chapter 25: The Kings invitation
Chapter 25: The King's Invitation
Rin stood before the towering gates of the palace, his fingers tightening around the royal invitation. The wax seal of the King of the Down World gleamed under the flickering neon lights, a symbol of authority that could change his fate forever he had received an invitation letter from the king and instructed not to make it known.
The palace itself was a monstrous structure, a fusion of old-world royalty and modern technology. Its blackened spires stabbed into the smog-filled sky, while electric lights flickered in rhythmic pulses along the golden-trimmed walls. The grand entrance stretched wide, guarded by a row of armored sentinels—figures in sleek, plated gear, their helmets obscuring their faces like faceless gods of judgment.
Rin exhaled slowly. This was a moment he couldn't afford to misstep.
The guards inspected his invitation. A moment of silence stretched before one of them, clad in obsidian-black armor, gave a short nod. Without a word, the gates groaned open.
As Rin stepped inside, the halls swallowed him in absolute grandeur. Chandeliers the size of carriages hung from the ceiling, their golden light casting shifting shadows on the deep crimson carpets beneath his feet. The walls, lined with ancient paintings and holographic displays, seemed to whisper stories of past rulers and battles that shaped the Underworld.
The deeper he walked, the thicker the atmosphere became—not just in the air, but in presence. Eyes were on him. From the paintings? From the hidden corridors? He couldn't tell.
After what felt like an eternity, he was led to the Outer Chamber, a massive hall just outside the throne room.
There, he waited.
Until a voice rumbled from the chamber beyond.
The King's Proposition
"I hear you have an interest in the drink, young one."
Rin straightened, his mind immediately sharpening. The voice belonged to the King—the most powerful man in the Down World. He had never seen him before, but his words carried a weight that crushed the air itself.
"And more than that," the King continued, his voice smooth yet terrifying, "I have taken an interest in you."
Rin's fingers twitched. Interest? What was he playing at?
"How would you like to become the 16th Prince?"
The words crashed into Rin like a storm.
The 16th Prince—a title not determined by blood alone, but by the mafia families surrounding the throne. The King selected princes from those who showed potential, those who could shape the future of the Down World.
Rin masked his reaction, but inside, his mind raced. What was the angle? Why him?
Instead of agreeing outright, he did something few would dare to do—he questioned the King.
"But I have to be part of a family, don't I?"
A pause. Then, a low, rumbling laugh vibrated through the chamber. It wasn't the warm chuckle of a fatherly figure—it was the laughter of a lion watching a mouse act bold.
"You dare speak to me with such boldness?"
The amusement in the King's voice was unsettling, but Rin held firm.
"You intrigue me, boy. I have already made my choice."
Then, the King uttered a name that made Rin's heart stop.
"The Vox Family will claim you."
Rin's mind reeled.
The Vox Family. The ones called 'The Wall.' The unseen eyes and ears of the Down World. If the King was the ruler, the Vox Family was the hidden force that controlled the flow of information. Every secret. Every betrayal. Every whisper.
"Everything is reported to them," the King said smoothly, "even the things you think are hidden."
That meant they already knew about Rin.
The King's voice lowered. "Tell me… where are you from?"
Rin's heart pounded. He could not reveal the truth. He had to lie.
"I am an orphan, Your Majesty."
Silence. A moment stretched too long.
Then, the King chuckled again, but this time, it was dangerous.
"You will be given some rights, but others must be earned. Let's see how far your ambition takes you."
As Rin was led away, one thought burned in his mind.
No one knew about this letter. No records. No reports. Not even the Vox Family.
This was a move made in the darkest shadows of the Underworld.
The Library of Kings
The following day, Rin was granted access to the Palace Library—an endless vault of knowledge containing everything from ancient war tactics to technological secrets.
As he walked through the towering bookshelves, his eyes traced the spines of books wrapped in leather, metal, and even organic matter. Some pulsed with a faint glow, containing knowledge forbidden to most.
Then, it happened.
A presence.
Cold. Commanding. Overwhelming.
His body reacted before his mind could process it. His knees buckled.
A man stood before him—draped in white and silver robes, his golden eyes shining like molten fire. His aura was unlike anything Rin had ever encountered.
This was the 3rd Prince.
The kindest of all the Kings children nicknamed the holy one and also a perfectionist he was the only one that cared about the point of view of the citizens
"We can't allow more of your kind to get in the way," the Prince murmured, raising his arm.
A mechanical whir. A black gauntlet clicked into place, its gears spinning, steam hissing from its joints. The Engine Gauntlet.
A blinding pillar of flames erupted from his palm.
Rin screamed.
The fire consumed him. His skin burned. His lungs filled with smoke. His body convulsed on the ground as the scent of burning flesh filled the air.
He clawed at the doors.
No one came.
No one would save him.
And then—
The Death of Rin
A sudden jolt. Cold air against his skin. His eyes flew open.
He was not in the library. He was inside a medical capsule, submerged in a thick, nutrient-rich gel. Machines beeped softly around him.
An informant stepped forward.
"The man who was burned… is dead."
Rin exhaled slowly. It had worked.
The burned body wasn't his.
Before the meeting, Rin had found a desperate man—one willing to trade his life in exchange for a promise that his family would be taken care of. Rin had given him a mask—an exact replica of his own face.
Now, as far as the world knew, Rin was dead.
A ghost.
And with that, his true plan could begin.