The beginning of a kingdom

The cave was deep. Ancient. Forgotten.
A girl stepped inside, brushing away the dust from her cloak. The villagers always whispered about this place—the place where a monster was sealed centuries ago. A legend passed down through generations.
But to her, legends were nothing but exaggerations.
She moved forward, her fingers tracing the stone walls. The deeper she went, the colder the air became. The silence was suffocating. There was no sound—no wind, no insects, nothing.
And then, she saw it.
A cube-shaped stone, floating in the air.
The legendary seal.
Her eyes narrowed. She had expected something more—terrifying, powerful. Instead, the cube was… still. Lifeless.
"Strange," she murmured.
She stepped closer, reaching out hesitantly. If the stories were true, then touching it should have been impossible. It should have burned her, cursed her, or worse.
But—nothing happened.
She placed her palm against it.
Still, nothing.
Her heart pounded.
The seal was supposed to contain the most dangerous being in history.
Yet, there was no response.
It was empty.
She pulled back, stepping away slowly. Her breath quickened. If the seal was hollow, then… where was he?
The legend had warned of a throneless king, a man who could command all beneath him. A force that once brought even the strongest to their knees.
And now, there was nothing left of him.
The girl shuddered.
Did that mean—he was already free?
Or had something even worse happened?
She turned around and hurried out of the cave, but the moment she reached the entrance—
A flash of silver.
A sharp sting.
Her vision blurred.
She looked down, eyes wide in horror.
Her hand—was gone.
Blood gushed from the severed wrist, splattering onto the cold stone floor. A choked gasp left her lips as she stumbled backward, her mind barely processing the pain before—
A second slash.
This time, across her throat.
She fell.
The last thing she saw was a shadowy figure stepping over her body.
A girl.
Dressed in black.
Eyes filled with cold amusement.
The killer wiped her blade clean and walked forward, stepping into the cave. Her boots crushed the lifeless fingers of the girl beneath her. She didn’t even glance down.
Her focus was on the floating cube.
She approached it, her expression unreadable.
The cave was too silent. Too empty.
Her eyes narrowed.
“…He’s not here.”
A slow smirk crept onto her lips.
“So, the throneless King has already escaped.”
Lilia pulled the hood of her cloak lower, hiding her face as she stepped into the town’s crowded streets. It had been three days since she left the cave—since she made that deal.
Ren's voice still echoed in her mind.
"Freedom for freedom."
She didn’t understand him. Not yet. But she knew one thing—she wasn’t free anymore.
The air was thick with the scent of baked bread and roasted meat. Merchants called out to passing customers, and children ran between stalls, laughing. A normal, peaceful life.
A life she could never return to.
Because she was different now.
She wasn’t just Lilia anymore.
She was the Right Hand of Death.
A title burned into her very soul. It didn't come with instant power or overwhelming strength. But she could feel it. Something inside her had changed.
And with it—Ren’s presence.
Though his body was still sealed, his fragment followed her. He lingered beside her like a shadow, watching, waiting. No one else could see him.
"Explore the town," he had ordered.
And so she did.
She passed through the marketplace, blending into the crowd. Her village wasn’t far, and she had already seen a few familiar faces. She couldn’t let them recognize her.
She knew what they would do to her if they found out she was still alive.
A chilling whisper reached her ears.
"This town is built on weak foundations."
She froze.
Ren’s voice.
She turned her head slightly, feeling the cold mist of his presence beside her. His form was still incomplete, nothing more than a distorted, shadowy figure. But his red eyes gleamed with something unreadable.
"This place will fall."
Lilia swallowed hard. “Why do you say that?” she muttered under her breath.
"Because I’ve seen it happen before."
A cold shiver ran down her spine.
She didn’t ask him to elaborate.
Instead, she kept moving, trying to focus on her task.
Ren had given her freedom, but at the same time, he had taken it away. She wasn’t free to choose her own path anymore.
But then again…
Had she ever been?
Her people had betrayed her. The village that once loved her had chosen to sacrifice her.
No.
She had never been free.
But now… now she had a purpose.
Even if it meant serving the King of the Kingless World.
And as she walked deeper into the town, she couldn’t shake the feeling that her journey was only just beginning.

Lilia walked through the bustling streets, carefully observing everything. This town… it was different from what she expected.
It wasn’t just some random place—it was where Ren would rule.
He would never sit on a throne, but the entire town would bend to his will.
"You’ve chosen an interesting place to send me," Lilia muttered under her breath.
Ren’s voice, cold and amused, echoed in her mind.
"I didn’t choose it. This town was already mine."
Lilia’s fingers twitched slightly. That sense of unease she felt earlier—it wasn’t just paranoia.
She wasn’t walking through someone else’s territory.
She was walking through Ren’s kingdom.
A kingdom that didn’t know its king had returned.
And she was his first and only subject.
For now.

