Rage woke slowly. He smelled oiled steel. He heard the soft sound of fabric. A faint scrape came from a whetstone on a blade.
He opened one eye. The four were already awake and moving quietly.
Renelle sat by the table and cleaned a dagger. Isaline folded his coat and placed it on a chair. Seloria checked his belt and pouches, making sure each strap was tight. Viviane sat on the windowsill, turning a dagger in her hand while watching the street below.
No words. Just the soft rhythm of their routine.
Then a knock came. It was firm and steady.
"Sir, the Queen requires your presence."
Rage looked at the ceiling for a moment and let out a sharp breath. "Coming."
There was no answer. Only footsteps moving away.
He swung his legs off the bed and stretched with a tired breath. "Alright. We're starting the day with politics."
"And here I was hoping for a quiet morning," He said while scratching the back of his head and yawning.
He glanced at the four. "We're going."
As always, they answered with silent smiles and moved in perfect sync. In moments, the room looked as if they had never been there. There were no loose threads and no sign of their stay.
Rage opened the door and went down to the tavern's common room. The usual people were there for the morning, some eating, some drinking, and some who had probably not gone home yet.
Behind the bar, the tavern keeper looked up from cleaning a mug.
He watched Rage and the four who followed him.
"You should eat something before running off," he said.
"We'll eat at the castle."
"Fancy that."
He put the mug down and wiped his hands with a rag. "Just don't go skipping meals. You'll waste away."
Rage waved over his shoulder and walked to the door. The maids followed without a sound.
"Got it."
Outside, the air was cool and smelled of salt. The sky was a pale blue with the last traces of dawn.
The guard from earlier stood waiting, his posture straight and stiff. He said nothing and turned as they came closer.
Rage walked behind him. The maids moved into place around him.
The city of Abyssal Tides was already awake. Market stalls were open, their wooden frames covered with bright cloths. Merchants called out their goods, selling dried fish, woven silks, and bottles of spice. Dockworkers carried crates to ships, their voices mixing with the cries of seagulls above. A blacksmith worked in the distance, the sound of his hammer clear in the air.
***
By the time they reached the castle gates, the guards stood straighter. One stepped forward, his armor marked with the kingdom's insignia. He gave a nod.
"The Queen is expecting you."
There were no questions. The guards pulled the gates open, and the sound of iron against stone filled the air.
Inside, another group of guards waited. Their faces showed nothing as they walked beside Rage and his group. No one spoke. It was a quiet walk from the outer gate to the tall doors of Black Pearl Keep.
The walk passed without trouble. Some guards looked at him for a moment before turning back to their post.
Rage met one of the stares and held it until the guard looked away.
At the entrance, the last pair of sentries moved forward. After a short pause, the heavy doors opened and showed the dim hall inside.
Inside, Queen Mariselle sat on her throne.
He looked ahead as he stepped forward. Near the throne, standing apart from the remaining council, were five familiar faces.
Van. Kyle. Densuke. Geralt. Zach.
Still alive.
Their loyalty levels have improved since the last time he saw them.
As Rage and his group came closer, the five gave a small bow. It was not deep or forced, only sure and respectful. It was a quiet sign of respect.
Mariselle's voice filled the room, calm and firm.
"Abyssal Tides stands free."
Her eyes moved across the chamber. They paused on the council and the nobles who had gathered. They were the remains of a kingdom that had suffered in silence for many years.
"For too long, we have been bound by forces we could not control. By voices in the dark. By hands we could not see."
Her face showed nothing, but her words carried weight.
"I spent years trapped in a nightmare I could not escape. My mother, the queen before me, was not as lucky." She paused. "Nor were those who came after. Many lives were lost. Many sacrifices were wasted."
Silence filled the room.
"It could have gone on. The cycle could have taken everything until nothing was left. But it did not."
Her eyes fixed on Rage.
"Because one man broke it."
The room was still.
"You've done well."
She stepped forward, the end of her dress trailing behind her. "But the work is not done."
Her face stayed calm. "The Demon Kingdom will not accept this loss. Their spies were their strength, and now they have none. When they learn the truth, they will strike back."
She looked at the council. "Abyssal Tides must be prepared."
Silence lasted for a moment. Then Rage spoke.
"Alright," he said. "What's the plan?"
Mariselle met his eyes. "As we discussed, you will go to Tenzan Skyhold. We need their alliance before war comes to us."
Rage let out a breath. "Yeah, yeah. I'll go. On one condition." His eyes moved to the four beside him. "Three of them stay here."
It was not a request.
Mariselle needed protection. And nothing said protection like three overpowered maids.
The maids didn't react, only smiling in their usual, unreadable way.
Mariselle studied them for a moment before nodding. "Acceptable."
She turned to the five men standing nearby. "As for you, your status has been restored. You are nobility once more."
The words held weight. A day ago, these men had been prisoners waiting for execution. Now, their titles were returned, and their ranks restored.
The five men bowed to Mariselle in appreciation.
They were no longer condemned.
They were free.
Before the moment could settle, movement at the edge of the room drew attention. A council member walked forward and stopped beside Mariselle. He leaned in and whispered something only she could hear.
A brief silence followed, the weight of unspoken words hanging in the air.
The whisper ended, and the councilor bowed before stepping back and leaving without a word.
Another councilor came forward with a scroll in his hands. He held it out carefully.
Mariselle took the scroll and broke the seal. She read the parchment, then looked up and faced the room.
"You are all witnesses," she said.
An attendant stepped forward with a silver tray. On it lay a small ceremonial blade.
