The weight of the king’s words hung like a leaden cloud in the room, the silence pressing down on the gathered council. The air felt thick, suffocating, as if the walls themselves were closing in, heavy with the burden of revelation.

Lady Kiara’s knuckles whitened as she gripped the armrest of her chair, her jaw set in a tight line, while Elois shifted uncomfortably, her gaze fixed on the floor. Even the candlelight seemed dimmer, flickering uncertainly, as if the very room trembled beneath the weight of the king’s past.

The king, his usually confident demeanor now tinged with a weariness that hadn’t been there before, took a deep breath and continued. His gaze was distant, as if he were looking back into a past that he had tried to bury for years.

“Years ago, before I even earned the title of ‘king,’ I was arrogant.” The king’s voice dropped, quieter now, each word weighed down by memories. “Back then, I was invincible—or so I thought. Lady Kiara and I fought side by side, and with us was Lily…” His voice cracked, just for a moment, as he said her name. “A priest… and my heart.”

Lady Kiara’s jaw tightened, her gaze flicking briefly to the window as if trying to escape the memory. The pain was still there, as raw as the day it had happened. She knew the rest of the story too well.

“I was full of myself,” the king admitted, a bitter edge to his tone. “Young and dumb, I thought I could conquer anything. That arrogance led me to take on the subjugation quest for the Cave of Reflections.”

He paused, his hands gripping the edge of the table as if to steady himself against the weight of his own memories. “Lady Kiara warned us not to continue, but I didn’t listen. I was so sure of myself, so certain that I could handle whatever the dungeon threw at us. And Lily, of course, came with me to support my foolish ambition.”

The king’s eyes darkened as he recounted the events that followed.

“The moment we stepped into that cursed cave, the air turned heavy, like breathing through water. And then, we saw it—a figure, small, childlike. But when it turned to face us… it became me. Not just a reflection—a perfect, twisted replica, stronger, faster, crueler. It was as if the cave had plucked my darkest fears from my mind and given them form.”

The king paused, his hands trembling as they gripped the table. “We were outmatched in an instant. My arrogance shattered. I had never felt so helpless, as if the very ground beneath me had turned against us.”

The room was silent, the council members hanging on his every word. The king’s fists clenched, his mouth twitching in anger as he continued. “We thought we would die there, but then something even more horrifying appeared. A sentient, intelligent monster, its many serpentine limbs writhing like a nightmare made flesh. The pressure we felt from the first monster was puny compared to this creature.”

The king’s voice wavered slightly as he recalled the monster’s chilling words.

“The creature didn’t just defeat us—it toyed with us. And then it spoke.” The king’s voice dropped to a whisper, as if speaking the words aloud might summon the creature again. “It said I was ‘worthy,’ that it saw potential in me. And then… it offered a bargain.”

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The memory seemed to choke him, his breath shallow as he continued. “I wanted to refuse. Every instinct screamed to fight. But the pressure… the power… it was suffocating. I was a mouse caught in a lion’s jaws, and the worst part? I knew it could crush me at any moment, but it chose not to.”

He swallowed hard, his jaw tightening. “One of its limbs grappled me, ready to throw me out of the cave. And then I saw Lily—she was grabbed by those sinister limbs, her fox tail dangling limply as her body hung motionless. I tried to break free, to save her, but I couldn’t exert any strength. The limb holding me began to spring out, forcefully throwing me from the cave, while Lily’s form was slowly consumed by the darkness along with that monstrous being.”

The king’s voice trembled, his eyes clouded with the memories of that horrific day. “But unlike Leo, I was terrified. I couldn’t bring myself to enter that dungeon again. I was paralyzed by fear, by the guilt of leaving her behind. I never returned to the Cave of Reflections.”

The room was heavy with the weight of the king’s confession, as if the very air had thickened, pressing down on the shoulders of everyone present. Uneasy glances were exchanged among the council members, the gravity of his past ordeal settling into the silence.

Kael’s gaze swept across the room, meeting their eyes with a mix of determination and fear. “Leo…” he began, his voice breaking the silence like a soft echo, “he’s not like me. He’s stronger. More determined. But that same path, the one I walked—it nearly destroyed me. I fear he’s stepping onto it now, and we can’t let him face that alone.”

The tension was palpable, hanging in the air like a dense fog.

Suddenly, the stillness was broken by a soft twitch of the Monkey King’s ears. His sharp senses caught something in the atmosphere—an energy he couldn’t quite ignore. A playful smirk tugged at his lips, contrasting the gravity of the moment, and without a word, he stood, his lithe form drawing every eye in the room. The shadow he cast seemed to stretch as he moved gracefully toward the window, a stark contrast to the thick, solemn atmosphere.

His tail flicked with restless energy, the sudden motion jolting the council out of their collective daze. “My hatemeter’s twitching again,” the Monkey King quipped, his lips curving into a playful smirk. He stretched, his body languid yet poised, then in one fluid motion, vaulted toward the open window. His tail flicked behind him, a blur of movement as he leapt into the twilight sky. Just as he seemed to fall away, an approaching cloud, dark and billowing, swooped under him, catching him effortlessly.

“I’ll let you know when I find this Leo guy—if he doesn’t find me first,” he called back, his voice echoing through the chamber before fading into the night like a whispered secret.

Silence settled over the room, thick with the weight of the king’s revelation and the Monkey King’s abrupt departure. But the quiet didn’t last long. A soft shuffle behind the king caught everyone’s attention. A white-hooded figure had appeared, as if materializing from the very shadows, his presence subtle yet commanding. He leaned in close to the king, his voice a whisper, almost inaudible, yet carrying a weight that made the king’s shoulders tense.

Before the king could respond, a muffled noise broke the stillness. The sound of hurried footsteps, of metal clinking, grew louder from outside the chamber. The robed guards, hidden in the corners of the room, moved swiftly into position, their hands hovering over their weapons, eyes scanning for threats. The tension was palpable, a thin wire stretched tight, ready to snap at any moment.

The king, sensing the rising anxiety, raised a hand, signaling the guards to hold. His expression was calm, though a flicker of uncertainty passed through his eyes. The council members exchanged nervous glances, their minds racing with possibilities, but the king’s gesture kept them silent, waiting.

The heavy doors to the chamber burst open with a thunderous crash, the force of it sending a gust of wind rippling through the room. Candles flickered violently, casting eerie, twisting shadows across the walls. A tense silence followed, the air thick with anticipation as the dust swirled and settled slowly to the floor.

Every eye turned to the doorway, breath held, hearts pounding, as the silhouette of a figure emerged from the shadows beyond. The room seemed to hold its collective breath, waiting for the next moment to shatter the silence.