For the first time in years, Shunga looked at his king and did not see a sheltered boy raised behind gold-plated walls. He saw a ruler. Someone decisive. Someone dangerous.
But then a thought hit him like a cold wind.His voice trembled as he spoke.
"Your Majesty… isn't this unfair to the Prime Minister? I mean… if we do something this unethical, won't history judge you? Won't your name be ruined forever?"
The chamber fell into a hollow silence.The torches hissed.The shadows on the walls stretched like they were listening.
Then it came.
A laugh.
Slow. Strange. Almost… wrong.
Satya stood there, his face half-lit, wearing a smile that was nothing like the calm king Shunga knew. It was sharp. Crooked. Almost predatory.
"History will judge me?" Satya said softly. "History is written by the one who survives, isn't it?"
He stepped closer, his voice turning cold.
"And besides… everything is fair in war. This kingdom needs cleansing. And time demands this."
Shunga froze.His spine stiffened.He had served kings his whole life, but he had never heard something like this.Not from Satya. Not from the gentle, thoughtful king he remembered.
Who was this man?
His thoughts spiraled, his breath caught, and for a moment he forgot where he stood. He forgot how to speak.
A hand landed on his shoulder.
Satya's hand.
Shunga snapped back from his daze. Satya leaned in, whispering in a tone colder than steel.
"I trust you, Shunga. Find me someone who can do this job."
And without waiting for a response, Satya walked out of the dark chamber, leaving Shunga alone with the wavering torchlight and his own doubt.
Scene Shift: A Lonely Forest Road
A man dressed in fine clothes but hiding his face under a cloth hood walked quickly along a narrow dirt path that ran through the forest. Every few steps, he glanced behind him.
Left.Right.Behind.
He was scared of shadows that weren't even moving.
After several minutes, he reached a wooden house hidden deep between trees. He paused in front of it, breathing heavily, taking in its worn planks and dark windows before pushing the door open.
Inside, a single table stood at the center.Four men sat around it.One chair was empty.
He walked straight to that empty seat and sat down, adjusting his hood nervously.
A moment passed.
Then a voice came from the darkest corner of the room.
"So… everyone is here," the voice said. "Let's begin."
The man stepped forward, half of his face revealed by the flickering lantern.
The Prime Minister.
He smiled.
A slow, twisted, hungry smile.
"Time to discuss our plan."