04 Oktondras/October 2975.
It's the year of Prince Hector's coronation. After passing through all the trials and proving himself worthy, many nobles had come to prepare for the prince's ascension to the throne, marking a new era for Whiteford.
Originally, Hector was supposed to ascend to the throne in the same year that King Zachary left, but based on his request, both the court and the nobles agreed to let him finish his studies. Alongside File, Hector had also been engaged in secret wars against the cultists dwelling within Whiteford's territory, leading a covert organization known as the Inquisition, which remained unknown to the nobles.
By the end of the year, plans were made for Hector's ascension, with the ceremony being prepared. But first, they had to prepare for Allura's birthday, which would be celebrated on the 17th—marking the day she arrived in Whiteford.
However, File had been hearing strange rumors about a mysterious force gathering at Myriad Ports—once a country of its own, ultimately conquered by Whiteford 1,700 years ago. File instructed some of his men to investigate.
As time went on, File meticulously prepared a force for Hector's ceremony, collaborating with other Grand Masters: Astarte Petrickor, the Grand Master of Imperial Knights; Lamella Sherwood, the Grand Master of the Saints; Ridwanz, the Grand Master of Storm Wyverns; and Lilium, the Grand Master of Seven Swords.
While they were preparing for the ascension, the five worked together.
The next day arrived, and Cyan Pile notified File about a rising faction believed to have connections to the rebels. To File's surprise, they were well-equipped, with most of their weapons being military-grade, indicating that someone had been supplying the faction with equipment for war.
File, alongside Astarte, led their combined knights along with over 3,000 soldiers from Whiteford, while Lamella and Lilium would guard the capital along with other knights.
On their way, Astarte expressed concern about why someone would supply such a faction with resources for a rebellion. File pointed out that this might be connected to Hector's impending ascension. Astarte suspected that someone might even go so far as to target Hector.
This thought troubled File. Did it mean that one of the princes might betray them?
Upon reaching Myriad City, they finally found the rising faction and dealt with them swiftly. File decided to stay while Astarte returned to White City.
The 17th of Oktondras arrived. Despite being told to lay low and prepare for his ceremony, Hector insisted on holding a celebration for Allura's 15th birthday. Even though Allura was shy about it, she happily accepted her beloved brother's intention.
Despite the large turnout, many guests still harbored ill feelings toward Allura, often claiming she didn't deserve to be part of the White family. However, little did they know that the night would mark the beginning of a tragedy.
As everyone gathered in the main hall, where Hector led the party, they enjoyed a lavish feast. Allura blew out the candles, signaling her 15th birthday.
Aina prompted to ask, "Allura, what is your wish?"
Allura, with a big smile that finally reflected her openness to the family, replied, "I wish I could protect this family and everyone in it."
Hector then patted his little sister's head. Allura smiled contentedly at the sight of her big brother, who had always been there for her. For Allura, Hector was the true personification of hope, as he stood up for her when others harassed her.
"Thank you for everything, big brother Hector," Allura said.
"Don't mention it! After all, we should celebrate you becoming a Justiciar at the age of 15. That's an achievement no one has ever reached," Hector replied enthusiastically.
As the party continued, Hector announced that he was going to his room for a rest. Once he left, many nobles and members of the royal family ceased to smile at Allura, choosing instead to express their disdain in his absence.
Allura was already familiar with this atmosphere, but now she felt strong enough to defend herself—at least that's what she thought. File and Astarte, having just finished gathering information, returned to the party together.
"I'll be honest, File, I have a bad feeling," Astarte admitted.
"Yeah, for once I won't lie; my instincts say something is wrong," File agreed.
The two rushed toward the party. However, File noticed something strange. He could detect the presence of a living being and realized that Hector's presence was nowhere to be found.
File slammed the door open, startling everyone at the party.
"File, what's wrong? You scared everybody," Aina said, concerned.
Without answering, File stormed straight past the party, not caring about anyone else. He headed directly for Hector's room. The guard stationed at the front door was about to stop him, but upon seeing Astarte and File, they dared not intervene.
Everyone in the room was shocked to their core, frozen in place. The moment File opened the door, he saw Hector's lifeless body sitting in his chair.
File immediately rushed toward Hector's body and called for the doctor within the palace.
As they rushed to Hector, the news that the throne prince had been declared dead shocked everyone in the area.
