Rain fell upon the execution grounds.
The once-proud banners of the Ashbourne Empire fluttered weakly beneath the darkened sky.
Thousands had gathered.
Some watched in silence.
Others looked away, unable to bear what was about to unfold.
At the center of it all...
Two men knelt upon the execution platform.
One wore tattered royal attire.
His once-pristine cloak had long since been stained by dirt and blood.
Levi Ashbourne.
The Rebel Prince.
Beside him knelt a far less imposing figure.
His colorful jester's attire, now faded and torn, no longer carried the laughter it once inspired.
Cassius.
The Royal Court Jester.
Chains bound their hands.
Their fates...
Already decided.
King Maverick Ashbourne slowly rose from his throne overlooking the square.
His voice echoed across the silent crowd.
"Levi Ashbourne."
"My own son."
"You dared raise your sword against the Empire."
"You dared lead a rebellion against the Crown."
He looked down at the kneeling prince.
"By my authority as King..."
"I hereby sentence you..."
"...To death."
Not a single voice answered.
Only the sound of rain.
King Maverick's gaze slowly shifted.
"Cassius."
The jester raised his head.
"You have long served this court."
"You've mocked nobles."
"You've entertained the nobles."
"You've spoken truths no other man dared utter."
The King's eyes narrowed.
"So tell me..."
"What do you think of this sentence?"
The crowd held its breath.
Cassius remained silent for a long moment.
Then...
He smiled.
A tired smile.
"It is..."
"...A fitting sentence."
Several nobles nodded in agreement.
"For a man who led a rebellion against the Empire..."
"...Death is only natural."
He paused.
"But..."
His eyes wandered across the gathered citizens.
Children hiding behind their mothers.
Old men with hollow faces.
People whose clothes were little more than worn rags.
"...Justice..."
"...Is not always found in law."
His voice remained calm.
"The people are starving."
"They are afraid."
"They have been treated as though their lives held less value than livestock."
His gaze returned to Levi.
"He rebelled..."
"...Because he wished to change that."
"He wished for the common folk..."
"...To live with the same dignity as the nobility."
Silence.
Heavy.
Oppressive.
King Maverick slowly closed his eyes.
Then...
"SOLDIERS."
The single word thundered across the square.
"Sentence the Royal Jester..."
"...To death alongside my son."
Gasps rippled through the crowd.
Yet Cassius merely laughed.
"...Figures you've changed your highness."
bowing for the last time, as if a show ended.
The chains around his wrists rattled as the guards led him beside Levi.
The two knelt shoulder to shoulder.
Neither spoke.
There was nothing left to say.
Cassius quietly lifted his head.
Among the sea of faces...
He found them.
His parents.
His mother struggled to hold back her tears.
Trying...
And failing...
To remain strong.
Cassius smiled.
A genuine one.
At least...
They're living comfortably now.
Maybe giving up my dream wasn't such a foolish decision after all.
The executioner stepped forward.
His axe gleamed beneath the rain.
Cassius slowly closed his eyes.
Then...
He felt it.
As though someone were watching him.
His eyes opened once more.
Far beyond the crowd...
An old man stood alone.
Hidden beneath a weathered cloak.
Unlike everyone else...
He wasn't looking at Levi.
He was looking only at Cassius.
Their eyes met.
For the briefest of moments.
The old man smiled.
Then...
He vanished.
As though he had never been there.
Cassius frowned.
...What?
The executioner raised his axe.
The rain grew heavier.
The blade fell.
Darkness.