SHATTERED REALM: FORGOTTEN ECHOES-Chapter 79: So She Returns

For a moment, no one spoke. Eyes wandered about in the room, suspicious and thinking. No one knew whom to trust anymore, and Henndar loved that. With this level of suspicion, they would get better results.

Good.

He stood from his seat with a slow, measured motion and extended a hand toward the ornate table.

The map shimmered to life. Projected midair by a flick of his finger, it rotated slowly—an intricate lattice of terrains, cities, and sectors. The red dots flickered like veins. Then, with a wave, Henndar drew glowing circles around certain seemingly random areas: a merchant bridge in the East, a mine deep in the western mountains, a village hidden beside a bamboo grove, so many places.

He said only one word-

"Vulnerable."

The room leaned in.

"These," Henndar began, "are sectors the enemy has not yet touched. It may seem random, but I can gain information if the need arises." He paused. "And your hesitance has pushed me to do just that."

Some raised brows. Others just clenched their jaws.

"Now look at this," he continued, gesturing. Lines shot out from their location to the highlighted sectors, mapping precise routes. "Each of these locations serves as a critical point. As you can see, some of these routes are connected. Disrupt even one...these forces become unreachable. You have all ignored them, thinking that things have been safe for so long. I agree with you all on that, for the only threats have been mercenaries, and a few small stragglers who can only commit crimes for survival. This attacker sees that and has only been weakening our weakest spots. I can boldly say whoever is doing this is planning a war, but you fail to see that. "He paused. "And your kingdom bleeds."

The room went very still.

"I’ve had this data for weeks. I know the strengths of your outposts. I know the rotation patterns of your guards, your vulnerabilities, the blind spots in your terrain defense, and even which captains take extended breaks."

He met the eyes of everyone in the room.

"If I were the one attacking you... You would have crumbled a long time ago."

All but a few looked around uneasily. They weren’t sure what frightened them more—Henndar’s knowledge, or the calm confidence with which he revealed it.

"Now tell me," Henndar said, his tone friendly and hostile, "do we need to work together... or is it that you’re just too blind to see?"

No one answered.

Henndar’s smile didn’t quite reach his eyes as he dispelled the map.

Kesha was impressed. He commanded the room without using any force...and he was also very difficult to read. Is this the reason why they called him the deceiver?

She looked at Serephene, who sat calmly, interested in the table more than what was going on.

"HEEEEEEEEELP!!!"

The soldier stumbled inside, naked and bleeding. His voice cracked with desperation.

"Where’s the Lord? Where’s Gebreth?! SOMEBODY, ANYBODY—"

"Who’s that?" one guard asked, nudging his partner.

The other narrowed his eyes. "Looks like that young fool from gate patrol. The one assigned to Daruk."

"He looks insane."

The poor man dropped to his knees in front of them, gasping. "She’s here... she killed him! Right in front of me! She’s insane—SHE’S—!"

He collapsed, shaking.

The guards exchanged uncertain glances.

"Who? Who killed who?" one asked, kneeling.

"She—she asked for Gebreth... told me to go... but I didn’t go—I—I ran here instead!"

One older guard grunted. "Who do you think you are to address the King’s Advisor so casually?"

"But she’s" The soldier clutched his chest, blood leaking between his fingers. "Just go to the gate. Go now."

They both frowned at him, flames forming around their fists as they approached him. Yes, it was suspicious, but what if he was the threat himself?

One crouched in front of him and took a sniff. Anger flashed across his face.

"You’re drunk?!" He exclaimed.

"I, what?" the young man was confused. Hi hadn’t touched any alcohol, so why would he?"

The poor man didn’t know the woman had secretly poured some alcohol in his hair before he ran off.

"And where’s Daruk?!"

"Wait, no, she’ll kill you all. She wants to see Hennd-"

SLAP!

"Are you insane?!! HUH?!" He grabbed him by the neck. How dare this kid address his majesty like that?t.

