The King Ascends
This was something else.
Footsteps heavy, today Leon sat quieter than before - no laughter about cheap red wine, none of those made-up debates meant only to tease out their grumbles.
Up close, his shadow stretched longer across the stone. The steps made him seem wider too. Height came from where you stood. Distance added weight to posture. A crown does that. Even empty air around him felt denser.
Sharper.
More dangerous.
Upward he went, the atmosphere changing, almost as if the walls knew who moved through them. A hush followed each step, not loud but present, like breath held too long. The space above pulled tighter, thinner, responding to his rise without sound or sign - just a tilt in how things felt. With every stair passed, the silence grew heavier, shaped by something unseen watching, waiting. Not magic, not exactly, just awareness woven into stone and shadow.
