"Show me something impossible, or die"
The king's words echoed in Elijah's ears like the tolling of funeral bells. His knees shook as despair tightened its grip on his chest, crushing his breath beneath its weight.
If he accepted to walk away, Rohan would push for his execution. if he didn't? The king would execute him for wasting his time after obviously failing to be the expert
I'm going to die here.
Elijah could feel the weight of a hundred stares pressing down on him like a collapsing ceiling: knights, nobles, and the so-called experts that failed before him. Each expectant gaze, each hushed breath, was a silent demand for an answer
Some faces showed curiosity. Most held nothing but contempt.
Think, damn it! Think!
His mind raced, clawing for anything that sounded remotely plausible. Then, an idea struck. He had no way of proving it, but that didn't matter—his words only needed to sound like truth.
A deep breath. A clenched fist. A step forward.
The murmurs in the crowd quieted. Calvin's lips curled into an amused smile.
Elijah spoke, his voice steady despite the storm raging inside him.
"Your Majesty, it's an honor."
The king remained motionless, his gaze unreadable.
"With all due respect," Elijah continued, "may I address you freely?"
A hint of curiosity flickered across the king's otherwise unreadable face, then a slight nod
Elijah smirked inwardly. If he was going to pull this off, he needed to exude absolute confidence. And since he had none of his own, he borrowed from the countless protagonists he had admired in stories.
"You ask me to perform the impossible," he said. "I assume you've asked the same of the other so-called experts here." His gaze swept the room, noting the defeated expressions of those who had failed before him. "And I'd wager they've all shown you mere parlor tricks, desperate to gain your favor. But have you considered the possibility that you're looking at this all wrong? That your kingdom lags behind due to fundamentally false notions?"
A new kind of silence settled over the room. The king shifted slightly on his throne, his steely expression betraying just the faintest hint of intrigue.
The crowd, however, erupted in hushed murmurs, voices overlapping in disbelief and frustration.
"How dare he—"
"What arrogance!"
"Who does he think he is?"
But before the noise could escalate, the king raised a single hand.
Instant silence.
Elijah barely concealed his relief. Yes. Keep him thinking. Make him doubt what he already knows. Stall for time.
Elijah pressed on, capitalizing on the moment.
He crossed his arms, tilting his head slightly, adopting the air of a man amused by everyone else's ignorance.
"The way forward is not in performing tricks to prove one's worth but in fundamentally changing how you understand the situation. If you truly seek progress, Your Majesty, then your first step should be to question everything you believe to be true about these changes."
The king's stare deepened.
"…Elaborate," he commanded.
Elijah suppressed the tremor in his hands.
Shit. Now I have to actually say something.
"Your kingdom is lagging behind because you're trying to command fire without understanding the necessity of spark and fuel." He let his words settle before delivering the final strike. "Yet you expect to command the ability to ignite."
The king's unreadable mask cracked, ever so slightly. The room buzzed with uncertainty, but also… intrigue.
Elijah's smirk widened. Yes. Confuse him. Make him doubt what he thinks he knows. Keep him thinking in circles until I gather more information.
The king let out a low chuckle.
"I see. So I'm trying to leap without even knowing how to stand properly " His fingers tapped against the armrest of his throne. "Very intriguing."
The atmosphere in the hall shifted. The murmur of the gathered scholars and knights took on a different tone—not of skepticism, but of hesitant hope. Eyes that once bore only contempt now held the faintest flicker of belief.—just maybe—Elijah was the expert they had been waiting for.
Elijah almost laughed. I have no idea what I'm talking about, but it seems to be working.
The king leaned forward, eyes locked onto Elijah.
"I'm starting to understand. We must first uncover the root cause of these changes in order to use them to our advantage." His voice lowered. "So, I ask you this expert —what is the source?"
Elijah felt every eye in the room snap to him. The weight of their stares bore down on his shoulders like a physical force.
The room fell silent, everyone eager for his insights
Damn bastard, why does he keep shifting it back to me?! His mind spun, desperate to keep up the act. Think, damn it! Think. He had nothing. No research, no knowledge, no experience. But he couldn't hesitate now.
Then, an idea struck.
He straightened, clasping his hands behind his back as if he had known the answer all along. His voice was steady, deliberate.
"It's simple, my lord. Something foreign has seeped into the atmosphere, triggering these evolutions.perhaps it was always there but only now showing its effects. Regardless,The way forward is to harness this phenomenon—to mold it into a weapon, to wield it as a tool."
A hushed stillness filled the room.
Then—
"Fascinating," the king murmured, leaning forward, his eyes gleaming with renewed interest.
Holy shit, I might actually pull this off.
Then, the king nodded.
"I see… You've done well laying the groundwork," he said. "It's no exaggeration to say you've changed the perspective of everyone in this room."
Elijah exhaled, relief creeping in—
"However…" The king's sharp gaze locked onto him. "Now that we're all on the same page, there is no need to hold back anymore. It's time for the big finish you've been building up to." His tone turned expectant. "Go ahead and show us your demonstration."
Elijah's stomach plummeted.
Groundwork? Demonstration? No! That was everything! There is no demonstration, dammit! He forced his expression to remain neutral, though panic thundered through his veins. You were supposed to use this newfound perspective to research and experiment on your own! What am I gonna do?!
His mind raced. Then, suddenly, a bold idea.
Alright, bastard. Since we're playing a game of switcheroo, I'll switch it right back to you.
He straightened his posture, exuding an air of confidence he did not feel.
"As you wish, Your Majesty," Elijah said smoothly. "However…" He paused for dramatic effect. "I won't be doing anything."
Murmurs rippled through the crowd. Rohan's scowl deepened.
"Instead,I will guide you all in doing it yourselves," Elijah continued. "That is my true demonstration—to prove that you don't need to hunt for a horde of experts. The phenomenon is a tool, one that can be wielded by anyone. Besides, this way eliminates all forms of deception through parlor tricks"
The king arched a brow. "Go on..."
Elijah hesitated only a moment,took a slow breath and continued, making it up as he went.
"I want you all to close your eyes."
A few skeptics scoffed, but more than a few—whether out of curiosity or desperation—obeyed.
"Focus on your breathing," Elijah instructed.his voice low and steady"Deep and controlled. In… out… In… out…"
He scanned the room for an escape. He was half expecting to seize this opportunity and run away,but as expected too many eyes remained on him. Especially Rohan— who was always watching.
Calvin, however, had his eyes already closed.
Elijah exhaled. Of course.
"Now," he continued, "as you breathe, imagine yourselves drawing in the 'fuel' from the environment. Let it fill you. When you feel ready, visualize an outcome—any outcome—and use your intent as the spark to make the impossible come to life."
He took a step back, holding his breath.
Alright. Time for step two of the plan: blame their failure on a lack of ability when nothing happens.
Seconds passed. Nothing. As expected.
Elijah cleared his throat, preparing to spin the failure in his favor. "As you can see, Your Majesty—"
Gasps erupted across the hall.
The king's eyes widened.
Elijah frowned.
He turned to follow their stunned gazes—
And froze.
At the center of it all stood Calvin, his eyes peacefully shut, his face serene. And at the tip of his extended index finger, flickering defiantly against the dim torchlight, was—
A flame.
A small, delicate ember. But undeniably real.
Elijah's stomach dropped. His carefully constructed facade cracked.
It worked?
But that's impossible!
The heat of the moment—the shock, the disbelief—was almost too much.
And then… a chilling realization crept into his mind.
His lips twitched. A slow, wicked smirk fought its way onto his face.
Wait… could it really be?
I see now…
I've figured it out.
And this…
This changes everything.