Here It Starts

The echoes of thunder crackled as it reflected its blue dominant form through the open window, temporarily carving down its existence on the refurbished floor.

Accompanied by the rumbling of thunder, is a heavy downpour from the sky, weeping profusely on a dark lonely night.

It was at a time when all doors had been shut! Mostly all doors.

A time that was made compulsory for the multitude to lay their bodies to rest after going through hectic moments in the day.

In such a time, there existed a group of people who refused the comfort the night brings as they used it to drown themselves in more work.

He was one of such a group!

Faced with a pile of files sitting on the table across from him, he had his thoughts on a particular file he was currently going through.

There was no distraction nor a face that showed lament toward having to work while others were asleep, resting.

This was what he signed up for when he took up the job. He knew what he was getting himself into, yet, he took up the mantle.

For the people!

He rubbed his forehead with his finger as he stared intently at the sheet on the desk with a quill in his other hand.

"I have to do something fast about the depletion of force stone in the kingdom". He said.

He wrote down his signature on the last paragraph of the sheet and then turned it over to the next page.

"Hmm!! They are taking advantage of our weakness to its fullest. Demanding seventy per cent of trade profit! How preposterous can they be?".

His calm expression did well to cover the agitated side of him, a habit he picked up at an early age due to the effect of his job.

"It is as though they no longer fear what we might do to them. Should I perhaps shake them up a little by ordering an invasion on a lower kingdom".

As he spoke, he revealed a smirk, tilting his lips to the side. He had brown eyes that glowed in the presence of the dimly light lantern illuminating the room.

"I should order my commander to burn down the kingdom, loot their treasures and capture their citizens as slaves of the kingdom".

In him, there was no remorse nor hesitation. There was only ecstasy that was clouded by his abnormally calm demeanour.

"Yes! Doing that will be enough to pressure them and have the negotiation flow to my advantage".

He had made up his mind, and surely, what he intended was what he would do.

The wind howled as it blew the curtain in!!

Abruptly, he got up from his seat and reached out his hand to his left.

Beside him is a sword with a golden handle and complicated inscriptions traced down the sword handle.

He grabbed the sword by the handle and swung the bladed side to his right.

"Who are you!". He questioned with a threatening tone, and a sword hanging by the neck of the intruder.

"I have to say, I am impressed. Up till now, I still question how I was able to best you". Said the intruder, with a jovial tone, not minding a blade close to their neck.

Their appearance was covered by the shadows of the dark, barely revealing a hazy figure cladded in all black with an ominous mask.

The mask is coloured black and on each side of the mask is a three-tear drop each, starting from below the eyes and stopping slightly beyond the nose range.

As for the nose, it is unusually long and especially pointed. There are no lips designed on the mask, but there are two long fangs pointed upward.

In the dark, one can easily mistake the mask as a tearing masquerade! Ah... That is right. The weeper! That is the design the mask was aiming at.

The intruder with ease, raised their hand and pushed away the sword from their neck.

"There is no need to be this aggressive. If my goal was to have you killed". The mouthpiece behind the mask remained silent, almost as if they had made a diabolical smile.

Without having to complete their word, he understood what the intruder intended to say.

Even with a blade on their neck, they did not so much as flinch nor show any reaction pertaining to fear!

This! This wasn't an ordinary intruder.

He watched as the intruder made their way toward the luxurious couch resting by the wall.

Of their own will, they sat on the couch and crossed their leg as they turned their masked face toward him.

"Sit. I have a proposal for you". They said, a voice that sounded casual yet was enough to influence him mentally.

With his eyes still glued to the weeper, he went back to sit where he had earlier sat, in his office chair.

"Who are you!". He questioned again, curiously.

"Hmm...". Hummed the weeper; "Erhart Grosskon, the seventh king of the Grosskon kingdom, aiming to have your kingdom evolve to an empire by surpassing the might of the Yutus Imperium".

The one known as Erhart shuddered at the information exclaimed by the intruder.

Not so much as shudder at the information, but more at the lack of respect he was shown by the intruder.

Still! He did not dare to refute the intruder.

The intruder was able to bypass his heavy security and get to his office without being noticed, not even by his surveillance team whom he took pride in.

Not only that, but they were also able to get to his office and it was not until he was close enough to cause him harm before he was able to feel their presence.

In the continent as a whole, and to the knowledge of Erhart, the number of people capable of this feat can be counted on one hand.

This intruder dubbed as the weeper, did not give off any vitality signature that Erhart could trace and associate with the aforementioned people who could do this.

Just who! Who!!

"Who...". Keeping his composure, Erhart retorted.