Little by little, the screams faded away. Not all at once, but like a flame smothered by lack of air. Helios stopped struggling; her resistance broke in silence, and at last she gave in. After an instant that felt eternal, His Majesty released her head and allowed the body to fall to the floor with a dull thud, free of all guilt.
Helios's body lay sprawled across the cold floor, shaken by involuntary spasms. Thick foam spilled from her mouth, and a dark thread of blood seeped from her ears, staining the ground as her breathing grew irregular, nearly nonexistent. The wounds on her head, still open just seconds before, began to close slowly, as if the flesh itself were obeying a foreign will—cruel and silent.
The king stepped away without looking back. He walked toward one of the pieces of furniture in the throne room and opened a drawer with absolute calm. From inside, he took a thick black handkerchief and used it to wipe the blood from his hands with methodical, precise movements, like someone drying their hands after a surgical procedure. There was no haste. There was no doubt.
Silence settled once more—heavy, oppressive… until it was broken.
The massive palace doors opened with a deep echo that rippled through the hall like an omen. The king barely turned his head, with a rehearsed indifference, almost automatic. Then he saw her.
Black armor emerged from the shadows, imposing, unnatural. Her mere presence seemed to devour the light around her. It was her.
His eldest daughter.
Princess Amon.
—Well now, what brings you here, my daughter?
( Cain said softly )
—I only came to deliver my daily report to Your Majesty.
( Amon said respectfully )
Amon walked forward, drawing as close to her father as possible, passing beside Helios's body, which she barely glanced at out of the corner of her eye… and then completely ignored, as if it were nothing more than an abandoned object on the floor.
—I already told you it isn't necessary to call me Your Majesty all the time. You can call me dad, you know that, don't you?
( The king said, with a hint of sadness )
—Yes, I know. And as I have already told you many times, I am the leader of your royal guard and the one in charge of your safety—and that of the entire kingdom. So while I am wearing this armor, you will be Your Majesty… and I will be your right hand.
( Amon said with utmost respect )
Princess Amon knelt before her father. Meanwhile, he finished cleaning his hands with an unsettling calm. Then he turned and walked toward his daughter.
—You should stop being so rigid, my daughter.
( The king said, letting the cloth fall to the floor )
—I'm afraid that won't be the case, Your Majesty.
( Amon said, serious but respectful )
The king placed his hand on Amon's head. She did not react. She did not lower her face, did not close her eyes, did not show any emotion at all.
Noticing this, Cain silently withdrew his hand, returned to his throne, and sat down once more. He lifted his gaze to the ceiling, took a breath, and with an unsettling gentleness, spoke again.
—Very well, then you may proceed with the report.
( Cain said softly )
—Yes, Your Majesty.
( Amon replied firmly )
—Everything is calm. There are no incidents to report. Everyone is adhering to the rules, and there are no changes that require notice.
( Amon concluded decisively )
—Oh… that is good. Very good.
( The king said softly )
—Oh, well… there is one thing. But from what I can see, Your Majesty has already taken care of it.
( Amon said, observing Helios's body )
—May I ask what happened, Your Majesty?
( Amon said seriously )
Cain lifted his head slightly, placing a finger against his face, feigning disinterest—almost innocence.
Seeing that gesture, Amon sighed, visibly irritated. Her voice grew deeper, heavier.
—Your Majesty, I need you to tell me what happened so I can handle the situation in the best possible way. So, could you please tell me what occurred here?
( Amon said, irritated, with a sharp gaze )
—All right, all right. There's no need to look at me like that, my daughter. You're quite frightening when you put on that look.
( Cain said, somewhat frightened and embarrassed )
—I wouldn't have to if Your Majesty behaved.
( Amon said, letting out a weary sigh )
—Well? What happened?
( Amon said, exhausted )
—Nothing happened, my daughter. It's just that our dear Helios, apparently, saw something… and went a little mad because of it. She wanted to rush things, and I had to intervene to calm her down. But don't worry—tomorrow everything will return to normal, I promise.
The king stood up and walked over to one of the palace windows. From there, he gazed at the kingdom stretching out beneath him—small, fragile… insignificant.
—I just want to see something, to verify something. And unfortunately, Helios was in the way. Perhaps I found what I've been looking for… what I've been trying to believe. That's why I had to intervene.
( Cain said calmly )
—Are you on about that again, Father? I thought you had already left those foolish ideas behind.
( Amon said, annoyed )
—I had, my dear. But I need to know… I need to confirm. I need to prove whether the existence of a definitive form of life is possible.
End of the chapter.
Next chapter: A Normal Day.