CHAPTER 13
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"THE FLAME AND THE SHADOW"
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- PAUL'S SHACK - MORNING
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Paul's shack sits quiet in the cool morning air, small but humble, beautifully crafted, every beam and joint touched by his hands.
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Outside, his workstation rests under the open sky, tools neatly arranged. The tall dense forest towering behind the hut.
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Inside, Lilly stands near the hearth, sleeves rolled, chopping vegetables with steady rhythm. The fire crackles softly.
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Paul watches the road through the open doorway, the orange edge of sunrise brushing his face.
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A faint tremor of hooves.
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Paul's eyes sharpen.
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"They're here."
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Lilly freezes mid-chop, wipes her hands quickly on her apron, and rushes to the front beside him.
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Out on the road, through a thin veil of morning fog, Sally emerges first—Metro at the reins, Rose behind him, her arms lightly around his waist. Curtis follows, Blake riding tall beside them.
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The moment they stop, there's no hesitation.
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Paul steps forward.
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Lilly is already moving.
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A few exchanged words—urgent, overlapping, full of breath and purpose—and then they mount up.
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Three horses.
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Five Riders.
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Blake rides Curtis flanking the crew. Stone beneath Paul and Lilly, the white horse cutting through the sun in a blaze of light. Sally carries Metro and Rose, leading the pack.
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Everyone takes off the road together, hooves pounding, fog swirling behind them, the day just beginning.
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- THE LODGE
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A small morning crowd has already gathered—villagers pressed shoulder to shoulder at the base of the towering lodge, whispering. word of Lord Theron's collapse had spread through the streets last night like wildfire, and now curiosity has hardened into a quiet, uneasy vigilance.
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The King's Guard stands at the door exactly where he was yesterday, posture rigid, eyes forward, as if he slept in his armor the night previously.
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Through cool fog, the riders appear. Sally trots in first—Metro swings off smoothly. Rose follows instantly, boots hitting dirt. Blake dismounts Curtis a little slower, stretching out when he lands.
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Paul slides off Stone and, without thinking, lifts Lilly down by the waist—gentle, deliberate, like she's his most precious commodity in the world. She steadies herself, then steps forward.
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The King's Guard reacts instantly. He pulls the front entrance door open wide.
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KING'S GUARD: (Cold, commanding)
"This way."
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The gang steps into the lodge, and the atmosphere shifts. The King's lodge is thick with whispers, everyone pretending not to stare at Metro and his people.
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Early morning light pours through the windows.
The air is warm, heavy with incense, and a faint metallic tang of armour.
Nobles cluster in small knots across the hall. Some looked frightened, some offended. Some look like they are waiting for a verdict.
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At the base of the staircase, the wigged servant looks outward, flustered, sweat beading at his hair line. Beside him, the masked archer stands perfectly still, bow slung but ready.
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The wig spots Metro and nearly explodes.
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Wig:
"SIR! Where have you been? We've been waiting for your arrival, come quickly!"
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The nobles press forward, but the archer lifts one gloved hand—and the entire crowd freezes. He then steps aside, giving Metro and his group a clear, protected path up the corridor.
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As they move deeper inside the upstairs lodge, the noise fades. The hall narrows. The air cools. Only a few people remain at the top floor.
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A scribe hunched over a desk, his quill trembling. A cartographer walks past with a rolled up map. Two soldiers stand guard Theron's bedroom chamber entrance, eyes flicking towards Metro.
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Metro enters with recognition. Rose boots click sharply on the floor, Blakes heavier steps follow hers, Paul and Lilly also move in close, their eyes scanning the area with quiet alertness.
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The two guards at the door straighten as Metro approaches them. One looks at the other, uncertain—then steps aside, signaling that only Metro can enter.
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Paul, Lilly, Rose, and Blake halt at the threshold.
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Metro enters alone.
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The chamber is well lit.
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Queen Susan sits at Theron's bedside, her hands clasped around his, her eyes red and swollen from a night without sleep.
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She looks up the moment Metro steps inside.
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Her breath catches.
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Her lips tremble.
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Her eyes shine with raw, exhausted hope.
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Everything is quiet.
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Then—A soft inhale from the bed.
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Theron's eyes open.
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Slowly.
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Calmly.
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As if waking from a dream he's been waiting his whole life to see.
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Theron: (soft, above a whisper)
"Blessed be the name of God."
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He pushes himself upright, feet touching the cold stone floor.
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Susan gasps.
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Theron turns to her—and something new lives in his eyes.
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Humility.
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Light.
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A warmth that hasn't been experienced in a long time.
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Theron:
"And you... are blessed."
