The Fake king

*Bill's POV*

*"Bill, what do you think about making a deal...?"*

My body froze in place, and my eyes widened in fear. The person in front of me… he wasn't human.

No, he was a monster capable of devouring me whole.

Thick black smoke and dense, ominous mist rose from his body, swirling through those cursed, thin threads... My father had them too—those wretched things surrounding him.

*"What's wrong, Bill? Have you lost your ability to speak...?"* he asked, a small smirk tugging at his lips.

I took a deep breath, calming the part of me that wanted to flee from my own body. And just like that, as if by magic, I could no longer see them.

Returning to his question… his words caught me off guard. A man I hadn't seen in three years suddenly wanted to make a deal with me? We had never even had a real conversation before...

Something was definitely off. Or maybe… he wanted me to do something for him.

*"Why bring this up so suddenly...?"* I asked, my voice devoid of emotion, my dead eyes locked onto his.

*"From that tone of yours… it seems you've seen what's inside the box, haven't you?"*

A cold chill crawled down my spine, my skin prickling. How could he say that so casually? More importantly, how did he even know?

I forced myself to stay calm, gathering my thoughts, refusing to let my mind drown in fear.

*"Yes, I have. Were you the one who put it there?"*

Lying in this situation would be pointless. The truth was the only path to getting what I wanted.

My father didn't answer right away. He simply nodded, his expression unreadable.

*"Is that really the truth...?"*

*"Yes, that's the truth. You must be resentful of us, aren't you?"*

I couldn't tell if he was being sincere or not. There was no sadness, no remorse on his face—just a blank, indifferent expression.

It felt like I was staring at something inhuman.

I had suffered through hell, and yet he showed no sign of sympathy.

How in the hell...?!

But breaking down, screaming, and crying wouldn't change anything in this cursed farce.

*"No... I'm not resentful of anyone."*

His brow lifted in surprise, as if my response was unexpected.

As if he wanted me to hate him.

*"What do you mean? Don't you despise us for everything that happened to you over the past years— the pain, the suffering...?"*

His face darkened slightly, confirming my suspicions.

This man *wanted* me to hate them. He wanted me to hold a grudge against them for everything they had done—and everything they were still doing.

*"I don't hate anyone. No… I simply don't have the capacity to hate or love anyone anymore."*

I stared deep into his eyes.

*"Father, your existence… or absence… means nothing to me anymore."*

He leaned back with a heavy sigh, running a hand down his face.

"You've gone far beyond hatred if you can say something like that..."

I didn't bother answering. My gaze remained fixed on him.

Silence stretched between us for a moment, a discomfort settling in the air.

"So… what is this deal you want to make with me?"

He quickly regained his usual demeanor, a strange glint flashing in his eyes.

*"I heard that your school holds three competitions every year..."*

I said nothing, gesturing for him to continue.

*"Simply put, I want you to win them all."*

I let out a deep sigh. Winning them wouldn't be difficult if I put in some effort, but…

"Why do you want me to do that? You never cared about me before."

"That's true,"* he admitted. *"But this time is different. If you win, I will tell you the full truth... and I will give you a chance to change your life."

My eyes narrowed slightly at his words, while a small smile played on his lips.

Finally… a chance. A way out of this cursed hell.

"So, all that matters is winning?"

He nodded.

"Winning won't be a problem. But if my mother finds out, she'll be furious again..."

"Don't worry. I've already spoken to her. She won't interfere. You're free to show your genius however you see fit."

Despite his words, how much could I really trust him?

Would he truly give me that chance if I won?

A man who had never spoken to me as a father—suddenly wanting to make a deal with me? Anyone in my position would have their doubts.

"You don't trust me, do you?"

It seemed he could read people well. He had seen straight through my thoughts.

"Of course not. How many times have we spoken like a real father and son? When was trust ever built between us?"

My father turned his head away slightly, scratching the back of his neck.

