The black car pulled up with a soft purr in front of the imposing Royal Palace of Lumig. The white and gold marble façade gleamed under the light of the nocturnal lanterns, and on every column and arch stood out the emblem of the kingdom: a stylized sword pierced by three sharp peaks.
Two elite guards, tall and powerfully built, opened the rear door of the vehicle. Jay stepped out unhurriedly, adjusting the collar of the jacket they had given him at the police station. The woman with brown hair gathered in an elegant bun tilted her head slightly and gestured with her gloved hand toward the enormous double doors.
"This way, Mr. Sullivan."
Jay followed her in silence. The two guards closed ranks behind him, their footsteps echoing with authority across the wide cobblestone courtyard.
The interior of the palace was even more magnificent. An endless hallway stretched before them, illuminated by crystal chandeliers that cast a warm, golden light over the marble walls. Jay walked with his hands in his pockets, observing everything with that calm demeanor that seemed to challenge his surroundings.
Halfway down the hallway, his gaze stopped on a life-sized golden statue depicting a king with a severe expression and a jeweled crown. He frowned for barely a second. But a few steps further on, his expression softened when he saw the portraits and photographs covering the opposite wall.
The same pattern appeared in all of them: a family of four smiling with genuine joy.
Parents and children, entire generations, captured in moments of happiness that seemed sincere. There was something warm and human in those images that contrasted with the cold opulence of the palace.
The woman noticed the change in his expression.
"Those portraits belong to every generation of sovereigns of the Kingdom of Lumig," she explained in a soft but professional voice. "The royal family has always valued showing its most human side to the people."
Jay stopped in front of one of the most recent paintings. A young couple with two small children laughed while a dog jumped between them.
"It's very interesting…" he murmured, a sincere smile forming on his lips. "They almost look like a normal family."
The woman tilted her head, slightly surprised by the comment, but continued walking at a slower pace, pointing out some of the portraits as they advanced.
"Every sovereign has tried to maintain that image. The people need to believe that those who govern them also know happiness and pain."
Jay nodded without saying anything else. His gaze continued to scan the smiling faces, but in his mind echoed a bitter thought he didn't voice.
Finally, they arrived in front of imposing golden doors guarded by four soldiers. Upon seeing the group, they stepped aside with martial rigidity. The doors opened with a heavy metallic sound, revealing the throne room.
The hall was vast and majestic. Black marble columns rose toward a vaulted ceiling decorated with frescoes of epic battles and celestial figures. In the center, on a dais with three steps, stood a polished bronze throne, adorned with sapphires and rubies that glowed with their own light.
Seated upon it was the king.
The brown-haired woman stepped forward, bowed with elegant martial grace, and announced in a clear, firm voice:
"Your Majesty, Frederic Von Lumig, Sovereign of the Kingdom of Lumig."
King Frederic Von Lumig was a man in his fifties, of imposing bearing, with black hair streaked with gray at the temples and a well-groomed beard. He wore a deep blue royal tunic embroidered in gold. To his right and left stood two elite knights in gleaming silver armor, bearing the kingdom's emblem on their chests and holding ceremonial spears.
The king observed Jay with penetrating eyes, silently evaluating him for several seconds.
Jay stopped at a respectful distance. He did not kneel. He did not bow his head.
He simply stood there, hands still in his pockets and that calm gray gaze that seemed capable of piercing through any mask of power.
A dense silence filled the room.
The murderous instinct in the gaze of every knight in the hall converged on Jay. He, however, remained impassive. With only two months of experience, Jay was still an erratic young man: capable of displaying impeccable gallantry one moment, only to show complete disregard for the formalities his title demanded the next.
…
Finally, King Frederic Von Lumig spoke. His voice was deep and authoritative, accustomed to being obeyed:
"I've been told a great deal about what you did and the lives you saved in that incident. I would like to thank you."
The king rose slowly from the throne and, to the visible surprise of the two knights flanking him, descended the three steps and knelt on one knee before Jay.
He paused briefly, head slightly bowed, and added in a whisper heavy with contained emotion:
"For saving my daughter."
Jay blinked, momentarily disconcerted. He had not expected a sovereign to kneel before him, much less for such a personal reason.
Frederic Von Lumig remained in that position for another second before rising with dignity. His eyes, now softer, sought Jay's.
"My daughter Aurora was in the Lumig Shopping Center that day. If you hadn't intervened…" The king swallowed, unable to finish the sentence. "I owe you more than gratitude, Jay Sullivan. I owe you the life of my blood."
Jay kept his expression serene, though inside he felt a slight tug. A father's devotion was something he understood all too well, even if his own past was stained with blood and guilt.
"I only did what anyone with power should do, Your Majesty," he replied in a low, respectful voice, though without servility. "Protect the innocent."
The king observed him with greater attention, as if trying to read beyond those words.
"Modesty or simple truth… I haven't decided yet," said Frederic, climbing back onto the dais and sitting once more on the bronze throne. "But whatever it is, you've caught the attention of the entire kingdom. And now mine as well."
He made a gesture with his hand for the knights to relax. They lowered their spears slightly, though their gazes remained fixed on the young man with emerald-green hair.
"Tell me, Sullivan… what is a man like you seeking in my kingdom?" the king asked, leaning slightly forward. "Because someone capable of disintegrating hundreds of monsters with a single flash doesn't usually appear by chance."
Jay sketched a faint, almost imperceptible half-smile.
"Let's just say I'm here to make sure history doesn't repeat itself, Your Majesty."
The king narrowed his eyes, detecting the hidden weight behind that answer.
"And what history is that?"
Jay lifted his gaze and looked directly into the sovereign's eyes. For an instant, the room seemed to grow colder.
"The one that ends with gods trampling mortals… and with mortals who are no longer willing to remain on their knees."