In less than ten minutes, the entire White City went on lockdown. File was determined to trace any possible presence of whoever was responsible for this tragedy. He scanned every inch and corner of the palace, but to no avail.
It was almost as if Hector had died suddenly out of nowhere. The doctor who later examined Hector's body found that the cause of death was his heart being crushed from the inside.
File was shocked; he had never seen anything like this before. Hector's heart had been crushed out of nowhere. He had encountered Outer Gods and daemons, but he didn't know what could have caused this. There were no signs of magic being cast, no physical attacks, and no marks of contact on his body.
As the city went on lockdown, suspicion fell on every remaining prince and princess. Allura, who had just found out about this tragedy, stared in disbelief at Hector's lifeless body. She couldn't believe it; her heart felt as if it had stopped. Frozen in place, it was as if she were having a stroke. Her entire life had just turned upside down. The only person she believed in, the only one who stood up for her, and the only person she dared to give her life to had just died right in front of her on what was supposed to be her happiest day.
A storm of thoughts raged through her mind:
"Why do things like this always happen to me?"
"Why is the world so unfair?"
"Do the gods hate me?"
"Why does everything I have always get taken from me?"
A flood of memories of Hector filled her mind—moments when he had always been by her side. From the time she was barely five, when people treated her like trash, often giving her only leftovers or yesterday's food, Hector stepped up and ordered meals to be delivered to Allura three times a day, ensuring her nutrition.
When she started school, she faced bullying from other kids, especially noble children who called her trash, a bastard child, and an outlander. Once again, Hector stood up for her, ultimately allowing her to reach the Spear of Justice Academy early. He also personally tutored her, being the reason Allura studied until the morning every day, training her mentally and physically to her limits.
Even when Allura was around ten, she was kidnapped by some nobles and almost sold into slavery. A mysterious man appeared with Hector, managing to save her and ultimately killing all the nobles present.
Now, Allura felt as though her entire world had fallen apart. There was no one left to protect her, and her dear brother, whom she loved wholeheartedly, was gone. What was the point of continuing to live in a world where no one accepted her?
On the other side, Aina cried in shock over Hector's sudden death. Two hours after the lockdown was initiated, File stormed into Aina's room to take her away.
"Aina, what happened?" she asked, her voice filled with panic.
"Listen here. Right now, the capital city is not safe anymore. Nobles are beginning to kill each other. Every noble is trying to get in favor with any prince or princess," File explained urgently.
He then took Aina as far away as possible from White City. They traveled until they reached Margram Harbor, a city on the eastern side of Whiteford. Aina hugged File tightly throughout their journey.
Once they arrived at an old building in Margram Harbor, it was revealed that this building served as a secret headquarters for the Archive Knights. All the captains were already there, and most of the Archive Knights were stationed in the area. The place was so well hidden that it was barely noticeable from afar, blending seamlessly with the dense population.
Aina was given a room, where she cried while hugging File. He assured her not to worry, saying he would always be by her side, no matter what.
"Who did this, File?" Aina asked, her voice trembling.
"I guess they finally made their move," File replied.
"Who are they?" Aina pressed further.
"For the last 40 years, some strange groups have been making their moves within Whiteford. They allied themselves with nobles, politicians, merchants, and others. For 40 years, I have been battling them—me, Zachary, and Prince Hector. But right now, they are preparing something. Something that gives them the audacity to strike us; they caught us off guard," File explained while calming Aina.
"At this point, what Zachary always feared would come," File added.
"What is it?" Aina asked, growing more concerned.
"Princes and princesses would begin to fight for the throne of Whiteford. In the eyes of those around the throne, everyone will begin to show their true nature—the worst sides of themselves," File said gravely.
"But my siblings won't kill each other, right? That's not who they are; we grew up together! I don't believe it!" Aina protested.
"I understand you care deeply for your family, Aina, but your relationships with your siblings aren't always as they seem. Right now, I need you to be strong," File urged.
He then grabbed Aina's shoulders and looked her in the eye. "Whatever happens, I will always be by your side. But I need you to be strong; I need you to give hope and purpose to the Archive Knights," he said firmly.
"Why me?" Aina asked after wiping her tears.
"Because they believe in you. They believe in us. Together, we will see this through," File reassured her.
"Fine, I'll be strong," Aina said determinedly.
She then hugged File deeply, drawing comfort and strength from his presence.