In a faraway kingdom, there was a young prince who was timid by nature but good at heart. He worked day in and day out trying to improve the lives of his father’s subjects, yet he always fell short.

One day, the king died, leaving the prince to inherit the throne of a troubled nation. But the looming birth of his son drove him to beg the gods to give him power. Eventually, a god answered his plea.

“I will grant you the power to fulfill your wish.”

The god said, “But be warned: the moment you stray from the path, I will send who will collect your life as payment.”

The newly crowned king immediately accepted the offer and went to work, to lead his kingdom to a better tomorrow. Year after year, the land witnessed peace, the harvests were plentiful, and the people were happy. The king made sure that every single day passed without a single mistake.

But soon his cautiousness turned into fear. He became afraid that even his good deeds might be misunderstood by the gods. To avoid meeting his end, the king displayed extreme generosity. He showered the people with love and wealth until the kingdom’s finances could barely manage. He forgave criminals until they grew numerous. He neglected inspections until workers became complacent.

But that wasn’t enough to cure his fear, the king knew it only took one slip up to seal his fate. In the darkest hours his mind crumbled, the king thought he had it all wrong. He only needed to be watchful for the god’s servant.

From that day, the state of the kingdom was turned upside down. The king launched a crackdown on every criminal and corrupt soul he could find. Anyone who would think for a second to harm the king found a sword on their necks. The horror of daily execution became the norm, but it wasn’t enough.

The king ordered the death of every activist, anyone who would dare to dream of taking the throne for themselves. His hands then reached the ones closest to him, from his generals to his advisors, they all met the same end. There was only one thing left to do: Ensure that no one would ever be born to defy him. That day, he ordered the slaughter of all the Kingdom’s children.

The weight of this decision shattered whatever remained of his will. He came back to his family, wished he had asked for their health over the wellbeing of his kingdom on that fateful day. If only he could make this family supper last forever. But his mind grew hazy, his vision blurred, and his heart ached. He turned to his son to ask for help, only to find the boy watching him intently. Slowly, the son approached his father’s side and whispered:

“Payment collected.”