After a few moments of silence filled with sorrow, Ateen asked one of the female guards, saying, "Did you find Advisor Edison? Where is he now?"
The female guard replied, saying, "I searched for him throughout the entire palace, but he was not found."
Ateen looked sharply, then left the room and gave her orders in a strong voice, "Gather all the female guards in the grand hall, now."
Meanwhile, Scarface, along with his brothers and men, continued fighting bravely on the wall. The confrontation with the savage creatures intensified as they attacked with force. Those creatures struck the guards with their sharp claws and fierce fangs, making the battle brutal and prolonged. Nevertheless, Scarface and his men held their ground, showing great skill and strength.
After a period of continuous fighting, the creatures suddenly began to retreat, then completely withdrew back into the sea, leaving the wall covered with the marks of battle.
Scarface, his brothers, and his men felt the joy of victory, as they had successfully protected the wall.
But the moments of victory did not last long. At that moment, a man came from the direction of the palace, panting from running, his face showing signs of shock.
He shouted loudly, saying, "The king… the king is murdered!"
Silence fell, and shock appeared on everyone's faces.
Meanwhile, inside the palace, Ateen was searching anxiously for Advisor Edison amid the turmoil following the king's death. She went first to his room, then searched several places around the palace without finding any trace of him, which raised her suspicions and increased her tension.
At that moment, she remembered that he had a private library that he would go to at different times, so she headed toward it immediately.
When she arrived at the library door, she noticed that it was tightly closed. Without hesitation, she gathered her strength and broke the door, entering to search the room for any clue about his whereabouts.
She moved between the shelves and books, searching with focus and caution, but the library seemed empty, and she saw no trace indicating his presence.
Ateen stood, wondering in confusion, "Where could he have disappeared?"
After a few moments, one of the female guards came to Ateen and told her that she had found something she needed to see. Ateen asked her to show it to her.
Ateen followed her with curiosity until they went beneath the palace, where she saw a wall with a large hole.
Ateen looked inside and found the reinforced wall destroyed, revealing a deep tunnel extending from inside the palace to a far distance toward the coast.
The female guard spoke hesitantly, "I think this is where they entered from. It seems they dug this long passage all the way to the palace from the coast."
Ateen's face showed astonishment, and she said while examining the hole, "How were they able to dig such a long distance and break through this deeply without us noticing?" Then she remembered what Novich had said in the throne hall.
Ateen stepped back, her expression filled with deep unease, as she felt a looming danger threatening the kingdom. She said with concern, "Novich was right... we must prepare for what is coming."