Lior Croft: The Storm They Never Saw Coming!

LIOR ARRESTED

The next day, Lior stood at the massive city gates, a place that always seemed to hum with life and movement. 

He carried only a small, worn bag slung over his shoulder, the bag that held the few belongings he still possessed.

Despite its light weight, it felt strangely heavy to him, as if it carried not just items but the beginning of a long, uncertain journey, a journey he hoped would lead him toward greatness.

The guards stationed at the entrance were busy with their usual routines. 

Some were checking the bags of merchants who came in with carts full of goods, while others inspected documents or questioned travelers. 

Their eyes were sharp, trained to catch anything suspicious before it slipped into the city. 

Yet even with all this activity, something about the atmosphere felt different to Lior.

The air seemed unusually bright, almost festive, as though the entire city was preparing for a celebration.

He noticed noble families arriving in elegant vehicles and horse‑drawn carriages, each one decorated with polished metal and fine fabrics. 

Servants stepped down carrying boxes and wrapped parcels, clearly gifts meant for someone important. 

But no one seemed to mention who the gifts were for, and that mystery only deepened Lior’s curiosity.

Unable to hold back his questions, he approached one of the guards. “Hey, mister… sorry to bother you, but what exactly is the celebration for?”

The guard turned sharply, irritation flashing across his face. “Where are you from, the gutter? Who doesn’t know what’s happening today? 

His Excellency Fredric Croft, the son of the head of the clan, is getting engaged to the mayor’s daughter, Rhea Smith.” 

The moment Lior heard the name Rhea Smith, something inside him snapped. His jaw tightened, and a wave of anger surged through him. 

Rhea; the girl he had been promised to marry five years ago, before he was cast out and stripped of everything. And now his stepbrother was about to take even that from him.

“That bastard took my place… and now he wants to take my girl too?” Lior muttered, the words slipping out louder than he intended, fueled by frustration and disbelief.

The world around him seemed to freeze. Conversations stopped. Heads turned. Even the air felt still.

The guard stepped forward slowly, his hand resting on the shotgun at his side. “What did you just say?”

Lior opened his mouth, trying to form an explanation, but no words came. His throat tightened, and all he could do was stammer uselessly.

“I think he just called the prince a bastard,” someone whispered nearby. “And accused him of stealing his girlfriend.”

“Oh, I see,” the guard said, nodding as if everything suddenly made sense.

“Capture him,” he ordered.

Lior instinctively stepped back, confusion clouding his thoughts, but he bumped into someone behind him. 

When he turned, he saw more guards surrounding him. He hadn’t even noticed them approaching.

“How did they get here so fast?” he 

wondered. 

Then he realized that they were using their talents. Abilities that enhanced their speed and strength.

He tried to move, to resist even a little. His body was a Divine body, after all. 

But to his shock, he couldn’t move an inch. Their grip held him in place as if he were nothing more than a child.

“So this is the strength of regular guards,” he thought, a mixture of frustration and awe filling him.

“If ordinary guards are like this, then what about palace guards? Or the king’s special forces? Or high‑ranking officials? Or even the royal family themselves?”

 The gap between him and them felt impossibly wide. He couldn’t even begin to imagine how far he would have to climb to reach their level,  let alone surpass them.

It wasn’t that he couldn’t defeat these guards if he truly wanted to. But Arkanos had told him to move carefully, to rise step by step if he wanted true justice. 

So he forced himself to stop struggling and allowed them to clamp cuffs around his wrists.

“Your mouth has placed you in serious trouble, boy,” one of the guards said with a shake of his head.

The onlookers murmured among themselves.

“Poor boy,” someone said.

“I think he got what he deserved, making such reckless claims,” another added.

“But what if he meant something deeper?” a third voice wondered.

“Nah, he is just a common loser. Look at his clothes; He looks like one of those villagers from the mines.

If Miss Rhea is his girlfriend, then I am the president.” Another man mocked, which made everyone burst out with laughter.

Lior heard every word. His ears were sharp since his senses were inhuman. None of their comments escaped him. 

He lowered his head slightly, not in shame but in disappointment.

“They’re all brainwashed,” he thought. “Blinded by fear, greed, and corruption. But one day… one day they’ll tremble at my feet.”

“Can you at least tell me where you are taking me to?” Lior asked one of the guards.

The guard chuckled. “Hehe, you are really that naive huh? I am taking you to the dungeon where you will later face trial in the king's Court.” 

Lior's eyes widened. “ I'll appear before my own father to be judged? What if they notice who I really am? This is not good.” 

He thought as sweat rolled down his forehead.