The room was silent, except for the soft clinking of ice swirling in Faisal's glass.
He sat alone at the massive table where Daniel took his last breath — the same table where kings once dined, where lives were traded like currency, and where the world itself was divided into pieces.
Now it belonged to him.
To them.
But tonight, there was no celebration in Faisal's heart.
The weight of the crown — the weight of absolute control — felt heavier than any bullet, any war, or any kill.
The laptop before him glowed softly, its screen covered in Daniel's private files — pages and pages of alliances, betrayals, assassinations, and whispered deals that shaped the world without anyone ever knowing.
Each file wasn't just information — it was a reminder.
Daniel wasn't a king because of power. He was a king because he knew everything.
Faisal's fingers moved slowly across the trackpad, scrolling through encrypted documents no outsider was ever meant to see.
Suddenly, the screen flickered.
The files disappeared.
A new image took over — a map.
But this was no ordinary map.
There were no countries, no borders.
Only symbols, placed at strategic points across the globe — each symbol representing a family, a force, a power older than nations themselves.
A name appeared at the top of the map:
The Unseen Council.
Faisal's hand trembled slightly — not from fear, but from the realization.
Daniel wasn't the king of the world. He was just their puppet.
Then, the speakers crackled.
A voice — distorted, cold, and ancient — echoed through the room.
"You thought Daniel was the king? You've just stepped into a game older than your bloodline."
The camera on his laptop turned on — showing Faisal's own face, tired but burning with purpose.
The voice continued.
"The Council has watched you. We allowed your little war because it amused us."
"But now, you sit in a seat you don't understand."
"You're not a king, Faisal."
"You're a pawn who forgot his place."
The screen flickered again — this time showing images of Faisal, Rayyan, Malik, and Ameer at every step of their journey.
Every deal. Every kill. Every betrayal.
They were never hidden. They were watched.
The voice delivered one final message.
"You want to rule the world?"
"First — survive it."
The screen went black.
The glass in Faisal's hand cracked — but he didn't notice.
For the first time since Daniel died, Faisal felt it — that rare, deadly feeling that only comes when you realize the enemy isn't behind you.
They're all around you.
He whispered to himself, a faint smile curling on his lips.
"Then let the real game begin."