The world was vast yet fate had a way of drawing its chosen ones together.

Through the clash of wills that would shape the empire's future and it began on the battlefield.

--

It was the grandest event of the season! the Empire's Annual Combat Tournament.

Warriors from all kingdoms gathered in the capital seeking to prove their strength.

The grand coliseum loomed high, its towering walls lined with banners bearing the royal emblem of the empire a dragon wreathed in fire.

Inside, thousands of watchers roared with excitement.Nobles sat in the upper balconies draped in silks and adorned with jewels while the common folk filled the lower stands their cheers shaking the very ground.

Among them sat Kim Namjoon (Royal scholar & strategist of the empire) his sharp eyes scanning every detail the positioning of the warriors, the terrain, the weight of the weapons they carried.

"Mark my words" he murmured to Jin beside him "this tournament isn't just about strength. It's about control."

Jin chuckled. "And let me guess you already know who's going to win?"

Namjoon smirked. "I know who could win. But power alone isn't enough. You'll see."

Kim Seokjin (The Diplomat & Noble Lord)

Jin was not a warrior he carried no sword but his words had ended more conflicts than any weapon ever could.

As the heir of the empire's most powerful noble families, Jin stood among the highest ranking spectators.

And yet....despite his calm demeanor his gaze remained solid.

Hidden within the shadows Min Yoongi (silent assasin) observed the warriors with practiced gaze.

He was not like the others his battles were fought in secrecy, his blade striking before his enemies even knew he was there.

And yet.... today he was here. Watching.

"This tournament is going to be intresting" he murmured his lips curling into a smirk.

No one noticed when he disappeared into the crowd but Yoongi was never truly gone. He was always watching.

Park jimin ( The Performer & Hidden Blade)

Jimin was a spectacle even before he entered the arena. Dressed in fine silks and adorned with jewelry.... he carried himself with effortless grace yet those who underestimated him never lived to tell the tale.

Jimin did not fight with brute strength. His weapons were speed, deception and precision.

And as he twirled a dagger between his fingers he smiled.

"This will be fun" he said.

Jung Hoseok ( The General, The Bright Flame)

Hoseok exuded raw, untamed energy. Clad in the armor of the royal guard, he was one of the empire's greatest warriors.

He fought because it was in his blood, because the empire needed warriors who did more than conquer.

He fought for those who could not.

'The battle will be more intense" .He said looking at everyone.

---

The Golden Prince

"Your Highness the matches are about to begin."

(No crow is there ✨)

Prince Taehyung adjusted his armor. His royal cape fastened at the shoulders trailed behind him as he walked toward the arena's center.

His father the Emperor sat upon a grand throne overlooking the battlefield, his expression unreadable.

"Remember" the Emperor's deep voice resonated as Taehyung knelt before him "a ruler must not only wield a sword but command the respect of those who follow him."

Taehyung met his father's gaze. "I will not disappoint you, Father."

The Emperor nodded. "Then go. Show them what a prince is made of."

As Taehyung rose and turned toward the battlefield he exhaled slowly. He wasn't here just as a prince he was here to fight as a warrior.

In the stands Namjoon chuckled. "He's eager to prove himself."

Jin leaned forward. "Let's see if he actually can."

---

Hidden beneath a dark shadows, V observed the arena from the shadows.

He was not meant to be here. The court advisors had tried to keep him away, whispering that the cursed son should not compete.

But V did not need their permission. He had trained harder! fought harde and he would not let anyone decide his fate for him.

Master Kalen approached him his sharp gaze scanning the boy's form. "Do you regret entering?"

V smirked. "Regret? No... I'm waiting to see who's foolish enough to challenge me."

Kalen chuckled. "Then go. Show them the strength of the shadows."

As V stepped into the light, the murmurs in the crowd grew louder.

Yoongi sharpening his dagger raised an eyebrow. "The second prince decided to join after all."

Jimin grinned. "This is going to be interesting."

--

Jungkook tightened the bandages around his fists standing in the preparation area alongside other young warriors.

Unlike the others, he wore no royal crest nor a noble sigil only the emblem of his father's clan.

His father Jeon Hwan watched from a distance. "This is your chance...son" he said. "You've trained for this."

Jungkook grinned his eyes burning with excitement. "I'll show them what a warrior is made of."

Hwan chuckled, ruffling his son's hair. "Go easy on the royal brats will you?"

Jungkook smirked. "No promises.

"Just don't die...okay?" (☠️)

Jungkook rolled his eyes tying the last knot on his bandages. "Wow, thanks for the encouragement, Ly."

"Anyway...Watch the man with the scar he's aiming for your blind spot."

Jungkook grinned rolling his shoulders. "That's why I have you... right?"

Lyra sighed. "At this rate you'd be dead without me."

"Yeah yeah." Jungkook smirked. "But you'd miss me."

Lyra didn't respond. Because even if she denied it he was right.

Lyra his best friend, the only one crazy enough to stick by him through all his impulsive decisions with huffes arms crossed. Her dark eyes gleamed with amusement as she leaned against the wall.

Lyra was not a noble, nor a warrior. She was not trained in the ways of battle or raised in the courts of kings.

She was a survivor.

Over the years, their friendship had become unshakable Lyra watching Jungkook's back, and Jungkook dragging her into all sorts of trouble.

She wasn't a fighter like him.
But she knew how to survive.
And she had a gut feeling
after today their lives would never be the same.

---

The tournament began.

Fighters clashed in a frenzy of steel and skill, their bodies moving with precision and power.

One by one, warriors fell, some yielding in defeat while others were carried off unconscious.

Then, the final three stood.

Taehyung, V & Jungkook

The coliseum fell silent. A prince, a shadow, and a warrior's son.

Three souls bound by fate, yet standing on opposite ends of the battlefield.
-----------

Jungkook twirled his twin daggers, a smirk on his lips. "Didn't expect to be fighting royalty today."

Taehyung tilted his head, eyes glinting with amusement. "Then you should be honored."

"So" he mused tapping the hilt of his sword. "You're the so called warrior everyone's been talking about?'

Jungkook unimpressed by the talks rolled his shoulders. "And you're the prince who's never lost a fight?'

Taehyung's smirk widened. Challenge gleamed in his golden eyes. 'Yet."

A chuckle interrupted them.

V stood just behind Taehyung his presence colder n darker. Unlike his twin he didn't radiate warmth he absorbed it. His abyssal black eyes locked onto Jungkook's.

"Interesting" V murmured, voice smooth as silk. "I thought the storm child would be bigger."

Jungkook turned to him, unfazed. "And I thought the shadow prince would be scarier."

For the first time, both twins grinned & The Rivalry had begun.

The air in the arena grew electric. The challenge between the three had been set, and with the entire palace watching, none of them could back down.

Jungkook turned to Taehyung and V, tilting his head.

"So, who am I fighting first?"

Taehyung grinned. "Both of us."

V's smirk sharpened. "Try to keep up....storm child."

Steel met fire. Shadow met lightning. And for the first time, fate truly began to unravel.
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