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The Queen breaks. A cry tears out of her--sharp, joyous, almost painful—and she collapses into his arms.
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Theron falls to his knees with her, both of them clinging to each other, trembling, humbled, undone.
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The King and Queen—not as rulers, but two souls touched by something greater. At the doorway, Paul, Lilly, Rose, and Blake peek in, frozen.
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Even the guards have abandoned their post, leaning in, breath held. Theron presses his forehead to Susan's shoulder, voice shaking.
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Theron:
"I have witnessed..."
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His eyes swell, his heart swollen. Susan sobs harder, head bowed, clutching him like she's afraid he'll vanish if she lets go.
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Theron wraps his hands around her tightly.
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Metro watches—and something inside him tears open.
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He sees the Holy Flame poured out upon them, Bright White and captivating. His eyes shift, watching the flames movements. His shoulders loosen, and his legs weaken.
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He bows his neck—deeply—then drops to the floor beside them, overwhelmed.
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Tears spill freely as he kneels with the King and Queen, head lowered, eyes down.
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Behind him, the guards and Metro's friends press closer, filling the doorway, witnessing the moment in stunned silence.
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Three kneeling figures.
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One Spirit.
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One room, shifted.
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The two guards are the first to break. They watch Theron and Susan kneeling together, transformed, humbled, radiant with something out of this world.
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Their faces crumble. One guard drops to his knees with a choked sob. The other follows instantly, armor clattering, tears streaming freely. These are hardened men, who are both unexpectedly melted by devotion.
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Paul stands in the doorway, staring at the King and Queen, Metro, the gaurds—the whole room saturated with something divine.
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His breath catches.
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A soft glow flickers around him—his visual green aura, but shifting, brightening, transcending into white on the outer edges.
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He steps forward like he's sleepwalking. Then he kneels. One knee to the stone. Head bowed.
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Hands folded.
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Lilly sees him and doesn't hesitate; she drops to both knees beside him, tears falling.
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Blake follows, jaw clenched, eyes shining, kneeling with the others.
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Rose remains standing in the doorway. Her instincts flare violently. Her pupils dilate. Her breath sharpens.
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She sees it.
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A celestial glow filling the chamber, pulsing from Theron, from Metro, from the very air. A shockwave snaps through her vision.
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She snaps.
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Spins on her heel.
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And runs.
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Her boots hammer the corridor stones as she sprints down the hallway, heart pounding, breath shaking.
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She collides with the masked archer.
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Rose: (Breathless, urgent)
"Something happened—Theron—Metro—everyone—Go!"
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The archer doesn't ask a single question.
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He bolts upstairs.
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The wig hears Rose's voice and rushes upstairs. Everyone storms the staircase in a chaotic wave—silks, boots, jewels, all scrambling.
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Rose burst through the lodge's front entrance door, flinging loudly against the walls.
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The townsfolk gasp, stepping back as one motion.
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Rose: (voice cracking with hope)
"He's awake! The King—he's awake!"
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A ripple of shock tears through the crowd.
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Inside, the masked archer reaches the chamber doorway—and freezes. He sees Metro lying on the ground beside the King and Queen, all three weeping, all three bowed, all three wrapped in a light he can feel in his bones.
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He rips his mask off (it's Gregory.)
Not dramatically, but desperately.
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Like a man tearing away the last barrier between himself and home. His face breaks. He bends forward, hands on knees quietly.
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It was Gregory who witnessed Metro fight for his friends with Sally, defending them. It was Gregory that saw first hand the white flame guiding Metro to rescue Rose. It was him, who believed quietly, secretly—that Metro was touched by something greater.
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And now he sees it with his own eyes.
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Behind him, the nobles flood the hallway. The entire village pushes up the stairs, crowded shoulder to shoulder, breathless, murmurs, whispering.
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Rose fights her way back through them, slipping between bodies, pushing past nobles and villagers alike, trying to return to the chamber.
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The lodge is overflowing now — a sea of people pressing forward into the lit room.
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A hush ripples through the hall.
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The temple priest enter.
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They move like a dark tide — long, elegant robes patterned with black-and-white encryptions, curled staffs tapping against the ground. Their heads are wrapped in black cloth.
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Eyes that are shadowed.
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Hollow.
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Hungry.
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People scatter out of their way. Some run from the doors, shouting the news out of windows of the king's revival.
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The priest push through them without hesitation, staffs parting the crowd like blades.
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They reach the inner hall.
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They see Metro kneeling with Theron and Susan and their faces twist in disgust.
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Contempt.
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Fear disguised as superiority.
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At the front stands Zacharias, slightly thick, average height, bearded, stern and composed.
