The Emperor slowly swept his gaze across those gathered in the throne hall, allowing silence to fully settle beneath its vaulted ceiling.
His gray eyes moved unhurriedly over the faces of nobles, vassals, and representatives of neighboring nations, as though carefully measuring each of their reactions.
When the hall had grown so quiet that even the rustle of fabric and the muted breathing of those present could be heard, he finally spoke.
"According to the ancient treaty, all heirs who have passed today's affinity test for magic will be sent to the Academy of the Kingdom of Arkin for further education and the development of their potential."
His voice rang out loudly, clearly, and calmly.
Without hesitation.
Without room for dispute.
This was not a question.
Not a request.
Merely the declaration of a decision already made.
"You are all dismissed."
After a brief pause, the Emperor shifted his gaze toward us.
"Except for those who underwent the examination today."
Father's words echoed throughout the hall.
Almost at once, the assembled guests rose from their seats.
A wave of bows swept through the chamber, accompanied by the soft rustling of expensive fabrics, the faint chime of jewelry, and the muted scrape of shoes against the stone floor.
The nobles, vassals, and representatives of neighboring nations gradually began to leave the throne hall.
Some departed quickly, unwilling to remain any longer than necessary.
Others cast us lingering, curious glances, as though trying to memorize the expressions on our faces before they left.
The massive doors opened and closed again and again, releasing the last of the guests.
With each departing person, the hall grew quieter.
The vast space, so recently filled with voices, whispers, and movement, slowly emptied, leaving behind an unfamiliar, oppressive silence.
The enormous throne hall suddenly felt even larger.
Colder.
Alien.
Soon, only the three of us remained inside.
Me.
Nreu.
Heya.
Stepping forward slowly, we stopped before the thrones and almost simultaneously lowered ourselves onto one knee.
No one broke the silence.
Even Heya, usually far more lively and emotional, now looked unusually composed.
As always, Nreu maintained his outward calm, as though everything unfolding concerned him the least.
As for me, I could feel the tension inside me only growing stronger.
It seemed that the fewer people remained in the hall, the heavier the air became.
As though the disappearance of witnesses made the coming conversation far more dangerous.
I could hear my own breathing.
Feel my heart beating steadily, yet far too loudly somewhere in my chest.
The Emperor and Empress silently observed us.
Their gazes slowly passed over Nreu.
Then settled on Heya.
And finally, both of them turned their attention to me.
At that moment, everything inside me involuntarily tensed.
I wanted to lower my head.
To avert my eyes.
To hide from that silent pressure, if only for a moment.
But I merely clenched my teeth harder, feeling the tension lock my entire body in place.
My palms had begun to sweat, and my fingers trembled faintly despite all my efforts to remain outwardly calm.
My heart continued pounding too loudly, each heavy beat echoing somewhere in my temples.
I was nervous.
Very.
And yet I forced myself to keep looking forward, refusing to let either fear or shame overpower me, even now.
The Emperor remained silent for a while.
Then his gaze settled on Nreu and Heya.
"As announced earlier, Nreu, Sixth Prince of the Kray Empire, and Heya, Eighth Princess of the Kray Empire, will be sent to the Academy of the Kingdom of Arkin for further education and the development of their talents."
His voice remained even and calm.
Almost routine.
As though he were speaking of a matter long since decided.
After a short pause, Father turned his gaze to me.
And in that instant, I felt everything inside me turn completely cold.
"As for you, Aluric, Seventh Prince of the Kray Empire."
For several seconds, he looked directly into my eyes.
"You will also be sent to the Academy of the Kingdom of Arkin."
For one brief moment, a faint spark of hope flared inside me.
But his next words extinguished it instantly.
"However, you will not arrive there as a prince of the Kray Empire."
The Emperor's voice remained just as even and emotionless.
"From this day forward, you shall travel under a different name. Your rights to the throne are hereby annulled. You are no longer an heir of the Kray Empire."
I felt as though my entire body had gone numb.
Each following word struck like a blow.
"From this moment onward, you are forbidden from maintaining any relationship with Nreu and Heya, whether within the walls of the academy or beyond them."
"After completing your education, you are forbidden from returning to the territory of the Kray Empire without my personal decree."
Absolute silence filled the hall.
It felt as though even the air had frozen.
"From this day forward, the name Aluric no longer belongs to you."
The Emperor paused briefly.
As though giving me time to fully comprehend the meaning of his words.
"Your new name is Trey."
"The One Who Renounced the Throne."
Those words struck harder than everything that had come before.
Not merely exile.
Not merely the loss of title.
They were taking my name.
My past.
My place in this family.
My right to belong here.
"The three of you have until sunset to gather your necessary belongings and prepare for departure."
After speaking those words, the Emperor struck his sword against the stone floor three times.
The dull clang echoed through the empty throne hall.
Then he rose from his throne and slowly descended the steps toward me.
Each of his footsteps sounded unnaturally loud in the dead silence.
Stopping before me, Father lowered his gaze to the crest of the Kray Empire embroidered onto my chest.
For one brief moment, his hand hovered there, as though granting me one final second to understand what was happening.
Then he seized the fabric sharply.
A dry tearing sound split the silence.
With a single motion, the Emperor ripped the crest from my clothing.
For several seconds, he stared at the embroidery in his palm.
At the symbol of the Kray Empire.
At the mark of bloodline, authority, and the right to the throne.
Then, without the slightest hesitation, he tossed the crest onto the cold stone floor before me.
The small piece of fabric fell soundlessly onto the stone.
So easily.
So simply.
As though everything that had tied me to this empire had been worth nothing at all.
Breathing became harder and harder.
Every inhale seemed to catch somewhere in my chest, never fully reaching its end.
There was enough air.
I understood that rationally.
But my body refused to believe it.
One moment, heat washed over my hands as though my skin were being slowly brought toward open flame.
The next, a biting cold pierced through me so sharply that my fingers began to tremble almost imperceptibly.
I did not remember leaving the throne hall.
Did not remember walking through the castle corridors.
Only the looks remained in my memory.
Curious.
Contemptuous.
Observant.
As though I was no longer human.
Only some rare curiosity.
A mistake now permitted to be stared at openly.
When I finally reached my room, my legs carried me toward the bed on their own.
I did not even remove my ceremonial clothes.
I simply collapsed onto the mattress and closed my eyes.
Some part of me still hoped that all I had to do was open them again, and everything that had happened would prove to be a nightmare.
One of those dreams after which you wake drenched in cold sweat, only to feel relief when you realize reality is still intact.
But time passed.
And I never woke up.
After a while, someone knocked cautiously on the door.
Upon receiving permission, a servant entered.
Without a word, he placed a neatly folded set of clothes and a small travel bag on the table.
Then, just as silently, he left the room.
Slowly, I rose and walked closer.
The clothes were simple.
No crest.
No embroidery.
No adornments.
Ordinary black trousers.
A shirt.
A dark coat.
Nothing that reminded me of my former status.
Only practical clothing for travel.
Beside them lay a travel bag.
Small.
Barely large enough for the essentials.
For a while, I simply stared at it.
Gradually, another detail dawned on me.
No one had been sent to help me.
No servants.
No attendants.
No one.
Even here, the Emperor had made it clear that my position had changed completely.
Letting out a heavy breath, I opened the bag and looked over my belongings.
And only then did I realize one simple, almost absurd thing.
I had absolutely no idea what I was supposed to bring with me.
What do people even pack when they are exiled from their own lives?