The king's eyes darkened, his lips curling into a smirk. "Bold words for a
stranger. Do you think you can walk into my kingdom and demand answers?"
Natsuo stood his ground, unfazed by the king's intimidation. "I don't think—I
know."
The king leaned back on his throne, his fingers tapping rhythmically on the
armrest. "Then prove it. Show me why I should care about anything you have
to say."
Natsuo's gaze hardened, the weight of his untapped power resting just beneath
the surface. Now's not the time to reveal everything. Not yet.
He stepped forward, his voice steady but firm. "I don't need to prove anything
to you right now. But understand this—I possess power beyond anything you
can imagine."
The king's eyes narrowed, intrigued but unimpressed. His knights, however,
shifted uneasily, their hands tightening around their weapons. The room's tension was thick, crackling with unspoken conflict, as if the very air was holding
its breath.
Finally, the knight captain broke the silence, stepping forward and bowing
slightly to the king before addressing Natsuo. "This way," he muttered, motioning for Natsuo to follow.
Natsuo cast one last glance at the king, their eyes locking in a moment of
silent understanding. Both were playing a careful game, each testing the other,
waiting for the right moment to strike. With no more words exchanged, Natsuo
turned and followed the knights out of the throne room.
As they walked down the dimly lit corridors, Luci peeked out from under Natsuo's cloak, her large eye darting around nervously. "What was that back there?
You were totally playing it cool, huh?"
"Not now, Luci," Natsuo muttered, his voice low and controlled.
Luci floated a little higher, swirling around him in an anxious loop. "You know,
we could've ended it right there! Just wipe them all out and move on! Why all
this chit-chat?"
Natsuo's gaze remained fixed forward. "Violence isn't always the answer. We
need information first."
Luci sighed, rolling her eye dramatically. "Ugh, fine. But that king… he's bad
news. I could feel it. You sure we can trust him?"
Natsuo didn't respond immediately, his thoughts turning over the encounter,
analyzing every word, every glance. His powers of knowledge gave him an advantage, but even they couldn't fill all the gaps. The king was hiding something,
something crucial, and Natsuo needed to know what it was before making any
moves.
"I'm not here to trust anyone," he finally said, his voice a low growl. "I'm here
for the truth."
The knights led them up a winding staircase, stopping at a grand door intricately
carved with symbols of the kingdom. The knight captain paused, his expression
unreadable. "This will be your quarters. The king will summon you when he's
ready. Until then, you are not to leave."
Natsuo nodded, stepping inside without a word.
The room was lavish, almost regal. Velvet curtains framed tall windows overlooking the kingdom, and a large, ornate bed sat in the center. Despite its
luxury, the room felt more like a cage than a place of rest.
As the door closed behind him with a heavy thud, Luci floated around the room,
eyeing the opulence with disdain. "Well, it's fancy and all, but I still think we
should've blasted them into dust. Would've saved us a lot of trouble."
Natsuo sat on the edge of the bed, staring out of the window at the sprawling
kingdom below. "Patience," he said, his voice calm but firm. "The time will
come when I'll show them what I'm truly capable of. But until then, we play
their game."
Luci hovered near his shoulder, her eye wide with curiosity. "And what if their
game is a trap?"
Natsuo's eyes narrowed, a cold gleam flashing in their depths. "Then they'll
regret ever trying to trap me."
The kingdom outside the window lay under a blanket of twilight, its streets
teeming with life, unaware of the storm that was brewing. Natsuo knew that
the king's interest in him wasn't purely curiosity. Something darker was at play,
and the moment of reckoning was drawing near.
He would bide his time, gather the pieces, and when the time came, the king—
and his entire kingdom—would learn just how far beyond their imagination
Natsuo truly was.