The night was a perfect tableau of celestial beauty. The sky, clear and expansive, played host to a grand spectacle as stars twinkled like distant jewels and the moon cast its luminous glow upon the earth. Its gentle beams blessed the land with a soft, ethereal light, painting everything in a serene, otherworldly hue.
Matthew stood at the balcony, his gaze tracing the horizon where the world melted into darkness. In the distance, a lone light flickered, so distant it seemed like a mere speck in the vast expanse.
Despite the late hour, the world around them exuded an unmatched beauty, a quiet grandeur that enveloped everything it touched.
Toni approached his friend, noting the intensity of his contemplation. A burst of fireworks lit up the sky, showering them with a cascade of dazzling sparks.
"There's a party downstairs, you know?" Toni offered, standing beside Matthew and leaning on the balcony to admire the view. However, Matthew remained lost in his thoughts, his focus elsewhere, oblivious to the festivities below.
"Matthew?" Toni's voice broke through Matthew's thoughts, pulling him back to the present.
"Cid is resigning as headmaster," Matthew disclosed.
"What?" Toni's eyebrows knitted together in confusion. "Wait, what does that even mean? He's giving up his title as headmaster?"
Matthew cocked his head to his best friend, "same fucking face I made like an hour ago." He exhaled turning his attention back to the view. "It means that Cid is stepping down, and we're about to have a new headmaster."
"Who is it?" Toni pressed. "Please don't tell me it's Highguard."
Matthew chuckled and shook his head. "Worse."
"Worse than that grumpy prick?" Toni shook his head in disbelief. "So, Cid is handing over our prime base to an unqualified idiot, despite everything you've told him? And this guy is here tonight, and you didn't even know?"
"Yep," Matthew confirmed, his annoyance evident, his gaze fixed on the distant lights of Allegiant. The distant sounds of the celebration below reached them, but they felt far removed from the festivities. "But he's being his usual stubborn and ignorant self. He still plans to announce it tonight."
"What, the guy is here? And he didn't tell you anything about this!?" Toni's body tensed up with frustration.
"Why do you think I'm up here, and not down there?" Matthew explained, waving his hand forward to indicate why he had locked out Skydeck.
Toni felt a surge of confusion and anger. "Why would he do this?" he demanded.
"I have no idea," Matthew replied, shaking his head. "Honestly, no fucking clue, and that's what's worrying me now."
Toni leaned both of his elbows onto the balcony and buried his head into them, letting out a heavy sigh. "Did he tell you who was taking over?" he asked, lifting his head slightly.
Exhaling, Toni turned his head, watching as his best friend simply stared into the world before him, the light wind tousling his hair. The blue steel of his gaze was fixed on the darkness in the far distance, consumed with his thoughts, with what Cid had done to him.
"Matthew?" Toni prodded, "do you know him?"
Matthew nodded, "I know him."
"Well, you're not instilling any fucking confidence right now with the choice that Cid made."
Straightening himself with a deep breath, Matthew gripped the balcony railings tightly. Toni stood up to face him, waiting for the answer that was about to change their entire world.
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Ashes Of The Throne | Part I
Fantasy"Not every heir wants the throne." PART I | Some people survive war. Princess Sera survived what came after. Her kingdom is gone-burned to ash, buried in betrayal. She escaped the ruins with nothing but a haunted heart, a shattered name, and a secre...