"You got drunk, and now you’re speaking nonsense? Do you even know how things are done here?"

If not for the fact that he was also a fire attribute user, his head would have burned off. But even with his natural heat resistance, he could feel the heat.

But why did they say he was drunk? They had to believe him. Wait, the mark

"My chest. She said they’ll believe me."

"You still have the guts to speak?" He pressed his neck harder, making him scream. Other soldiers patrolling nearby heard the sound and rushed there.

The situation was quickly explained to them. And though they agreed with him for being angry, they had to follow protocol. They first had to find Daruk. One of them decided to stay back while the others went to check. The young man tried to stop them, but his desperation made him look more insane. They had to knock him out before leaving.

"You’ll be able to receive more punishment if you’re kept alive," one muttered.

The guards found Darek shortly after- what was left of him.

His head was gone. His body sat slumped like a rotted sack, blood caked in pools beneath him. The stone walls were splattered red. He didn’t even have a chance.

They called for backup.

Panic set in like rot on fruit.

"So he wasn’t just drunk after all."

"Who could’ve done this without even triggering an alarm?"

Another pointed out the precise, clean cut. "This wasn’t brute force. It was precision. They knew what they were doing."

A shadow perched like a bird of prey, legs dangling over the edge. The woman took a long swig from a sleek, curved bottle of fruit wine. The sweet, fizzy liquid danced on her tongue.

She stared down at the frantic guards below.

"Ah... they’re running around like flaming ants," she chuckled

She burped, then glanced at the bottle.

"...Already finished?"

She shook it. Nothing. She blinked, offended as she raised it one more time, and nothing fell to her lips.

"What kind of lowlife sells half a bottle? This is why I hate merchants."

Her eyes trailed back down to the ground.

There. One soldier was moving toward her position alone.

"Look how focused they are, all searching for me. Well, it’s not every day you see a woman as charming as me." She pumped her breasts a bit."

Perfect.

She leaned forward, raising the empty bottle with mock reverence, then whistled.

The soldier’s sharp ears caught the sound. He looked up, but the moment he saw the figure.

SLICE.

A thin arc of wind zipped down, so fast it could barely be seen. The man’s head snapped off his shoulders with a sickening spray of blood. His body twitched as it fell.

She tilted her head, slapped her forehead, then laughed at herself. "Can’t believe I was that stupid. A soldier won’t have wine with him... But I wish I could get some." She looked dejected, but then her face changed to one of surprise, as if a lightbulb appeared over her head. "I get it now. If these guys are here, then it means that idiot soldier didn’t go call Gebreth. The little maggot went to ask for help? Idiot. SO now I have to go there myself.f"

"HERE!"

The dead body was found.

"Well, guess I’ll meet them then."

With a flick, she leapt down.

Her body flipped gracefully in the air before landing in a dramatic crouch, dust and wind scattering in all directions. It was a hero’s landing—only she was no hero.

The soldiers spun around, arms raised in combat.

Based on the way she moved, it was obvious she was the one who attacked and killed Daruk.

Flames burst to life in their arms. The place lit up like a funeral pyre.

"They didn’t even take time to appreciate my moves," she muttered.

But looking at them made her smile. "Aww, fire? You brought fire to a wind fight?"

She stepped forward once.

The wind kicked up, ripping sand and ash into the air. Visibility was cut off, but they could sense movement. With their training, they didn’t need to see her to know whether she moved or not. But they didn’t know who they were up against.

She was already inside the dust, moving like the very wind itself.

One soldier screamed.

Another stumbled back, flames flaring before dimming down, but it was too late. His chest opened in a spray of blood.

The assassin danced between them—

Silent. Lethal. Invisible in the chaos.

One by one, their flames went out. Not because they stopped casting them, because they died before they could attack.

Only one soldier recognized the circle of fire on her back as she ended another life.

"It’s...Zero..."

Visit freewe𝑏(n)ovel.𝘤ℴ𝑚 for the best novel reading exp𝒆rience