Chapter 1

The war between the three kingdoms had devastated the people. Tired of the king’s oppression, several rebel factions finally decided to unite. As soon as the king caught wind of this, he planted his spies among them and began tracking every development within the rebellion. All power rested in his hands. He felt no fear of the people, carried out executions for the slightest offense, and ruled as if the public existed only to serve him.

But among the villagers, a few began to realize that this couldn’t go on forever. They formed a pact and ignited an uprising in the town marketplace. Blood was spilled—plenty of it. The king’s spies reported every movement, every whisper. But as the uprisings grew more frequent, some of the king’s own men began dying. And then, everything spiraled out of control.

Fearing exposure, several soldiers confessed everything to the rebels and joined them. Soon, it wasn’t just the oppressed who wanted the king dead—it was everyone.

That night, as the king lay in his luxurious bed, a violent noise jolted him awake. He rushed to the balcony and saw the other kingdoms surrounding the city. The rebellion had become so fierce that the king had focused entirely on internal threats, completely ignoring the armies outside his borders. Now, rebels and foreign forces had joined hands. And the king's fate was sealed: his head would swing in the city square by sunrise.

Panicked, he dressed in haste and rushed to the war room, only to be met with a horrifying sight. The corpses of his most elite soldiers were scattered across the floor—skulls crushed, limbs torn, blood everywhere. As he stumbled toward the door, a cannonball crashed through the wall and exploded inside the room.

Wounded, he locked eyes with the villagers who had stormed his palace. At first, they seemed more focused on looting than killing—but when they saw the king crawling in blood, they attacked him without mercy. They crushed his skull, snapped his arms, then ripped off his head and hung it from the highest point of the palace.

The rebellion was led in secret by Diana and Mark Livon, the masterminds who had conspired with the other kingdoms to orchestrate the fall.

The Livon couple were hailed as heroes. Though the Kingdom of Valthoria had taken over the city, the villagers didn’t seem to care. They finally felt seen. They finally believed they mattered. But the peace was short-lived. Even though a new king had taken the throne, the villagers' greed only grew. Gold, food, shelter—what had been offered no longer satisfied them. And so, new uprisings began.

Then came a dangerous revelation: The Livons had allegedly helped the former king lay siege to the other kingdoms and had carried out assassinations in secret. As the unrest grew, the new king summoned Diana and Mark, tasking them with a mission: eliminate the leader of the rebels.

The couple embedded themselves among the insurgents, swaying them with bold claims: “We deserve the throne. We were betrayed like all of you.” They quickly earned trust and fed every bit of information back to the king. But the truth always surfaces. Their betrayal was exposed. An ambush was set in the narrow streets.

The rebels tried to kill them, but Diana and Mark managed to escape with their lives. Knowing they were now targets, they begged the king for protection. He refused. They had only one option left: leave the city.

The couple had two children. Returning home to gather their things, they were confronted again by rebel soldiers. A battle broke out. Mark was gravely wounded. He looked into Diana’s eyes and said, “You have to go. Take the children. Run.”

Tears streaming down her face, Diana fled, reaching the door of their home gasping for breath. She woke their sleeping children and whispered urgently: “Go to the city gates. Wait for me there.” Still groggy, little Karim and his sister Junya stepped out into the cold, dark streets, barefoot and terrified—tiny footsteps echoing toward the edge of the city.

But at the gate, figures emerged from the shadows. Rebels. They grabbed Junya, taking her hostage, and turned to Karim. With laughter and violence in their eyes, they closed in on him.

The children's screams were drowned by the rebels' laughter. Then, suddenly, the laughter stopped. The rebels collapsed where they stood, one by one, struck down. Diana stood there, bow in hand, two satchels slung over her shoulder. She rushed to her children, wrapping them in a tight embrace.

“Everything will be okay soon,” she whispered. “Don’t worry.”

“Where’s our father?” asked one of them, trembling. She looked down at them, her face weary and broken. “He’ll join us soon,” she said—softly, but without looking them in the eyes.

Without another word, Diana mounted her horse, and with her children in tow, rode hard across the night. Her destination: William. An old friend—someone she trusted more than anyone left in this world.

Karim and Junya liked William. He always told them stories, played games, and treated them with kindness. That night, as Diana disappeared into the dark, Karim couldn’t sleep.

“Where’s Mom, Uncle Will?” he asked. William paused, unsure how to answer. “She’s planning a surprise,” he said with a wink. “She’ll come when you’re asleep. But shhh—don’t tell her I told you.”

The children smiled and closed their eyes.

Moments later, the door creaked open. Diana entered—disheveled, bruised, and shaking. William stood up in alarm.

“What happened? Did you find him? Is he—”

Before he could finish, Diana collapsed to the floor. “The king betrayed us,” she muttered, breathless. “They’re hanging his head in the square.”

William froze. His voice dropped to a whisper. “Please… tell me you’re not planning something insane. You’re not going to try and kill the king, are you?”

“He killed my husband... and branded my family as traitors,” Diana whispered, her voice trembling.

William returned with a cloth and a small pack of ice, then spoke—his voice low, but firm. “Diana... you have two children. I can barely take care of myself. If something happens to you—what do I tell them? How do I raise them?”

