Chapter 130 Strange Shadows

Chapter 130 Strange Shadows
(Narrated by the Author)
The rain fell heavily on the castle walls.
The constant sound of the water against the ancient stones made the empty corridors even quieter in the early morning.
Steve observed the kingdom through one of the narrow windows of the north wing while organizing his thoughts.
But it was impossible.
Because all he could see were those shadows.
Alive.
Moving within a sacred place.
A shiver immediately ran down his spine.
The rumors were real.
Worse than he imagined.
The heir was truly connected to it.
Steve closed his eyes for a moment.
Trying to take a deep breath.
Trying to think like an alpha.
Like a leader.
Not like a frightened man.
Footsteps echoed behind him.
Heavy.
Firm.
Steve didn't even need to turn around to recognize the presence.
Conrad.
“The council should be resting.”
The low voice echoed down the corridor like a veiled threat.
Steve turned slowly.
Conrad stood in the doorway of the wing.
Dressed in black.
His golden eyes gleaming faintly in the darkness.
Predatory.
“Hard to rest after what I saw.”
Conrad approached slowly.
Unhurried.
But each step increased the pressure in the corridor.
“Then perhaps you should learn when to keep quiet.”
Steve held his gaze.
“Are you threatening me?”
“I’m trying to avoid panic.”
“Funny.” Steve chuckled softly, humorlessly. “Because the king seems pretty close to losing control.”
Conrad’s eyes darkened immediately.
But he continued walking until he stopped a few steps away.
Too close.
Too dangerous.
“The kingdom is already frightened,” Steve continued. “And you hiding the child only makes things worse.”
“My son is not a matter for the council.”
“Your son ceased to be just yours the moment shadows began to haunt this castle.”
The air instantly grew heavy.
Conrad’s jaw clenched.
“Careful.”
Steve crossed his arms slowly.
“You think you can control this because you love your family.” His eyes grew cold. “But that’s exactly how ancient kings destroyed kingdoms.”
The sentence hit Conrad like a blow.
I could perfectly imagine.
Because Steve was touching directly on his biggest wound.
His father.
The rift.
The curse.
Conrad took another step.
Now close enough to intimidate any ordinary man.
“You know nothing about my father.”
“I know he got too close to power.” Steve tilted his head slightly. “And now I see the son doing the exact same thing.”
A low growl echoed down the hallway.
Violent.
Instinctive.
Steve didn't back down.
But Conrad noticed.
The fear.
Hidden behind the firm posture.
And that seemed to irritate him even more.
“If what you saw tonight gets out…” Conrad spoke too softly, “…the kingdom will plunge into an internal war.”
Steve held his gaze in silence.
“Perhaps the kingdom deserves to know what it should truly fear.”
The alpha pressure exploded in the hallway.
The windows trembled.
The rain outside seemed heavier.
Conrad grabbed Steve by the clothes before he could react.
Too fast.
Too violent.
His golden eyes gleamed fiercely.
“You're playing with something you don't understand.” Steve took a deep breath, trying to ignore the overwhelming force of the alpha king.
“And you no longer think like a king.”
The words came out low.
Calculated.
Precisely chosen.
“You think like a desperate man trying to save his own family.”
The silence after that was deadly.
Because for the first time…
Steve saw real hesitation cross Conrad's eyes.
And in that instant…
he realized he had found the king's weakness.
Conrad's hand tightened even more on Steve's clothing.
The entire hallway seemed too small to contain the overwhelming pressure of his alpha power.
For a terrifying second, I thought Conrad would truly lose control.
Steve realized it too.
But instead of recoiling…
his eyes changed.
There wasn't just fear now.
There was understanding.
Like a man finally seeing exactly where he could strike his opponent.
“Look at you,” Steve murmured softly. “You’re proving my point.”
Conrad released him abruptly.
Steve staggered only half a step back before regaining his composure.
The rain continued to beat violently against the hallway windows.
The sound seemed to match the suffocating tension between the two.
“Do you think you understand what’s happening?” Conrad asked coldly.
“No.” Steve slowly adjusted his own clothes. “But I understand enough to realize that the kingdom is being kept in the dark.”
“The kingdom is being protected.”
“From what?” Steve retorted immediately. “From the shadows?” He tilted his head slightly. “Or from the heir himself?”
The glint in Conrad’s eyes became dangerous again.
Steve noticed.
But now there was something different about him.
Confidence.
Because he had finally seen the king fail.
Not in strength. But in balance.
“You’re tired,” Steve continued carefully. “Scared. Obsessed with controlling every detail around the child.”
Conrad stood motionless.
His expression was too cold.
Too controlled.
And that, somehow, was worse.
“What do you really want?” Conrad asked after a few seconds.
Steve held his gaze without hesitation.
“I want to prevent this kingdom from sinking along with your family.”
“Lies.”
The word came out immediately.
Cutting.
Steve narrowed his eyes slightly.
“You want power.”
A heavy silence fell between the two.
But Conrad had already understood.
Perhaps even before that conversation.
Perhaps from the moment Steve began questioning Lysander in front of the alphas.
Steve took a deep breath before answering:
“If a king lets fear control his decisions… he weakens the kingdom.” “So that’s it?” Conrad stepped forward again. “Are you trying to convince the alphas that I’m incapable?”
“I don’t need to convince anyone.” Steve watched him carefully. “You’re doing it yourself.”
The words hit exactly where they should.
Conrad turned his face slowly toward the rain-soaked window.
His jaw clenched.
His fists tightened.
Steve watched silently.
Calculating again.
And then decided to push further.
“The council has already noticed.”
Conrad didn’t answer.
“You avoid meetings.”
Silence.
“You hide the heir.”
Silence again.
“And now there are shadows lurking around the castle.”
Conrad’s eyes slowly closed for a second.
“You have no idea what’s out there.”
“Then tell the kingdom.”
Conrad let out a low laugh.
Bitter.
No humor whatsoever.
“And watch the chaos begin?”
Steve moved a little closer.
“Perhaps the chaos has already begun.”
The corridor plunged into a deathly silence.
Then something changed.
The air grew cold.
Too cold.
They both realized it instantly.
The torches on the walls began to dim.
The rain outside stopped abruptly.
And shadows began to slowly emerge from the corridor floor.
Steve instinctively recoiled.
Conrad stiffened immediately.
The shadows slid across the ancient stones like liquid smoke.
Silent.
Alive.
And they were heading straight for Steve.
His heart raced violently.
“Conrad…”
But Conrad didn’t move.
His golden eyes fixed on the approaching shadows.
One of them slowly climbed the wall behind Steve.
Another shadow pierced the floor until it touched the tip of his boot.
Steve took a deep breath quickly.
For the first time that night…
fear completely overcame his calculated posture.
“Why are they doing this?” he asked quietly.
Conrad watched the shadows for long seconds.
Then he finally answered:
“That’s exactly the question you should be asking.”
In that instant…
one of the shadows took human form for just a second behind Steve.