"Fair enough. Do as you see fit. But if you win, I will grant your request and tell you everything. I never go back on my word."

He stood up and began walking toward the door.

"What happens if I lose? Or if I don't take first place in all of them?"

He paused, a small smirk forming as his fingers wrapped around the doorknob.

"Do you really have any other choice? This is your only chance..."

So that's how it is. He's got me exactly where he wants me.

Now, I could see him for what he truly was.

---

That night, I couldn't stop thinking about his words, about all the possibilities…

*"The truth… huh? What kind of truth could it be? Either way, it won't be pleasant. I won't get my hopes up."*

*"But I don't care about the truth. What matters… is that opportunity he mentioned."*

Exhaustion eventually took over, and I drifted into a deep sleep…

---

*"The king... the king must die..."*

A voice echoed through the darkness, and with it, a cold, blood-covered hand gripped me tightly.

*"The king must suffer… The king must die..."*

The voice grew louder. No… not just one voice. A chorus.

Hundreds—no, thousands of hands reached out, grasping at me, trying to tear me apart.

Screams of agony, the stench of blood and death filled the air, sending terror racing through my veins.

*"Aaaaahhh!!"*

I jolted upright in bed, my chest rising and falling rapidly. Sweat dripped down my forehead, my body trembling.

*"A dream… just a dream..."*

No… it was a nightmare.

A horrible, wretched nightmare.

I inhaled deeply, exhaling slowly, forcing myself to calm down.

"Just a bad dream… or at least, that's what I wish it was."

The next day, rays of sunlight crept through the window and fell onto my bed, only to find me already awake.

I made my way to school, lost in thoughts about yesterday's dream and my conversation with my father... only to find three kids bullying a little girl, all of them around my age.

I sighed as I watched the absurd scene. It wasn't just verbal bullying; they had resorted to violence.

I saw them mocking and hitting that girl, and it made me see myself and my miserable state in that wretched house.

"Please, put it back in my bag..."

I quickly recognized the girl; she was one of my classmates, and she was truly brilliant, perhaps even more than me.

But what made me pause was seeing those threads wrapped around her too, except instead of black threads, they were thin golden ones, just like the ones wrapped around Ilina and her mother.

I didn't know if what I was seeing was a hallucination, a gift, or something physical, but it didn't disappear.

I refocused on reality. Seeing her being treated so cruelly by a bunch of idiots was painful.

Even though I love stepping in and punishing those fools with a beating, it would only be a temporary solution. As soon as I left, they'd start bothering her again.

I needed to do something that would make them incapable of acting that way ever again.

Wait a minute, am I really planning to help her? I'm not the kind or attention-seeking type.

I admit I don't have any feelings toward anyone, except for Ilina, but...

I scratched my head and took a deep breath.

The moment one of them tried to slap her while laughing that disgusting laugh, and with tears filling her eyes, I quickly intervened, grabbed his hand, and pushed him back.

"That hurts, you jerk. What do you think you're doing?"

The moment he saw my face, he froze in place, and shock washed over him, as well as the others.

"B... B... Bil, what are you doing here?"

The three of them stepped back, fear evident on their faces.

Well, the reason for that is they tried to bully me before, and I beat them all up.

"It seems you never learn no matter how much I hit you."

I've never been the type to solve problems with violence. They just chose the wrong day to mess with me before.

I slowly walked toward them as they stepped back, their hands trembling and their eyes darting around.

"Bil, this... it's just..."

No matter how much they tried to justify it, everything would remain the same. Idiots will always be idiots.

"Look over there..."

I pointed my finger toward the school. They all turned, but it seemed they didn't see anything.

"What? There's nothing there."

"A bunch of fools. There are surveillance cameras everywhere in the school. And to your bad luck, there's one filming this exact spot."

Confusion spread across their faces, and it seemed they didn't understand anything.

"What's that got to do with anything?"

