thief of fate-Chapter 65: The championship is approaching

The square had filled since dawn. Women, men, children, soldiers, elders... many faces and even more eyes.

In the corner, Valerian stood silently among the crowd. Beside him, Zenith stood with his arms crossed. After hearing there would be an announcement, they came and met on the way.

A sudden silence swept over the place, as if the entire city held its breath at once.

King Yaram appeared.

Then he breathed slowly and extended his hand forward.

"My children of the kingdom..." he said in a calm but strong voice, "Great people of Evis."

Selena’s heart trembled, standing among the crowd not far from Valerian, under a light cloak that hid her hair. She hadn’t wanted to be there, but something inside her pushed her to come. Maybe guilt.

"I know what we’ve lived through these past weeks wasn’t easy..." the king continued. "The tears shed, the children who didn’t return, the betrayal that broke our hearts... These are wounds words cannot heal."

His voice was calm, yet carried something broken. Something the people recognized in their silence. In their eyes that no longer demanded, but waited.

"But we will not break. We will not fall. This kingdom... will rise from its ashes."

A small cry came from a child, then silence again. The king continued.

"Therefore, today I announce the beginning of the Grand Reclamation Tournament."

Another silence, then murmurs. Valerian quickly looked at Zenith, but the latter’s expression didn’t change.

"A tournament for all who wish to join... not just from this land. But also from two distant kingdoms..."

The murmurs grew louder. Many faces turned to each other in surprise not without suspicion. Those kingdoms? After all these years?

In her place, Selena raised her eyebrows slightly, and her eyes narrowed. Why now? Why together?

"This is not just a tournament," the king continued. "It’s a test. Of will. Of strength. Of leadership."

He stepped forward, as if wanting to reach them despite the distance.

"We need the strong... no, we need leaders. Those who will represent us, who will stand where others have fallen. Who carry the legacy of those before them, and lead those who will come after."

His voice lowered slightly, but grew sharper.

"Therefore, only the strongest, most worthy, purest in intent and resolve will be accepted. And those who win... will receive great rewards. Money, land, titles. But more than that: they will carry the responsibility of defending this people."

In the heart of the crowd, Valerian felt something stir inside him. It wasn’t excitement. Nor fear. But a heavy mix of both.

Am I ready? After everything?

He looked at his hands. His fingers were trembling slightly. He remembered that entity on the screen. Its words still echoed in his mind.

Maybe this is my chance... to understand... to prove that I...

"The registration gates will open tomorrow," the king said. "And every applicant will face a preliminary test. Pass it... and enter the arena."

In the corner, Zenith didn’t move, but finally muttered:

"He’s not telling us everything."

Valerian looked at him, but said nothing. He felt that too. The king’s words were clear... but not complete.

As for Selena, she had tilted her head slightly, and closed her eyes for a moment.

Leaders... three kingdoms... and tests? This isn’t just a response to a tragedy.

She remembered the academy. The ruined rooms. The students who disappeared. The suspicious looks. Evelyn, who was no longer the same. And... Raphael.

She felt a sting in her chest, as if something was about to be revealed soon, and all this was just a cover.

"This tournament is not for amusement," the king continued. "But for survival."

Then he raised his hand and shouted with a voice that shook the square:

"Let it be known to all... that whoever stands in the arena, will be one step away from death. Whoever is not ready... should stay away."

Then he lowered his hand, turned, and left the platform.

A long moment of silence.

Then the square erupted in overlapping conversations, shouts, questions, laughter, and crying. Every sound existed, as if the city had awakened all at once.

Valerian turned to Zenith and said: "Will you enter?" 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

Zenith didn’t look at him. He simply said: "I’m thinking about it."

Then walked slowly among the people.

Selena didn’t move. She was still standing. Staring at the empty platform.

Future leaders? Or new pawns?

She felt that this tournament would be more than just combat. It would be a revelation.

She placed her hand on her chest, where she still felt the weight of that night. Where she was accused. Where she stayed silent. Where Raphael intervened.

Can I go through with it? Do I want to?

