Shattered

The boy looked at SG fearfully as he thought. "R-ready to leave?" He began to back away from SG as he thought. "I-Is he gonna kill me now?"

The back of the boy's right foot hit the wall behind him as he continued to try and back away. He looked at the wall behind him and then looked at the walls around him as he thought. "Is there really no way out of this place?"

The boy noticed SG start to walk toward him. He quickly looked over at SG and yelled out. "Stay back! Stay away from me!"

SG continued to walk toward the boy.

The boy pressed himself up against the wall more as he yelled out. "Stop! Stop!" He cried out. "Why? Why are you doing this?"

SG suddenly stopped walking. His neutral expression from before appeared on his face again as he mumbled to himself. "Why?" He looked at the boy and said. "You asked why?"

The boy looked at SG fearfully and nodded.

SG said. "Because I have orders to prevent you from going to the Ceremony."

The boy said while confused. "Orders? Orders from who?"

SG looked at the boy but did not respond to the boy's question. He remained silent.

The boy said to SG. "B-But didn't Sister say she overwrote all previous orders?"

SG mumbled. "Overwrote all previous orders?" He looked up at the sky as he mumbled. "That's right... I remember my lady mentioning that..."

The boy said fearfully. "S-So that means you don't have to kill me, right?"

SG continued to look up at the sky as he mumbled. "Kill you?" He chuckled to himself as he said. "That was a lie." He looked at the boy and said. "It was just a lie, boy."

The boy looked at SG with both a look of fear and confusion on his face as he said. "A-A lie?" He looked over at Alessia who remained motionless against the wall. He then immediately looked back over at SG as he yelled out. "T-Then why did you kill Alessia?"

SG said. "Alessia?" He looked over at Alessia and chuckled as he mumbled. "I see. So you chose to refer to her by name." He looked over at the boy and said. "I didn't kill her. I only knocked her out."

The boy looked perplexed as he thought. "Knocked her out?" He said to SG. "Y-You mean she is still alive?" He looked over at Alessia again who still motionless against the wall.

SG said. "That is correct."

The boy looked back at SG.

SG motioned to the area around him as he said. "This place is sacred to His Majesty." A stern look appeared on his face as he made eye contact with the boy and said. "I will not let anyone contaminate it!"

The boy said fearfully. "I-If you're not going to kill me? W-What are you going to do to me?"

SG said sternly. "Prevent you from leaving. Those are my orders."

The boy pleaded. "B-But you can't leave me in here! W-Won't this upset Sister and Grandfather?"

SG placed his left hand, the hand with the necklace, on his chin as he looked at the boy and said. "So you want me to let you go, boy?"

The boy nodded.

SG chuckled lightly to himself. He then looked up at the sky and said. "Hey boy. What do you think would happen to me if I let you go?"

The boy looked at SG and thought. "Something will happen to him?"

SG looked at the boy again as he said. "Do you know what will happen?"

The boy shook his head.

SG mumbled. "I wonder too..." He looked at his right arm and said. "I'm going to lose this arm just for speaking to you." He mumbled to himself as he continued to look at his right arm. "But what would I lose for letting you go...?"

The boy looked horrified as he said. "You're going to lose your arm just for speaking to me?!" Tears began to well up in his eyes as he said. "So this entire time... this was why Father's Guardians never spoke to me?!" The boy fell onto his knees. Tears began to slide down his face. He slammed his fists into the ground as he yelled out. "That's stupid! That is so stupid! Why would anyone ever order that?!"

A saddened expression appeared on SG's face as he stared at his right arm and then it disappeared as quickly as it appeared. A warm smile soon appeared on SG's face as he looked over at the boy and said. "It is just an arm, my lord. For the sake of the kingdom and for the sake of the nation it is better I lose my arm than someone like His Majesty's Fourth Guardian."

The boy slammed his fist into the ground again as he said. "That's not the point!" Tears continued to slide down his face as he said. "No one should have to lose their arms!" He looked up at SG and said. "Who gave that order?"

SG said. "Only one person is capable of giving out an order like that."

The boy mumbled. "Only one person?" A shocked look appeared on his face as he said. "Do you mean Father?!"

SG did not answer the boy's question. He instead glanced over at Alessia and then looked up at the sky again.

The boy looked at SG and mumbled. "So it really is..."

SG said. "I've changed my mind." He looked over at the boy again as he said. "I'll let you go after all."

A confused look appeared on the boy's face that soon changed to a worried look as he said. "Huh? What are you talking about? What do you mean 'you've changed your mind'? Won't you be punished if you let me go?"

SG smiled as he said. "I'll worry about that when the time comes." He moved the necklace, which was in his left hand, close to his lips, as he blew on the whistle.

A deep sound could be heard from the whistle which caused all of the King's Garden to shake. The King's Garden shook so violently the boy was thrown onto the ground.

The boy thought. "What... is... this?" He attempted to move but was unable to do so. The entire garden continued to shake.

The shaking soon stopped. The boy looked up from the ground and looked at SG.

SG was standing as he was before. His position had not changed.

The boy looked at the whistle in SG's left hand and said in a defeated tone. "What is... that whistle..."

SG quickly glanced over to the whistle and then looked back at the boy as he said. "This? It's-"

SG was immediately cut off by the sound of shattered wood.

The boy thought. "What was that?!" He got back onto his feet, as he stood right behind SG, and looked toward the direction of where the sound had come from.

A woman clad in dark gray armor walked through the doorway of the King's Garden. She wore a dark gray mask that had a black stripe down the center that completely covered up her face. But, the mask did not cover up the back of her head so her black hair bundled up into a ponytail remained exposed. As for the weapons she carried she had a shortsword in her left hand and a dagger in her right hand. Both weapons had a dark gray blade with a black hilt.

SG immediately tossed his sword over to his left hand and the necklace over to his right hand as he stared at the masked woman, who entered the King's Garden, with a look of irritation.

The boy had a look of fear on his face as he looked at the masked woman and thought. "W-Who is that?!"