The roar of the crowd swelled as the Sentinels dragged Sugat through the lantern-lit streets. Cheers clashed with jeers, and whispers hissed like snakes between the breaths of the onlookers. The warm, festive scent of roasted meat and burning candles only sharpened the cruelty of the moment. Sugat’s wrists were bound tight, his bare feet scraping against the unforgiving dirt and stone, but he did not lower his head.

  At the heart of the square, Captain Neyoundo Duquel stepped forward. His armor gleamed like polished mirrors, catching the torchlight and bending it into cold, jagged reflections. He raised a single hand, and a forced, absolute silence fell over the plaza.

  “Citizens of Hera,” Neyoundo declared, his voice striking the air like a judge’s hammer. “I ask you once more—what is to be done with this boy?”

  For a heartbeat, the square held its breath. Then, the answer erupted in a wave of mindless hunger.

  “Burn him!” “He’s cursed!” “Let the curse die in the flames!”

  A woman shrieked as she dragged her child away, as though shadows themselves might leap from Sugat’s feet and cling to their skin. The chant spread like embers catching the wind. Neyoundo stepped closer, the torch in his hand hissing softly as the fire leaned toward Sugat’s face.

  “This boy,” Neyoundo said calmly, his voice carrying over the frenzy, “is an accomplice of the escaped witch who brought chaos upon our city. This is no accident.”

  Sugat remained silent. Do whatever you want, he thought distantly. With how you’ve treated me… I’ve been dead for years.

  Beyond the ring of light, hidden at the square’s edge, Hiraya stood motionless. Her fingers tightened around her rune-etched spellbook, an artifact older than the kingdom that hunted her. The air around her trembled—not with fear, but with the strain of her own restraint.

  Neyoundo leaned closer, his voice dropping to an almost gentle whisper. “This city will be perfect,” he said, a cold smile touching his lips, “once you are erased.”

  Perfect? Hiraya thought bitterly. This place is sick. These people are blind.

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  Neyoundo swung the torch forward, and the crowd leaned in, hungry for the spectacle. But then, a whisper moved through the dark. It wasn't loud or sudden; it was ancient. Hiraya’s lips barely parted as wind, will, and word braided together.

  “If he truly bears a curse,” she murmured, her voice sinking into a guttural chant, “then let it be freed—upon all who crave it. UMBRA VINCULUM—LIBERARE POTENTIA.”

  Something moved. It didn't flee from the light; it surged toward it. A shadow stirred beneath Sugat’s feet, and the ground itself cracked. From the darkness erupted wings—vast, blazing, and impossible. A Phoenix rose from the union of shadow and flame, its form liquid and alive, burning not with destruction but with revelation. Cold cinders rained down like black feathers, dissolving before they touched the earth.

  The square fell into a suffocating hush. Even the fires seemed to freeze in the presence of the creature. Sugat's eyes ignited with gold—not a light from without, but a truth reflected from within. A voice thundered in his mind, resonant and heavy: You are no curse, child! Truth runs through your veins!

  Sentinels staggered back, their weapons trembling. Panic finally tore through the crowd’s bloodlust. Neyoundo stumbled, his composure shattering into disbelief. “That’s… impossible…”

  “Chief! The people are panicking—what are your orders?!” a Sentinel shouted, his voice breaking.

  Neyoundo straightened, the madness finally surfacing as he drew his sword with a shaking hand. “Idiots!” he roared. “Kill him! Kill the boy now!”

  The Phoenix turned, its burning eyes locking onto the Captain. A spear of shadow struck him with the force of a battering ram, hurling Neyoundo aside. His armor shrieked as he crashed against the stone.

  “Foolish kingdom,” the creature thundered, its voice echoing in the bones of everyone present. “Your lies end here!”

  The Phoenix soared upward before diving straight into Sugat. “Let this be the first crack!” It collapsed inward and vanished, leaving the square to erupt in unchained chaos.

  Hiraya stepped forward, her breath catching. That phoenix… I’ve seen it in my visions. She raised her hand, and living constellations of sigils burst from her fingertips. The air twisted and screamed before shattering into a cloud of black smoke—the Silencing Veil—swallowing the entire square.

  Neyoundo rose coughing, pain blazing through his ribs. He lunged blindly through the smog, his sword slashing empty air where Sugat had stood. “Where is he?!”

  There was no answer. Through the thinning smoke, he caught only a glimpse of a cloaked girl dragging the boy toward the forest.

  “Witch!” Neyoundo snarled, kicking a fallen torch in fury. “She took him! Damn that rat!”

  Behind him, the crowd finally broke—fear, hatred, awe, and confusion crashing together. The banners still swayed and the torches still burned, but the heart of Hera had been changed. The crack in the King's "perfection" had finally formed.

  Thank you for reading!

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  Question for the readers: Do you think Neyoundo is just a loyal soldier, or is there something more sinister behind his smile? Let me know your theories!"