corlis
Deep within the Summit Palace, beyond the long corridors and the silent chandeliers, the sound of footsteps rose in the grand hall as members began to arrive one by one. Pale faces questioned the reason behind this sudden meeting. Tense whispers. Something had happened. Something big.
Then… the heavy footsteps of vortex echoed as he entered the hall. His face was expressionless, his eyes unblinking, and in his hands, he carried a truth that would turn the crown upside down on all their heads.
Minister Oceane sat in his seat, his hands clasped before him, but his gaze was anything but calm. It roamed the hall with visible tension, as if something in the air unsettled him. Then he spoke, his tone a blend of surprise and caution, as he looked at Vortex seated at the head of the table: "Where is the Queen? Will she not attend this meeting?"
He paused, staring more intently at Prince vortex, then added coldly: "Don't tell me you summoned us without her knowledge, Prince. That's a breach of law. You can't simply drag the Council of Governance into this hall without the crown's approval."
vortex simply stared at Oceane for several seconds, a heavy cold look, devoid of any attempt at justification or courtesy. Then he stood slowly, with the deliberate steadiness of a blade being drawn from its sheath, and said: "That is why I brought you here. There's unfortunate news, something unexpected happened while we were asleep."
He paused, lifting his eyes to scan the faces around him, then dropped the truth like a stone into a still lake: "The Queen passed away last night. Nile garow assassinated her."
Shock struck the room like a sudden blow, as if the very air had thickened in their lungs. The news hit like a slap. some stared at each other in disbelief, while others bowed their heads, unable to process it. No one was sure whether vortex was serious, or if this was some grim cold joke unworthy of the council or the queen.
Old Oceane slowly rose from his seat, his eyes drifting across the faces before exploding with a voice heavy with disbelief and fury: "Is this a joke, Prince vortex? If you're joking, stop it immediately! This is not something to make light of!"
No trace of humor or jest appeared on ortax's face. He replied in a low voice, loaded with certainty: "Do I look like someone who would joke about such a thing, Minister?"
At that tense moment, the great doors of the hall creaked open. All heads turned instantly toward the entrance.
Two men entered, dragging a dark wooden coffin adorned with the kingdom's emblems and intricate royal carvings.
They moved to the center of the hall under the stunned gaze of everyone, and without a single word, they lowered the coffin gently beside Minister Oceane.
Moments of absolute silence followed… until the lid was slowly opened, and the Queen's face appeared: still, pale, eyes closed, as if in an eternal sleep with no return.
Oceane trembled, recoiling a step back as if the scene had stabbed him in the heart. His mouth gaped in disbelief before he muttered, his voice hoarse as if emerging from a dark pit within his chest: "But... how? How did this happen?!"
Then he turned with frightened eyes, searching for logic amidst the chaos, before exclaiming, stammering: "And what about... Prince Corlis? Where is he?!"
vortex replied in a steady, unyielding voice, as if delivering a military report rather than recounting a royal tragedy: "According to the queen's guards... Nile garow and Prince Corlis entered the queen's wing last night at ten o'clock. Minutes later, a loud commotion was heard. When the guards stormed the room, they found the queen lying on the ground, an arrow lodged in her neck."
He paused, as if giving the words their proper weight, then continued: "Nile betrayed the trust the queen had placed in him... When the guards attempted to arrest him, a skirmish broke out. Nile killed one of the guards, then abducted Prince Corlis and leapt from the upper-floor window, vanishing into the darkness of the night."
Minister Oceane stepped slightly forward, his face grim, brows furrowed, his voice tinged with astonishment and confusion: "But... why? What reason could Nile garow possibly have for doing such a thing? The garow family is the closest to the queen. Closer even than some members of the royal family itself..."
vortex slowly extended his hand toward the table before him and pulled out a long glass tube. He opened it carefully and withdrew a golden arrow, engraved with fine markings, glittering despite the dried blood that covered its head. He raised the arrow high for all to see, then spoke in a cold voice like a slap: "This is the murder weapon."
He held the arrow aloft for a clearer view, then asked in a tone that tested the memory of those present: "What does this arrow remind you of?"
Oceane narrowed his eyes as he stared at the ornate metallic head, then his face suddenly paled, and he whispered: "This... isn't this the Hierarchy Arrow?"
vortex nodded, as if extracting a confession from his adversary: "Exactly. The Hierarchy Arrow."
Then he added, as if casting a noose around someone's neck: "And do you know who this arrow belongs to? This very one bears the number one... meaning it belongs to House garow."
A heavy silence followed, broken once more by vortex, his voice low but charged with power: "The Hierarchy Arrow is not just any arrow. It is a symbol, a measure of trust, granted only to the ten families closest to the throne. Its whereabouts are a secret known only to the family's leader. It is not to be used, not even carried, except by his command."
vortex tightened his grip on the arrow, then slowly lowered it, his eyes scanning the faces of those present. This time, his voice came out with anger, but controlled, like a commander declaring the beginning of war: "What happened is not just a crime... It is an outright betrayal. A full-fledged coup attempt."
He slammed his palm on the table, jolting the papers and cups, snapping some out of their stupor. He continued: "The garow family is no longer merely untrustworthy... They have reached such a level of influence and power that they dared to assassinate the queen in the heart of her private wing, and abduct Prince Corlis under the very eyes of the guards—as if they are challenging the crown itself."
vortex took a deep breath, as if suppressing a fire burning in his chest, then said in a quiet yet firm voice: "They have revealed their true face, and we can no longer allow this family to maintain its influence among us. The time has come to shatter the illusion of power they've built around themselves... It's time to show them their true size before the entire kingdom."
Whispers and unrest spread through the hall, then soon voices rose in agreement with vortex's words, as though a spark of anger had found its fuel among the attendees. Some shouted, others pounded the table with their palms, and many eyes gleamed—some with enthusiasm, others with worry, and even some with spite.
vortex raised his hand high in a clear signal for silence, and the voices soon faded, allowing silence to once again settle over the chamber.
He spoke in a resolute tone, leaving no room for hesitation: "We must waste no more time. All members of House garow must be arrested immediately and thoroughly investigated. Additionally, we declare a full security alert to apprehend the criminal Nile garow... There is still a chance, however slim, that Prince Corlis may still be alive."
He turned to Minister Oshin and asked clearly: "Do you agree with me, Minister?"
Oceane paused for a moment, visibly torn with doubt and disappointment, then turned his gaze toward the queen's body and sighed bitterly: "If all the evidence points to him, then there's no room for interpretation."
vortex's lips parted in a barely noticeable, subtle smile, then he bowed his head with feigned respect and said: "Then the minister is in agreement. Guards, arrest all members of House garow and begin the investigation immediately. Use force if necessary."
But Oceane interrupted him, raising his hand slightly and saying: "It would be better for captain Hammer gun to carry out this mission."
vortex nodded in agreement, then added without hesitation: "You're right. They may be prepared for us, and might attempt to resist or set a trap. Inform captain Hammer at once and have him proceed immediately to the garow estate to execute the order."
And as the walls separating doubt and certainty, loyalty and betrayal, began to crumble, the palace clock struck three consecutive chimes, as if announcing the end of one era and the beginning of another.
Upon the table, the Hierarchy Arrow remained stretched out before them, a symbol of death's silence and the blade of justice.