Inside the palace of Bermith, the nation's banners hung along the walls. Marble pillars rose on either side, and a red carpet led straight to the king seated on his throne, jewelry glinting, his eyes sharp and calculating.
Beside him lounged Prince Leoreo, a smug smirk on his face, flanked by royal guards and nobles in a rigid line.
The doors burst open. A girl with blonde hair, clad in knightly armor, strode in, fury radiating from her. The nobles murmured under their breath. She dropped to one knee before the king, her rose eyes unyielding.
"Father," she said, voice steady, "something must be done about the Ethridge Church."
Leoreo scoffed, leaning back in his chair. "This again? When will you let it go, sister?"
A noble cleared his throat nervously. "You may be the princess, Lady Riaz, but even you must show respect. You cannot simply barge in and make demands."
Riaz ignored him, her gaze fixed solely on the king. "Father, can't you see? The Church is up to something. You cannot sit idly by, pretending you don't know about the disappearance of demi-humans."
Leoreo's smirk tightened. "Riaz, these accusations will shake the royal throne. Every nation follows the Church's teachings. To claim such things is nothing less than blasphemy—"
"Shut up, Leoreo!" Riaz snapped, cutting him off. "I have no patience for a spineless prince who lounges all day looking smug."
Leoreo's face twisted in anger. "What did you just—"
"Enough," the king spoke with authority. "Both of you."
Riaz calmed herself, but Leoreo continued pressing. One sharp glance from the king made him relent.
"Understood, Father," he said, voice tight. "A prince should not lower himself to argue with a lowly wannabe knight."
The king's eyes bore into Riaz. "Riaz, you have disrespected this throne room, mocked your brother, the crowned prince, and slandered the Church with deadly accusations. Have you learned nothing from me?"
She hesitated before replying. "I beg your forgiveness, Father, but I felt this must be addressed, just as I have in the past."
The king's gaze softened slightly, but his tone remained firm. "You speak as a true knight, Riaz. But remember: before you are a knight, you are the princess of Bermith. Every action, every word you speak carries the weight to shape or shatter this nation."
Riaz held his gaze. "Yes, Father. But with all due respect, if we do nothing about the current situation, the nation will fall into ruin, regardless of what I say or do."
The king studied her for a long moment. "Tell me… do you have definitive proof of these accusations, Riaz?"
'Father, I know you see it, the corruption that goes on in the shadows of our nation.'
She clenched her teeth, voice tight. "N… no, not yet."
The king's expression hardened. "Then your words hold no weight. Dismissed."
Her fist clenched. "Very well, f—no, my king… I will protect my people with or without your help. I will excuse myself now."
She stood and walked out. Leoreo's face twisted in rage, yet the king's gaze never left her until she was out of sight.
*****
In a lab deep beneath the capital of Bermith, a man in armor strode through a room cluttered with bubbling potions and parts of strange, exotic beasts.
"Doc… I see you're as busy as ever. Did you finish the drug I requested?"
The doctor, a short quak juggling too many chemicals at once, scratched himself nervously as he turned to the knight.
"Ah! Knight Gabriel… or is it Holy Knight Gabriel now?"
Gabriel rubbed the back of his head. "Come now, Doctor Varz. I told you to drop the formalities. I only earned the Holy Knight title a month ago, so I'm hardly deserving… but enough about that."
Doctor Varz waved a hand. "Yes, yes! I've got it right here, just as you ordered." He reached for the top cupboard and pulled down a green vial.
Gabriel's smirk sharpened. "Varz, you never disappoint." He took the vial from the doctor.
Varz scratched his face again. "You… you're one of my good customers, so of course I put you first. But I must warn you—even I'm not sure it's a hundred percent… so,pro-proceed with caution."
"If that's the case, it must be tested first, right?" Gabriel said, walking toward the next room, where young girls were tied up, wailing.
"Varz… you've got a twisted hobby, you know that," he muttered, grinning as he removed the gag from one of the girls and forced her to drink the vial. Then he dragged her out of the room, stepping into the shadows beyond the lab. "I'll be back with the report."
'Finally, I'm so close... once I get a position in the Ethridge Church... I will be that much closer to being in the round table of the Divine Order.'
Doctor Varz screamed after him. "You… you better replace that one!"
*****
On top of the clock tower, mask in hand, I stood with two of the Ten Moons—Pheobe, the elf with rose-colored twin tails, and Miranda, as always with a lollipop in her mouth.
"Pheobe. Miranda."
They answered in unison.
"Yes, Lord Night Fallen."
Truly, it was a beautiful night. The moon hung high above the city, flawless and gilded in gold, perfectly setting the mood.
"As you know, we still lack crucial information on the Ethridge Church," I said. "Rhea is occupied elsewhere. Do you understand what that means?"
Pheobe hesitated, her lips parting as if to speak, then faltered. Before the silence could stretch any longer, Miranda answered smoothly,
"Yes. We understand, Sir Night Fallen."
"Good. Miranda, you know how to gather information. Pheobe is still young, so you'll guide her."
Miranda's face brightened, probably excited by the thought of being a big sister or something like that. Pheobe needed the guidance. She was strong, but timid, far more at ease with Miranda than under Luna's strictness or Black Rose's unpredictability.
I raised my mask and slipped it on, the half-grimace, half-smile settling into place.
"Now then," I said quietly. "Let dusk fall."
"For it is the will of the Midnight Haven," they replied together, and in the next breath, they vanished.
"I can feel it… I can feel it in my bones," I murmured. "A grand performance is upon me."
In the distance, a green light flared to life.
The same presence as before. The same pressure I'd felt when the Ogre and that knight had transformed into monsters. It pressed down on the capital, heavy and unmistakable.
And I was absolutely down for it.