Year 3589,
In the Kingdom of Dastan, a kingdom of swords and magic, where water was air and fire was earth, resided, I, Nexar Kaspian, the Mage of the Cosmos and Court Mage to the Crown. I dedicated my time and magic to the crown, unaware of all that was taking place behind my back. At least not until now.
'knock knock knock' The sound resounded through my research room. 'Who could that be, I specifically instructed that I be not disturbed for the rest of the day, unless I am needed urgently' I thought opening the door. As I upon the door, a knight clad in golden armour stood before me with a scroll in hand "Nexar, Mage of the Cosmos, you have been summoned to the throne room, by the king, King Hders Jyle the 4th, and you are to be tried for treason against the crowd, for attempts to overthrow the king, as well also dabbling in the forbidden dark arts" He said, "I'm sorry, what?!" I looked at him dumbstruck as I replied "Kindly follow me, to the throne room," The Knight said in the same stoic emotionless tone "Sure" I replied tersely as I followed
-The Throne Room-
"Your Majesty if I may, Nexar hasn't been proven to have done any of this you can just try him without concrete proof, you know how he is h-" The king sitting on his throne, apparelled in royal garments and decorated with various royal regalia holds his hand up to quiet them "Kaile, you're role as royal advisor is only in place when I need it, I can make decisions for myself, and I see no reason why the royal counsel would lie, maybe if you can give me one, I'd rethink this" The King said with an air of authority to his now pacing royal advisor "Your Majesty, you know as well as I do, that there's nothing that can tie him down, I know he knows this, if he wanted this kingdom with all due respect he could have overthrown you long ago, what if, what if..." Kaile, The royal advisor, said anxiously as he stroked his beard which had grown white despite being aged 4 decades, whilst he paced back and forth the throne room "You worry too much my friend if I command who is he not to listen" The King said to him placatingly, although there was subtle nervousness hidden in his words.
The doors to the throne room swing open as the Knight leads me in, the atmosphere in the room shifts from a strange form of bittersweet exhilaration to a pensive unease, as if my very presence was the accidental trigger on an emotional grenade. As I look towards the king, I notice that his face usually full of warmth and kindness, bore a look of contempt and something bearing a semblance to, maybe disdain? Revulsion? Scorn? Well something, I couldn't quite identify. I turn to face the royal counsel, but they all look away, but not with shame rather with dismissiveness.
King Hders finally spoke "I'm sure you know why you have been summoned here," He said to me shortly "But just in case, Kaile tell him why he's here" He said to his advisor, but the way The king referred to me, it felt like he was forcing himself to do something very unpleasant.
Kaile hesitated, his fingers twitching as if searching for the right words to weave a defence. He stole a glance at me, his usually keen eyes clouded with something I rarely saw—doubt.
"You stand accused of treason against the crown," he said, his voice measured but uneasy. "The royal council has provided evidence that you have been delving into forbidden magic, with intent to seize the throne. As such, His Majesty has deemed it necessary to put you on trial."
I raised an eyebrow. Evidence? That was new.
For the past few weeks, I had been in near isolation, immersed in arcane studies, deciphering the celestial patterns that governed our world. The idea that I had been scheming against the crown while drowning in tomes and ink-stained parchment was, frankly, absurd.
"And what, pray tell, is this supposed evidence?" I asked, crossing my arms.
A rustle of fabric, the creak of boots. From the shadows of the chamber, a figure emerged—Councilor Orwen, a man whose presence in any conversation often felt like a dagger concealed within silk. His sharp features bore an expression of triumph as he unfurled a parchment, the royal seal glistening in the dim torchlight.
"Eyewitnesses have seen you performing rituals forbidden by the Arcane Accords," he declared. "Dark sigils drawn beneath the moon, celestial energy funnelled into constructs of unknown origin… even the stars whisper of your betrayal."
The poetic absurdity of his words almost made me scoff. Do the stars whisper? If they did, they certainly had better things to gossip about than fabricated crimes.
Kaile stepped forward before I could speak, his brows furrowed deeply. "These are baseless claims. If you have true proof, present it now."
Owen smirked as if he had been waiting for the challenge. With a flick of his wrist, another parchment was unfurled. This time, the moment my eyes landed on it, my breath hitched.
The page was covered in arcane symbols—my symbols. Glyphs that I had carefully inscribed in my research. The ink, unmistakably infused with cosmic energy, pulsed faintly under the candlelight.
A slow dread unfurled in my chest. This was my work, yes. But it had been altered. Someone had taken my sigils and twisted them into something else—something darker.
"You dare use my magic against me?" My voice was calm, but a storm brewed beneath my words.
A murmur rippled through the court.
King Hders studied me, his expression unreadable. But I knew him too well. There was uncertainty in his gaze, fleeting but present. He didn't want to do this. He was being pushed into it.
"Your trial will take place at dawn," he declared at last, his voice carrying an edge of finality. "Until then, you are to be confined to the tower dungeon. Your magic will be bound. Should you resist…" He let the words hang, but the unspoken threat was clear.
I exhaled slowly.
A trap had been set, and I had walked straight into it.
The knights stepped forward, their hands resting on their sheathed blades, waiting for me to resist. I could feel the subtle hum of magic binding the air around me, a containment spell ready to strike should I make the wrong move.
I didn't resist.
As they led me away, I spared one last glance at Kaile. His jaw was tight, his fists clenched at his sides. There was something dangerously close to fear in his eyes.
This was not the king's doing.
No, something far worse was at play.
And I had until dawn to unravel it.
-The Dungeon Tower-
The air was thick with dampness, the stone walls slick with moisture. A single torch flickered along the far wall, barely providing enough light to see the iron-barred door that now stood between me and the rest of the world.
I rolled my shoulders, testing the magic binding that coiled around me like invisible chains. It was strong—too strong. Whoever had arranged this had ensured that I couldn't simply break out.
I sat on the crude stone bench, exhaling slowly. Think, Nexar. Think.
A setup this elaborate meant planning. Someone had wanted me removed, and they had gone to great lengths to ensure it happened under the king's authority. The council. The forged evidence. The whispered accusations.
I had made enemies before—many, in fact. But this? This was different.
The sigils. That was the key. Whoever had altered them had access to my research. That meant…
Someone close to me had betrayed me.
A slow, simmering anger burned in my chest.
Then, from the hallway outside, the faintest sound reached my ears. A whisper. Footsteps. The soft rustle of fabric.
And then—
The scrape of a key in the lock.
The iron door creaked open just enough for a hooded figure to slip inside.
Kaile.
His expression was grim, his eyes darting toward the hallway before he pulled the door shut behind him.
"You should have run," he muttered under his breath.
I stared at him, expression unreadable. "And declare myself guilty? Not my style."
He exhaled sharply, pacing the small space before crouching beside me. His voice was low, urgent.
"Nexar, listen to me. This goes beyond you. The council is moving against the king. You are just the first piece they needed to remove. I don't know how deep this goes, but the accusations against you—they're meant to eliminate any chance of resistance. If they succeed, King Hders won't be far behind."
I frowned. That… changed things.
"And the sigils?" I pressed.
Kaile shook his head. "Someone tampered with your research. They wanted the evidence to be undeniable."
I felt my jaw tighten. I had my suspicions, but no names. Not yet.
"How much time do I have?"
Kaile hesitated, then sighed. "Not enough."
A beat of silence passed between us.
Then, I smirked. "Then we'd better make every second count."
Kaile's eyes widened slightly before his lips twitched into the faintest of smiles. "You already have a plan, don't you?"
I stood, stretching my arms as much as my restraints would allow.
"Of course I do."