Inside the palace, the boys started to get up—maybe because their room didn't have that much gas, or maybe because of some other reason. The First one to wake up was Gloomy. "Hmmm, everyone, are you guys, okay?" He saw his brothers lying on the ground. He barely moved himself to the others, trying to wake them up. After a few minutes, everyone started getting up, and realizing what had happened, they sluggishly moved toward the girls' room. They saw Zack sitting like a demon, looking at the slightly less dense gases around. Their faces shuddered, clearly scared by how Zack looked right now—his eyes full red, his hands in blood, his teeth clenched not in pain but in anger.
Everyone came and saw the girls who were sleeping peacefully. Everyone checked each girl one by one, checking for any abnormalities. Gloomy and Oliver checked most thoroughly and said, "No one is hurt, only in deep sleep."
Everyone sighed a breath of relief. Oliver looked at Zack and then the girls, thinking, clearly something happened, but everyone is okay, so I will leave it at that. Gloomy also sighed in relief, seeing his sisters okay. He sat down on the floor beside Maren's head. Following him, Oliver sat between Zack and Gloomy at one corner. Big guy came towards his sister Fia and thought "I failed again. How many times have I failed to protect my family and friends?" he thought as he looked at his sister and others. He, with his hand clenched, sat down beside Fia's head. Then Alfie also sat down, not saying anything.
If I would have been a little faster, then I would have warned them earlier.
I was too much absorbed in myself and failed to understand the deepness of the situation and didn't provide a solution.
I failed again. I can't protect anyone.
I failed to do my duty. I am not worthy.
If I see him next time, I will kill him.
SLLLAAAPPPPPPPPP!!!!!
Everyone at the same time slapped themselves.
I will become faster.
I will take care of others more than myself.
I will protect everyone.
I am strong and worthy.
I will definitely kill him.
Everyone's gaze became strong and focused, looking ahead with determination, their hands clenched.
The 4th rock leader came running to check after he gave the pole to Jorri. When he just came to the room and saw the scene, he was shocked.
Whattt!! What is this? He didn't know why the gases were unable to penetrate the bed. It looked like a beautiful scene with gorgeous beautiful angel-like women sleeping on the bed peacefully as the boys, like a giant guardian protecting them. He got goosebumps! He stared at them for so long, then decided to close the door. Gases are nearly vanished, making them safe he thought while closing the door. He stood guard as he looked outside, Jorri and that man still fighting in the beautiful night sky.
After some time …."Huff, huufff, uffff!" A tired mature woman's voice sounded in the hallway as she, with heavy steps and the support of walls, walked ahead in a hurry as some guards and maids followed her. Not wearing any footwear, still wearing her slit tight green dress, she walked and walked, finally reaching her kids' place. She saw her uncle standing guard. Still, her heart was not at ease. She walked forward and saw the boys' room. "Where are my boys?" she said as tears came to her eyes. "Uncle Remek, where are my boyyss?" she said in a slightly louder voice.
"Malina, calm down. Everyone is okay. Come, let me show you your kids." Leader Remek brought the Queen to the door and let her inside. Then she saw the same scene but with a little less intensity, but that's not what she care about. She looked at each one oh her kids. Seeing Zack's condition, her heart ached. She saw the other boys' angry faces and the girls' peacefully sleeping faces. She sighed. She didn't go to them. It's my fault. My kids are suffering because I can't do anything for them. Queen came outside, closing the door behind her, and collapsed down. She didn't cry—she couldn't in front of everyone. She clenched her fist, biting her lips, her head down, holding a lot of pain inside. She sat in front of the door for a long time when suddenly someone came and reported, "Queen, Mr. Jorri is heavily injured, and that man has fled. Mr. Jorri is in bad condition. Please come fast, Queen."
After listening to this, the Queen's heart broke to pieces. Her mind was going, NOOOOOO, plleasseeee, nooo mooorrrreee. She got up, getting more strength, and ran barefooted.
Jorri was in the treatment room, his body broken, blood everywhere, and his body colour getting purple from his leg. He could barely speak, the energy inside him rampaging, tearing his insides in pain. "Heeeeeeeeaaaaaaa," not voicing his pain out, holding back with a grunt.
