The Ruler's Stone

The Truth Behind Power

We start from Earth. Blue, fragile, silent in the dark.

We pull back. Slowly at first, then faster. The whole planet shrinks. The solar system appears — the sun burning like a single lantern among its children.

We keep going.

Hundreds of stars ignite around us. Then thousands. Our galaxy becomes a swirl of light behind us, and we break out of it at impossible speed.

Now there is only void — and in that void, galaxies. Endless galaxies, floating like islands in an infinite ocean.

We cross them. One after another, until we dive into a different one.

Deep inside it, a different world.

On a distant planet, evolution took another path. Beings that look almost human, but not quite. Their skin is hard as stone, covered in natural scales — born with armor, born for war. Powerful beyond measure.

The prince entered a room. Inside, many screens were floating in the air, made of magic.

He zoomed in on the biggest screen, focusing on Galaxy 704. There, he could see its power rising like a flame of fire, getting bigger and bigger.

He whispered to himself, "At this rate of increase... they are not just going to end their own lives. They are putting our lives in danger too."

He continued, "Are they mad? Or do they not know that the Universal Devil likes to eat raw mana force? Some galaxies have been safe from it because we are too far away. And more importantly, we have barriers around us and our universe."

"Our universe is hidden in the deepest black space, that's why it looks like someone walking in a dark empty room with a torch. Because of those barriers, the Devil still can't do anything. But if they keep releasing their power in that direction, it will give the Devil a path to follow. It will come straight to them."

Prince turned to the servant urgen. "Hurry! Go and contact the King. Tell him about this. We need to make an emergency team for this matter."

The crowd was slowly returning from the graveyard. The funeral was over, but the silence still hung in the air.

Marki walked alone, his head down. His father came close and gently placed a hand on his son's shoulder.

"Are you alright, my son?" his father asked softly.

Marki forced a sad smile. "I'm fine, Dad."

But a father knows. His dad looked at his face and understood everything — the pain he was hiding, the words he couldn't say. Without saying anything more, they started walking home together, side by side.

At home, the table was full. His mother had cooked all his favorite foods, hoping to make him feel better. But Marki couldn't eat. He looked at the food and said quietly, "I'll be back after a shower, Mom," and went straight into his room and closed the door.

Downstairs, his parents looked at each other. Their hearts ached. They could see how broken their son was, but they couldn't change the truth. Some wounds cannot be fixed with words.

The night was long.

In the morning, the sun rose. Marki woke up and slowly came out of his room for breakfast. And there he saw them — his mom and dad, sitting at the table, smiling at him. A real, warm smile. Just for him. For a moment, that smile cut through his sadness, and he felt a little better. A little lighter.

His dad stood up from his chair and walked close to him.

His dad stood up and walked to him. He held his shoulders and said in a low, strong voice, "Listen to me, my son. Nothing can be changed now. And no one in this world can make you forget what you feel, or erase the pain inside you. You have to step forward too. I know you are sad. I know you are broken inside. But remember — he sacrificed himself to keep you safe. To keep you alive."

His father's voice shook a little, "If you stay stuck in this sadness, you will never be able to go where he wanted you to go. You have to be strong. Not just strong with power... but strong with heart too."

Then his dad pulled him into a tight hug. His mom joined them, wrapping her arms around both of them. For a second, the whole world was just that hug.

Marki's eyes filled with tears. They rolled down his cheeks, but with them, a small, true smile finally came back to his face.

After that, they sat down and had breakfast together. Like a family again. And then, with a new step in his walk, Marki left for school.

At school, everything had changed. All the teachers looked at him like a hero. The story of how he fought together with Afe had spread everywhere. Everyone came to him, congratulating him, thankful that he was safe.

And the students who used to bully him, who used to laugh at him — now they stood far back, with respect in their eyes. Because now they knew. They knew how brave he truly was.