As I, Michael Grandcrest, sat on my throne, my gaze swept across the chaotic streets of my kingdom, under siege from within its own walls. Every one of my council members had betrayed me. The heavy gold of my ring, the one with the ancient crimson stone, felt almost comforting on my finger. A faint, inexplicable warmth seemed to emanate from it, though I dismissed it as a trick of my own rising fury.
The sudden explosion of the throne room doors shattered the silence, splinters raining down on the once-grand floor. My eyes snapped to the gaping void where the doors had been, revealing my nine former council members. Each a powerhouse in their own right, they were led by the one man I never believed would betray me: Klaus Grandfall, my sworn brother, the Sword of this great kingdom.
Our eyes met—my sapphire blue locking with his fierce green. A guttural roar tore from my throat as my mana erupted, filling the room with an unbearable pressure.
"How dare you, Klaus?" I bellowed. "We were sworn brothers! We grew up together in that small village, adventuring, gathering the strength we have now. What have I done to make you betray and overthrow me?"
Klaus smiled, a cold, unsettling twist of his lips. His gaze, though, flickered for a fraction of a second to the crimson ring on my hand before settling back on my face. "You have what I want... power. You have the power to do whatever you want while I'm stuck here like a fucking dog protecting this place. That will change once I kill you. Then, your so-called power, this kingdom, will be mine to wield as I see fit."
As he finished speaking, he unsheathed his sword and lunged. I rose, my own sword materializing in my hand. "Klaus, if you had just asked, I would have given this to you!" I yelled, rushing to meet him.
"Well, it's too late for that now, isn't it, 'Brother'?" Klaus sneered.
Our blades met in the center of the room, a clash of mana and metal that shattered the windows and cracked the stone floor. "It's not too late, brother, we can still—" My words choked off as I twisted, narrowly dodging a dagger Klaus had pulled from his coat. The blade grazed my skin.
"Trust me, Michael, it's too late for you," Klaus smirked, slowly advancing.
"But Kla—" My voice caught as an invisible force gripped me, rooting me to the spot. "What the f— What did you do to me, Klaus?!" My mind raced, frantically searching for an answer, for any way out. My gaze fell to the crimson ring, a desperate, irrational hope stirring within me.
His evil smile widened. "That paralysis poison took effect faster than expected. You see, Michael, I knew I could never beat you in a fair fight with swords or magic. So, I resorted to the only thing I was sure would stop you long enough for me to kill you."
My eyes widened as I saw the blood-red liquid coating the dagger in Klaus's hand. I whispered, "You used the Blood Widow."
"Of course," Klaus replied, his smile growing even wider. "Only the best and rarest poison should be used for slaying a king, even if that king is you."
He reached me, preparing to strike. As anger boiled in my heart, I screamed, my voice echoing for all to hear, "I swear I will come back and kill you all! I will have my revenge in the next life and ensure that you each will suffer for doing thi—"
My words were abruptly cut short as Klaus swung, severing my head from my body. As my lifeless form crumpled to the ground, the crimson ring on my finger pulsed with a blinding light before vanishing completely.