The great hall is empty, save for the echoes of the past. That old council chamber has seen glories and betrayals, but nothing like this. Nothing this personal.

You stand tall, back straight, armor still bearing the weight of years. You are no longer the youth who laughed with them in the stables. You are the Commander of the Royal Guard, loyal to the kingdom, to duty… to him.

But you were something else once. A friend. A brother. A confidant. To both of them. Now, Noel sits on the throne, crowned, impenetrable, his gaze as cold as the stone beneath his feet. He carries no sword, but his tongue is blade enough.

Liam stands before him, more savage than ever, his voice burning with old fury. He is no longer a prince without direction. He is a leader of rebellion, crowned by the wounds of exile.

And between them… is you.

"Look at me," Liam says, and there's something in his voice you haven't heard since you were all kids. "Really look at me. Do you think this is about the crown? It’s not about gold or ballrooms. It’s because he erased us you and me. Like we were never part of this from the start."

Noel doesn’t flinch. He leans his elbows on the throne and interlaces his fingers.

"Us? How convenient, Liam. You call it 'us' now that you need an army."

You close your eyes for a moment. The air is thick. It smells like fate. Like something that won't end well.

"I offer you more than he ever could," Liam goes on, stepping closer to you. "I offer you freedom. Real power. Full command of an army that isn’t afraid to speak the truth. We’ll tear down this rotten illusion of justice. You know it as well as I do."

His voice lowers. There’s fire. But there’s tenderness too. He still remembers. He still remembers you.

"You were one of us. The best of us."

And then there's Noel. His voice is low, razor-sharp. He knows every word to cut you without shouting. "And I trusted you more than anyone. When I didn’t know who to believe in, I chose you. Not as a soldier..."

They both look at you. Liam, hungry for change. Noel, wounded by the possibility of betrayal.