Chapter 61 - Royal Family
"Two Kings? How is this possible?" one noblewoman exclaimed from near the back of the room.
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"Not two Kings," an older noble corrected sharply. "One King… and one traitor."
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"But they look identical!" another nobleman hissed urgently to his companion. "Could it be some kind of dark magic? A curse?"
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"Or perhaps…" an advisor whispered grimly to another nearby counselor, "...a secret kept by the royal family all these years."
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The tension in the room was palpable as more voices joined the fray.
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"This explains nothing!" one noblewoman cried out angrily. "Why reveal this now? What purpose does it serve?"
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"To name him a traitor publicly," another nobleman replied darkly. "To ensure there is no question of loyalty within these walls."
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From near the shelves at the side of the chamber, two younger nobles whispered furiously among themselves. "Did you see his eyes?" one asked breathlessly. "They’re exactly like His Majesty’s!"
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"Yes," the other replied nervously. "But look at him…he’s broken—ruined! What could he have done to deserve such disgrace?"
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At that moment, Queen Daleyza finally found her voice. Rising slowly from her seat, she addressed no one in particular but spoke loudly enough for all to hear: "If this man is truly your brother," she said carefully, her tone measured yet icy cold, "then why has he been hidden from us until now? What crime could warrant such secrecy?"
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The King raised his hand, a simple yet commanding gesture that instantly silenced the murmuring crowd. He stepped forward on the platform, his crimson cloak billowing behind him as he moved. The fading sunlight from the high window cast a golden glow around him, emphasizing his regal bearing.
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"My esteemed wives and noble subjects," he began, his voice resonating with authority through the chamber, "I implore all those assembled to maintain decorum and exercise patience as we navigate these extraordinary circumstances. You are all wed to me, Hades Limonizer Vernoke Domino, the rightful heir to the throne of our great kingdom. Let it be known that the children born of these unions are indeed of my royal blood."
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He paused, his ruby-red eyes scanning the room, taking in the shocked faces of his wives and the gathered nobles.
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"What I am about to disclose is not a matter of border disputes, nor is it the result of dark sorcery or political machinations," he continued, his tone unwavering. "The secret I have harbored concerns my younger twin brother, Helios Limonizer Vernoke Domino, a practitioner of the forbidden arts of Black Magic."
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Gasps erupted throughout the chamber. The King raised his voice to be heard over the commotion.
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"During our late father's reign, His Late Majesty, as war loomed on our borders, I was betrothed to Princess Roxana. To demonstrate Domino's commitment to our allies, my brother took my place in battle, while I fulfilled my duty to the crown through marriage. Helios was presumed fallen in combat, having vanished without a trace."
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He paused, allowing the weight of his words to settle upon the assembly.
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"In the aftermath of the conflict, I suffered grievous injuries and was nursed back to health by a humble woman in our rural lands. My memories, lost to the fog of war, returned only upon learning of my daughter, Princess Luxana's, manifestation of the Dragon Flames. It was then that the treachery of my brother came to light – his orchestration of my near-demise in a bid to usurp the throne."
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A heavy silence fell over the room as the nobles processed this revelation. The implications were staggering.
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"Justice demands retribution for such heinous acts against the crown," the King declared, his voice ringing with finality. "Helios Limonizer Vernoke Domino shall face the guillotine at dawn. Furthermore, to dispel any lingering doubts, all royal offspring shall undergo rigorous testing to confirm their lineage."
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The chamber erupted into a cacophony of whispers and exclamations. The King stood tall, his presence commanding even as chaos threatened to engulf the room. His revelation had shaken the very foundations of the kingdom, and the repercussions would undoubtedly be felt for generations to come.
As the King's declaration echoed through the chamber, two burly guards stepped forward and seized Helios by his arms. The disheveled man, once a mirror image of the monarch, now looked broken and defeated. He offered no resistance as he was roughly dragged from the platform.
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The nobles watched in stunned silence as Helios was led out of the Declarement Chamber. The guards marched him through dimly lit corridors, descending deeper into the bowels of Helia Palace. The air grew colder and damper with each step.
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Finally, they reached a heavy iron door. One guard produced a large key and unlocked it, revealing the entrance to The Citadel of Penance. This underground prison was rarely used, reserved only for the most dangerous of criminals.
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Inside, the guards forced Helios against a damp stone wall. Heavy iron manacles were clasped around his wrists and ankles, the chains rattling ominously in the oppressive silence. Helios winced as the cold metal bit into his skin, already raw from previous restraints.
