Lior Croft: The Storm They Never Saw Coming!

THE PRINCE'S ENGAGEMENT TO LIOR'S EX

Lior was given a small, dimly lit room in the servants’ headquarters; a narrow stone chamber tucked deep within the eastern wing of the palace.

The walls were cold, the single window barely large enough to let in a sliver of moonlight.

A thin mattress lay on a wooden frame, and a rusted basin sat in the corner. This was where he would live for the next year, serving the palace day and night.

Normally, palace servants were paid handsomely for their loyalty and labor, but Lior’s situation was different.

Every dollar he earned would be seized immediately, stripped from his salary each month to pay off the fine of two hundred thousand dollars he still owed the court.

It meant he would work tirelessly for a year without seeing a single cent.

A tracking collar was put around his neck. It was a cold, metal band that made a soft humming noise. There were special symbols, called runes, inside it.

The guards locked it in place with a sharp click that echoed in the room.

“This collar was designed to prevent escape; if you ever crossed a certain distance away from the city, it would activate a deadly surge of electricity powerful enough to kill you instantly.” One of the guards said, with a wide grin.

The thought alone made Lior's skin crawl.

…

Meanwhile, the engagement party had begun. Music drifted through the palace halls, and nobles in shimmering attire filled the grand ballroom.

Prince Frederick, however, was running late due to a minor delay, and the entire hall was waiting impatiently for his arrival.

As he hurried toward the entrance, he encountered a woman lying weakly by the hall’s door.

Her skin was pale, her breathing shallow, and her clothes were tattered from weeks of suffering.

“Sir… please,” she whispered, her voice trembling. “Heal me. I have been sick for too long… I fear I am about to die.”

She lay on her stomach before him, trembling as she begged.

Prince Frederick didn’t even slow down. He didn’t spare her a glance.

“Get out of the way, freak,” he snapped coldly. “I’m in no mood to play pity games with trash like you. I have important things to attend to.”

He kicked her aside with the heel of his polished boot and continued into the hall without looking back.

The Croft family were renowned across the kingdom for their unmatched skill in medicine.

If Frederick had wanted to, he could have healed the woman in seconds. But he didn’t care. To him, commoners were beneath notice.

Meanwhile, Lior had been ordered by the prince to serve as his personal wine servant throughout the engagement festivities — a deliberate humiliation meant to remind Lior of his place and punish him for daring to claim Rhea as his girlfriend.

As Lior approached the hall, he spotted the sick woman still lying there, sobbing softly.

Above her head, he could see a faint glowing timer — ten minutes left before her life slipped away.

His vision, enhanced by the mysterious power within him, allowed him to see through her body like an x-ray.

The disease had spread through her organs like dark vines, creeping dangerously close to her heart.

He knelt beside her without hesitation.

Closing his eyes, he placed his hand gently on her forehead. A warm glow radiated from his palm, spreading through her body like a wave of light.

The woman’s breathing steadied. Her pale skin regained color. The trembling in her limbs faded.

Slowly, she opened her eyes, feeling strength return to her bones.

“Thank you… thank you so much for healing me, Your Majesty,” she said breathlessly, assuming he was a member of the Croft family — for only they possessed such healing abilities.

“No worries,” Lior replied softly, offering a small smile. “You’re free to go now.”

He stood up quickly, brushing off his clothes, and hurried into the hall to resume his duties.

“I didn’t even get your name!” the woman called after him.

But Lior had already disappeared into the crowd.

She rose to her feet, still marveling at her restored health. “My father will reward you handsomely today,” she murmured before leaving the scene.

Inside the hall, the celebration was in full swing. Prince Frederick wasted no time tormenting Lior.

“More wine,” he demanded repeatedly, snapping his fingers.

When Lior accidentally spilled a drop of wine as Frederick leaned in to kiss Rhea, the prince slapped him sharply across the face.

“You can’t even pour common wine properly,” Frederick sneered. “Yet you claim I stole your girl?”

To the prince, it was a simple mistake. But Lior had done it intentionally. He still felt something for Rhea — a lingering ache he couldn’t fully suppress — and watching his stepbrother kiss her twisted something inside him.

But Rhea felt nothing for him. She giggled as she extended her hand to Frederick. “Yes, I’ll marry you,” she said sweetly.

Frederick glanced at Lior, lowering his voice so only Lior and Rhea could hear.

“Watch me kiss the girl you admired for five years… and know your place.”

He pulled Rhea close and kissed her passionately.

Lior watched as Rhea melted into the kiss, enjoying every moment. Whatever love he had left for her evaporated instantly, replaced by a cold, sharp irritation.

The hall erupted in cheers.

Lior quietly slipped out, unable to stomach any more.

Meanwhile, a servant approached the king with a fixed phone mounted on a wooden board. He bowed deeply.

“Your Majesty, a call from the governor.”

The king straightened immediately, his demeanor shifting to respectful humility. He took the phone.

“Hello. Greetings, Governor.”

“Warm greetings to you as well, King Aldric Croft,” the governor replied. “I am calling to thank your family. Someone from your household healed my daughter today. I wish to reward the person personally.”

The king frowned slightly. “Who could that be?”

“My daughter says it was a young man — the last person to enter the hall.”

King Aldric paused, thinking. “I… cannot say for certain who it was, sir.”

“No bother,” the governor said. “I am heading there now to thank them personally.”