Ken stared blankly at the television screen. He looked at the massive crater of gray ash. He did not care about the global uproar. He did not care about the international panic.
He only cared about one specific thing.
"I meticulously arranged the pieces to prevent this exact outcome," Ken deduced coldly in his mind. "I ensured the weapon would never be built. I ensured the radiation was secured. The plan was totally absolute. It required zero effort to maintain."
Ken tightened his grip on the bag of potato chips. The plastic crinkled softly in his hand. He did not crush the bag. He maintained perfect physical control.
"Someone stepped entirely out of line," Ken realized silently. His sharp eyes narrowed just a fraction of a millimeter. "Someone bypassed my shadows. Someone stole the research. Someone built the weapon anyway. Someone detonated the bomb and ruined my setup."
The living room remained filled with the sounds of crying girls and the loud, panicked voices of the television anchors. Ken ignored all of it. He sat in total, chilling silence. He did not move a single muscle.
He stared straight ahead. He processed the massive disruption to his peaceful life. He processed the sheer, unbelievable audacity of the attack.
"Who did this?" Ken wondered coldly. His mind searched the entire continent for an answer. "Who could possibly be bold enough to ruin the plan I had meticulously set in motion?"
He sat on the sofa. He waited for the answer to reveal itself. He was completely ready to find the person responsible. He was absolutely ready to make them regret ruining his lazy morning. The game had changed entirely, and the silent boy on the couch was no longer playing for fun.
But Ken could not let his team see him like this. Naomi was already shaken. Risa was crying. If they saw the cold fury behind his eyes, they would ask questions he could not answer. He forced his shoulders to slouch. He let his eyelids droop back into their sleepy, lazy position. He shoved the anger deep into his chest and grabbed another chip. The mask was back in place.
A few minutes later, the television flashed red again. A second breaking news update interrupted the worried murmurs in the room.
---
Big white letters scrolled across the bottom of the screen. The words read "BREAKING NEWS". The volume blasted very loudly. The upbeat cartoon music stopped entirely.
Ken Eliot lay flat on the large sofa. He wore his navy blue suit pants. His white dress shirt hung completely untucked over his belt. He did not wear a tie. His black hair stuck up in wild, messy spikes. He held a massive bag of sour cream and onion potato chips on his stomach. He tossed a chip high into the air. He opened his mouth. He caught the chip perfectly on his tongue. Crunch. Crunch. Crunch.
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"This is completely unacceptable," Ken complained lazily. He pointed a finger at the television. "The main character was just about to use his ultimate finishing move. He charged that energy blast for three entire episodes. It is a massive cliffhanger. Now I have to watch the news. The news is incredibly boring. It has zero cool explosions."
Bob the news anchor stared directly at the camera. He did not wear his usual bright blue suit. He wore a plain black suit. He did not smile. He looked completely pale. All the color had drained from his cheeks. He held a stack of papers. His hands shook wildly.
Sarah the anchor sat next to him. She wore a dark gray blazer. She wiped a tear from her eye with a tissue. She looked absolutely terrified.
"Citizens of the Belmontia Empire," Bob announced. His voice cracked terribly. "We have a massive, shocking update. We just received new intelligence regarding the total destruction of the Bluemoon Kingdom."
Laxmi sat cross-legged on the large living room rug. She tossed a tiny orange spark of fire between her fingers. She stopped tossing the spark. The fire vanished. She looked at the television. "They finally found out who shot the weapon. I hope it was a giant monster. I want to punch a giant monster."
"It was not a monster, Laxmi," Sayma stated politely. The Vice-Captain sat at the long dining table. She pushed her thick glasses up the bridge of her nose. She clicked her pen. She opened her neat notebook. "We know the corrupt politicians built the Solurious weapon. We know they wanted to use it."
Bob looked down at his papers. He swallowed hard.
"Imperial scouts have tracked the magical trajectory of the Solurious weapon," Bob reported loudly. His voice echoed across the quiet living room. "The apocalyptic blast did not originate from a foreign continent. The weapon was not launched by a rival nation across the ocean."
Sarah leaned forward. She looked straight into the camera lens.
"The Solurious weapon was launched from within our own borders," Sarah stated loudly. "The missile fired directly from the eastern mountains of the Belmontia Empire."
The entire living room went completely, undeniably silent.
Sayma dropped her pen. The pen hit the wooden table with a soft clatter. It rolled off the edge and fell onto the floor. She did not pick it up. Her dark eyes widened in pure shock.
Zinia stood near the large glass window. The strong earth mage crossed her muscular arms over her chest. Her jaw dropped open. "From Belmontia? We shot the weapon? Our own country destroyed an allied nation?"
"That makes zero logical sense," Ira stated in her flat, robotic voice. She stood perfectly still near the tall bookshelf. Her pale face showed no emotion. "Statistically speaking, destroying a vital allied nation offers absolutely zero tactical advantage to our Empire. It completely destabilizes the global economy. It isolates us from international trade."
Naomi walked into the living room. She carried a plate of sliced fruit. She wore comfortable dark gray pants and a simple black shirt. Her bright red hair was tied back in a neat ponytail. She heard the news broadcast. She stopped walking. She stared at the television.
She did not look strict today. She did not yell at Ken for putting his feet on the sofa. She just looked incredibly worried. She walked over to the sofa. She sat down right next to Ken. She offered a very warm, fond smile. She playfully nudged his arm with her elbow.
"Did you hear that, Ken?" Naomi asked softly. She placed the plate of fruit on his lap. "The weapon came from our country. People are going to panic. The entire continent will blame us for the tragedy."
Ken picked up a slice of apple. He bit into it. He offered a goofy, relaxed grin. "People always panic, Naomi. It is their absolute favorite hobby. They love running around in circles and screaming. You should eat an apple. Fruit is very good for your stress levels. It has lots of vitamins."
Naomi chuckled quietly. She took an apple slice. She appreciated his calm attitude. He always made her feel safe. He never seemed worried about anything.
The television screen changed. The news anchors vanished. A chaotic video played on the screen.
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