Standing tall on the cobblestone courtyard bathed in the silver light of the moon, Lysandre, chin held high and eyes gleaming with a fierce determination, challenged the king. His voice echoed throughout the silent castle and, for a moment, time seemed to stand still. The soldiers dropped their weapons, the nobles gasped in astonishment, and the king himself, perched high on the throne, seemed to be momentarily taken aback. As if broken from a spell, the king rose to his full height. Wearing a dark armor that glistened and gleamed under the moonlight, a cloak woven with threads of silver and gold hung from his broad shoulders. His face, while lined with years of strenuous leadership and countless battles, bore an expression of bemusement rather than anger. After all, it wasn’t every day that his rule was challenged in such a forceful yet chivalrous manner. Yet, as the echo of Lysandre's challenge faded, a strange occurrence unfolded. An unknown figure stealthily emerged from the crowd. After discarding the rags shielding its face, the identity of the unknown was revealed: Damaris, the king's once trusted advisor, now a traitor. A gasp echoed through the courtyard as Damaris proclaimed his elaborate plan to usurp the king using the power of the sacred gem. Damaris's confession, spoken with a chilling calmness amid the stunned silence, sent shockwaves among the onlookers. His words curled around their minds, like a wisp of smoke, difficult to grasp yet impossible to ignore. As the truth of his words sank in, the king’s face turned ghastly pale, his eyes widened in absolute disbelief. But most affected of all, was Lysandre. He was left with a difficult decision to make. The path he once thought was clear was now obscured by doubt and uncertainty, and he had to choose between fulfilling his mission or saving the kingdom from an impending disaster.