(Chapter Starts)
The mood in the big meeting hall was tense. Kairo and his team stood with Elsa, facing Darius. Everyone looked angry and shocked.
Raiven stepped forward, his voice full of anger. "How can you accuse Kairo of being a traitor? Do you even have any proof?"
Darius crossed his arms with a smug smile. "First of all, he's not even of royal blood."
Kairo's eyes narrowed. He stepped forward. "So what if I'm not royal?" His voice was calm but firm. "You're not royal either, Darius. Does that make you a traitor too?"
Darius's face twitched slightly. Before he could reply, Kairo sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "What am I doing? Arguing with someone who already knows he's the real traitor… it's pointless."
Darius's hand twitched toward the pistol at his side. But then he glanced to his right—and froze. Sirius was staring at him with cold, blank eyes. A chill went down Darius's spine. Slowly, he moved his hand away from the gun.
A nervous-looking government official stepped up and tried to smile. "Prince Kairo, please drink some water and calm down."
Kairo sighed and took the glass. He drank the water in one go.
Suddenly, Sirius stood up. "I need to go get some important documents," he said, then walked out without another word.
The hall went quiet for a moment.
Then—
Thud.
A strange sound came from above.
At first, no one cared. But then—
Thud. Thud. Thud.
The noise kept getting louder.
Veiren frowned. "Maybe it's just the guards? This building's old… maybe they're moving around upstairs."
Eldric shook his head. "The guards are downstairs. The maids are in the kitchen. That means—"
BOOM!
A loud explosion shook the whole place. The front doors of the hall burst open, and a crowd of people stormed in.
Elsa's eyes widened. "Damn it… that bastard Sirius!"
Eldric shook his head quickly. "No, this isn't Sirius. Something else is going on!"
Before anyone could react, the ceiling started to crack.
"Everyone, get out!" Raiven shouted.
Panic hit the room. Government officials and Kairo's team rushed toward the back exit.
Kairo was about to run too, but then he stopped.
"My sword… I left it!" he muttered.
Elsa turned around, worry in her eyes. "Forget it! We have to go!"
Kairo shook his head. "I'll catch up! Go without me!"
Raiven grabbed Kairo's arm. "Kairo, don't be stupid! We don't have time!"
Kairo pulled his arm free, eyes firm. "I can't fight without my sword. Just wait for me outside—I'll be quick!"
Before anyone could stop him, Kairo ran back toward the meeting room.
Elsa clenched her fists. "Damn it, Kairo!"
Eldric grit his teeth. "We can't stay here! Let's go!"
Reluctantly, the group kept moving toward the back.
---
Kairo Running Back – His Thoughts
As Kairo ran through the dark halls, he clenched his jaw.
"Damn it, Sirius. You always do things your way… but I know you're not a traitor."
Gunfire and screaming echoed behind him.
"I should've followed him earlier… something's not right."
Then, a cold feeling ran down his spine.
"No… something bad is about to happen. I need to hurry."
He reached the meeting room door and threw it open—
---
Kairo ran into the room, breathing hard.
Someone was sitting at the end of the table, looking relaxed with one leg crossed.
The man casually picked up Kairo's sword and tossed it toward him.
"Welcome, Prince," the man said calmly. "I'm the captain of the assassins attacking this mansion."
Kairo caught the sword and held it tightly. "I don't have time for this," he muttered, turning to leave.
CRACK!
A huge piece of the ceiling fell and blocked the door with heavy rubble.
The assassin laughed. "Looks like you have no choice but to fight."
Kairo's eyes darkened. "Then I'll end this quickly."
Suddenly, the assassin pulled out a gun and shot at Kairo.
Kairo dodged, the bullet ripping through his sleeve. He grabbed his sword and dashed at the man.
The assassin smirked. Just before the blade hit, he kicked Kairo in the chest.
Kairo flew backward and hit the wall hard. He stood up, holding his chest and glaring.
The assassin grinned. "Not bad. You survived my kick."
Kairo smirked back. "Finally, someone worth fighting."
The assassin's eyes lit up. "Let's see what you've got."
He fired another bullet—aimed at Kairo's head. Kairo ducked and rushed in again.
But the assassin quickly pulled out a dagger with his other hand and threw it.
Kairo spun and deflected the dagger with his sword mid-air.
The assassin whistled. "Impressive."
He took a step closer. "I like people like you. Join me, Kairo. If you don't… should I destroy your other eye and make you blind?"
Kairo clenched his fists. "Not a chance."
He dashed forward for a final blow.
But right before he could swing—
His body froze.
Suddenly, everything felt heavy. His knees dropped. His sword slipped from his hand and hit the ground.
What… is happening?
His heart pounded. His breathing slowed. Then it hit him—
The water.
He remembered the official who gave him the drink. It wasn't normal water. It was drugged.
Damn it…
He tried to move, but his strength was gone.
"Tch… how pathetic," the assassin said, kneeling beside him. He lifted Kairo's chin and stared into his eyes. "I expected more from you, prince."
Kairo's eyes burned with anger. He wanted to speak, but couldn't.
The assassin smirked. "Don't worry. I'm not here to kill you. The order is to take you alive."
"Tsk. I wanted to fight you more," the assassin said.
Kairo's vision darkened. The last thing he saw was the assassin signaling to his men.
Then he turned to them. "Our mission is complete. Take him."
(Chapter Ends)