In a chamber inside the Imperial palace, shadows danced on the walls, as the hooded figure at the head of the table slammed his palm down with a crack that made the men kneeling before him flinch.
"Why does he still live?!"
"The Emperor should have been gone before that cursed General returned. Instead, he lingers. Breathing."
One of the kneeling men dared to lift his head slightly. "My lord, since the General's return, no one has been able to enter the Emperor's chamber. Every man we placed among the servants, every hand we planted close, has been discovered. Slain. Not a trace left."
Another added quickly, voice trembling, "And when we tried to intercept him on his way to the countryside… we failed. The Skyblade Knights themselves were his escort. Not one of our blades even grazed his carriage."
For a long, tense moment, the leader was silent. Then a low, bitter laugh escaped his lips. "So. It is as I feared."
"We have woken the sleeping lion."
