Keal—no, Kev—had only seen her from a distance during the ball. Rumors had whispered about her beauty, but none of them came close to the reality standing before him now. Queen Zellene carried an ethereal presence, her movements elegant and fluid. The gown she wore shimmered faintly, threads of rune-silk glowing with soft enchantment. And her eyes—sharp, golden, and deep enough to pierce through thoughts.
"You have many eyes watching you," she said softly, though her voice carried the quiet weight of royalty.
Keal kept his stance guarded, but he bowed with proper respect.
"My Queen."
"Sorry I did not kill the intruder earlier," Zellene said with a gentle smile. "I didn't want to dirty the garden with blood."
"It's alright, Your Highness," Keal replied.
The Queen stepped closer. "The voices around you… they are not born in this place, Keal."
A tiny flinch betrayed him.
"You've used a veil—cleverly too. Most people wouldn't notice. But I…" Her eyes glowed faintly gold. "I have the Mind of Gold skill, with a Lord-tier energy amplifier. You cannot hide thoughts from me."
Keal stiffened.
"Don't worry," she continued calmly, "I cannot pry too deeply. Those shadows inside you scream at a frequency only Lord tiers like me can hear. They protect your mind very well."
He didn't respond. What could he say?
Her golden gaze sharpened.
"You are not Keal. You are Kev, the lunatic of Noctera."
He shrugged n fear has he had gone through a lot of length trying to hid his identity. But her eyes he felt that he had sensed something like that before he thought. "It is most likely from from younger sister zackline my sister she was the one that told me about you." she replied to his thought at this moment keal was not scared or suprised has that he had knew her skills already. She contined has she said "Our ancestor Zeheir he was the one who created our family no one know where he his from but we do know that he helped save the world once, that not the point but his skills was able to be transfered through hereditry, so most of the Zeheir that has been chosen from the system throught all of histroy had this skills but like I said most ". she said while walking in the garden admiring the flowers.
"But I didn't sense that power from Zack" he thought while looking at staring at the flower.
The Queen turned back to him, tilting her head in interest.
"You knew."
"Please," he said respectfully, "could you stop reading my mind?"
"You sound exactly like Zackline." She laughed softly, then turned to leave the garden.
She paused. "Alright. I'll stop—as long as you come inside for my fortieth birthday banquet."
Kev hesitated only a moment.
"…Yes, Your Highness."
She began walking away, but suddenly stopped yet again.
"My son—the First Prince. He acts calm, polite, composed… but his heart is poisoned."
Kev remembered the prince's cold eyes during the ball, the subtle disgust behind a perfect royal smile.
"He seeks power," Zellene said, "and he is not above betrayal to get it. The woman he's enamored with not who she claims to be."
Something in Kev's instincts tightened.
"What do you want from me?" Kev asked bluntly.
Zellene smiled. "Survive. And protect my son, Zack. He is light-hearted, reckless even—but loyal. The deeper you wander into the rot of Weton's court, the more you will end up protecting him."
She took a few steps, then turned one last time.
"And Kev…"
"Yes?"
"I see you don't u re still weak Why don't you come to my quarters sometime this week?"
Kev stared at her for a moment before answering simply,
"Alright."
Then she left for the ball.
Kev remained alone in the garden for a long moment, the lingering hum of shadows curling beneath his skin.
"She knows too much."
"And yet… she's not an enemy. Not yet."
He sighed, the whisper of the shadows still pulsing beneath his skin. Then he went back to his room after the ball. As he sat on a chair by the window, reminiscing about what had happened tonight, his door suddenly swung open with force.
Keal's room had always been his sanctuary — dim, minimal, quiet.A stark contrast to the glittering chaos of Weton's royal court.
Zellene's golden eyes.Her voice pulling thoughts from him like threads.Her casual revelation of truths he spent years burying.Her demands.Her warnings.Her smile.
A queen too dangerous to trust — and too perceptive to ignore.
He exhaled slowly, fingers tapping the armrest as the shadows beneath his skin coiled restlessly, whispering in fragmented syllables only he could hear.
Then—
BANG!
His door flew open so violently that the wood shuddered against its hinges.
Keal's head snapped up.
And in stumbled Zack.
Boisterous. Loud. Slightly drunk.A chaotic contrast to the silence that had filled the room moments before.
"I brought you a gift!" Zack declared, his voice echoing off the stone walls.
Keal stared, expression flat but eyes faintly glowing.
Behind Zack stood a young brown-haired woman — barely dressed for the freezing Weton night, cheeks flushed from embarrassment or wine, or both. She clung to Zack's sleeve, uncertain and startled by Keal's eerie presence.
Zack grinned like this was the greatest idea he'd ever had.
"She's cute, right? I figured you needed… I dunno, excitement? You're way too stiff, like an old blade stuck in the snow." He wiggled his brows dramatically.
Keal didn't speak.
Just stared — at Zack, not the girl — with a slow-building storm behind his eyes.
Zack leaned casually on a chair, missing all the tension."No need to thank me. Just— y'know, enjoy the—"
"Get out."
The words were soft. Too soft.
Zack blinked. "Huh? Bro, relax, it's just—"
The room's temperature dropped.The flame in the lantern flickered twice… then died completely.
His red eye gleamed like a hot coal, the purple one swirling like a storm cloud.
"I said…"Keal rose from the chair, shadows shifting with him."…get. Out."
It wasn't shouted — but the force behind the words made the glass on the window tremble.
The young woman gasped, backing away until she hit the open door. She bolted down the corridor without looking back.
Zack froze for a heartbeat, finally sensing the danger he had accidentally poked.
He raised both hands in surrender.
"Alright! Alright! Damn, okay! You're the most boring butler alive, I swear."
He laughed — but even he sounded nervous.He slipped through the doorway quickly, peeking back with a half-smirk.
But before he could escape fully, he stuck his head back inside.
"Actually… if you don't go after her, I'll tell Aunt Zeckline you scared of the baron Yert daughter and she'll skin you alive with her tongue alone."
Keal stiffened.
Zack grinned triumphantly — this time sober enough to know he was manipulating him.
Keal's jaw tightened. "Zack…"
"I'm just saying," Zack shrugged dramatically, "your choice. Stay here in peace or terrifying Aunt Zeckline. Pick one."
Keal exhaled sharply and stood, cloak brushing the floor like spilling ink.
"Fine."
"Yes! That's the spirit." Zack snapped his fingers. "Now move your stiff, ancient bones before she thinks you're actually a demon."
Keal shot him a murderous glare.
Zack only beamed wider.
Reluctantly — and very unwillingly — Keal strode out of the room, the corridor's torches flickering as he passed. Zack followed behind him like an excited fox.
"By the way," Zack said as they walked, "you really scared her. Like… you might wanna apologize before she reports you for summoning ghosts."
"I didn't summon anything," Keal muttered darkly.
"Exactly! That's the problem! You look like someone who would."
Keal groaned internally.
By the way why weren't u suprise at the power , keal said.
"Like i said everyone has a secret" Zack said has he tured to keal while running and then smiled.