Reverie – Before Dawn
They found the body at first light.
Slumped against one of the marble pillars in the eastern wing of Pangaea Castle, face down in a pool of thick, blackened blood.
A monarch.
Or so they thought—until the crest embroidered inside his robe was revealed.
The Eight-Pointed Star.Imu's seal.
And beside him?
A single white rose soaked crimson. Not a note. Not a name. Just the flower.
It sent the chamber into chaos.
Chamber of Kings – Panic
"Assassination?"
"No one breaks into Mariejois!"
"Then it must've been one of us!"
Eyes darted. Some toward the Revolutionary Army. Others toward kingdoms with tension. And then—
Toward Lucien.
He stood calm. Polished. Serene.
A glass of wine in hand.
He swirled it thoughtfully. "Curious," he said, not even looking at the corpse.
Cobra stepped forward. "You're the only one who would dare."
Lucien tilted his head. "And that is why I didn't."
That silenced the room for a moment.
"Besides," he added with a sly smile, "why kill a whisper when I can kill a king in full view?"
They couldn't argue.
Because it was true.
Lower Mariejois – Donquixote Garden
While the world burned upstairs, something else stirred far below.
Raisa knelt beside the blackened soil beneath the mask statue. Her white gloves were stained red from the roots.
"It's bleeding," she whispered.
Mireille said nothing. Her expression was hollow.
Together, they began to dig.
In silence. With purpose.
Until the shovel struck stone.
And then metal.
A hatch.
Unmarked. Ancient. Lined with script even the Celestial Archives no longer taught.
Raisa ran her finger over it.
"It's not World Government," she said.
"No," Mireille agreed. "This is older."
"Void Century."
Throne Room – Empress Tested
Boa Hancock was summoned.
Not by name. But by demand.
An elder Celestial Dragon wanted to test her loyalty. He ordered her to kneel beside him during session.
She didn't hesitate.
She walked forward—
And knelt… not at the elder's side.
But at Lucien's.
The ripple of gasps that followed shook even the floor.
Lucien's hand rested lightly on her hair.
Nothing else needed to be said.
The Reverie was no longer a council.
It had become a court.
And Lucien was the king.
Cipher Pol Surveillance Report – Confidential
Subject: Saint Donquixote LucienLocation: Pangea Castle – Thirteenth ThroneStatus: UntouchableBehavior: Stable, manipulative, psychotically controlledRisk: Beyond Maximum
Incident Note:Assassinated entity bore the hidden sigil of the "Imu Line." Identity redacted.Likely internal purge.Lucien's involvement: Unconfirmed.
Recommendation:Do not engage.Observe. Report. Survive.