Mariselle took the knife, pricked her thumb, and pressed it against the scroll. A red mark spread across the parchment.
"...Alright, I know where this is going."
A moment later, the attendant faced him. The tray was now held out to him. Scroll. Blade. Silence.
"Yeah... saw that coming."
A single nod.
Just like Firekeep. No signatures, only blood.
He did not bother reading the document. He already knew what it was. A quick look showed the same things as before, titles, decrees, and too many words that meant nothing to him. He made a quick cut, let a drop of blood fall, and pressed his thumb to the parchment.
When he pulled back, the attendant took the scroll and brought it to Mariselle.
"Pretty sure I just agreed to sell my soul again or something. But whatever."
Then another attendant came forward with a new tray. On it was a pendant with a blue gem stone.
"Great. Another one."
Firekeep. Ebonwake. Abyssal Tides. Three now.
He did not ask what it was for. Ingia had once told him he would need it one day. Vaelith had left hers with the maids to make sure it reached him.
Mariselle opened the scroll again and looked over it, as if checking that Rage had signed it. For a moment, a small smile appeared on her face. It was faint and gone almost at once.
Then her voice filled the room. "This matter is not to leave this room. Not to the courts, not to the people, not to the nearby kingdoms."
No one spoke. The nobles and council members bowed their heads in silence.
Mariselle lowered the scroll and looked across the chamber. "You are dismissed."
The room cleared in quiet order.
Rage stayed where he was, watching as the last of them left.
Still had no idea what just happened.
He stepped through the castle doors, Seloria was following.
Behind them, the three maids remained with the Queen.
He glanced back.
They bowed.
Rage shifted his gaze toward the five men waiting by the carriages.
Kyle crossed his arms, eyeing him with something between disbelief and amusement. "Hells, we thought you were dead."
Geralt nodded. "After that fight, we figured there was no way you survived the fall."
Rage smirked. "Yeah, well. Unfortunately..."
Kyle snorted, shaking his head. "We barely managed to escape. The moment you went down, we cut our losses and ran."
Geralt exhaled. "The cave swallowed you. We had no way of knowing if you made it out."
Rage shrugged. "Long story."
That was enough for them. They weren't the type to pry.
A short silence passed before Kyle spoke again in a quieter voice. "Either way... you got here just in time. If you hadn't handled the demons that corrupted this kingdom, we'd have been swinging from the gallows this week."
Geralt gave a small nod. "We owe you one."
Rage scoffed. "You'd have done the same."
Kyle smirked. "That's the thing. We didn't."
There was another pause. Then Rage narrowed his eyes. "What about Balmung?"
Kyle pointed toward the carriages. "Mariselle returned it to Ingia. Your coat, too."
Geralt let out a breath. "The morning after we got back. Ingia's army marched toward Abyssal Tides. Looked like they came for war, but the city let them in without a fight."
Kyle shook his head. "We don't know what happened behind closed doors, but a friend of ours, a guard, told us about the meeting. Mariselle handed Balmung back to Ingia. Her army stayed the night and left the next morning."
"Figures," he muttered.
Before he could speak again, Mariselle's voice sounded, calm and steady.
"Balmung can wait."
Rage turned and met her eyes.
"We don't know where Ingia stands now," she said. "Her kingdom is uncertain, and until we do, Abyssal Tides cannot afford to wait. You must secure the alliance with Tenzan Skyhold."
Kyle glanced between them but said nothing.
Mariselle's face showed nothing. "I won't pretend I know what that sword means to you. But right now, the future of this kingdom, and maybe yours, depends on what happens next. Focus on what is ahead. The past will still be there when you return."
"What kingdom?"
The thought passed before he could stop it. He did not have one. He never had. Abyssal Tides was not his, and neither was Firekeep or Ebonwake.
He was only a tool, passed from one queen to another, signing contracts after finishing jobs. It was no different from how he had worked before, moving from one short job to the next, meeting goals until the papers ran out.
Now it was alliances instead of goals. Kingdoms instead of companies.
One by one, he marked them off the list. Firekeep. Ebonwake. Abyssal Tides. Next would be Tenzan Skyhold.
"Fine," he muttered. "Tenzan first."
Mariselle gave a single nod, then stepped back.
A guard stepped forward, motioning to one of the carriages. "Your transport, Sir."
Rage exhaled, casting one last glance at the group.
Kyle smirked. "Try not to get yourself killed again this time, boy."
Geralt gave a small nod. "We'll be here when you return."
Van, Densuke, and Zach said nothing. They only gave short nods, a quiet sign of respect.
Rage turned away from them and lifted a hand in a lazy wave.
Without another word, he climbed into the carriage.
When he was seated, the guard raised a hand to signal the other drivers.
The reins cracked, and the carriages began to move. The wheels creaked against the stone road.
As they rolled through the city, Black Pearl Keep stood tall behind them, its shadow covered the streets.
Above, unseen by Rage, two banners moved with the wind. One carried the Queen's sigil, the other the King's. A guard secured them in place, ensuring they stood side by side.
A merchant stopped in the middle of a deal and looked at the banners before turning back to his work. Two soldiers shared a glance but stayed silent, their hands tightening on their spears. A low murmur spread through the crowd, quiet but clear.
For the first time in years, Abyssal Tides had two rulers. Only those inside the castle knew the truth.
Outside the keep, the city went on as usual. The people did not know, or had not yet been told, who their king was.
Rage, sitting in the carriage, knew nothing of it either.
And so, the journey to Tenzan Skyhold began.
[SYSTEM] Queen Mariselle : Loyalty 98%
[SYSTEM] Corruption : 33.2%