King Adrian shook George's hand, letting out a deep sigh of relief. He had come dangerously close to bowing to Oz's demands, but he was glad he hadn't. In truth, it wouldn't have made much difference—George was just happy to have maintained the illusion of power.
"King Adrian, I hope this alliance between my city and your kingdom lasts a long time," George said, slipping his hand back into his pocket.
Adrian nodded, still staring at his hand—the hand that had just shaken the supposed Wizard of Oz. 'Why did his grip feel so weak?' he wondered, though he quickly brushed the thought aside. 'It couldn't be…'
Suddenly, a knock echoed through the room. Everyone turned toward the door. Captain Roland opened it to reveal the two guards from earlier, holding a man in a mask.
"Who is this?" Roland asked.
"Captain, we found this person snooping around in the basement," one of the guards explained. "They were armed. Your instincts were spot on, sir—if we hadn't gone down there, this intruder would've gotten away."
Roland frowned. "But I didn't send anyone to the basement."
The guards exchanged confused glances. "But… you gave us the order just a few minutes ago."
"How long ago?"
"Three minutes, sir."
Roland narrowed his eyes. "I've been in this room for the last three minutes."
George stiffened, realizing the situation was unraveling fast. 'Think, think…' He needed to act quickly.
"I did it," George said, stepping toward the window, his back to the room.
"Great Wizard… you impersonated me?" Roland asked, clearly unsettled.
"I saw a threat and dealt with it. Maybe not in a way you'd prefer, but you're welcome," George said dismissively, pointing past the masked man the guards were holding.
Everyone turned to look, only to find nothing out of the ordinary. When they turned back, George had disappeared from the window.
"Well, I think that's my cue," Michael said, standing up and extending his hand to the King.
Adrian took it, bowing his head slightly. "I owe you an apology for doubting you, Sir Michael. And for threatening you. I hope you can forgive me."
Michael chuckled, patting Adrian's leg since he was too short to reach his shoulder. "No worries. In your shoes, I would've done the same thing."
As Michael made his way to the exit, the King called out, "Sir Michael, I've heard rumors that the Great Wizard's power has grown. Is that true?"
Michael glanced back, nodding. "He's surpassed human limits. Honestly, I don't think I could even estimate his strength. His power has no limit."
King Adrian's gaze drifted to the window where 'Oz' had vanished. "Has he really reached godhood?"
Michael pointed toward the ceiling. "I'm no wizard, but I'll tell you this, if a demigod wishes death upon us, we do not need another demigod to intervene.'"
Captain Roland frowned, the weight of those words sinking in. It was one thing to believe that Oz was the most powerful wizard to ever walk the earth—but more powerful than demigods? That bordered on heresy.
With Michael gone, the attention of those left in the room turned to the man in the mask. Captain Roland approached him, kneeling in front of the intruder and pulling off the mask. What he saw made him recoil. The man's face was barely recognizable—his skin had been torn off, leaving him unidentifiable. Even his own mother wouldn't have recognized him.
"A spy slave," Roland muttered. It was a well-known technique used to prevent a spy's true identity from being discovered.
Roland turned to the King. "My Lord, it's best if you head to the safe house."
Adrian nodded, his face pale as he quickly left the room, escorted by his knights.
"Take him to the Chambers of the Sinful," Roland ordered, gesturing for the guards to drag the spy to the castle's temporary prison.
Once the spy was thrown into the dark cell and the door was locked, Roland sat on the ground outside, staring at the prisoner. "Why are you here?" he asked.
The spy said nothing, remaining eerily still.
"Who sent you?" Roland pressed, his voice low and threatening.
Still, the spy remained silent. Roland's eyes narrowed. 'He's not ignoring me… he can't hear me.'
Getting to his feet, Roland unlocked the cell and grabbed the spy by the neck, inspecting him more closely. The spy's eardrums were completely destroyed. Worse still, when Roland forced open the man's mouth, he saw the spy's tongue had been cut out.
"What the hell…"
Suddenly, the spy's eyes darkened, turning a deep, matte black. Roland had only seen such eyes once before. The spy's eyes filled with tears, as if pleading for help.
"This is… dark witchcraft!" Roland shouted, stumbling out of the cell.
"Run!" he screamed at the guards nearby, but it was too late. The cell exploded with a violent burst of dark magic, sending Roland and the guards crashing into the stone walls of the basement.