"You can try to bury the truth, cover it up, or even dress it up all nice and shiny... but guess what? It always finds a way to come back to bite you."
—A saying from the Old Kingdom that the king didn't want anyone to hear
In Crownreach, the capital of the kingdom, people weren't mourning their lost princess. No, they were throwing a party—kind of like a twisted celebration for her funeral.
Glistening banners floated from the royal keep, all shiny and showy. The bells had their usual clang, but something was off about it—there was no real joy, just a sort of forced cheerfulness. The gossiping crowds talked in hushed voices about Mio Greywoods, the "lost heir," and how she had supposedly gone off the deep end.
And what did the official word say?
"The princess is gone, consumed by some dark magic. And her companion, that rogue known as Leonhart Edevane, helped her in her betrayal. They are no longer part of our world."
It was all just a pile of lies coming from a king desperate to hold onto his power.
And here we were, the most wanted people around.
A Kingdom on Edge
As we crept toward the edges of Crownreach—wrapped in cloaks given to us by those who had lost their memories—I could feel it hanging in the air:
The tension.
Knights stood guard at every bridge, their eyes scanning everything with fancy detection runes. Informants lingering on the streets were marked with glowing ghostfire symbols. Even kids were playing games that mimicked the "execution" of the princess who had betrayed them.
"They've turned you into a legend," I whispered, watching shadowy puppets dance in a nearby alley as an act of defiance.
Mio, standing next to me with her face hidden under her hood, spoke in a tight voice.
"I never was really their daughter. I was just something to rally behind."
Then she added something more chilling.
"But they'll remember me as the storm that's coming."
The Contract Board
Inside a dimly lit tavern called The Hollow Flame, we stumbled upon it:
The Crown Contract Board—where the king posted top-secret missions and bounties for anyone willing to hunt us down. The biggest listing read:
WANTED: PRINCESS MIO GREYWOODS & SYSTEMBORN ROGUE
REWARD: 500,000 sovereigns
DEAD or memory-wiped.
Beneath it, there were symbols from every major guild on the board—Spellforged Blades, Dustvein Assassins, and the Church of Eternal Echo.
We weren't just hiding from the knights anymore.
We were hiding from everyone who might think they could cash in on us.
"Half a million," I whispered, shaking my head. "Did the truth really cost that much?"
Mio's smile was as sharp as a knife. "Nope. That's what it costs when you stand up for what you believe in."
Assassins in the Shadows
That very night, they came for us.
We had taken refuge in the crumbling remains of the old Ember Chapel, which used to be a sacred place but had fallen into oblivion. The stained-glass windows were shattered, casting a rainbow of colors on the worn-out pews.
I felt something shift before I saw it—a ripple in the air. It was too slick and smooth for your average bounty hunter.
"Dustvein," I snarled, recognizing their style. "They're already here."
Mio lifted her hand.
Flame symbols flickered to life around her like glowing lanterns.
And then, everything erupted.
A throwing star made of anti-memory steel zipped past me. I caught it in mid-air and sent it rocketing back into the smoke, where a scream followed.
A second assassin lunged at Mio from above, but she didn't flinch.
The air warped around him.
He froze in the middle of his leap—trapped in a dreamy stasis that matched her own heartbeat.
"Sleep," she murmured.
The man crumpled to the ground, caught in a dream that might last a long, long time.
Three more came at us fast.
I stepped in front and activated my Codeheart Sync Pulse.
[System Override Detected: Reality Kernel Flicker x3]
—Auto-redirecting enemy perception...
—Rendering you invisible for 7.2 seconds...
Then I vanished.
And attacked.
Steel clashed. Bones cracked. Blood sprayed against the old chapel's walls.
By the time the last assassin fled, scared out of his mind, we stood in complete silence.
Not a spell was broken.
Not a scratch on either of us.
"This is just the start," I said, my breath coming in sharp gasps.
Mio nodded slowly.
"Then let's finish this."
The Message to the Throne
The next morning, we left something special on the Crown Contract Board.
One of the masks from the assassins.
Along with a message, burned into the wood with Mio's flames:
"You taught me silence.
Now hear me roar.
—Mio Greywoods"
That night, the bounty on our heads doubled.
King Solomon had called the Order of Black Flame, a hidden group of enforcers that had only come together in the darkest times of the kingdom.
Father Against Daughter
Far above the hustle and bustle of Crownreach, King Solomon Greywoods slumped back on his obsidian throne, shrouded in shadows.
He wasn't angry.
He was worse—he looked let down.
"She was supposed to take the throne and bring peace," he murmured to his advisor, Bishop Karthis. "Not throw the whole kingdom into chaos."
Karthis bowed his head, one of his eyes glowing with corrupted markings. "Peace is for those who can't fight back, Your Grace. You raised a weapon, and now she knows how to use it."
Solomon clenched the edges of his throne. Old scars on his palms flared with fresh pain.
"Then I'll break her."
Back at the Edge
We met up with the Memoryless outside the city, discussing our next move, which was risky but needed.
"We've got to get into the Royal Soulforge, where they connect the dream layer to the Architect's will," I explained. "If we cut that link, the whole code system will crash—freeing every soul that's been rewritten in this kingdom."
Mio stepped forward, determination written all over her face.
"I'll be the one to rewrite the core."
I looked at her, concern brewing inside me. "That's the most sensitive part of the kingdom's memory. If something goes wrong, you could erase yourself."
She smiled gently, a softer side peeking through.
"Then remember me, Leon. Just like you promised."
I nodded back.
"Always."
The Spark of Rebellion
That night, beneath a moon that was nothing but shattered pieces, the Memoryless pledged themselves fully to Mio's cause.
"You are the fire," the masked leader said. "And we will be your fuel."
Mio raised her hand, and for the first time, she spoke like more than just someone running away from her problems.
"I am Mio Greywoods. The daughter of the silence you imposed on this kingdom.
The heir of the flame you tried to control.
And I will not bow down."
They chanted her name while the sky rained down ash.
The time for rebellion had begun.
To be continued...