Chapter : 5

  "The Emperor," Khadija whispered, as if saying the name was dangerous. "Emperor Belmonte made an announcement an hour ago. It was on every channel."

  Brandon frowned. "What did he say?"

  Khadija took a deep breath. "He announced the beginning of the Succession War."

  The room went deadly silent. Even the humming of the TV seemed to stop. The Succession War. It was a term everyone in the Belmontia Empire feared. It didn't just mean the Royals would fight; it meant the whole country would be turned upside down.

  "He declared that all twenty-one Princes and Princesses are now active competitors for the throne," Khadija explained, wringing her hands together. "They have been given the authority to recruit armies, hire private mercenaries, and conduct missions within the cities. He said... he said only the strongest will survive to lead the Empire."

  Jasmin’s face went pale. "Twenty-one of them? All fighting at once?"

  "Yes," Khadija said. "And you know what happens when the Royals fight. They don't care about the streets. They don't care about houses like ours. When their magic clashes, innocent people get hurt."

  She looked at Ken with watery eyes. "I’m scared. I’ve been thinking... maybe we should move to a village. Not for a dream, but for safety. If the war comes to this district, who will protect us?"

  Ken looked at his mother’s worried face. He felt a cold sharpness in his chest. This was the reality for normal people in this world. They were terrified of the powerful. They lived in fear that a random magical blast from a Prince would destroy their home.

  "It will be okay, Mom," Ken said, his voice unusually steady. "The Iron Rose District is unimportant. The Royals won't fight here. There’s nothing strategic here."

  "You don't know that," Khadija said, wiping her eye. "Chaos spreads everywhere. Who knows what will happen in the next few years?"

  Brandon patted Khadija’s hand. "We can't just run, honey. We have our jobs. The kids have their lives here. We just have to keep our heads down. We stay quiet. We don't get involved in politics. We don't look at the Royals. We just live our small lives and hope the storm passes over us."

  "That's right," Jasmin added, though her voice was shaking. "We’re just commoners. We’re invisible to them. As long as we don't draw attention to ourselves, we’ll be fine."

  Ken looked down at his plate. The irony was almost funny, in a dark way. His family was terrified of the war, praying to be invisible. They had no idea that the most dangerous variable in the entire war was sitting right at their dinner table, eating roasted chicken.

  Ken knew the Succession War was going to be messy. He had read about the "lore" of this world. There would be monsters, assassinations, and massive magical battles.

  This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

  "Don't worry," Ken said, forcing a cheerful smile back onto his face. He reached out and took a big scoop of salad. "Dad is right. We are boring people. Boring people survive. I’ll just find a nice, boring office job, Jasmin will go to university, and we will watch the war on TV like it’s a soccer game."

  "I hope you’re right," Khadija sighed, finally sitting down. "I just want us all to be together and safe."

  "We will be," Ken promised. Because if anyone comes near this house, he thought, his eyes flashing with a hidden coldness for a split second, I will erase them from existence.

  "Anyway," Ken said, changing the subject loudly. "This salad looks amazing. Did you use the special dressing?"

  The heavy atmosphere lifted slightly. The family went back to eating. They talked about neighbors, about the rising price of milk, and about the leaky faucet in the bathroom. They were a typical, loving middle-class family trying to find comfort in their routine.

  Ken finished his dinner and leaned back, patting his stomach. He felt sleepy. The conversation about the war had been draining. He just wanted to go to his room, read some comic books, and sleep for twelve hours.

  "See?" Ken thought. "Nothing to worry about. Just a normal life for a normal guy."

  He stood up to help clear the dishes. "I'll wash the plates tonight," he volunteered, hoping to earn some 'good son' points to makeup for the farming argument.

  "Thank you, Ken," his mother smiled.

  Everything seemed peaceful. The fears of the war felt distant, something that happened to other people. They had no idea that the gears of fate were already turning, and that the "invisible" life they wanted was about to be shattered completely.

  Ken picked up a stack of plates and turned toward the kitchen sink. He hummed a little tune, thinking about his warm bed. He had absolutely no plans for the next day other than sleeping.

  But the universe had other plans.

  Just as the water began to run from the tap, a sound echoed through the quiet house.

  Ding-Dong.

  ----

  The sound of the doorbell echoed through the small hallway of the Eliot house. It wasn't a loud sound, just the normal ding-dong that happened when the postman arrived or a neighbor brought over some extra vegetables. But tonight, that sound felt different.

  As he felt something wasn’t right, Ken stood by the kitchen sink, holding a wet plate. He looked at the door with tired, sleepy eyes. "I’ll get it," he muttered, but his sister, Jasmin, was already moving.

  "I’ll do it!" she said, jumping up from her chair. She was eager to break the gloomy mood. "Maybe it’s Mrs. Gable from next door. She said she might bring over some dessert."

  Jasmin smoothed down her school skirt and walked quickly to the front door. Ken went back to scrubbing the plate. He just wanted to finish the dishes, take a warm shower, and go to sleep. He was already planning his nap schedule for tomorrow. If he was lucky, he could sleep until noon.

  "Who visits this late at night anyway?" Ken thought to himself. "It’s probably a salesperson trying to sell us magical vacuum cleaners again."

  Suddenly, there was a gasp from the front door. It was a loud, sharp sound, like someone had just seen a ghost. Then came the sound of running footsteps. Jasmin sprinted back into the dining room. Her face was bright red, and her eyes were wide with shock. She was breathing hard, as if she had just run a marathon.

  "Mom! Dad!" she shouted, her voice shaking. "You won't believe who is at the door!"

  Khadija looked up from the table, looking confused. "Jasmin, calm down. Who is it? Is it the police?"

  "No! It’s... it’s Grandmaster Finlay!" Jasmin squealed. She pointed a trembling finger toward the hallway. "The Grandmaster Finlay! The Silver Shield of the Empire! He is standing on our porch!"

  The room went completely silent. Ken paused with his sponge in mid-air. He blinked slowly. Grandmaster Finlay? The name was famous. Everyone in the Belmontia Empire knew who he was. He was one of the top-ranking knights in the country. He was a hero who appeared on news channels, cereal boxes, and posters.