The northern part of the empire was under the care of Duke Caspian Draconis. In his late forties, he was still a monster when it came to slaying enemies on the battlefield.
His aide, Erwin, stood before him, having just informed him about the incident in the village. He waited silently for orders.
The Duke signed the document in front of him, then placed the pen neatly beside the papers.
"Who found it?" Caspian inquired, removing his spectacles and placing them on the table.
"One young boy," Erwin replied, checking his notes to ensure he missed nothing crucial. "He said he went toward the forest to gather a few branches. That's when he saw the body."
Erwin had begun serving the Duke when he was eighteen, the same year Caspian had been granted the title.
Caspian's father had been sick and close to passing into the afterlife, but before that day came, he handed his title to his youngest son.
He knew Caspian was the best choice among his five sons.
The others disagreed.
What followed was betrayal whispered through castle walls, plots formed in shadows, and finally—war. A bloody one. When it ended, Caspian stood as the only son alive, the sole heir to the title of Duke.
The room fell silent. Only the steady ticking of the clock filled the space.
"Send Doctor Davis," Caspian finally said. "Have him conduct a detailed postmortem of the body."
"The knight who came— uh Gavriel. He said it was okrum."
"A okrum? Tell these knights to stop doing those stupid camping horror nights." Caspian boringly said.
Erwin bowed and turned to leave, but the Duke stopped him.
"Erwin. Any news about Kai?"
Caspian flipped a page of the book resting in his hand.
"Lord Kai departed from the capital three days ago. He will arrive by tomorrow evening."
A shiver ran down Erwin's spine as memories of the last conversation between father and son surfaced. It had been brutal—cold, sharp, and filled with a murderous tension that clung to the air long after Kai had left.
Caspian dismissed him and returned to his work, though his mind drifted back to that unfinished conversation.
What had begun as a discussion about duty had quickly turned into a shouting match. Harsh words were exchanged, and his son had left for the royal banquet in the capital the very same day.
Kai—his twenty-year-old, stubborn son—had grown up surrounded by maids and knights, but never affection. Only formality. Only absence.
In the end, Kai had become a mirror of his father.
Caspian's gaze drifted to the portrait hanging across the room.
His wife.
She was beautiful—no, she had been the most beautiful woman in the world to him. The only one who had truly cared for him, who had helped him leave his blood-soaked past behind. The daughter of Marquis Weston, she had inherited her red hair from her father and was loved by everyone around her.
The day she gave birth had been the happiest of her life.
Four years later, she was gone—claimed by an incurable disease.
Grief had turned Caspian into an insensitive father, one who never tried to bridge the distance between himself and his son.
He didn't know what he wanted anymore. Or what he was thinking.
Only one thing was certain—he had no desire to live long.
The room grew colder as the open windows let the chill seep in, but he paid it no mind. He lay down and soon drifted into sleep.
The next day arrived with chaos.
Servants ran through the castle as if their lives depended on it. Curtains were washed, halls scrubbed spotless, and the kitchens overflowed with cooks preparing dishes from distant regions—meals reserved only for occasions of great importance.
"Has he passed the gates?" the Duke asked.
"Yes, Your Grace," Erwin replied, checking his golden pocket watch—a gift from the former Duke, one he treasured deeply. "Lord Kai will arrive in less than four hours."
Maids, knights, and castle officials gathered outside.
Erwin noticed it first—the massive front gates opening. A carriage entered, followed closely by mounted knights. The Chief Knight opened the carriage door and stepped aside.
Kai emerged.
His black hair was tied into a half bun, his physique strong and sharp—just like his father's. He gave the Chief Knight a brief nod before Erwin stepped forward.
"Lord Kai. Your father wishes to see you at dinner."
Kai scoffed. "Straight to business, huh, Erwin?"
His annoyance was open, his anger barely concealed—yet everything else remained locked away deep within him.
Dinner was served in silence.
The air was thick with unspoken words as father and son ate across from one another. Maids stood frozen near the table, their eyes fixed on the tense scene. The soft clink of utensils against plates was the only sound, painfully loud against the heavy atmosphere.
Erwin and the other attendants held their breath.
They knew the storm would break eventually.
And when it did, the consequences would be unpredictable.
"Did you meet the Emperor?" Caspian asked.
Erwin quietly exhaled in relief that the silence had been broken.
"Yes," Kai replied.
"Did he say anything?"
"Yes."
Caspian placed his fork and knife down with a soft clink.
"Could you give me a proper answer?"
His calculating gaze never left his son. When Kai took his time responding, Caspian's jaw tightened, his lips pressing into a thin line.
"Oh, I don't know," Kai said slowly. "Let me think… no. I don't have an answer for you. If you wanted to know, perhaps you should have gone yourself. Instead of sending me—helpless, unaware, unconscious, and bound. What did you expect?"
"Well," Caspian replied coolly, "you left me with no choice. I asked you. You refused. It was important, so I did what I had to."
"Seriously?" Kai half-yelled. "Why the hell was it so important for me to go?"
Caspian sighed, clearly annoyed.
"You are of marriageable age," he said. "You need to find a wife."
"A what—wi—"
The door slammed open.
A knight rushed in, breath ragged, face flushed with urgency.
"Your Grace," he said, forcing himself to steady his voice.
"A messenger has arrived from Fesia where Doctor Davis was sent. The village is gone. Vanished. The villagers have disappeared as well."
"What?" Caspian rose sharply to his feet. Kai stood at the same time, eyes locked on the knight.
"The messenger says the knights stationed there are missing too. There is no trace of the village—only a forest now. As if the village never existed at all. Even sir Alistair is missing."
"Kai. Erwin. My office. Now," Caspian ordered.
Then, turning to the knight, "Inform the Chief. I want him there immediately."