Alasia Castle, Throne Room
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Nyx sat upon the throne, his presence filling the vast hall with a dark intensity, his gaze fixed and unyielding. A chilled silence permeated the air, broken only by the steady, ominous rhythm of his fingers tapping on the armrest.
"Knock. Knock."
The door resounded with firm, deliberate knocks. Nyx's gaze didn't shift; he merely spoke, his voice low and slicing through the silence. "Enter."
The heavy door creaked open, and a column of knights marched into the room. Clad in identical, gleaming golden armor, seven figures moved with the weight of destiny on their shoulders. The rhythmic clanking of their armor filled the hall, punctuating the stillness. When they reached the throne, they halted in unison and, with a clatter of metal, sank to one knee before him.
"We greet our Lord!" they declared in perfect synchrony, their voices ringing through the hall.
Nyx nodded, his expression unreadable. "Good," he replied, his tone colder than steel.
With a wave of his hand, seven scrolls materialized, hovering before each knight. These scrolls glowed faintly with an ethereal light, their contents outlined in a language old as the kingdom itself. "Choose," Nyx commanded, his words sharp. "Sign the 'Chained Oath,' binding your loyalty, or leave here in silence."
The knights glanced at one another, tension flickering in their eyes, but each one pressed a blood-stained finger to the parchment, sealing their fates.
Nyx studied them as they signed, his gaze piercing. "This contract prevents you from raising a hand against me," he intoned, the weight of his words unmistakable. "If you stay, your loyalty is sealed. If you choose to part ways, all I ask is silence about what you've seen here."
He leaned forward slightly, the flicker of a dangerous gleam in his eyes. "Stand to my left if you choose loyalty. Stand to my right if you choose freedom."
Five of the knights rose and stepped to Nyx's left, aligning themselves in a rigid line, faces hidden by their helmets yet expressions likely resolute beneath. The remaining two stood to his right, casting a final glance at their comrades before bowing their heads.
"Very well," Nyx said, his tone colder still. "You two are free to go."
The two knights turned to leave, armor clinking as they took their first steps away from the throne. But as they crossed the threshold, their movements slowed, then stopped entirely. Without a word or sound, they collapsed to the ground, their golden armor echoing a chilling silence as they lay motionless.
The five remaining knights looked back at the fallen forms of their comrades, the reality sinking in. Nyx's voice, calm yet laced with cruel calculation, drifted through the air. "Now, now... say goodbye to your former brothers."
A silence fell once more, and the knights who remained turned their gaze back to Nyx, the weight of their choice as heavy as the armor on their shoulders.