Chapter 10: The Emperor's Last secrets
451 Words
The palace was in chaos.
Soldiers ran through the halls.
Servants hid behind broken doors.
The sound of steel echoed from every corner.
Nysera ran as fast as she could.
Zepharion was already ahead of her.
Kaelor stayed close, watching every shadow.
When they reached the throne room...
The great doors were wide open.
The room was silent.
Too silent.
The golden throne stood in the center.
Empty.
The red carpet was stained with blood.
Broken swords lay across the floor.
Several royal guards had fallen.
Nysera covered her mouth.
"What happened here?"
No one answered.
Zepharion slowly walked toward the throne.
Then he stopped.
His face changed.
"The blood..."
Kaelor knelt beside it.
He touched the floor.
Then looked at his fingers.
His eyes widened.
"It isn't human blood."
Nysera frowned.
"What do you mean?"
Kaelor stood.
"It belongs to a shapeshifter."
Before anyone could speak...
A weak voice came from behind the throne.
"Help..."
Nysera hurried forward.
An old palace maid lay on the floor.
She was badly wounded, but alive.
Nysera knelt beside her.
"Who did this?"
The old woman struggled to breathe.
"He... he wore the Emperor's face."
Silence.
Nysera stared at her.
"The Emperor's... face?"
The woman nodded.
"But..."
"It wasn't him."
Then her hand fell.
She had lost consciousness.
Kaelor looked toward Zepharion.
"A shapeshifter."
Zepharion nodded slowly.
"They've entered the royal family."
Nysera felt cold.
If someone could wear the Emperor's face...
Who else could they become?
A prince?
A guard?
A servant?
Anyone?
Suddenly...
The palace doors slammed shut.
Boom!
Every exit locked at once.
Ancient symbols glowed across the walls.
A voice echoed through the throne room.
Calm.
Cold.
Filled with confidence.
"No one leaves."
"No one enters."
"The hunt begins now."
The voice belonged to no one they could see.
Nysera slowly turned in a circle.
"Who's there?"
A soft laugh answered her.
"You've been looking at me since the day you arrived."
Her heart stopped.
The voice continued.
"But you never knew who I really was."
Every servant...
Every guard...
Every noble...
Suddenly became a suspect.
Then...
The giant mirror behind the throne cracked from top to bottom.
One piece of glass fell to the floor.
Nysera looked into the broken reflection.
She saw herself.
Zepharion.
Kaelor.
Then...
One more person.
A young woman dressed as a palace servant.
She stood directly behind Nysera.
Holding a dagger.
Nysera spun around.
There was no one there.
She looked back at the mirror.
The servant smiled.
Then she slowly raised one finger to her lips.
"Shhh..."
The mirror shattered into a thousand pieces.
The throne room fell into darkness.
Somewhere inside the palace...
The real game for the empire had finally begun.
- Writer
