The explosion ripped through the night like the roar of an angry god.
A massive fireball erupted behind the stage, sending a violent shockwave outward that knocked hundreds of people off their feet.
The blast was deafening — a thunderous BOOM that left most people's ears ringing with a high-pitched, constant beeping.
For several long seconds, the entire square fell into a strange, muffled silence where no one could hear the screams around them. Only the ringing in their heads existed.
When hearing slowly returned, the true horror began.
Thick black smoke billowed upward in a massive column, blotting out the glowing lanterns and night flowers.
The back half of the grand stage had been completely destroyed — wooden beams splintered like toothpicks, stone cracked and scattered, and flames were already climbing what remained of the structure.
Burning debris rained down across the crowd. Several people were struck and fell screaming, their clothes catching fire.
The fire didn't stay contained.
Sparks and flaming chunks of wood landed on nearby merchant stalls and wooden buildings surrounding the square.
Within moments, the flames began spreading hungrily from stall to stall, then leaping to the wooden houses and shops that lined the edges of the festival grounds.
Thick, acrid smoke filled the air, making it nearly impossible to breathe. People coughed violently, eyes watering and burning as the heat became unbearable.
The once-beautiful festival square was transforming into a nightmare of fire and chaos.
Panic exploded across the capital.
People who had been enjoying the festival just moments ago were now running for their lives. Merchants abandoned their goods without a second thought, leaving behind food, toys, and silks as they fled in the opposite direction of the smoke and flames.
The streets that had been filled with laughter and music were now filled with terrified screams and the thunder of thousands of feet.
In the center of the square, the situation was far worse.
The initial blast had thrown hundreds of people to the ground. As they tried to get up, the rest of the panicked crowd surged forward in a blind stampede. People tripped over fallen bodies and debris.
Those who fell were immediately crushed under the feet of the fleeing mob. The ground quickly became slick with blood. Screams of pain mixed with the desperate cries of those being trampled.
A young mother clutched her small son tightly to her chest as she ran.
"Hold on to me! Don't let go!" she screamed, but the crowd surged and ripped the boy from her arms. She turned back desperately, fighting against the flow of people.
"My son! My son!" she cried, reaching for him.
The boy had fallen. Before she could reach him, several people stepped on him in the chaos. His small body disappeared beneath the stampede. The mother screamed in agony and was herself knocked down moments later.
Nearby, a father desperately tried to shield his wife.
"Stay behind me!" he shouted, but the force of the crowd slammed into them. His wife was torn away and fell. He turned to help her, only to be swept forward by the mob.
He fought against the current, screaming her name, but the sea of panicked bodies was too strong.
In another part of the square, an elderly man had fallen after the blast.
His daughter tried to pull him up, crying, "Father, please! Get up!" But the stampede was merciless. People ran over both of them. The daughter's desperate screams were cut short as the crowd crushed them beneath their feet.
Bodies littered the ground. Blood mixed with the dust and debris. The air was filled with the stench of smoke, burning flesh, and death.
The guards who had been positioned around the stage tried desperately to reach the platform and check on the Daimyo.
But the panicked mob was running directly toward them, away from the fire and smoke. The guards were pushed back violently. Several were knocked down and trampled by their own people.
One guard's desperate shouts were silenced as dozens of feet crushed his chest. Another was swept away in the tide of bodies and disappeared beneath the crowd.
From the noble seating area, the Daimyo's 30th son watched the chaos with growing horror. His face had gone pale. When he saw that no one was immediately rushing to the destroyed stage, he completely lost control.
"What are you all doing?!" he screamed at the nearest guards, his voice cracking with panic. "Go and check on my father! Right now! He could be dying!"
The guards looked uneasy. One of them replied, "My lord, other units are already moving in. We are trying to—"
"I don't care!" the son shouted, throwing a tantrum like a spoiled child. "Go! All of you! Check on him immediately! I order you!"
He was red-faced and sweating, pointing frantically at the burning stage.
Cha Hae-In sat stiffly on his lap, her body rigid. She didn't react to his outburst or his arm that had tightened around her waist.
Her mind was racing, trying to make sense of the sudden violence.
If the Daimyo is dead… she thought, her heart pounding.
A part of her wanted it. He was the one who had forced her into this arranged marriage with his pathetic son. His death would free her from this disgusting life. But another, colder part of her mind knew the truth.
If he dies, his sons will tear each other apart fighting for the throne. There will be civil war. Blood will flood the streets worse than this. Thousands will die.
She kept her face blank, but inside she was torn between dark hope and cold fear.
Meanwhile, the fire continued to spread. More buildings caught flame. The smoke grew thicker, rolling through the streets like a living thing.
People who lived nearby were now fleeing their homes as the fire approached. The entire capital was descending into panic.
From rooftops and distant streets, people who had been too far to be caught in the initial blast saw the massive column of smoke rising into the night sky. They saw the orange glow of fire spreading. Word traveled fast.
"The Daimyo was giving his speech there…"
"Was it an attack?"
"Is the Lord dead?"
Panic spread like wildfire through the rest of the city. People who had been celebrating were now locking their doors or fleeing toward the outer gates, unsure if more explosions would follow.
Back in the square, the stampede showed no signs of slowing. More bodies fell. More blood soaked into the ground. The screams of the dying mixed with the roar of the spreading fire and the desperate cries of those trying to save their loved ones.
And through the thick smoke and flames that now consumed what remained of the stage, there was still no clear sign of what had happened to the Daimyo.
No one knew if he had survived the blast… or if the tyrant had finally fallen.
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