Chapter 1 - The Hidden Cylinder
King Henry stared at the small iron key resting in Marianne's palm.
His trembling hands reached out to carefully take the old artifact.
Prince Arthur stood frozen by the doorway, his hand instinctively resting on his sword hilt.
The heavy silence in the room felt thicker than the dust covering the forgotten furniture.
The old king stepped toward the empty frame mounted on the stone wall.
He ran his fingers along the intricate wooden leaves carved into the corners.
Hidden perfectly beneath the bottom leaf was a tiny, almost invisible keyhole.
Henry inserted the key and turned it with a sharp click.
The entire wall groaned as ancient gears ground together deep within the stone.
The blank wooden frame slid sideways to reveal a dark, hidden alcove.
Inside the alcove rested a strange metallic cylinder covered in glowing blue symbols.
The king turned to Arthur with tears welling in his tired eyes.
He whispered that this was the true legacy of their entire kingdom.
Before he could explain further, the heavy wooden doors burst open behind them.
Commander Vance, the king's most trusted personal guard, marched into the room with his sword drawn.
Vance did not bow, nor did he offer any apologies for the intrusion.
He pointed his gleaming blade directly at the old king's throat.
He demanded that Henry hand over the cylinder immediately.
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A cruel smirk spread across the commander's scarred face.
He calmly announced that the royal bloodline was going to end tonight.
