Chapter 13: Return

It's currently early morning at the UN, and two of the Kings' Shadows have returned from their mission against The Night. Noah "Ajax" William and Lisa "Luna" Hudson stride into the main operating room, the nerve centre that monitors all Shadows and their missions. In the room, two figures stand at the centre, overseeing the operations—General Oliver Colvat and Duke Daniel Kings.

"We greet General Colvat and Duke Kings," both Noah and Luna bow respectfully to their superiors.

"Well done, both of you. Thanks to your abilities, we were able to thwart The Night's attempt on my nephew. Keep up the good work," Daniel praises them for their efforts against The Night.

"Thank you, Your Highness, but I was merely a backup. I didn't do much compared to Ajax," Lisa remarked, reluctant to take as much credit as Noah, who had faced The Night alone.

"Don't be so humble. Your support was invaluable," Oliver assured Lisa, emphasizing the importance of her role.

"Thank you for your kind words," Lisa responded gratefully.

"Both of you deserve some rest. Return to your quarters, and I'll summon you when there's another mission," Oliver instructed, acknowledging their need for rest after enduring a challenging mission.

"Yes, sir," they replied in unison before exiting the room.

Following them, a man in his late twenties entered the room.

"Well, I didn't expect to see you here, son," Daniel remarked, surprised to see his son in The Shadows' main operating room.

The man who entered the room was Eren Kings, Daniel's firstborn son and older cousin to Raiden, Nina, and Alex. Eren possessed the [Copy] Inheritance, similar to Alex, though his version was weaker. Despite lacking the combat prowess of Raiden or Nina, Eren was widely regarded as the smartest among the current generation of the Kings family in Unity Nation. However, his body was not as adept at utilizing the [Copy] Inheritance to its full potential compared to Alex.

In the current hierarchy of [Copy] Inheritance processors, Eren was considered the weakest, followed by Daniel, Arnold SR, Mira (Eren's younger Sister) and Alex.

Eren was currently working towards becoming Raiden's right-hand man once Raiden ascended to the throne of Unity Nation. This was a common role within the Kings' family for those who were not destined to be king themselves. Instead, they would serve as the king's closest advisor, protector, and confidant. Eren had chosen to support Raiden in this capacity, aiming to assist him when he eventually became king.

As Eren observed Raiden's recent behaviour and the issues he caused in Dubai, his beliefs shifted. Despite his initial doubts and desire to quit, he felt compelled to step in and assist Raiden in becoming a worthy king of the nation. Eren realized that he couldn't simply walk away and opt for a different role, such as serving as the Kings' Shadow, which didn't align with his aspirations. Instead, he resolved to support Raiden and guide him towards becoming a deserving and capable ruler of the nation. Eren saw this as a crucial mission that required his dedication and commitment to ensure Raiden's success.

"Hello, Father, and greetings, Sir Colvat," Eren responded respectfully to Daniel and Oliver.

"Greetings, Lord Kings," Oliver replied with a bow.

"So, what brings you here, son? Is it about The Night's planned assassination on Raiden?" Daniel inquired, looking directly at Eren.

"Yes, father. As I will become Raiden's right-hand man and advisor, I naturally want to prevent anything bad from happening to him. He's family, and I don't wish to see another family member fall," Eren explained to Daniel, revealing his genuine intentions. After Alex's death, whom he considered a brother, Eren vowed to protect his family members, as he was the eldest of the current generation of the Kings' family.

Daniel walked over to Eren and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"Well done, son. Protecting our family has always been our duty for generations. I'm proud of you," Daniel expressed his pride in Eren's commitment.

"Lord Kings, I'll provide you with all the information we currently have, so please listen carefully," Oliver began, filling Eren in on the details gathered by The Shadows.

"I see. Thank you for the information, Sir Colvat. Does Raiden know about this?" Eren asked, wanting to know if Raiden was informed.

"No, not at the moment. It's not the right time. He's not in the right state of mind, and the king, queen, and your grandparents are upset. Besides, we're in the middle of Alex's remembrance week. We'll inform him when the time is appropriate," Daniel explained, emphasizing the need for timing.

"I understand. What about security? Have we assigned more Shadows to Raiden?" Eren inquired, expressing concern for Raiden's safety.