Diana said nothing. Tears welled in her eyes, but not a single word left her lips. William’s concern only made the pain heavier. A long silence followed—until Diana finally broke down.

Fifteen years. That was how long she had spent with Mark. And now... he was gone. An unbearable emptiness hollowed out her chest, and she wept—powerless and shattered. William placed a hand on her shoulder, trying to steady the storm inside her.

That night, Diana did not sleep. She sat by the window, watching the stars in silence. Her eyes never left the sky. Mark’s memory never left her mind. But in that still, cold darkness—she made a decision.

She would live. Not for revenge. Not for justice. For her children.

She may never be able to kill the king with her own hands—but she could raise those who would. And in that thought... she found her courage again.

Five years passed. Winter had begun to show its face. Karim and Junya spent their days running through rivers, fields, and forests, playing with the freedom only children understand.

Diana hadn’t changed much. She earned a living by teaching others how to defend and attack—supporting both her family and William. The kingdoms remained at war. And William, now older, no longer sold firewood. He worked as a cleaner in a nearby inn to make ends meet.

Diana trained her children in various forms of combat. Junya was always more daring than her older brother, and she progressed quickly. A friendly rivalry formed between them. They often dueled, and more often than not, Junya won.

“I’m doing my best,” Karim would mutter, overwhelmed by the pressure.

Diana never scolded them. She offered guidance instead, correcting them calmly and encouraging growth through support, not fear.

In time, both children learned what had happened to their father. Hearing the truth so early in their lives struck them hard. Karim grew quiet and withdrawn. Junya buried her pain in training, letting discipline drown out her grief.

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

One day, during another sparring session, Diana called them over.

“Don’t think it’s over yet,” Junya smirked. “I’ll add one more to my victory streak.”

Karim said nothing.

Diana stood before them, a pouch of gold in one hand, two daggers in the other. “The map I’m giving you shows a fortress,” she said. “You’ll recognize it by its tall, sharp white walls.”

“From now on, your combat and defense training will continue there.”

Surprised, Karim and Junya asked at once, “Where did you get all that gold?”

Junya added, “Yeah, we barely made it through winter. If we had this much money, I wouldn’t have had to clean mugs at the inn.”

Diana furrowed her brows, visibly irritated. “This money wasn’t saved for your laziness. It was meant to push your training to the highest level,” she snapped.

It had been a long time since either of them had seen their mother this angry. They both fell silent, stunned.

From the corner, William chuckled with a mocking tone. “Aren’t you a little too old to be yelling at children?”

Ignoring him, Diana handed the pouch of gold to Karim and the daggers to Junya. “Now go,” she said. “If you don’t waste time, you’ll reach the fortress by morning.”

Reluctantly, the siblings accepted the items. They hugged their mother and William, then set off.

The road ahead was long and uncertain. As night approached, Karim spotted a roadside inn and suggested they rest. But Junya refused.

“We should keep going.”

Frustrated, Karim snapped back, “We’re going to get there eventually anyway. What’s the damn rush?”

Junya insisted, “We’re going to the Academy; I can’t wait any longer!”Karim was confused. “Wait a second… Do you even know where we’re going?”Junya shrugged. “While I was working at the inn, some idiots were talking about a fortress with tall, sharp white walls. They called it the Academy. Apparently, there are students like you and me there. You even get your own room.”

Karim smirked sarcastically. “Sounds like we shouldn’t forget what a bunch of idiots said.”Junya shot back, “Well, they’re still smarter than you, that’s for sure!”

As they walked deeper into the night, they came across a village. It was strange to see an inn still open at that hour. They both thought the same thing—either it was being robbed or the innkeeper was completely new to this.

Karim paused and touched Junya’s arm. “Give me the daggers,” he said.Junya reminded him, “I’ve got the daggers. You’ve got the money, remember?”“Mom gave us those daggers for both of us,” Karim replied. “Carrying a whole pouch of gold with one hand isn’t exactly easy.”Impatiently, Junya snapped, “Then let’s go back and ask Mom about it.”

They were so caught up in arguing, they didn’t notice the crowd forming around them.Karim suddenly kicked Junya hard in the stomach, knocking her to the ground.

Just then, lying on the ground, Junya locked eyes with a raider who had appeared in front of her. The anger from their sibling rivalry instantly turned to fear.

Seeing her expression, Karim grew concerned. “Hey, are you okay? Did it hurt a lot?” he asked, stepping toward her—But then he felt a hand grab his shoulder.

One of the raiders spoke up. “Boss, what should we do with this chick?”Another one laughed with a sick grin. “Take her to my room. I deserve a little fun tonight.”

As old memories and past trauma surged in Karim’s mind, he remembered the breathing technique his mother had taught him:“Breathe in. Close your eyes. Let it out...”

Another raider muttered, “Boss, this one’s mumbling to himself like a lunatic.”

Karim didn’t react to the hand on his shoulder. He just kept staring at his sister.And when he saw what they were about to do to Junya—he snapped.

Karim slammed his elbow into the raider behind him and dove for the dagger on the ground.

