I stood there, trembling, my mind reeling with the overwhelming weight of what had just happened. My mother, the woman who had been my guiding light, my comfort, was gone—taken from me. I wiped the tears from my face, trying to steel myself against the storm brewing within. The anger, the rage, it was all-consuming, and I could barely keep it contained.

I turned and strode out of the room, my steps hard and purposeful, each one filled with a mixture of grief and fury. My heart pounded in my chest, my vision blurring with the need for vengeance. I couldn't understand why this had happened. Who would do this to her? And more importantly, why?

I reached the throne room in what felt like no time at all, my legs carrying me with a single-minded determination. I burst through the massive doors, my eyes locking on my father. He was standing there, talking to a man from another kingdom, his posture as regal as ever, his face cold and distant. But the moment I entered, everything stopped.

I walked toward him, my steps sharp, my voice cutting through the tension. "What did you do to my mother, you monster?" I didn't care who heard it anymore. The final word came out like a bitter curse. I couldn't stop the venom from seeping into my voice.

Before I could get closer, one of the guards seized me, his grip like iron around my arm. But I didn’t care. I didn't even flinch. My father rose from his seat, his expression unreadable.

"I unleash your true potential, Kael," he said, his tone colder than ice. "The rage within you. I need that power, my son. I need you to be strong."

The man from the other kingdom chuckled darkly, his voice dripping with disdain. "It was easy. The queen... she was silly, too trusting."

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I felt a sharp sting in my chest, but it was nothing compared to the rage that bubbled up inside me. I tried to break free from the guard’s grip, my mind consumed by the need to tear everything apart. "I'LL KILL YOU!" I screamed, my voice raw with fury.

Before I even knew what I was doing, the man reached for my chin, lifting my face to meet his eyes. "You bark too much," he said, his tone mocking. "I like it."

And that was it. The floodgates opened. The rage, the anger, the grief—it all exploded within me. I kicked the guard off of me, my feet moving with a swiftness I hadn’t known I was capable of. I grabbed the nearest sword, unsheathing it in a blur of motion.

Without thinking, I swung it, and in a single clean stroke, I cut down the man from the other kingdom. His body crumpled to the floor with a sickening thud, and for a moment, the room was still.

My father’s cold laughter broke the silence, something I had never heard from him before. It was different—almost cruel, like a stranger wearing his face. "That’s it," he said, his voice filled with twisted pride. "The power of a real warrior. That’s the proof of you being my son!"

But in that moment, something shifted inside me. I heard a voice—soft, insistent—whispering in my mind. Do it.

I didn’t hesitate. My hand tightened around the sword’s hilt as I raised it once more, but this time it wasn’t to kill. It was to end everything.

Without a second thought, I thrust the blade forward, and it pierced my father’s forehead. He fell to the ground without a sound, the crown on his head slipping off and rolling to the side.

The room went silent.

I walked to him, my legs unsteady, my heart thudding in my chest. I reached down, gripping the golden crown in my hands. It felt heavy, much heavier than I had ever imagined. But I didn’t hesitate. I placed it on my own head, the cold metal resting against my skin.

I pulled the sword from his forehead and stood there for a moment, staring at the lifeless form of the man who had once been my father. The power, the rage, it still burned inside me, but now it was mine to wield.

I sat down on the throne, the weight of the crown settling on my head. The guards froze, their eyes wide in shock and disbelief. But they did what they had always been trained to do. They knelt before me, kissing their thumbs in respect.

And just like that, the kingdom was mine.