Silence engulfed the royal hall.
A heavy silence.
A terrifying silence.
Every gaze remained fixed upon the Crystal as though waiting for it to awaken.
But it didn’t.
The massive crystal stood motionless.
Dark.
Lifeless.
Unresponsive.
Kentro blinked in confusion and looked down at his hand.
“…Is it over?”
Suddenly, the Demon King rose from his throne.
His eyes widened with fury.
“What is happening?!”
The entire hall trembled beneath his voice.
His roar echoed through the chamber like thunder.
“Why isn’t the Crystal reacting?!”
One of the nobles hurried forward, visibly shaken.
“Perhaps there has been a mistake in the ritual, Your Majesty.”
The Duke stepped closer to Kentro.
“Try again.”
Kentro nodded nervously and placed his hand against the Crystal once more.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
Nothing.
No light.
No magic.
No reaction.
Even after another Crystal was brought into the hall, the result remained exactly the same.
Whispers spread through the chamber like wildfire.
“Impossible…”
“Not a single element?”
“Is the Crystal defective?”
“How can this happen?”
Meanwhile, Kentro stood frozen in place, unable to understand what was wrong.
Then—
A terrifying black aura erupted throughout the hall.
BOOM.
The King’s power exploded outward.
The floor cracked beneath his feet.
An overwhelming pressure descended upon everyone present.
Many nobles nearly collapsed.
Several servants fell to their knees.
The Four Emperors immediately stepped forward to restrain him before the palace itself was destroyed.
At last…
The King calmed.
Only slightly.
The hall fell silent once again.
Then the King turned his cold gaze toward Kentro.
And spoke.
“This child…”
His voice carried no emotion.
“…possesses no magic.”
The words struck harder than any blade.
Kentro froze.
For a moment, he could not breathe.
Could not think.
Could not move.
Slowly, he took a trembling step forward.
“Father…”
But the King interrupted him.
“I will not allow such disgrace to carry the name of my bloodline.”
Kentro’s eyes widened.
Fear flooded his chest.
“W-What do you mean?”
The King’s answer was merciless.
“You will be exiled from the kingdom.”
Time stopped.
The world stopped.
Everything stopped.
Kentro stood motionless.
Unable to process what he had just heard.
Then tears began falling from his eyes.
“No…”
He shook his head desperately.
“No…
please…”
He rushed toward the throne.
“I’m your son!”
His voice cracked.
“Please don’t send me away!”
But the King never looked at him.
Not even once.
“Take him.”
The Four Emperors stepped forward in silence.
Kentro struggled.
Cried.
Begged.
Screamed.
“Please!”
“I don’t want to go!”
“Please!”
No one answered.
No one moved to help him.
No one dared.
A short time later…
The Four Emperors flew above the Dark Forest.
Far below stretched an endless sea of darkness.
Ancient trees.
Monstrous creatures.
A place feared throughout the world.
Kentro trembled in terror as they carried him through the night sky.
The Emperor of Wind looked down at him.
His expression remained cold.
“Farewell, Prince.”
And then—
They let go.
Kentro fell.
The wind screamed around him.
The forest rushed upward.
And then—
CRASH!
He disappeared into the darkness below.
Run.
Run.
Run.
Kentro sprinted through the forest without stopping.
Branches tore at his clothes.
Roots threatened to trip him.
Behind him, monstrous growls echoed through the darkness.
The beasts had already sensed him.
They were hunting.
And he was prey.
Every breath burned his lungs.
Every heartbeat felt louder than the creatures chasing him.
Then—
He saw it.
A small wooden cabin hidden between the trees.
Without hesitation, he rushed inside and slammed the door shut behind him.
The ancient cabin creaked under the force.
Silence returned.
For the moment.
The place was abandoned.
Dust covered the floor.
A broken bed rested in one corner.
Several old wooden shelves leaned against the walls.
Nothing more.
Kentro slowly collapsed into a corner.
His body trembled.
Then the tears came.
Again.
And again.
And again.
“Why…?”
His voice was barely a whisper.
He pulled his knees against his chest.
“What did I do wrong…?”
No answer came.
Only silence.
And the distant howls of monsters outside.
Eventually, exhaustion overcame him.
His eyes closed.
And for the first time in his life…
Kentro slept alone.
That same night…
The Four Emperors returned to the royal palace.
They knelt before the throne.
“The order has been carried out, Your Majesty.”
The King’s expression never changed.
“Good.”
Then he turned toward everyone gathered within the hall.
His voice became colder than ice.
“Anyone who speaks of what happened today…”
His crimson eyes swept across the room.
“…will be executed.”
No one objected.
No one dared.
And just like that…
The heir vanished from history.
As though he had never existed at all.
The following morning…
Kentro stepped out of the cabin.
The sunlight barely penetrated the dense canopy above.
For a long moment, he simply stared into the vast forest before him.
Alone.
Abandoned.
Forgotten.
Slowly, his small hands clenched into fists.
His body still trembled.
But something new had appeared within his eyes.
Determination.
“If the entire world has abandoned me…”
He lifted his head toward the sky.
His voice was weak.
Yet unwavering.
“…then I’ll survive anyway.”
The forest remained silent.
But somewhere deep within the darkness…
Fate had already begun moving.
And Kentro’s true story…
Was only beginning.
To Be Continued…