Alarm cries erupted throughout the palace just as Raka and Lira were still in the rear garden. War bells rang in rapid succession, nothing like the bells that usually marked the passing hours or royal ceremonies. Within seconds, the quiet night turned into chaos. From beyond the garden walls came soldiers' shouts, pounding footsteps, the clash of swords, and occasional heavy impacts that made the ground tremble. Raka stood frozen for several moments, trying to understand what was happening. A few hours earlier, Elandor had said Rovan was gathering troops in the eastern province, but no one had expected an attack to come this quickly. And worse, it had happened precisely while Raka was in a secluded place with Lira. As if someone had known where they were.
“This isn't an ordinary attack,” Lira said tensely.
Raka turned to her. “Why?”
“Because they're attacking too soon.”
An explosion sounded from the direction of the southern gate. Firelight soared behind the palace buildings, turning the night sky red. Raka could see birds flying away in panic from the rooftops. Several servants ran past carrying their belongings, while soldiers rushed toward the source of the commotion. But even from a distance, it was clear that the numbers were uneven. The troops entering the palace carried black banners bearing the emblem of a spread-winged eagle. Raka had never seen the symbol in person, but from their earlier conversations, he knew it was Prince Rovan's emblem.
“Rovan,” he murmured.
Lira nodded.
“He really did it.”
Raka stared at the growing flames. “We have to find Elandor.”
They ran from the garden. The road to the main building was already filled with chaos. Several soldiers rushed past without even noticing whom they were passing. From the direction of the gates came a jumble of overlapping orders. Raka tried to keep up with Lira, but the old body he was using couldn't move as fast as his thoughts. His breathing grew labored. He had only been in this world for a few days and still didn't understand how to use a king's body, let alone run in the middle of an attack.
“We can't go that way!” Lira shouted.
They stopped at a corridor intersection. A group of soldiers was fighting to the right. Smoke was beginning to fill the passage on the left. Raka stared frantically in both directions.
“Which way?”
Lira was about to answer when a hand suddenly gripped Raka's shoulder.
“Your Majesty!”
Elandor.
Raka spun around.
The old adviser's face was tense, but he was still standing straight. “Follow me. Now.”
“What happened?”
“Rovan broke through the southern gate.”
“I know.”
“No, you don't know everything yet.”
Elandor pulled Raka away from the main corridor. Lira followed without asking questions. They passed through a narrow passage behind the throne room, then entered a small room whose walls were almost entirely covered by old shelves. Elandor shut the door and locked it from the inside.
Raka was breathing heavily.
“Why are we hiding?”
“Because if Rovan manages to reach the throne room, he'll come looking for us.”
“Shouldn't we fight back?”
“With what?”
Raka fell silent.
Elandor walked to the back wall. He pressed a small stone hidden among the carvings. A mechanism sounded behind the wall, and part of the shelving slowly shifted aside, revealing a dark passage that had not been visible before.
Raka stared at it.
“A secret room?”
“A place ordinary soldiers won't search.”
They went inside.
The passage led them to a much larger room. At its center stood a stone table and several old chests, while a large map hung on the wall. The map looked ancient. The territorial lines on it did not match the map of the kingdom Raka was accustomed to seeing. Many regions did not even have names.
Elandor immediately locked the secret door from the inside.
“This isn't just a coup,” he said.
Raka looked at him.
“Rovan wouldn't attack this quickly if he weren't certain he could win.”
“Certain how?”
Elandor did not answer right away. He walked to the map and stared at the southern part of the kingdom. Raka moved closer as well. A region there was covered in strange lines resembling cracks spreading outward from a single point.
“The Southern Anomaly,” Elandor said.
Raka studied the map.
In its corner was a small symbol.
A split sun.
Raka immediately froze.
“That.”
Elandor turned toward him.
“The symbol you've been searching for,” he said.
Raka leaned closer to the map. The carving was tiny, almost impossible to see unless someone was deliberately looking for it. But the moment he saw it, Raka felt the same sensation as before. His head throbbed. Something inside him seemed to recognize the symbol.
