1. The Announcement of Death

At the Royal Palace of Valdris - 10:00 AM

Princess Elena stood on the balcony overlooking the royal square. Below her, thousands of people gathered, their faces showing fear and confusion. She didn't want to be here. She knew what was coming.

"Elena, stop looking so sad. This is supposed to be an exciting day!" Her brother Marcus walked up beside her, his eyes shining with something that made Elena's stomach turn.

"How can you be excited about this, Marcus? You know what Father is going to announce," Elena said softly, gripping the stone railing.

Marcus laughed. "Of course I know! And I'm going to win. The throne will be mine, little sister."

Before Elena could respond, trumpets blared across the square. King Aldric, their father, stepped forward. His voice boomed across the silent crowd.

"People of Valdris! Today marks the beginning of our sacred tradition! My children, Princess Elena and Prince Marcus, will compete for the throne!"

Elena watched the crowd's reaction. Mothers pulled their children closer. Men's faces went pale. Everyone knew what came next.

"The rules are simple!" King Aldric continued. "Within two months, whoever kills one hundred people will become the next ruler of Valdris! This is how we prove strength! This is how we prove power!"

A collective gasp rose from the crowd. Even though they knew this tradition existed, hearing it announced was different. This was real now.

Elena felt tears building in her eyes. She looked at the faces below - a little girl holding her mother's hand, an old man leaning on his cane, a young couple holding each other tight. These were people, not numbers. Not targets.

"Let the challenge begin at dawn tomorrow!" The king raised his sword high. "May the strongest win!"

The crowd dispersed quickly, people practically running back to their homes. Elena watched them go, each one potentially a victim of this horrible tradition.

...---...

At Princess Elena's Chambers - 8:00 PM

Elena sat at her window, watching the sunset paint the sky red. It looked like blood. Everything reminded her of blood now.

Her handmaid, Mary, brought her dinner but Elena couldn't eat. "Your Highness, you must eat something," Mary said gently.

"How can I eat when tomorrow I'm supposed to start... killing?" Elena's voice broke. "Mary, this is wrong. This whole tradition is wrong!"

Mary looked around nervously before whispering, "Many people agree with you, Princess. But no one dares speak against the king."

"Then I'll speak against him," Elena decided suddenly. "I'll refuse to participate!"

"Princess, he'll execute you if you refuse. The law is clear."

Elena knew Mary was right. But how could she kill innocent people just to survive? There had to be another way.

...---...

At Prince Marcus's Chambers - 9:00 PM

Unlike his sister, Marcus was celebrating. He had several friends over, drinking wine and making plans.

"I've already picked my first five targets," Marcus announced proudly. "All from the eastern villages. Poor people, mostly. No one will miss them."

His friends laughed and cheered. "Your Highness will be an excellent king!" one of them said.

Marcus smiled darkly. "I'll be better than excellent. I'll be legendary. People will fear my name for centuries."

Deep inside, a small part of Marcus felt uncomfortable. He remembered when he and Elena were children, how they used to play in the gardens and promise to always protect each other. But that was before he understood power. Before he knew what it took to rule.

The throne was everything now. And he would do anything to claim it.

...---...

At the Village of Thornbrook - 11:00 PM

In a small cottage, a family of four huddled together around their fireplace. The father, John, held his wife Sarah while their two children slept.

"What are we going to do?" Sarah whispered, tears streaming down her face. "The prince and princess will come for us. They always take people from poor villages first."

"We'll hide," John said, trying to sound brave. "We'll take the children into the forest. We'll survive this, I promise."

But they both knew the truth. Running only delayed the inevitable. For the next two months, every person in the kingdom was prey.

This was just the beginning of the darkest time Valdris had ever known.

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