DREAM – DAWN
Darkness.
A forest twisted with shadows.
Branches clawed at the sky.
The air felt wrong.
He ran faster and faster, fear driving every step.
Fate moved silently.
Unseen.
Unforgiving.
Voices echoed behind him.
Accusations.
Judgment.
He was being blamed.
For his father's death.
"No…" Kabul gasped, his breath ragged.
He stumbled deeper into the forest.
Then—
A figure appeared.
Ahead.
Waiting.
Abenator.
A dagger gleamed in his hand.
Cold.
Final.
"Please…" Kabul pleaded, his voice breaking. "Don't… don't kill me, Abenator…"
Darkness swallowed everything.
Prince Kabul's Chamber – Night
Kabul jolted awake.
His body was drenched in sweat.
His chest rose and fell rapidly as he struggled to breathe.
Was it just a dream?
Or something more?
His eyes stared into the darkness.
Wide.
Haunted.
And somewhere deep within—
Fate continued to move.
The room faded into silence.
Then—
Darkness swallowed everything.
As sleep took him, Kabul's mind drifted…
Back to a time long before everything fell apart.
(FLASHBACK – THREE DAYS BEFORE The 19TH FOUNDING ANNIVERSARY)
TAYTOZENA – DAY
The sound of sirens echoed across the kingdom.
Trumpets followed—loud, commanding, impossible to ignore.
Guards rushed through the courtyards in disciplined motion as citizens paused in their daily routines, looking toward the castle in anticipation.
Then—
General Kio stepped onto the grand balcony.
A wave of magic carried his voice far beyond the palace walls, spreading his words across every corner of Taytozena.
"People of Taytozena!" his voice boomed.
"In honor of the 19th Founding Anniversary… His Majesty announces a Knight Ceremony for all eligible teenagers!"
A pause.
Then—
"The victors will earn admission into the prestigious Bayheim Knight School!"
The kingdom erupted.
Cheers broke out instantly.
Parents embraced their children.
Young teenagers shouted in excitement, their dreams suddenly within reach.
For many—
This was everything.
Castle Corridor – Outside Kabul's Room
Footsteps echoed rapidly through the hallway.
Abenator.
Breathless.
Excited beyond control.
"Kabul! Kabul! Kabul!" he shouted as he ran.
Prince Kabul's Chamber – Continuous
Inside, Kabul sat before a mirror.
In his hands—
Two small knight toys.
"I am the strongest knight!" he declared proudly, mimicking a heroic voice. "Even monsters fear me. I'm unstoppable!"
He shifted tone instantly.
"Strong?" he mocked in a deeper voice. "You're weak. Face me, if you dare!"
The toys clashed dramatically.
Kabul even added his own sound effects.
Then—
"Kabul!"
His eyes widened.
"Oh no…"
In a panic, he tossed the toys aside, dove onto his bed, and shut his eyes tightly—pretending to sleep.
The door burst open.
Abenator rushed in, panting.
"Kabul… you're still in bed?" he asked. "I've been looking everywhere for you! Did you hear General Kio's announcement?"
Kabul let out a slow, exaggerated yawn and turned away.
"Go away," he muttered. "I'm exhausted."
Abenator blinked, confused—but his excitement didn't fade.
"Kabul! Three days from now, during the 19th Anniversary… Dad is holding a knight competition!"
Kabul's eyes flickered open for a split second.
Just enough.
A dream.
His dream.
Abenator beamed.
"Isn't it exciting?"
Kabul sat up slowly, masking the spark in his eyes.
"Why would I risk my life for something I don't care about?" he said flatly.
"Only people with a death wish become knights."
Abenator took a step back.
The tone in Kabul's voice unsettled him.
"Why would you say that?" he asked softly. "Knight School is supposed to be beautiful…"
Kabul shook his head.
"Beautiful?" he repeated. "No."
He leaned forward slightly.
"You clearly haven't heard the story of Bobi and Chayou."
Abenator swallowed.
"W-who are they?"
Kabul lowered his voice.
"They were just like us…"
His expression darkened.
"…until their obsession with becoming knights doomed them."
Abenator shivered.
"D-doomed? How?"
Kabul leaned closer.
Closer.
"They lure you in…" he whispered. "Make you fight against your will…"
Kabul hesitated… then leaned closer…
His voice twisted into something monstrous.
"—and then… you turn into something else."