Journey to Become the Zenith

Shadows Enter Fantom City

Late at night, secretly, while the capital slept, several nobles gathered in one of the forgotten chambers beneath the royal district.

No servants had been informed.

No guards had been summoned.

Even the attendants who normally carried messages through the noble quarter were kept outside.

The chamber was lit only by a few dim mana lamps, their pale glow falling across a long stone table.

Around it stood several nobles dressed in dark traveling clothes.

Their expressions were tense.

One of them placed a rolled map upon the table and slowly opened it.

Fantom City was marked in red.

Beside it were several smaller markings representing roads, forests, patrol routes, and the hidden paths leading into the city.

"We have wasted enough time," an elderly noble said quietly.

His fingers tapped against the map.

"The queen has made her decision. She intends to deal with the Blackthorn Kingdom first."

Another noble gave a bitter laugh.

"And while she does that, the Prince of Skyfall will strengthen his position."

No one answered.

They all knew it was true.

Fantom City had already become a dangerous symbol.

If the prince managed to stabilize the city, more people could begin supporting him.

Merchants.

Soldiers.

Commoners.

Even nobles who were currently pretending to remain loyal might eventually change sides if they believed the prince had a chance of winning.

That possibility frightened them more than the prince himself.

"We cannot allow that."

A tall man standing at the end of the table finally spoke.

Unlike the nobles surrounding him, he carried no family crest.

No jewelry.

No ceremonial weapon.

He wore a dark cloak over simple battle clothes, and a large sword rested against his back.

His eyes were calm.

Too calm.

One of the nobles glanced toward him.

"You understand the mission?"

The warrior nodded.

"I was sent here to kill a royal brat."

His voice was blunt.

No pride.

No hesitation.

"Then kill him before he becomes something worse."

The noble pushed a small pouch across the table.

Gold coins struck the stone with a dull sound.

The warrior didn’t even look at them.

Instead, he stared at the map.

"How many guards?"

"Unknown."

"And Victor?"

The room became quiet.

Nobody liked saying that name.

Finally, another noble answered.

"Do not fight him unless necessary."

The warrior raised an eyebrow.

"You hired me to assassinate the prince."

"Yes."

"Then why mention Victor?"

The noble’s expression hardened.

"Because if you encounter him, you may discover that killing the prince is the easier task."

A few nobles exchanged uneasy glances.

The warrior smiled faintly.

"Interesting."

The group departed soon afterward.

They did not leave through the main gates.

Instead, they traveled through an underground passage that had once been used by royal messengers during wartime.

The passage was narrow and damp.

Water dripped from the ceiling.

Their footsteps echoed softly against the ancient stone.

At the end of the tunnel was a concealed door hidden beneath an abandoned storehouse.

One of the nobles unlocked it.

Cold night air immediately rushed inside.

Outside the city walls, ten trained warriors were already waiting.

Their weapons had been wrapped in cloth to prevent the metal from making noise.

Horses stood nearby.

No banners.

No insignia.

No witnesses.

They mounted quickly.

Then they disappeared into the darkness.

The journey took several hours.

The moon moved across the sky while the group traveled through forests and narrow mountain paths.

Nobody spoke much.

The mission demanded silence.

The closer they came to Fantom City, the more carefully they moved.

Eventually, the group dismounted.

The warrior raised one hand.

Everyone stopped.

Ahead, the walls of Fantom City could barely be seen through the darkness.

Several watchtowers stood along the perimeter.

Lanterns moved slowly along the walls.

The warrior studied them for several breaths.

"There."

He pointed toward a section of the wall where two patrols passed each other.

"Three breaths between their blind spots."

One of the men nodded.

"Enough?"

"More than enough."

The group split apart.

Some moved toward the western side.

Others disappeared into the forest.

The warrior waited until the guards had passed.

Then he moved.

His body slipped through the darkness like a shadow.

One wall.

One rooftop.

One alley.

Then another.

Within minutes, they had entered Fantom City without raising an alarm.

The warrior looked around.

"So this is the place."

The streets were quiet.

But the city was not asleep.

There were guards everywhere.

People were rebuilding damaged structures.

Small groups of soldiers moved between buildings.

Fires burned in iron braziers.

The warrior frowned.

"This place is more organized than I expected."

One of the assassins whispered.

"Should we search for the prince?"

"No."

The warrior shook his head.

"We first identify the palace district. Then we find the easiest route to the target."

He paused.

"And nobody kills anyone unless necessary."

The group continued forward.

But they never noticed the woman moving several streets away.

Lane had separated from Videl earlier while scouting the outskirts.

She had been walking alone for some time.

Her black hair moved gently with the night breeze.

Her black dress was simple but practical, falling to her knees while leaving her legs free for movement.

Her eyes remained calm as she inspected the surrounding streets.

Something felt wrong.

There was no obvious reason for it.

No enemy presence she could clearly sense.

Yet the instincts she had developed through countless dangerous situations were warning her.

Someone was here.

Lane slowed.

Her fingers moved toward the bow at her back.

Then—

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Authors Notes: Dear Readers, Thanks so much for joining me on this adventure! Your enthusiasm, feedback, and encouragement really keep me motivated to keep bringing *Journey to Become the Zenith* into existence. If you’re loving the Chapters, I’d love it if you supported my book with a Powerstone, review, or even a Golden Ticket—it helps me develop as a writer and lets more readers enjoy the story. I look forward to hearing your ideas and thoughts, so please don’t hesitate to share!

With love,

Scorpio_saturn777

Creator of Journey to Become the Zenith

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