Wilted Crown

The grand hall of the palace was suffocatingly tense. Tall marble pillars loomed over the gathering, their golden engravings gleaming under the flickering glow of enchanted lanterns. At the far end of the chamber, the King of Evergloam sat upon his throne, his piercing gaze locked onto the two figures standing before him.

Alice stood firm, his fists clenched at his sides. Beside him, Kun remained still, his face unreadable. Across from them, Lizzy sniffled dramatically, dabbing at fake tears as her attendants whispered exaggerated versions of the incident into the ears of eager nobles.

The King exhaled slowly, his voice carrying the weight of authority. "So… my son insists this boy is innocent. The young lady, however, claims she was attacked." His golden eyes gleamed with amusement. "What am I to do with such conflicting accounts?"

Lizzy's expression wavered slightly. Boy? The King had called Kun a boy? That was… unexpected.

Kun merely tilted his head. Unbothered.

Alice, on the other hand, stepped forward. "Father, Lizzy started—"

"Silence."

The single word cut through the room like a blade.

Alice shut his mouth, frustration boiling beneath his skin.

The King's gaze settled on Kun. "You. Boy. You do not speak much, do you?"

Kun blinked.

A ripple of whispers ran through the court. Some found his silence disrespectful—others found it intriguing.

The King studied him for a moment before glancing at his court mage—a robed figure standing nearby. "This child is… peculiar. I wish to test something."

Alice's entire body tensed. "Father—"

A single raised hand silenced him again.

The King turned back to the mage. "Strike him with a harmless spell."

Alice's stomach dropped. "What?! You can't just—"

"It will not harm him," the King said coolly. "But if he truly possesses Artes, as some suspect, he will react instinctively."

Kun finally showed a flicker of emotion. His eyes narrowed slightly.

Alice grabbed his wrist. "Don't react," he whispered hurriedly. "Just let it hit you, okay? We don't need them seeing anything weird—"

But before Kun could even respond, the mage had already begun chanting.

"𝔖𝔴𝔦𝔣𝔱 𝔞𝔦𝔯, 𝔩𝔦𝔤𝔥𝔱 𝔞𝔰 𝔟𝔯𝔢𝔞𝔱𝔥, 𝔭𝔲𝔰𝔥 𝔞𝔩𝔩 𝔱𝔥𝔞𝔱 𝔰𝔱𝔞𝔫𝔡𝔰 𝔞𝔥𝔢𝔞𝔡!"

A gentle gust of wind gathered at the mage's fingertips, forming into an invisible force. It shot toward Kun—a spell meant to nudge, nothing more.

And yet—

Kun's body moved on its own.

The instant the spell neared him, his hand snapped up.

A golden glow erupted from his fingertips.

No incantation. No conscious thought. Just raw, instinctive Artes.

The force of Kun's counter-spell shattered the wind blast instantly. The golden energy cracked the floor beneath him, sending a pulse of raw power outward. Nobles gasped. Some stumbled back in shock. Lizzy let out a yelp and hid behind her attendants.

Kun stood still, his palm still faintly glowing. But his expression was different now. His head was lowered, his breath slightly unsteady.

Then—

A voice echoed in his mind.

"Calyxius…"

Kun's eyes widened. The room blurred.

For a split second, he was somewhere else.

He saw shadows, golden chains, and a figure standing in the darkness, watching him.

The whisper came again, deeper this time.

"Do you remember, Kun?"

His chest tightened. His vision swam.

Then—just as quickly as it came—

The vision disappeared.

"Kun!"

Alice's voice dragged him back.

Kun blinked, his surroundings returning to normal. His head snapped toward the King, who was now staring at him with a sharp, intrigued gaze.

The court mage was speechless, his mouth slightly agape.

The King's lips curled into a smirk.

"Fascinating."

Kun said nothing.

Alice, now panicked, quickly stepped in front of him. "Father, whatever that was—it wasn't anything dangerous! Kun just—"

"You are excused, Alice," the King said calmly.

Alice froze. "What?!"

"But the boy stays."

The King leaned forward, eyes gleaming. "I wish to know more about this child's Artes."

Kun finally looked up. Their gazes locked.

And for the first time since arriving in the palace—

Kun felt it.

A chill.

Like he was being watched.

Like the King knew something he didn't.

And he didn't like it.

Later That Night

Alice paced in his chambers, fists clenched. "This is bad. This is really bad."

Kun, sprawled lazily across Alice's oversized bed, munched on a stolen pastry. "Why?"

Alice whipped around. "Why?! Kun, do you have any idea what it means when my father takes an interest in something?"

Kun blinked. "He wants to know more?"

Alice dragged a hand down his face. "No. He wants to own it."

Kun paused mid-bite.

Alice slumped beside him, rubbing his temples. "Look, I don't know what you did back there, but it wasn't normal. Unchanted Artes? That's dangerous knowledge. If people find out, they'll want to use you—or worse."

Kun chewed thoughtfully. "Then I just won't let them."

Alice let out a hollow laugh. "Yeah? And how exactly do you plan to do that?"

Kun tilted his head. "I dunno. Just won't."

Alice groaned. "That's not how it works!"

Kun watched him spiral for a moment before setting his pastry aside.

"Alice."

Alice huffed. "What?"

Kun poked his cheek. "You're spilling the milk again."

Alice froze.

Then, despite everything—

He laughed.

"You're impossible," he muttered, shoving Kun lightly.

Kun smirked. "I know."

But deep down—

Alice couldn't shake the feeling that things were about to get a lot worse.

And Kun, despite his nonchalant demeanor, knew it too.