As she moved through the market, she noticed strange things.
People stepped aside when she passed, as if instinctively avoiding her.
Merchants seemed hesitant when she asked questions. They wouldn’t look her in the eye, and their voices dropped to hushed whispers.
The town had secrets.
And Ren already knew them.
"They don’t remember me," he said. His voice was calm—but beneath it, there was something else.
Resentment.
"But they will."
Lilia shivered slightly.
She was beginning to realize something terrifying.
Ren didn’t need a throne to rule.
He didn’t need recognition, loyalty, or even followers.
He only needed time.
And he had an eternity to reclaim what was his.

As she turned into a quieter street, she felt it.
A presence.
Someone was watching her.
"Lilia," Ren’s voice was sharp now.
"Keep walking. Don’t look back."
She obeyed immediately.
Her heartbeat quickened, but her steps remained calm.
Whoever it was, they weren’t moving yet.
"They recognize something," Ren mused. Not concerned, but intrigued.
"Perhaps they sense my presence through you."
Lilia swallowed.
She had almost forgotten—Ren wasn’t just trapped in that cave.
He was with her now.
Invisible to the world.
A shadow. A ghost.
A king waiting to rise again.

Lilia clenched her fists as Ren’s voice echoed in her mind.
"Spread my return."
His tone was absolute. There was no hesitation—only command.
"This town belongs to me. Let them know their king has returned."
Lilia took a deep breath and stepped into the heart of the marketplace.
She would speak his name.
And the world would change.

At first, no one paid her any attention.
Just a lone girl standing in the crowd, her lips parting as she whispered the words Ren had given her.
"The King has returned."
No one reacted.
So she said it again, louder.
"The Throneless King will rule again."
This time, people turned to her. Some with confusion, others with amusement.
Lilia kept going.
"You have all forgotten. But he remembers."
A merchant scoffed. “What king? This is a free town.”
"Is it?" Lilia tilted her head. Her voice was steady, but her presence felt different now.
It was subtle. Unnoticeable at first.
But the air around her was shifting.
Some people in the crowd shivered without knowing why.
Then someone threw a rock.
It struck Lilia’s shoulder, and she stumbled back.
Another person threw a punch.
Then another.
The anger of the town fell upon her all at once.
They didn't understand why.
But Ren did.
"Good," he whispered.
And that was when it happened.

Blood dripped from Lilia’s forehead. Her breathing was ragged.
Then her title activated.
Right Hand of Death.
Her voice changed.
It was no longer a simple whisper—it was a melody.
Soft. Hypnotic.
Every single person froze.
The people who had struck her fell to their knees.
Their eyes turned blank, empty—lost in a trance.
And then—
They smiled.
"The King has returned," they whispered in unison.
More voices joined them.
The crowd grew.
And grew.
And grew.
Until the entire marketplace was chanting Ren’s name.
Like a prayer.
Like a prophecy.
Like a reality.
Lilia gasped, her throat sore from speaking—but she could feel it.
Ren’s presence was heavier now.
Stronger.
Like his seal was cracking.
"Well done, Lilia."
His voice was pleased.
"Now, let’s make them believe in a god."
The town was no longer the same.
Lilia had spoken.
And the people listened.
It started with whispers.
"The King has returned."
"His rule is absolute."
"His will is our command."
But then whispers turned to shouts.
People knelt in the streets, chanting his name. Merchants abandoned their stalls. Guards dropped their weapons.
The town descended into madness.
Some resisted. Not everyone fell under Lilia’s voice.
The few who fought back ran to the ruling lord’s estate.
"Lord Aedric, something is wrong!"
Aedric, the ruler of the town, stepped onto his balcony—and his heart sank.
The streets were flooded with people bowing, whispering, and praising a name he had only heard in ancient legends.
"Impossible."
The Other Kingdoms React 
Ren’s legend was not forgotten.
There were those who still feared him.
And when news of the chaos spread, the kingdoms reacted instantly.
The Kingdom of the Sun, known for its elite warriors, sent scouts.
The Kingdom of Chains, a nation built on laws and control, declared Ren a threat.
The Kingdom of the Unbroken, which had once fought Ren centuries ago, began mobilizing its army.
The kings and queens all knew what this meant.
Ren was returning.
And if they didn’t stop him now—
It would be too late.
Meanwhile… 
Lilia stood at the center of the chaos, her body shaking.
She never expected this.
People were bowing at her feet.
Worshiping her as if she was Ren’s messenger.
Ren’s voice was calm.
"Look at them, Lilia. This is just the beginning."
But she felt fear.
Not from the people.
Not from the kingdoms.
But from Ren himself.
She did not know what he truly was.
And she was afraid to find out.