THUMMMBBBB!!. The door opened loudly startling everyone. "JORRRIIIIII!" Queen shouted as she came running, checking him. Seeing him so hurt, her mind started to go blank. She trying to put her hand somewhere he couldn't feel pain but she can't find any place, her heart ache with lot of pain, she feels like she can't breathe now.
"What happened to him? Can you treat him?" she asked in a low voice.
The doctor said, "He is clearly heavily poisoned. We could still somehow clear the poison with a lot of effort, but the energy inside him is wreaking chaos. We can't stop it. We have never seen this energy—probably a Crown-level energy or something else we don't know. We can't control it. It is like a slow plague, slowly consuming his body. In a few days, if we can't do something, then I fear..." He didn't finish the sentence.
"Get out!" Queen said.
"But Queen, we..."
"IIII SAIIIDDD GEETTTT OUUUTTTTT!!!!" Queen shouted, her head down, clutching the bed sheet.
Everyone left, leaving her alone. Leader Remek also stood away at the door, guarding it.
"Jorri, why did this happen to you?" She touched his biceps and started crying silently. "Yoouuuu... diiddd youuu usseee meee?" Suddenly, Queen heard Jorri speak.
"Huh, what? Use you? What are you talking about?" Queen, surprised, her tears held at the edge of her eyes, waiting to be flowed.
"Cough, cough. We've known each other since we were kids, buttt... coughhhh, coughhhh, you only said to work for you when you came back from the Land of Dreath. Uggghhhhhh, couughhh. Did you use my powers?" With a fierce, angry glare from his eyes, Jorri asked, his teeth clenched.
"Huh, huh, what? What are you saying, Jorri? It's not like that. Why are you saying this? This isn't like you. What has happened to you?" Queen, now her hand trembling, asked Jorri with a pale face.
"Don't lie to mee, Maliinnaaa." Bleerrghhhh! Jorri got unconscious after spurting blood.
Queen's mind went blank. She backed up her steps, retreating, and hit another bed. She looked down, remembering the day from her younger days when she found out she couldn't have any Crown powers—her world shattered. And seeing Jorri use power, she, in anger, asked him to work under her. That was true. BUT, BUTT, I... I didn't mean to. Her eyes clouded with tears. She could see nothing because her tears filled her eyes, her heart in lot of pain, breathing from her mouth. Then—THUUMMPPP—she fell unconscious on the ground.
Leader Remek, seeing this in a hurry, carried the Queen to the bed and brought everyone back as treatment started.
"Uff, today lots of animals lost control. Sigh, as always, the ceremony coming closer causes everyone to lose control," he sighed while sitting on the carriage as his kills were getting carried behind in a container, driven by a creature who moved like a living mountain. Each step shook the ground. Its body was covered in thick, stone-like armor with sharp blue ridges glowing faintly along its back. A massive black horn curved from its snout, and its red eyes glimmered beneath a heavy brow. Short, powerful legs ended in claws that could crush rock. With every breath, mist rose from its nostrils, and its armored plates shifted slightly—a slow, unstoppable force of nature that even high winds can't disturb his walk.
After coming to the gates, he got down and saw lots of disturbance. Hmm, did something happen? he thought, then heard, "GRANNDPPA Arnneettt!"
Uncle Esjar came running towards him. "Grandpa Arnet, you came just now. Listen, the princess got attacked, but don't worry—everyone is safe, including Zack and Sasha!" He spilled out everything before grandpa could worry.
Still, Grandpa's face got dark, his face serious. With a deep voice, he asked, "What about the attacker?"
Uncle Esjar shook his head and said, "He escaped. He had strange power, his body was all black and blue—weird looking guy for sure."
Hearing this, Grandpa's face went into a lot of thinking. After quite a while, he sighed. "It's okay if everyone is fine. Let's go. I will wait for them at home."
Both went after taking care of the hunted animals, going to their home to wait for their kids.
After seeing the Queen got to her room and rested, the 4th Rock Leader came toward the 2nd rock leader and said, "Mikaela, you have done a good job, but you will have a long night. Take your troops and sweep the city clean in the name of the assassin attempt. We may not find any big fish, but clearing small fishes will save us a lot of trouble in the future."
Mikaela smiled, waiting for this opportunity. "Yes, Leader, I will complete the task." She saluted and started to walk away.