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His eyes are swallowed in darkness. He doesn't blink. He barely breathes, he just watches.
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Then, without turning fully, he speaks to the priest behind him.
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Zacharias (soft, venomous:)
Isn't this Metro, son of none? A poor villager with no royal heritage?
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One of the older priests hunches over, also a scribe, squinting, expression tight, disturbed.
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Archeus:
"Yes, I know of him, he has been seen in and out of the temple for years now…"
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Zacharias turns halfway, just enough to look down his nose at Archeus- pompous, unimpressed, dripping with disdain.
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Zacharias:
"This is the bandit lover. The half warlock-abomination?"
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The priest stare silently, judgement pressed. They're shadowed eyes fix on Metro like he's a stain on their holy ground.
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Zacharias:(hardens gaze)
"How can a man with no spiritual heritage, or authority… come here, and cause this great disturbance."
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His voice trails off, but the venom lingers in the air.
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Rose, halfway back to the chamber now, pushes even closer to the door, then hears them.
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She studies the priest.
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— and she sees it instantly.
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Every priest's eyes are swallowed by shadows of darkness.
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Except one.
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Archeus.
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His eyes flicker — faint, wavering — a tiny spark of light fighting to stay alive.
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Rose breath catches.
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The villagers pack into the chamber doorway,
shoulder to shoulder, breathless, eyes wide.
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And they see it.
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The King.
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The queen.
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Metro.
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All three collapsed on the ground — still silent, as if struck dead by the some unseen hand.
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A ripple of horror moves through the crowd.
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Townsfolk:
"This is a great evil that has come upon us."
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"Why would you let that warlock in here"
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"This evil has come upon the King and his whole house — because he suffered that halfling inside the lodge!"
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Zacharias, of all people, looks like he's witnessing a sunrise.
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Eyes soft.
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Mouth parted.
Royal servant:
"Don't SAY THAT!"
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Townsfolk:
"The King's cursed, because he murdered our brethren!!
A small roar ignites
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Rose breath catches.
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She looks at the crowd in shock, devastated.
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Every villager and priest have shadowed eyes, brown distorted ghost faces that rage with evil.
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Dozens of them.
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(Beat)
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Her instincts freeze.
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Gregory pushes forward, voice cracking.
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Gregory (commanding, firm)
"He has the White Flame with him!"
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Straw hat shouts over him.
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Straw hat (loud)
"This man is sent from God!"
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Townsfolk:
"What are you lunatics talking about? That kid is a monster!
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A random lady shrieks—
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"That boy's a demon! He's been sent here to torment us!
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Paul's jaw clenches so hard it pops.
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His fist curl.
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Blake looks like he's having a stroke.
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The priest stand frozen, patiently waiting for the death sentence to fall.
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Rose tries pleading with them, but she's swallowed up and overturned by the noisy bodies, she's shoved and jostled around.
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Her tears rise. She stumbles to the Queen, drops to her knees and touches Susan's hand.
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The queen's eyes snap open.
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She rises in one motion — regal, blazing, transformed. She turns on the crowd like a storm. Susan's hands raise.
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Susan (voice cracking thunder)
"Blessed be God, who has saved me from this awful hell! O Lord — have mercy on these people!"
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The room halts to a stand. Her voice softens, but not her authority. She clasps her hands, speaking to them in a serious tone, but with joy — everyone listens at first, then some continue to argue.
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She reaches down, and takes Theron's hand.
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The King rises.
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He looks at the chaos — the shouting, the fear, the accusations — and something ignites in him.
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He steps forward, cracking whips with his voice, his presence and authority.
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People flinch back, some stumble away in fear.
7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN8hjLADkTh
(Beat)
7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0eto31lMuS
He sits on the edge of his chamber bed and begins to speak. He tells them everything.
7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYCugZqdL27
The truth.
7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN20FaXsO0v
The darkness.
7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQU4xjzjMQR
The seizure.
7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuem9DB5yMl
The Flame.
7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBTGDEaUcG4
The Mercy.
7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4KSPCgE6tJ
As he speaks his heart breaks open.
7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3ja8fpnz4Y
Some fall to their knees.
7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU91DBbDU2T
Some weep.
7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ39z5LEyDWp
Many are converted on the spot.
7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrbJ1RCtsxZ
But not all.
7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1mokuFBii6
Some scoff, spit, and storm out, mocking the King as they go.
7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdTTREJF3bV
Metro steps forward and speaks to the people inside, then outside, where even more villagers wait desperate for answers.
7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡipJ1CVDagm
7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrz800azfkF
and then Add to home screen.