“Word mustn’t go out about his Majesty’s passing… at least not yet,” the butler exclaimed, his voice trembling.

The knights grew restless, pacing back and forth. The butler fought back tears, biting his lip until it bled.

“I-I…” I hesitated.

I need to comfort them. The butler seemed to have been bottling up his sorrow for a long time.

“Your Highness,” the butler said, bowing his head. “You will be taking care of things from now on. Worry not, I will be your right hand… until you no longer need me.”

“I will do my best!” I said earnestly. “I’ll make this country prosper as it ever did!”

Unfortunately, these words were heavier than I could bear.

Rumors of the king’s death spread like a plague among nobility. Some questioned my ability to become a good, rightful queen. But why would this bother me? I am no queen…

This is just a test…

A test to what end?

Why can’t I remember anything?

The only figure I can clearly remember is Sylvara’s. “The God” that created this test, this vivid illusion. Surprisingly, people here have shadows, unlike the previous trial. Is it somehow related to reality? The Narcis twins did seem different… yet real.

“Your Highness… I mean Your Majesty! We’ve received urgent reports from the knights at the front gates! The people are gathering, shouting your name!”

“My name…” I repeated.

“Do they carry weapons or anything of the sort?” the butler asked.

“They did not seem armed, but their fury is violent enough to set the whole city ablaze!”

“How dare they?” one knight spat in disgust. “Lowly commoners raising their voices and complaints to the royalty on the very day of the king’s death… They need a harsh lesson! Your Majesty, allow me to take care of that matter. There is no need for you to face such filth.”

Lowly commoners… Filth… What a way to address the citizens we’re supposed to protect. I thought.

“Your Majesty,” the butler interjected, sensing my unease, “if you do not wish to sully your hands with this, allow me to take care of the matter. Let her rest, let her mourn her brother’s death in peace!”

But I was no queen. The man who just died was not my brother. His death meant little to me. The butler however, seemed devastated, as if he had lost a dear friend. He was the one who deserved to mourn.

“Butler…” I said. “Didn’t I promise to make some changes in this country?”

“Yes, but…”

“I’ll face them myself. I need to address the people and ease their minds. The news must’ve reached them already.”

A senior knight stepped forward and knelt before me.

“Your Majesty, this could be a ploy to assassinate you.”

I stared at him, startled by the thought.

He seemed like the type to always expect bad from people, but why should I blame him. He spent his time on the battlefield, witnessing countless ambushes and betrayals. Betrayals…

“Do not fret, you’ll be by my side. I know that you’ll protect me no matter what,” I said with a comforting voice.

I walked down the corridor, fear gnawing at my chest, my legs barely supporting me. If this test was about gaining the people’s acceptance, so be it.

“Here we are,” the senior knight said, opening the grand balcony doors above the gates.

Below, a chaotic crowd surged. Hundreds, no thousands of men and women shouting and chanting. Even kids waved flags, mimicking their parents’ cries.

I took a deep breath and stepped forward.

“Dear citizens,” I began, “you must’ve gathered here upon hearing rumors about the death of the king,” I said. “ It is as they say, he passed away.”

The crowd started growling. Some whispered, others cried bitterly or rather faked it perfectly. A mask, they believed would never fall.

The knights tensed, ready to strike with burning arrows at the least sudden movement. Who knows what they would have done, had I not been here to stop them. They will annihilate everyone in one strike.

“The king’s passing is a loss for the entire nation, my brother was a kind and hardworking ruler, who lifted this country from the depths of ruin_”

Luckily for me, my curiosity got me out of this situation. My luxurious room was adorned with beautiful historical paintings. The butler took the time to explain the Kingdom’s dark past and the royal’s bloody feats. From starting a pandemic to purposely starting a famine in some villages. The king tried to bury that legacy, but the people remembered and refused to forget nor forgive. After all, who would forgive such horrendous things.

“Your Majesty,” a voice rang out from the crowd. “Allow me to correct you. The late king got your bloodline and the nobility out of the misery you created. We, the people, were used to reach your all-noble goal! You lied to us, you trampled the weak to climb higher. And you certainly do not feel an ounce of shame towards the atrocities your ancestors committed!”

