Night descended slowly over the Kingdom of Veyra, bringing a chill that slipped through the cracks in the palace windows. Raka stood alone on the balcony of his room, gazing at the expansive courtyard illuminated by torches. From that height, the palace looked far larger than he had imagined. Stone towers soared into the sky, defensive walls surrounded the royal compound, and hundreds of soldiers stood guard at various points. The sight should have made him feel safe. After all, he was now in a heavily guarded place, at the heart of a kingdom with a powerful army and immense authority. Yet for some reason, Raka felt the opposite. The more guards he saw, the more he felt that something was drawing near. Since he had woken up for the second time in King Ashwin's body, his mind had never truly been at peace. Elandor's face kept appearing in his thoughts, along with his words about Prince Rovan. He knows you've changed. The sentence had been circling in his head since afternoon. Raka didn't know Rovan. He had never even met him. Yet from the way Elandor had spoken his name, Raka knew the man was not someone to be taken lightly.
He raised his hand and studied the red-stoned ring still circling his finger. The ring belonged to Ashwin. Or at least, it belonged to the body he was now using. Raka didn't know why, but for the past few hours, he had often felt emotions that weren't his own. Anger surfaced for no reason. Sometimes sadness came over him when he looked at certain places in the palace. He had even felt longing for someone he didn't know at all. He was beginning to fear that Elandor's warning was true. The memories and feelings of the body's original owner were slowly blending with his own. If it continued, Raka didn't know how long he would still be able to tell which parts were him and which were Ashwin. He closed his eyes and drew a deep breath, trying to remember his original world. Wet streets. His phone. The novel he had been reading. His home. The voices of people he knew. All of it was part of his life. He had to remember it. He couldn't let this world take him piece by piece.
A soft knock sounded.
Raka opened his eyes.
“Come in.”
The door opened, and a female servant entered carrying a tray. She placed the food on the table and bowed.
“Your Majesty, dinner is ready.”
“Thank you.”
The woman was about to leave when Raka called out to her.
“Wait.”
She turned around.
“I want to ask you something.”
“Of course, Your Majesty.”
“Prince Rovan.”
The woman's expression changed at once.
Only for a moment.
But Raka saw it.
“You know him?”
The servant lowered her head. “Prince Rovan is Your Majesty's younger brother.”
“Brother?”
“Your Majesty's brother by royal blood.”
Raka nodded slowly. “What is he like?”
The servant looked hesitant.
“Just answer me.”
“Prince Rovan is highly respected by some of the nobles.”
“Some?”
The woman lowered her head even further.
“Your Majesty should ask Adviser Elandor about that.”
Raka did not press her. He let the woman leave.
As soon as the door closed, Raka turned his gaze back toward the palace courtyard.
Something was wrong.
He could feel it.
Not long afterward, footsteps echoed through the corridor.
Raka turned.
But this time, there was no knock.
The door to his room opened slowly.
A man in a black cloak stood in the doorway.
The hood cast shadows over part of his face.
Raka rose at once.
“Who are you?”
The man didn't answer.
He stepped inside and closed the door.
Raka took a step back.
“Call the guards.”
The man raised one hand.
“Don't.”
His voice was low.
“I came to warn you.”
Raka watched his movements.
“If you want to warn me, show me your face.”
Instead, the man lowered his hood slightly.
“I am a royal spy.”
Raka didn't believe him right away.
“Proof?”
The man pulled a small emblem from beneath his cloak. It was identical to the royal symbol on the soldiers' uniforms.
Raka remained wary.
“What do you want?”
“Nothing.”
“Then why are you here?”
The spy moved closer and spoke in an extremely soft voice.
“Prince Rovan is gathering an army.”
Raka fell silent.
“Where?”
“The Eastern Province.”
“How many?”
“Enough to put the kingdom in danger if they march toward the capital.”
Raka walked toward the window.
“Why?”
“Because he's spreading word that Your Majesty changed after falling ill three days ago.”
Raka felt his heart begin to beat faster.
“They know.”
The spy stared at him.
“It's more than that.”
“What do you mean?”
“Prince Rovan says that the king who returned from his illness is no longer King Ashwin.”
Raka fell silent.
Those words were far too close to the truth.
He wasn't Ashwin.
But how could Rovan know that?
“Who told him?”
The spy shook his head.
“We don't know yet.”
“Then why is Rovan gathering an army?”
“Officially, he says he wants to protect the Eastern Province from the threat of the Southern Anomaly.”
“And unofficially?”
The spy looked him straight in the eye.
“Many nobles are beginning to believe that you are unfit to rule.”
Raka clenched his fists.
“Because I've changed?”
“Because you don't act like the king they know.”