After coming out, she sent an order to gather at the 3rd rock. Her soldiers, full clad in black, masks black with red glasses like hers, looked more like mercenaries than troops. She, with a strong voice, said, "SOLLDDDIIIEEERRRSSSS, I WANT EVERY NOOK AND CRANNY SWEPT BY THIS MORNING! EVERY ROCK AREA SHOULD BE SEARCHED PROPERLY FOR ANY WEIRD PEOPLE. IF YOU FIND THEM, LOCK THEM UP. IF THEY ATTACK YOU, THEN KILL THEM. AND THE PEOPLE WHO DON'T LET YOU DO THE WORK, THROW THEM DOWN THE ROCK! NOW GOOOOOO!!!"
"YEESSS, LEEADDDEEERRRR!!" They vanished fast, and so begins the late-night sweep. Tonight's night is sure to bring many people's sleeps to a halt. Vali Sverrisson - 3rd Rock Leader looks below from his tower with no expression.
Soon enough, she was getting reports on the situation. Some were bad, some neutral, and some weird reports like:
"Leader, we found a man spraying all over the walls saying, 'Peace one will never end!!'"
"What's that supposed to mean? A prophecy? A poem?"
"No idea, Leader."
She waved her hand. "Whatever. Toss him in jail for the night. Maybe he'll find the ending in his dreams."
"Leader! There's a street brawl! Two groups—one yelling 'M is the GOAT!' and the other shouting 'R is the GOAT!'"
The leader blinked. "Goat? Is that an animal?"
"Yes, Leader, probably."
She sighed. "Then tell them both we already have enough livestock problems. Send them to the livestock department outside the borders."
"Leader! We caught a man underground, scribbling strange stories. He had your picture on the table while writing."
The leader's eye twitched. "My picture?"
"Yes, Leader. He said it 'inspires' him."
"Ugh. I've read his stories. They're awful. Just... end his inspiration permanently."
"Someone is having fun," a sweet, seductive voice came from behind her. Mikaela turned around and saw Njala Borksdottir - 1st Rock Leader in her white tight outfit covering her whole body with a skull-face long arm bracelet on her arm, with shadows on both her arms, with her short boy-cut hair flowing on one side.
"Yes, this is the most fun I've had in years," Mikaela said, smiling.
"Are you thinking to find something at my place since they are going so rampant and sending my men and women to jail without any notice?" Njala complained in slight anger.
"Hmm, if they had done nothing wrong, then for sure they will be released. If not, then staying in jail is better than staying at the 1st rock," Mikaela said with a smirk.
"Hmmm, I guess so." She looked toward the palace in the horizon. She continued, "Living there is indeed a mess. I wonder what our Crown has done to improve it?"
"Njala," Mikaela interjected, "the Queen has done everything she can. Just because something is not good doesn't mean someone is intentionally stopping the growth."
"I wonder about that." Changing the topic, she asked, "What about your house? Did you send someone to your place, or does everyone trust you?"
"You are free to check if you want," Mikaela replied.
"Maybe I will go. Seeing those two handsome men at your place is quite a treat to my eyes," Njala smiled tauntingly.
Raising her eyebrows in anger, she was about to say something, but Njala interjected, "Calm down, girl. I am not interested in your husbands. I will take my leave. Bye-bye, have a good niiigghhttt!!" She turned around and left.
That bitch still hasn't found anything, Njala thought and went away.
Mikaela gave her back a deep look and started to listen to reports as the night slowly coming to an end….
END OF CHAPTER
The weight of helplessness is a special kind of torture—watching someone you care about suffer while you stand frozen, unable to do anything. Queen Malina collapsed not from weakness, but from carrying too much alone for too long. Jorri's accusation cut deeper than any blade because doubt, once planted, grows roots in the darkest soil of our hearts.
Stories, like people, need rest to breathe. From now on, four chapters per week will be released—Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday. I want you all to rest from my chapters... maybe I want some rest too, the narrator looks sideways and whistles. Keep reading my story and give all the love you can for the characters! They're fighting battles in a world that doesn't forgive mistakes. Sometimes the quietest way to fight alongside them is simply to witness their struggle, remember their names, and refuse to look away when the wind turns dark.
Release Schedule: MON • WED • FRI • SUN