Symbol of Anger
In that night…
In the middle of the deep forest…
The enormous flames roared, devouring everything in their path.
Both warriors stood frozen — shocked, breathless, helpless.
In panic, Charlie spoke quickly,
"Do you have metal fab?"
Karthik, tense and stammering,
"N-no… I don't."
Charlie paused, thought fast, then said,
"Okay… I'm going to the castle to inform them.
You try to stop the fire!"
Without hesitation, he bolted toward the castle.
Karthik turned, looking around desperately for water, any way to control the fire.
As he searched frantically —
"Hey, look who we have here."
Karthik stopped, spun around.
The general emerged from the woods with several soldiers behind him, smirking.
"Soldiers! Look! This is the man who dared defy His Majesty's orders!"
He laughed mockingly, and the soldiers followed, all laughing cruelly.
Karthik, breath shaking, yelled,
"Are you blind?! Don't you see what's happening here?!"
The general cackled louder,
"Oh, I see. There's a nice little campfire in front of me!"
The soldiers burst into another round of mocking laughter.
But then… from the flames…
A scream.
A child, skin melted, raw flesh exposed, his body half-burned, stumbled forward.
His voice cracked in agony,
"Help… please… help…"
They all turned.
Eyes wide.
And in an instant —
THWIP!
An arrow pierced the boy's head.
He collapsed lifelessly.
A flaming beam crashed onto his tiny body, burning it to ash in seconds.
Karthik stood frozen, unable to comprehend.
The general, still laughing, pointed and said,
"There! Our little burnt sandwich… with red ketchup all over! Hahaha!"
They all roared with laughter once again.
The general looked at Karthik with a mocking smile and said,
"Ohhh, my poor symbolic puppet soldier… why do you think I would help stop my — sorry, our creation—"
Before he could finish —
In a blink…
Karthik's sword, consumed with pure rage, sliced through the air and struck.
The general's neck split — his head sliced into two separate pieces.
Blood rained down.
The body fell.
The soldiers gasped in horror.
Some backed off.
Some drew their swords.
But at that moment…
The symbol on Karthik's body glowed,
the temperature began to rise.
It wasn't just rage —
It was judgment.
The symbol ignited, raising the heat, burning the air itself,
The ground trembled beneath his feet.
The soldiers charged.
The first one —
A single slash.
His body exploded apart; the blood evaporated mid-air from the searing heat of Karthik's wrath.
The second soldier —
Ripped apart at the chest.
One side of his body burned to black charcoal, the other frozen in terror.
The third soldier…
He hesitated.
He had hope and fear in his eyes.
Karthik's blade came down like divine punishment,
Carving a burning scar into his chest so deep and hot, the pain ended before he could even scream.
Silence.
Bodies collapsed everywhere.
The ground soaked in steaming blood.
And in the middle of that burning graveyard…
Only Karthik stood.
Eyes filled not with satisfaction,
Not with triumph…
But pure rage.
And crushing guilt.
He took slow, heavy breaths.
The air still burned around him.
The forest… silent.
Charlie approached the castle in a rush.
Inside that mighty fortress, he sprinted straight toward the Commander, breath heavy, voice urgent:
"Commander! This is urgent! You have to inform the Majesty or the Warlord — the orphanage near the Gangwan River is on fire!"
The Commander blinked, confused.
"What are you —"
Charlie cut him off, yelling,
"There's no time! Please, hurry!"
The Commander frowned, arrogance in his tone,
"Okay… okay… but don't forget — you're not ordering me. We Commanders don't fall under your hierar—"
"I knooow!" Charlie snapped, breathless.
"I'm not ordering… it's a request. Please! Hurry!"
The Commander sighed, annoyed.
"Alright, alright. You wait here… I'll inform them."
He walked away.
Charlie stood there, tense, heart pounding, looking around anxiously.
Then… his eyes caught sight of the Warlord across the hall.
He instinctively started moving toward him —
But stopped.
One of the Commanders walked up to the Warlord, leaned in, and whispered something in his ear.
The Warlord's expression shifted.
He turned immediately and headed toward the King's chamber.
Charlie froze in confusion.
He quickly approached that same Commander.
"Hey, Commander!"
The man turned with a smug look.
"Yes? What do you want?"
Charlie narrowed his eyes.
"What did you just say to the Warlord?"
The Commander smirked arrogantly.
"Ohhh… so now you're questioning me? Remember — we Commanders—"
"Don't fall under our hierarchy. I know!" Charlie interrupted, voice shaking.
"I'm not questioning you… I'm requesting. Please, tell me."
Before the Commander could respond —
"Charlie."
A deep voice. The Warlord's.
Charlie turned sharply.
"Yes, sire!"
The Warlord's expression was unreadable, his voice heavy with authority.
"Majesty wants to speak with you… in his chamber."
Charlie blinked in confusion.
"O… okay, sire."
He took a deep breath, heart racing, and started walking toward the King's room.
In the grand room of majesty…
Charlie approached the large doors, heart pounding. He stood straight, fists clenched.
He spoke, voice steady but tense —
"May I come in, Majesty?"
The king slowly turned, his robe glistening in gold and crimson. His eyes — cold and unreadable.
"Yes, soldier… come in."
Charlie entered, the heavy door shutting behind him with a deep thud. The room suffocated with silence, filled with golden artifacts, jewels, and silk drapes that couldn't cover the weight in the air.
Charlie stood tall, eyes down.
The king took a breath, turned toward the open window as the wind rushed in…
Then, like a blade slicing through silence, he spoke —
"Charlie… I have a task for you. One that only you can carry out."
Charlie looked up slowly, confusion in his eyes.
"I await your command, Majesty."
The king's voice lowered, cold and final.
"Kill... Karthik."
The wind stopped.
The room felt frozen in time.
Charlie blinked. His breath caught in his throat.
His mind refused to process what he'd just heard.
"W-What...?" he whispered. His body trembled slightly.
"What are you saying... Majesty?"
The king didn't reply.
Charlie's voice cracked, desperate —
"Why do you want Karthik killed...? I… I don't under—"
The king's voice thundered.
"SOLDIER!"
Charlie snapped to attention, cold sweat on his brow.
"When you wear that symbol on your chest… your first, last, and only duty… is to follow your king's command without question."
Charlie stood, frozen.
His body still…
His heart torn.
The order hung heavy in the air.
Will he obey his king… or rebel against the crown itself?
That is yet to be known.