The council hall was tenser than usual. Elders stood in silence, eyes sharp on every word. Among them was Ma Yung, the eldest and the one who despised me the most. The air carried the weight of doubt, and the sound of my name always came with hesitation.
That's when I noticed something odd: one of the disciples at the back was trembling. Young, nervous eyes, avoiding my gaze as if the very ground beneath his feet was accusing him.
During Ma Yung's speech, I saw how the disciple reacted. Whenever the elder mentioned "Jaegal Sun" — words spoken with false indignation — the boy bit his lip, lowered his head, and his hands began to sweat.
He knew something.
I waited until the meeting ended. When the elders left the hall, I followed him through the quiet corridors of the pavilion.
— You. Stay. — I said firmly.
He froze.
— Wh-what do you want, sir?
— You were there, weren't you? — I asked directly.
The disciple hesitated, but the trembling in his fingers betrayed him.
— You saw when Jaegal Sun died.
He swallowed hard.
— I… I saw it. I saw him attack you. I saw everything.
— Did you tell anyone?
— Only my master… Elder Ma Yung.
— And what did he say?
— That I should stay quiet. That it wasn't my concern. But he got nervous. He said everything would change once the leader's second son returned...
I kept silent for a moment, but inside, the pieces were falling into place.
So that's it. Ma Yung wants the truth… but only at the right moment. When the second son returns, he plans to use it as a weapon. To bring me down… and put the other on the throne.
Then I pulled out the fine, gleaming feather from my sleeve.
— Let's make a pact.
— A-a pact?
— The Feather of the Unbreakable Oath. Your blood and mine on the tip. If you lie or break what you say here, you die. If you're betrayed… the traitor dies.
The disciple hesitated, but finally nodded. I cut my finger and let a drop fall on the feather's tip. He did the same. A bluish light ran through it. The oath was sealed.
He took a deep breath, eyes wide — he now knew there was no turning back.
— Confirm it: you witnessed Jaegal Sun's death?
— I did. I saw everything.
— Did you tell anyone besides Ma Yung?
— No. Just him.
— And he plans to use this when the leader's second son returns, right?
— That's what I understood…
I nodded slowly.
— Then now I know who's truly in danger.
I walked away in silence, the feather safely stored and the game about to turn.
The truth was a weapon.
And I had just loaded the trigger.
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Trivia:
Time until the return of the leader's second son: 2 weeks.