New Era?

The young man's gaze grew colder as he stepped closer to Raven. 

"If you know who you are, then why the commanding tone?" the young man asked, his voice like a soft blade slicing through the tension in the room. "Are you commanding me?" 

Raven froze as the weight of the question pressed down on him. He could feel his legs trembling beneath him. His mind screamed, but his body was frozen in place. How could he answer this? 

"I-I..." Raven stammered, panic rising in his chest. "I-I didn't mean... I-I just thought—"

Before Raven could finish his sentence, his body suddenly jerked and in a flash, his head was severed from his shoulders. Blood poured as it pooled on the ornate marble floor.

The royal palace that was once filled with hushed whispers and tense anticipation, fell into a profound silence.