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With a final shove, the guards stepped back. They exited the cell, the iron door slamming shut with a resounding clang. The sound of multiple locks engaging echoed through the chamber, sealing Helios in his prison.
-Helia Palace; The Citadel of Penance, 5.34pm-
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The cold, damp air of the underground prison clung to every surface, seeping into the very bones of those who entered. The dim torchlight flickered weakly against the rough stone walls, casting long, wavering shadows that danced like specters in the gloom. The faint sound of dripping water echoed through the corridors, a steady reminder of the isolation and despair that defined this place.
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Helios sat slumped against the wall of his cell. His left leg was folded close to him, while his right leg bent forward, resting in front of the other. His right cuffed arm draped over his raised knee, while his left arm lay limply on his thigh. His head hung low, strands of pale blond hair falling over his face like a curtain, hiding his expression from view. The iron shackles around his wrists and ankles rattled faintly as he shifted slightly, their weight a cruel reminder of his captivity.
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The silence was broken by a sudden, unnatural sound.
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*SHAHHWAHHSHSHH*
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The silence shattered as an unnatural sound filled the cell. A swirling black mist began to coalesce in the center of the room, its presence bringing an unnatural chill that made the already frigid air feel like ice against the skin. The mist twisted and churned violently before taking on a vaguely humanoid form, its edges writhing like smoke caught in an invisible storm.
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"AHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAAAA!" The laughter erupted from the mist, thunderous and deranged, reverberating through the confined space like a storm breaking loose. It was a sound that seemed to claw at the very walls, leaving behind an echo that lingered far too long.
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Helios slowly lifted his head. His crimson eyes glinted dangerously beneath the curtain of his disheveled hair as he locked his gaze on the entity before him. His expression remained impassive, but there was a smoldering intensity in his stare—a fire that refused to be extinguished.
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"Did you truly believe," the voice from the mist hissed mockingly, its tone sharp and venomous, "that I would ever bow to someone as pathetic as you?" The mist swirled tighter as it spoke, its form growing more defined. "The day you told me you had no thirst for vengeance… I knew." Its voice grew darker, more sinister. "I knew I had to take control—to play my hand so perfectly that even you wouldn’t see it coming."
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Helios remained silent, unflinching under the weight of Xerxes's words. His crimson eyes bore into the mist with quiet defiance.
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"Xerxes," Helios finally said, his voice low and steady like a blade unsheathing in the dark.
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"WHAT?" Xerxes shrieked in response, his misty form rippling violently as if agitated by the mere utterance of his name. "Are you afraid now? Afraid that your pathetic little life will end sooner than you expected?" His tone turned mocking, dripping with malice. "AHAHHAHAAHA! How utterly pitiful."
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"Afraid?" Helios repeated softly, tilting his head slightly as a smirk began to curl at the corner of his lips. "Who said anything about fear? Who said anything about dying?"
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Xerxes faltered for a moment, his form flickering slightly in confusion. "You—"
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Before he could finish speaking, Helios moved with deliberate precision. He brought his right hand to his mouth and bit deeply into the back of it. Bright red blood welled up instantly and dripped onto the cold stone floor below.
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"WHAT THE HELL—" Xerxes roared in pure shock as he recoiled violently.
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"AHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHA!" Helios’s laughter erupted like a dam breaking loose. It was wild and unrestrained—a symphony of madness and triumph that echoed through the cell with terrifying force. He threw his head back against the wall as he grabbed at his forehead with his left hand, brushing back strands of hair that had fallen into his face.
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This isn’t possible, Xerxes thought frantically. His blood—it should’ve turned black by now! Why isn’t it black?
"If you’re wondering why my blood isn’t black," a calm voice interrupted from outside the cell bars, "then I suggest you take another look at your contract."
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Xerxes’s misty form whirled around violently to face the source of the voice. "KYLE BRUNTE?" he shrieked furiously.
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Kyle stood just outside the iron bars with an almost serene smile on his lips. His green hair shimmered faintly in the dim torchlight as he raised his right hand to bite down near his wrist. Turning it toward Xerxes, he revealed bright red blood trickling down—human blood.
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Xerxes’s form trembled violently now, its edges flickering erratically like a flame struggling against a gust of wind. What is this? he thought frantically. Not only is this man’s hair bright green… but even his blood is red? DAMN IT.
