Prologue
As William watched the coronation venue burn in flames, he fell back on the nearly broken throne. Crowds of people screamed and escaped in fear as the blazing fire threatened to roast them alive.
Only he remained at the last unburnt spot at the center of the stage, at the very spot that was meant for his coronation. This very spot, too, was going to be destroyed as the wood below began to creak as the fire spread.
William looked behind him, left and right, and stared at his dead followers and comrades. These fine men and women swore to fight with him until his very last breath. But now, they lay still as corpses with many fine holes in their bodies.
“Argh... You… this was not how it was supposed to happen! What about the promise of living and dying together?!” He swore with frustration looking at the ones closest to him. They were his followers, his best friends. They were his buddies for many decades, but now they were all gone.
“WHY!!!”
Unable to accept the reality, William roared with frustration thick in his voice.
It was all going perfectly. They had vanquished all their enemies, the nuclear holocaust was almost over, and the world was finally going to usher in a new civilization.
It was going to be a civilization with him as the leader and his followers as ministers and generals. They would lead the world and ultimately rest peacefully after a lifetime of struggle and hardship. They had grand plans for the future, for their future. But, now, it was impossible.
William then looked in front as the flames approached even closer. The civilians and soldiers were either dead, or they had escaped. But there was a body in front of him. It was the body of one of his best fighters, but it was not complete.
William remembered what happened ten minutes ago.
The coronation had almost reached the end, and only his crowning was left. Suddenly, a person dashed towards the wooden stage, and the security was about to move in to kill the intruder. But as William saw the intruder’s face, he stopped them.
With a friendly smile on his face, he asked, “What happened? I was expecting you would come early. Why are you late?”
There was something different in the eyes of the middle-aged man, but William was too happy to notice it. Normally he would have never tolerated such indiscipline, but today he decided to be generous.
“Never mind, come sit with us. There’s a suitable position prepared for you.”
As William reached a hand out to his man, he never expected the man to step back. The middle-aged man spoke softly with his head lowered to the ground, “I know you are very excited, boss, and even I was excited till yesterday. But some people don’t want to see you win, and they have taken something very important to me. I’m... I’m sorry. If I get another chance at life, I’ll surely repay you.”
As the man kept speaking, William realized something was wrong. His smiling face turned hard, and he understood what was happening. Just as he was about to inquire what his enemies had taken from his fighter, he heard a click, just like the sound of a button being pressed.
BOOM!!!
The entire venue quaked as it would if a real earthquake occurred. William soon stabilized himself and saw hundreds of enemies dressed in bulletproof vests approach the stage. In anger, he killed the traitor with his personal sword and warned his followers behind him.
But it was too late. It was a day of celebration, and none of them brought weapons or armor with them. They never expected something to go wrong.
William closed his eyes in regret as he recalled what happened.
“If I get another chance, I’ll never let them break their promise. I’ll never let my enemies take advantage of me. AND I’LL NEVER...”
As he made the oath, his voice kept becoming louder. In the end, he was practically screaming. But he never had the chance to finish his words as the flames devoured him along with the corpses of his followers.
But it was not the end for him; it was not the end of his story. A mighty being quickly took his soul before it went to its rightful place. This unlucky event was a sign. Perhaps William’s stage was not on earth... perhaps he was destined for greater things. Only time would tell.
Authors Notes:
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