The boss laughed and shouted, “Now this is entertainment! Come on, lion boy, kill the bastard! He touched your shoulder—can’t let that slide!”

The raider who had been knocked down got back up, drew his sword, and charged straight at Karim.

Fueled by the adrenaline of using everything his mother had taught him in a real fight for the first time, Karim narrowly dodged the first swing.

Junya yelled, “His stomach—go for the stomach!”

Karim delivered a hard kick to the raider’s gut, then drove the dagger straight into his throat.

He froze in shock.It was the first time he had killed someone.The raider died instantly, without even managing a counterattack, leaving both Karim—and the other raiders—stunned.

Karim held his dagger up in a defensive stance, ready for the next attack.

The boss stepped forward, gritting his teeth.

“Tonight, you and your sweet little sister are seriously fucked.”

With a rush of desperation and instinct, Karim threw the dagger at the boss and quickly grabbed the sword from the ground.

He lunged forward with a feint to throw his opponent off, then blocked the boss’s strike mid-swing. The two were now face to face.

Without hesitation, Karim slammed his forehead into the boss’s face, stunning him.

Then, with all his strength, he drove the sword into the raider’s right shoulder, pushing it deep into his chest.

As the boss gasped his final breaths, Karim pulled the blade back and swung once more to take his head off.

But his exhaustion slowed him down—and the cut didn’t land clean. The boss’s head dangled, barely hanging on by a strip of flesh.

Seeing their boss die in such a gruesome way, the remaining two raiders froze in shock—but still tried to act tough.

Karim, covered in blood, shouted, “Let go of my sister and I’ll let you live!” The raiders shoved Junya forward and bolted into the darkness.

Junya collapsed into Karim’s arms, sobbing and shaking uncontrollably. Karim dropped the sword and hugged her tightly.

“Come on, let’s go inside. We’ll clean you up,” he whispered.

Through her tears, Junya tried to smile. “You go wash first. You smell like absolute shit.”

They both stood up and looked around—only to realize the raiders had taken their pouch of gold.

Junya’s voice trembled with guilt. “This is all my fault… I’m sorry.”

Karim sighed. “You think the innkeeper will even let us in looking like this?”

They tied their horses outside and stepped into the inn.Inside, the place was a mess, and the innkeeper was lying unconscious on the floor.

They rushed over and woke him up, explaining everything that had happened.Grateful for having his life saved, the innkeeper gave them a large room and unlimited food as thanks.

Karim said, “I’ll tell you, but only if you promise not to get mad or ignore me afterward.”

Junya sat up, listening closely.

“It was actually William who trained me more than Mom. Secretly, of course... She didn’t really know. Her techniques always felt a bit…”

Junya thought for a second. “Delicate?”

Karim nodded. “Exactly. So… no, I didn’t let you win just to make you happy,” he added.“All my losses were real. It’s just—you’re more used to Mom’s movements than I am. William’s style is… rougher.”

Junya’s eyes lit up. “So William’s like Mom. I wonder how Dad used to fight.”

Karim took a deep breath. “Back in the day, it was Dad who trained William. So everything you’ve seen me do—every move—is technically my father’s technique.”

He rolled over. “Let’s sleep. We’ve still got a long road ahead of us.”

They both slept deeply until noon.When they finally woke up, they packed their things and planned to leave the village.

But just as they were heading out, they noticed guards questioning people about two dead raiders.

The innkeeper met them privately and handed Karim two weapons and some money.

“I moved your horses to the back. Leave from there—you won’t run into the guards,” he said.

Karim gave him a few coins in return. “Thanks for everything, innkeeper.”

He climbed onto his horse. Junya did the same, and the two of them rode off silently.

Karim gave the man one last look, a silent nod of gratitude in his eyes—Then turned his gaze to the road ahead.

With a long road still ahead, the two siblings kept moving forward, stopping only for short breaks when absolutely necessary.

Since the beginning of the journey, questions had been weighing on their minds:Why were they going there?Why did their mother want to “take their training to the next level”?What could be more advanced than the five years of training they had already endured?How had Diana saved up so much money anyway?

Most of the people she trained were either miserable villagers or young people who wanted to join the army.

Karim and Junya didn’t usually talk about emotional family matters, but they had always been curious about what exactly their mother did—and where the money came from.

As they continued silently, a military unit suddenly blocked their path.

“You’re three hundred meters from the Academy zone,” said the commander.“Are you students, or are you here to become students?”

“We’re here to become students,” Karim replied.

The commander circled them briefly, looking them over.“If you’ve got no money, then you must have some kind of special skill,” he added.

Karim dismounted and pulled the commander a few steps aside.He told him about his life, his mother, and everything they had gone through since they were kids.

After a moment of silence, the commander ordered his troops to clear the road.“I hope everything turns out well for you,” he said with a wink.

Karim looked at him with grateful eyes, then got back on his horse and continued riding with Junya.

“What did you talk about?” Junya asked.

“The truth,” Karim replied.

Junya looked nervous. “You didn’t mention the raiders we killed, did you?”

Karim smiled. “Nope. Didn’t bring that up.”