe the government does what's best for the people," Sirius said. "But the truth is, power makes people greedy. Do you really think everyone in the government was loyal to Father? No. His beliefs didn't sit well with certain people."
Kairo shook his head. "But why would anyone from Solmaria want him dead?"
Sirius looked directly into Kairo's eyes. "Because power isn't about right or wrong. It's about control."
The room fell silent as Kairo tried to process everything.
Sirius walked to the window, looking out at the city. "Do you still think Solmaria is the strongest nation on Elverio?"
Kairo didn't answer.
"You and everyone in Solmaria believe Eldoria is weak and poor," Sirius said. "But the truth is, Eldoria is much more advanced than you think."
Kairo frowned. "What are you talking about?"
Sirius turned back to him, his eyes cold. "Eldoria has been secretly building military bases in space, preparing for something much bigger than just a rivalry with Solmaria. Meanwhile, our country is falling apart from corruption and power struggles."
Kairo's mind raced. Was Solmaria really as strong as everyone believed, or had they been fooled all this time?
"So that's the truth…" Kairo whispered.
Sirius grabbed his coat and walked toward the door. "I have a meeting to attend. We'll talk later."
Before leaving, he stopped and looked back at Kairo, his expression unreadable.
"Something bad is coming," Sirius said in a low voice. "Something that will take everything from us."
Then he walked out, leaving Kairo sitting there in shock.
(Chapter Ends)