"I never really thought about the day I would die.
Death and I were old acquaintances, having known each other like intimate friends for most of my life, but I never imagined to face her myself so soon.
I was paying the price for my rebellion, but...
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Flames enveloped the palace, feeding themselves on the fundaments of the majestic building. Tongues of fire raised from the burning ground, swirling and gorging furiously in the darkness of the night sky.
Every single city, every single place in Kallera, from the Velvet Islands far away in the West, to the Whispering Forest in the East, would be able to witness this downfall.
The man watched with sharp eyes as the destruction progressed, deeply enjoying the sound of the hopeless cries for help and wails of despair coming from the blaze.
They were even better than he had ever imagined them to be. Even the most skilled musician in the whole kingdom would not be able to create a sound as sweet as this.
Defeat.
They were crying in defeat, begging their Gods to save them from this atrocity.
Save them from whom? They would never know. Kallera would never know.
He had spent years preparing for this moment, waiting in the shadows for the perfect opportunity to strike, and now nothing could be more perfect.
The wind was still carrying the echoes of their pleas to every corner of the kingdom. He closed his eyes to savor the moment, then inhaled deeply, letting the delicious scent of fire, death and fear burn his lungs.
Footsteps approached from behind, audible even if muffled by the ashes already fallen to the ground, and the man reopened his eyes, focusing once again on the marvelous sight of the castle burning in the distance.
"It is done."
The man nodded, but he needed certainty.
"The family?"
"Dead."
A triumphant smirk appeared on the face of the onlooker.
Finally. Finally he would be able to sleep in peace, knowing that his plan had succeeded.
And now it was time to plot the next move.
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