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"What’s wrong?" Helios’s voice cut through Xerxes’s panic like a blade through flesh. "Did you think I was stupid enough to let you win?" His smirk widened into something almost feral as he leaned forward slightly from where he sat against the wall.
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Xerxes turned back toward Helios with a hiss of fury. "HMPH! You may have outplayed me here," he spat venomously, "but you will never be able to save that child." With those final words dripping with malice, Xerxes's misty form dissolved into thin air, leaving behind only an eerie silence.
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Helios exhaled heavily and leaned back against the wall once more, tilting his head upward to stare at the cracked ceiling above him. "Hah," he muttered under his breath.
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The sound of keys jingling broke through the quiet as Kyle unlocked the iron door to Helios’s cell and stepped inside. He knelt down beside Helios and began working on unlocking the cuffs around his wrists.
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As Kyle bent low to reach Helios’s restraints, he spoke softly without looking up: "Thank you…Your Majesty."
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Helios narrowed his crimson eyes at Kyle’s bowed head but said nothing as Kyle focused on uncuffing him. Only silence remained between them now—the silence before whatever storm awaited them next.
Drip
Drip
Drip
The blade trembled slightly in his grip, slick with warmth. His breath came in short, measured bursts as he pressed it deeper, feeling the resistance give way beneath the steel. A gurgled gasp escaped the lips of the man beneath him, eyes wide with something between terror and fading comprehension.
A sharp twist.
A wet, choking sound followed. Fingers, weak and desperate, clawed at his wrist, but the strength was already leaving them. The body spasmed once, then twice, before sagging against the chair, limp.
Drip
A fresh rivulet of crimson trailed down the edge of the blade, collecting at the tip before falling, joining the growing pool below. The metallic scent filled the air, thick and cloying. He exhaled, steady now, his pulse slowing as he released his grip and stepped back.
He wiped the blade against the man's shirt, smearing deep red across the once-clean fabric. The room was silent now, except for the soft patter of blood hitting the floor.
Drip
Drip
Drip
He tilted his head, admiring his work. Then, without a word, he turned and disappeared into the shadows.
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My eyes fluttered open slowly, the haze of unconsciousness lifting like a heavy curtain. My breathing was shallow, uneven, as though I had been pulled back from the edge of some abyss.
The first thing I noticed was my right hand—closed tightly and pressed against someone’s chest. The fabric beneath my fingers was rich and regal, a blend of red and black with golden accents that shimmered faintly in the dim light. My gaze trailed upward, taking in the intricate embroidery that seemed to pulse faintly with life, as if the threads themselves carried some ancient power.
Further away, beyond the figure beneath me, my attention was drawn to an object that radiated an almost unbearable intensity—a chalice or goblet, crafted from dark stone or metal. Its surface was twisted and gnarled, resembling veins or branches frozen in time. The vessel brimmed with what looked like molten lava, its fiery liquid swirling and crackling as if alive. Bright, intense light spilled from it in flickering waves, casting eerie shadows across the dull brown walls of the room. Wisps of smoke curled upward from its surface, laced with embers that danced like fireflies in the gloom. Embedded within the chalice were glowing gems—red, orange, and gold—that pulsed rhythmically, adding to its otherworldly aura.
The room itself was lifeless and oppressive. The walls were a dull brown, devoid of decoration or warmth. The only sound was the crackling of fire from the chalice, its energy filling the space with an almost suffocating presence.
I raised my head slowly, my movements sluggish as though I were underwater.
And then I saw him.
Cillian.
He sat on a throne of dark wood and bronze, its design stark yet commanding. His posture was relaxed but exuded authority—like he had always belonged there. I realized with a jolt that I was perched on his lap, my body leaning against his as though it were the most natural thing in the world.
His suit mirrored my dress perfectly; it was tailored to perfection in shades that complimented me—dark tones accented with subtle hints of gold that gleamed faintly in the firelight.
Our eyes met.
And then—
"PRINNSHHHHHH!"
The muffled sound shattered the fragile silence like glass breaking underfoot. I flinched violently at the sudden noise and turned sharply toward its source.
Behind me stood Myla, Mylo, and Veles—all bound and kneeling on the cold stone floor. Their hands were chained behind their backs with thick iron shackles that looked heavy enough to crush bone. White cloths were tied tightly over their mouths, muffling their cries but failing to hide their desperation.
To be Continued...
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