Before I could respond, a fire-tipped arrow struck him in the chest. The flames erupted violently, devouring his flesh as he collapsed in twisted scream.

“What have you done!” I shouted.

Screams erupted. Panic swept through the crowd.

“Father! Father!” a child wailed, struggling against his mother’s arms as she held him back, shielding him from the burning corpse.

“There you go again, killing another innocent soul,” said a familiar voice. “Just when are you going to stop killing us!” he said turning to the crowd.

A young man in ragged clothes stood atop a pile of crates to gather everyone. His face was shadowed beneath a wide-brimmed hat, but his voice stirred something in me.

“It’s only a matter of time before they kill us all!” he shouted.

My throat closed. I couldn’t speak. Couldn’t defend myself.

The knight who had fired the arrow was nowhere to be found.

Amidst the growing havoc, some of them started throwing stones.

The knights fired arrows into the void, a warning shot meant to scatter the crowd. But it was useless.

This time, the people were ready to die.

And still, the young man stood there, as if enjoying the hellish scenery.

Screams echoed. Smoke curled upward. The scent of ash and blood filled the air.

Suddenly, he turned and removed his hat.

Lord Dante.

But those piercing green eyes… there was no mistaking them.

I had seen them before. In the previous tests.

And just like then, he cast no shadow?

“Your Majesty,” he shouted, his voice cutting through the noise like a blade. “What’s the difference between the both of us now?”

What is he playing at now?

“I’ll tell you,” he continued, stepping forward, “You are admiring this hell from above and I am watching it unfold from within. I hope that the show is to your liking, Your Majesty.”

He raised a hand to the crowd.

“Oh, and where is the so-called justice you so proudly preached just a day ago?”

I must stop this. But how? Surely not by standing here.

In an instant, I stormed off the balcony running towards the stairs. I may be able to stop this ruckus from within!

“Your Majesty! Where are you going! It’s dangerous! Come back please!” the butler shouted behind me. “Stop her now!”

But I didn’t stop.

Reaching the front gate was surprisingly easy.

The knights were too busy igniting the crowd, setting people ablaze like dry kindling.

Well, barging into this mess unarmed is madness, but if I want them to believe in peace, I need to prove that I trust them.

The smoke thickened, stinging my eyes and clinging to my skin like guilt.

Still, I walked toward it.

Through the haze, I saw them.

The people.

Their clothes torn, faces streaked with soot and blood. Some held stones. Others clutched their children. Many stared in stunned silence, watching their world crumble.

And the knights…

They stood tall, cold and detached, releasing arrows with mechanical precision.

Suddenly, a weak, desperate voice pierced through the smoky chaos.

“It hurts! It hurts! It hurts! Help me! Help me!”

I turned sharply, pushing through the crowd as their shouts blurred into a distant roar. There, crumpled on the cobblestones, lay a young man. His face pale and contorted with pain, one arm gruesomely severed at the wrist, blood pooling beneath him. He must have cut it off himself to stop the fire from consuming him whole.

His eyes locked onto mine, wide and pleading, raw.

“Please… Save me!”

“Hold on,” I whispered, kneeling beside him, I grasped what remained of his arm, trying to stem the crimson tide with trembling hands.

Then, a cold voice cut through the smoke.

“Oh? What if you do save him? You can’t save everyone, can you? And it’s not through this that they’ll forgive you, Your Majesty.”

“Dante!” I shouted.

Upon hearing his words, the wounded man’s expression twisted. He snatched a sharp stone from the ground and hurled it at me.

“Stay away from me, you monster! Your royal beast! Do not step closer!” he screamed, flinging debris with his remaining strength.

Before I could react, a jagged stone flew through the air. It cracked against my cheekbone with a sickening crunch. Warm blood dribbled down my face.

 “You brought this upon us! Don’t touch me! Don’t you dare touch me!”

I staggered back, stunned by his reaction.

I took a step away, and then… an arrow struck me.

The world tilted. The screams faded into a low, distorted drone. But I felt no pain.

As I fell, I saw Dante’s smile curve like a scythe.