“What does it have to do with Rovan?”
Elandor slowly shook his head.
“Rovan has an ally we don't know about.”
“Who?”
“I don't know.”
“Then how do you know he has an ally?”
“Because there's no way a prince could gather that many troops without help from someone else.”
Raka stared at the map.
“An ally from where?”
Elandor fell silent.
“More importantly,” he continued, “that ally understands soul transfers better than I do.”
Raka turned sharply.
“What?”
Before Elandor could answer, a heavy impact sounded from behind the door.
BANG!
Raka flinched.
Dust rained from the ceiling.
Elandor immediately drew his sword.
“Don't move.”
A second impact sounded.
BANG!
The secret-room door shook violently.
Raka backed away several steps.
“How did they find us?”
“I don't know.”
A third impact struck, louder than the others.
Cracks began to appear in the wooden door.
Lira drew her short sword and stood beside Elandor.
Raka looked at the two of them.
“Can we get out of here?”
“Not until they stop breaking down the door,” Elandor replied.
“And if they don't stop?”
Elandor did not answer.
The door shook again.
This time, several voices could be heard outside.
“Open up!”
“Find the King!”
“Don't let him escape!”
Raka felt his heart pounding harder and harder.
He looked toward the map.
The split-sun symbol was still there.
For some reason, in a situation like this, the symbol was the only thing keeping his thoughts focused.
Witness.
The whisper came again.
Raka closed his eyes.
“Not now,” he muttered.
“What?” Lira asked.
Raka opened his eyes.
“Nothing.”
The door was struck again.
This time, one of its hinges came loose.
Elandor raised his sword.
“Get ready.”
Raka swallowed.
He had no fighting ability. He wasn't even sure this body could withstand a single soldier. But if they got inside, there was no guarantee he would survive.
The door was struck again.
The cracks widened.
Then—
Silence.
Everyone stopped.
Raka frowned.
“Did they leave?”
Elandor raised one finger, signaling for them to be quiet.
There was no sound of troops outside.
No footsteps.
No shouts.
Then another voice rang out.
A woman.
Calm.
Clear.
And for some reason, incredibly familiar to Raka.
“Open the door.”
Raka froze.
He knew that voice.
Or at least, some part of him did.
Lira looked at Elandor.
Elandor frowned.
“Who is that?” Raka whispered.
Elandor did not answer.
The woman's voice came again from beyond the door.
“I'm not your enemy.”
Raka stared at the door, which was almost broken down.
“I came to warn you.”
Elandor tightened his grip on his sword.
But Raka felt something else entirely.
Not fear.
A hazy memory.
A woman standing in the rain.
Her face was hidden.
Her hand extended something toward someone.
Then the same voice.
Don't forget me.
Raka jerked back to reality.
“Open it,” he said.
Elandor looked at him.
“Your Majesty?”
“Open the door.”
“No.”
Raka stared at his adviser.
“We don't have a choice.”
Elandor was still hesitant.
Outside, the woman's voice came once more.
“If you stay inside, Rovan will find you in a few minutes.”
Raka looked at Elandor.
“She knows Rovan's name.”
Elandor fell silent.
Then a loud voice echoed from the main corridor.
“ROVAN'S TROOPS ARE INSIDE!”
At last, Elandor raised his hand.
Lira stepped back.
Her sword was ready.
Elandor unlocked the door.
It slowly swung open.
And the figure behind it began to come into view.
A woman stood in the torchlight.
Her face was covered by a silver mask.
A curved sword rested in her hand.
Raka stared at her.
For some reason, his heart began to beat faster.
The woman looked back at him.
For several seconds, no one spoke.
Then she said quietly,
“We don't have much time.”
Raka didn't know who the woman was.
But he understood one thing immediately.
This night of attack was not merely a war for the throne.
Someone was hunting him.
And the masked woman might be the only person who knew the real reason.