"Idiot, if I go with her to the principal and tell him what happened here, he'll see the footage from the surveillance camera. He'll see what you did here, and do you know what will happen?"

It seemed they were starting to understand their situation.

"The principal will call your parents and tell them what you did. Then he'll expel you from school, and no other school will accept you because of your bad behavior. After that, you'll have to work in tough and dangerous jobs at a young age, and you won't have any time to play or bully anyone."

I might have exaggerated a little. They were on the verge of crying in front of me. They were just ten-year-old kids, after all. Of course, they'd start crying.

"Please, Bil, we'll do anything. Just don't tell the principal. Please."

It seemed the plan had worked.

"Alright, but first, apologize for what you did to her."

The three of them bowed at the same time.

"We... we're really sorry. We won't do it again." ×3

"Alright, very good. From today, you'll do whatever I tell you without any objections. Understood?"

They raised their heads, and it seemed they didn't understand what I meant.

"What do you mean by that?"

"From today, you'll be my servants. You'll do whatever I tell you to do."

"Huh? Why the hell would we do that?"

Anger quickly surfaced on their faces. It seemed they had forgotten what had just happened here.

"Come on, let's go. We'll tell the principal what happened today."

I grabbed the girl, and we started walking toward the school.

"Alright, alright, we'll do whatever you want from today. So don't tell the principal."

I gestured for them to leave. It seemed I had gained some toys to pass the time before the competitions.

"Th... thank you so much for helping me."

Before leaving, I remembered the girl who had been behind me. I had used her for them and then forgotten about her. It seemed I had truly lost my heart.

Her voice was shy, and her appearance suggested she had been going through this for a long time.

"Learn how to defend yourself. The world isn't for the weak."

Those were words from a novel I was reading, meant for warriors. And here I was, using them on a ten-year-old girl. How ironic.

With those words, I walked past her and headed toward the school. Even though she had those threads wrapped around her, I didn't care, nor did I have any desire to.

Everything was boring. Attending classes and the teaching methods didn't appeal to me much, and I didn't pay any attention to begin with.

After school ended and before leaving the classroom:

"Bil, can you go to the principal's office? It seems he wants to talk to you."

The teacher's voice, the one who had made me answer questions before, interrupted my wandering thoughts.

It seemed he had talked to the principal about me and would somehow make me participate.

"...Sure."

I picked up my bag and headed to his office. I knocked on the door a few times before he answered.

"Come in. I've been waiting for you."

His hair was white, and his beard, the same color, made him look wise. His green eyes and slightly plump body added to his demeanor.

"How can I help you, Principal?"

He gave a small smile.

"Since you're in a hurry, I'll keep it short. Will you participate in any competitions this year? I heard from your teacher that you have some talent."

I understood what he was getting at.

"It seems my teacher talks about me a lot in front of you. But I'm not a genius or smarter than anyone here. But why are you so eager for me to participate?"

"My job as a principal is to support rising talents like you so you can shine and become something great we can be proud of in the future. You are the future of this country and the world."

What he said might be true, but the important part here hadn't been mentioned yet. The winners from our school would participate in a national competition, and the winner would bring significant financial support to their school.

All the problems the school faced would be reviewed, and most of them would be fixed.

That's why he was so desperate to get students to participate. I didn't feel like arguing with him further, especially since he didn't have those black threads around him.

"Alright, I'll participate, Principal. So don't worry. See you later."

I stood up from the chair, ready to leave.

"Do you know what the school gains if someone wins? Right?"

So that's what he had been after from the beginning.

"Yes, don't worry. First place is mine."

"I liked how you handled those kids this morning. It seems you're as much of a genius as your teacher says."

"No, I'm not. See you later."

Winning these competitions would be my chance to change my miserable life.

As soon as I left the school, I grabbed my head, feeling dizzy.

"The king must die. The king must die..."

A terrifying voice, whether from someone nearby or in my head, I didn't know.

Who is this damned king? I don't care. Just leave me alone.