Raka nearly let out a bitter laugh.
Of course.
He wasn't Ashwin.
He didn't know how Ashwin spoke, how he made decisions, whom he trusted, or even how he usually looked at other people. Everyone in the palace was waiting for him to make a mistake.
“Who supports Rovan?”
“Several nobles from the east. Some military commanders. And...” The spy stopped.
“And who?”
“Several people from inside the palace.”
Raka turned.
“From inside?”
The spy nodded.
“Not everyone who bows to you is truly loyal.”
Silence filled the room.
Raka remembered all the servants, soldiers, and nobles he had encountered since waking up.
Suddenly, every face seemed suspicious.
“Does Elandor know?”
“Adviser Elandor just received the news.”
“Where is he?”
“On his way here.”
Raka nodded.
But the spy still didn't leave.
There was something else he wanted to say.
“What?”
The man stared at him for a long moment.
“Your Majesty must be careful about one thing.”
“What?”
“Don't trust anyone who knows too much about your condition.”
Raka frowned.
“Including you?”
For the first time, the man gave him a faint smile.
“Especially me.”
Then he turned and left through the side door.
Raka stood motionless.
A short while later, the main door opened again.
Elandor entered at a brisk pace.
“Has he arrived?”
“He has.”
“What did he say?”
“Rovan is gathering troops in the east.”
Elandor closed the door.
“I suspected as much.”
“They say I've changed.”
Elandor looked at Raka.
“Because it's true.”
Raka let out a quiet snort.
“Not funny.”
“I'm not joking.”
Elandor walked closer.
“Rovan has always been waiting for a chance to seize the throne. While Ashwin was ill, he didn't have a strong enough reason. But now...” Elandor paused.
“Now what?”
“Now you've given him one.”
Raka stared at him.
“Can he know?”
“If he's only noticed a change in behavior, maybe not.”
“Then?”
Elandor sighed.
“What if Rovan knew about this soul transfer before you did?”
Raka didn't answer immediately.
The sentence brought his entire mind to a halt.
“How is that possible?”
“That's what we need to find out.”
“Who told him?”
“I don't know yet.”
“The Tower Keepers?”
Elandor fell silent.
Raka immediately noticed the change in his expression.
“So you've thought about them too.”
“I've thought of many possibilities.”
“But you didn't deny it.”
Elandor walked toward the window.
“Because if the Tower Keepers are truly involved, our problem is far bigger than a coup.”
Raka moved closer.
“Then what should I do?”
“Stay alive.”
“And after that?”
“Find out who is on your side.”
Raka nodded.
The night grew later.
Elandor eventually left the room after promising to increase the guard detail around Raka's quarters.
But several hours later, when the entire palace had fallen silent, Raka woke to a small sound.
Crack.
His eyes opened.
The room was dark.
He sat up slowly.
There was no one there.
Raka got out of bed and walked toward the window.
Then he stopped.
A white object lay on his pillow.
A letter.
There had been nothing there just minutes earlier.
Raka picked it up.
There was no sender's name.
No royal emblem.
Only one sentence written in black ink.
“I know who you really are.”
Raka read the sentence twice.
His hand began to grow cold.
He turned the letter over.
A second sentence was written on the back.
“Meet me in the back garden at midnight.”
Raka looked at the water clock on the table.
The sand was nearly at the bottom.
Midnight.
Very soon.
He knew leaving might be a trap.
But if the person who had written the letter truly knew who he was, this might be his only chance to get answers.
Raka took his cloak.
He looked at the door.
Then he looked at the letter one more time.
For the first time since arriving in this world, he felt that someone wasn't hunting him to kill him.
Someone was waiting for him.
And that person might know more about Raka than Raka himself did.
He opened the door slowly.
At the end of the corridor, a guard stood with his back to him.
Raka waited.
The guard didn't move.
He stepped outside.
One step.
Two steps.
Then a quiet voice came from the shadows.
“Your Majesty.”
Raka stopped.
He turned.
The guard was still standing there.
But his face was hidden.
“Where are you going?”
Raka gripped the letter inside his pocket.
“For some fresh air.”
The guard was silent.
Then he lowered his head.
“Very well, Your Majesty.”
Raka walked past him.
But after a few steps, he glanced back.
The guard was still standing there.
Watching him.
Raka quickened his pace toward the stairs.
He didn't know who had written the letter.
He didn't know whether that person was friend or foe.
But one thing was becoming clear.
In this palace, Rovan wasn't the only one watching him.
Someone much closer already knew his secret.
And tonight, Raka would meet them.
In a dark place.
Alone.
Without knowing that the meeting would mark the beginning of one of the greatest secrets about his life as a Witness.