But no answer came.

At the edge of the square, Valerian saw a soldier handing out papers. He approached and took one. It bore the kingdom’s emblem, and details of the first test.

"Strength. Patience. Decision."

He muttered: "Three words... for three kingdoms?"

That day was not ordinary.

On it, people began to talk about the tournament.

And on it, some began to prepare.

And on it, too, fear began to creep into the corners.

But above all, one thing was clear:

That tomorrow... would not be like yesterday.

Axel stood at the edge, his eyes silently following the scene. He didn’t care about the words the king spoke, nor the people’s cries, nor the astonishment drawn on the faces of those present. He had heard it all before, in different ways, from different mouths.

Behind him, Irkalos knelt on one knee, his back as straight as always, and his glowing eyes watching the square with sharp focus, as if searching for something to devour.

Axel said in a quiet tone, without turning:

"Boring."

Irkalos didn’t respond, but a slight movement in his shoulders revealed his surprise.

Axel continued, his voice lazy but sharp:

"I know what you’re thinking... the noise, the crowds, this speech. You think it’s something grand, a new beginning, maybe even... a threat?" He laughed softly, then whispered: "Nothing has changed. Nothing ever changes."

He finally turned, and looked at Irkalos.

"All of this... was expected. The tournament? Expected. Inviting the kingdoms? I predicted that long ago. Yaram has been playing the same role for a decade. And everyone beneath him... new pawns."

He walked up to Irkalos, then sat on the edge, legs dangling in the air.

"You know, your breath is beastly, your eyes... predatory. But you think you’re more. Because you think. Because you plan. Because you... understand. But that’s not enough to be human."

Irkalos raised his head, slowly, like someone receiving an insult he doesn’t fully comprehend.

Axel smiled:

"To be human... is to see ruin coming, and smile anyway. To walk toward your death, and argue with yourself on the way whether you deserve to live. To carry the sins of others and scream them at yourself in the night."

"To be human is to crave betrayal. To love your enemy. To hate your savior. To be fragile, contradictory, torn... and go on anyway."

He looked again at the square, and sighed.

"Watch, Irkalos. Learn. If you want to understand why I call them targets, not prey... you must first understand why this kingdom, despite everything, still stands."

"Not because they are strong... but because they are human."

He stood slowly, dusted off his dark robe, then turned to leave.

"Stay here. Watch each of them. You’ll learn more than from any lesson I ever gave you."

Then he stopped at the entrance, without turning:

"And if you see a boy with white hair... don’t touch a strand of it. Yet." Then he vanished as usual.

"To be human..." A thought had been creeping into Irkalos’s mind for weeks, ever since Axel began repeating those words before him like an incantation. "To be human, not just another beast."

Is that how Axel sees him? Just a dog that can be trained? Or something more dangerous that shouldn’t be left unchained? He didn’t know, but he understood one thing:

If he became human, the door would open. For the rest. For his kind. For those crawling in the depths.

But... at what cost?

He closed his eyes, remembering the warm metallic taste of human flesh. The shiver that ran through his body when he heard a scream, or felt a heartbeat weaken under his fangs. That wasn’t hunger... it was ecstasy. Instinct. "Will I lose it? Will it be extinguished if I become human? Will I smell their flesh... and feel disgust?" The thought alone was terrifying.

And maybe... more than losing his appetite, he feared keeping it while pretending to be human. To live like them, eat like them, speak like them... while inside him, something screamed in hunger. "Is that what it means to be human? To hide your savagery well?" He laughed, a soft, coarse laugh no one heard.

He opened his eyes again, looked at his palm, then slowly clenched it.

"I’ll try." "For them. So we can conquer them from within." "And if I betray my appetite, I’ll kill it. And if I betray myself, I’ll kill that too."

He looked at the people, then whispered to himself in a hissing voice:

"If I cannot be anything but a predator... then I will at least learn how to bite without tearing."

Then he dug his claws into his palm until it bled, feeling the pain as a shackle... a punishment he imposed on himself, and began walking toward the light, toward the people.