The palace gates closed behind them with a deep, echoing groan.
THUD.
The sound lingered, like something final. The outside world was gone but the unease remained.
The convoy moved through the inner courtyard in perfect formation. Boots struck stone in a steady rhythm, armor shifting with each step.
Clink. Clink. Clink.
No one spoke. Not a single voice broke the silence.
Even the servants lowered their heads as the carriage passed, as if afraid to look for too long. Something had happened. Everyone could feel it.
They just didn't know what.
The carriage slowed, then came to a halt.
The door opened.
Shin-Zenshu stepped out first.
Tok.
The moment his foot touched the ground, the atmosphere changed. It tightened, as if the air itself had been pulled too thin.
The guards straightened instantly. No one dared meet his eyes.
Behind him, Shin-Hi stepped out carefully, the child hidden beneath layers of cloth, wrapped tightly against her chest.
Protected.
Hidden.
Forgotten.
At least… that was the plan.
"Prepare the inner chamber."
His voice was low. Flat. Absolute.
A nearby Shin-Jin dropped to one knee immediately. "Yes, my lord!"
Shin-Zenshu didn't wait. He moved forward, his steps sharp and precise.
Tok… tok… tok…
Each step echoed through the palace halls. Servants disappeared into the walls, guards stiffened, and even the torches seemed to burn quieter as he passed.
Inside the palace, the silence felt different.
Not empty.
Controlled.
Like something was being held back.
The doors to the main chamber stood ahead massive and closed.
"Open."
The command was quiet, but it struck like force.
BOOM.
The doors swung open.
The chamber beyond was vast and empty for now.
Shin-Zenshu stepped inside, turned, and sat.
Not like a king resting.
Like a blade placed carefully on a table.
Still.
But ready.
"Call the General."
A pause.
"Yes, my lord!"
Footsteps rushed away.
Time passed slowly, heavily, deliberately.
Shin-Hi remained standing at the side, holding the child close. Her fingers hadn't relaxed even once.
The newborn still hadn't cried.
Not once.
Not a sound.
Her eyes lowered slightly.
"You're too quiet…"
The whisper barely existed but it carried fear.
Then
Step… step…
The doors opened again.
A man entered.
Tall. Armored. Unshaken.
General Kazuki.
He dropped to one knee immediately.
"My lord."
Shin-Zenshu's gaze locked onto him.
Sharp. Unmoving.
"Speak."
No greeting. No courtesy.
Only command.
Kazuki raised his head slightly.
"My lord… I have investigated the attack."
Silence.
"It was a group of raiders."
Nothing changed.
Not in Shin-Zenshu's face.
Not in his eyes.
"Desperate," Kazuki continued carefully. "The Barrier has restricted movement for years. Food shortages… rising population…"
He chose his words with precision.
"They saw the carriage. Limited escort. No visible Shin-Jin presence."
A pause.
"They assumed it was a weak target."
Silence.
Deep.
Unmoving.
Shin-Zenshu's fingers shifted slightly against the armrest.
Just slightly.
But enough.
Kazuki felt it.
"And?" Shin-Zenshu asked.
One word.
Heavy.
Kazuki exhaled slowly.
"They attacked."
Simple.
Too simple.
The chamber remained silent, but something changed.
Subtle.
Sharp.
Like a blade being drawn without sound.
"The Barrier…" Kazuki continued, shifting slightly. "After what happened earlier, the crack has spread further."
Shin-Zenshu didn't react.
But the air did.
"The sign of the Saviour…" Kazuki said carefully. "…the world is beginning to change."
Still nothing.
Then
Tok.
A single tap of Shin-Zenshu's finger.
Soft.
Final.
"Leave."
Kazuki froze.
"My lord…?"
Shin-Zenshu's eyes lifted slightly.
Cold.
Focused.
"Leave."
No explanation.
No second chance.
Kazuki bowed immediately. "Yes… my lord."
He stood, turned, and walked out.
Step… step…
The doors closed behind him.
BOOM.
Silence returned.
Complete.
For a long moment, no one moved.
Then slowly, Shin-Zenshu leaned back. His eyes shifted not outward, but inward.
Raiders.
Desperation.
A random attack.
No.
His fingers tightened.
That explanation didn't fit.
Too clean.
Too convenient.
Too weak.
Someone knew.
His eyes darkened.
"Find them…"
The whisper barely left his lips.
But it carried intent.
Deadly intent.
"Whoever they are…"
The rest remained unspoken.
But the meaning was clear.
This wasn't over.
Not even close.
Shin-Hi finally moved.
Her gaze lifted toward him.
"You don't believe him…"
It wasn't a question.
"No."
A pause.
"He believes it."
Her breath caught.
"Then?"
"Someone made sure he would."
Silence fell again.
Heavy.
Her grip around the child tightened.
A new fear settled in.
Not of enemies outside
But of something closer.
Hidden.
Watching.
The palace was not safe.
Far beyond the walls, the world had already begun to shift. Deep forests stirred. Creatures moved where nothing had moved for centuries.
The air itself carried a faint, unfamiliar pressure.
Shin-Noa…
Was changing.
Back inside, Shin-Zenshu stood slowly.
Deliberately.
The chamber felt smaller around him.
More suffocating.
"Strengthen internal security."
His voice cut through the silence.
"Double the watch."
A pause.
"No one moves without my knowledge."
A guard appeared instantly.
"Yes, my lord!"
Shin-Zenshu turned slightly.
His gaze moved just briefly
To the child.
Still silent.
Still fragile.
Still alive.
Five years.
His eyes hardened.
"I will not lose him."
The words were quiet.
But absolute.
Outside, the night deepened. The palace lights burned steadily.
But beyond the walls
Darkness stretched endlessly.
And somewhere within it
Something was watching.
Waiting.
The long night had only just begun.