"Yes, we've assigned several more Legend Class Shadows, and Raiden is not weak, so he'll be well protected," Daniel reassured Eren, aiming to ease his worries.

"That's good to hear," Eren replied, feeling a sense of relief.

The morning sun streamed through the windows of Raiden's room, casting a warm glow. The past few days had been challenging for him. If only he hadn't been involved with Kara Burns, none of this would have happened. Now, he needed to prepare for Alex's remembrance week, where he was expected to give a speech about his brother for the sixth time. Sitting on the bed, Raiden reflected on his memories of Alex. Their interactions had been few, given their different training paths. Raiden had always been groomed for kingship, while Alex focused on training with Daniel, Eren, their grandfather, and Mira, all of whom possessed the [Copy] Inheritance. Raiden wished he could inherit the [Copy] Inheritance; it would have made his life much easier. With only four Forces, Raiden's abilities were considered average among royals, who typically wielded four to five Forces, along with an Inheritance.

"Fuck sake. Why is it so hard to change myself? I keep doing the same shit all over again. Why can't I have your life, Alex? I don't want to be king; I want to be free and live life however I fucking want. This world is so unfair..." Raiden thought to himself, consumed by jealousy for his late brother's seemingly carefree life compared to his burdens as a future king.

*Knock* *Knock*

The sound of a door knock on Raiden's room snapped him out of his thoughts.

"Who is it?" Raiden shouted, curious about the visitor.

"It's me, Rai. Can I come in?" The voice of a young woman responded from the other side of the door, using Raiden's familiar nickname.

"Sure, the door's unlocked," Raiden replied, recognizing the voice.

The door slowly opened, revealing Mira Kings, Raiden's cousin and close companion. Both were 25 years old and shared a strong bond forged through rigorous training sessions. Despite being siblings, some would argue that Raiden was closer to Mira than to Nina.

Mira possessed extraordinary power among the current generation of the Kings' family, second only to Alex. With five Forces and [Copy] Inheritance, Mira's abilities surpassed those of her father, grandfather, and Eren, rivalling even Alex's prowess.

Despite her formidable abilities, Mira's appearance often belied her strength. Standing shorter than Nina and exuding a softer demeanour, she often misled others into underestimating her true capabilities. However, those who knew the family's legacy recognized Mira as a true warrior, following in the footsteps of her illustrious ancestors, including Arnold SR's grandfather.

She was currently training to become Raiden's protector and personal bodyguard, much like her brother Eren.

"Hi there, in about 2 hours we need to go to the central hall for Alex's speech and address what happened the other day to the press," Mira informed Raiden, emphasizing the importance of their upcoming obligations per their grandparents' request.

"Yeah, I'll call Warren to help me get ready. I'll meet you by the garden in a bit," Raiden responded, indicating he would be prepared shortly.

Just as Raiden finished speaking, a voice echoed from the doorway. "I'm here, prince," announced Warren Red, Raiden's butler and son of Han Red.

"Will you please excuse us, Lady Mira? I need to get the prince ready for the day," Warren politely requested, signalling Mira to leave so he could attend to Raiden's preparations.

"Yes, see you later, Rai," Mira replied, waving as she exited the room.

Deep within an underground base the size of a city, a group of individuals clad in attire marked with the symbol of a moon—the emblem of The Night—gathered in a chamber. Following the losses suffered during the conflict in the UK and the subsequent skirmish with Unity Nation's executives, The Night was now poised for all-out war.

A man who had witnessed the aftermath of these events convened all the faction's leaders to strategize the next steps: declaring war against Unity Nation and targeting Raiden Kings for elimination.

"Sir, all the leaders are assembled in the room," one of the henchmen reported to the man, signalling readiness for the meeting.

"Excellent, they're prompt," the man remarked with a grin, exuding confidence.

Entering the chamber, all eyes turned to the man—Chad Atkinson—the last remaining leader among The Night's ranks.

"Ah, Chad Atkinson, making quite an entrance," remarked one of the leaders, acknowledging his presence.

"My apologies for the delay, everyone," Chad addressed the gathered leaders.

"Now, let's discuss our next course of action," he declared with conviction, setting the tone for the critical deliberations ahead.