Chapter 61 - Royal Family

  "Two Kings? How is this possible?" one noblewoman excimed from he back of the room.

  "Not two Kings," an older noble corrected sharply. "One King… and oraitor." "But they look identical!" another nobleman hissed urgently to his panion. "Could it be some kind of dark magic? A curse?" "Or perhaps…" an advisor whispered grimly to another nearby selor, "...a secret kept by the royal family all these years." The tension in the room alpable as more voices joihe fray. "This expins nothing!" one noblewoman cried out angrily. "Why reveal this now? urpose does it serve?" "To name him a traitor publicly," another nobleman replied darkly. "To ehere is no question of loyalty within these walls." From he 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!" "Yes," the other replied nervously. "But look at him…he’s broken—ruined! What could he have doo deserve such disgrace?" At that moment, Queen Daleyza finally found her voice. Rising slowly from her seat, she addressed no one in particur 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?" The King raised his hand, a simple yet andiure that instantly silehe murmuring crowd. He stepped forward oform, 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. "My esteemed wives and noble subjects," he began, his voice resonating with authority through the chamber, "I implore all those assembled to maintain de 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 reat kingdom. Let it be known that the children born of these unions are indeed of my royal blood." He paused, his ruby-red eyes sing the room, taking in the shocked faces of his wives and the gathered nobles. "What I am about to disclose is not a matter of border disputes, nor is it the result of dark sorcery or political maations," he tinued, his tone unwavering. "The secret I have harbored s my youwin brother, Helios Limonizer Vernoke Domino, a practitioner of the forbidden arts of Bck Magibsp;Gasps erupted throughout the chamber. The King raised his voice to be heard over the otion. "During our te father's reign, His Late Majesty, as war loomed on our borders, I was betrothed to Princess Roxana. To demonstrate Domino's itment to our allies, my brother took my p battle, while I fulfilled my duty to the through marriage. Helios resumed fallen in bat, having vanished without a trace." He paused, allowing the weight of his words to settle upon the assembly. "Iermath of the flict, I suffered grievous injuries and was nursed back to health by a humble woman in our rural nds. My memories, lost to the fog of war, returned only upon learning of my daughter, Princess Luxana's, maion of the Dragon Fmes. 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." A heavy silence fell over the room as the nobles processed this revetion. The implications were staggering. "Justice demands retribution for such heinous acts against the ," the King decred, his voice ringing with finality. "Helios Limonizer Vernoke Domino shall face the guilloti dawn. Furthermore, to dispel any lingering doubts, all royal offspring shall undergorous testing to firm their lineage." The chamber erupted into a cacophony of whispers and excmations. The King stood tall, his presenanding even as chaos threateo engulf the room. His revetion had shaken the very foundations of the kingdom, and the repercussions would undoubtedly be felt feions to e.As the King's decration echoed through the chamber, twuards stepped forward and seized Helios by his arms. The disheveled man, once a mirror image of the monarow looked broken aed. He offered ance as he was roughly dragged from the ptform. The nobles watched in stunned silence as Helios was led out of the Decrement Chamber. The guards marched him through dimly lit corridors, desding deeper into the bowels of Helia Pace. The air grew colder and damper with each step. Finally, they reached a heavy iron door. One guard produced a rge key and unlocked it, revealing the entrao The Citadel of Pehis underground prison was rarely used, reserved only for the most dangerous of criminals. Ihe guards forced Helios against a damp stone wall. Heavy iron manacles were csped around his wrists and ahe s rattling ominously in the oppressive silence. Helios winced as the etal bit into his skin, already raw from previous restraints. With a final shove, the guards stepped back. They exited the cell, the iron door smming shut with a resounding g. The sound of multiple locks engaging echoed through the chamber, sealing Helios in his prison.-Helia Pace; The Citadel of Penance, 5.34pm- The cold, damp air of the underground prison g to every surface, seeping into the very bones of those who ehe 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 isotion and despair that defihis pbsp;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 y 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. The silence was broken by a sudden, unnatural sound. *SHAHHWAHHSHSHH* The silence shattered as an unnatural sound filled the cell. A swirling bck mist began to coales the ter 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 ed violently before taking on a vaguely humanoid form, its edges writhing like smoke caught in an invisible storm. "AHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAAAA!" The ughter erupted from the mist, thunderous and deranged, reverberating through the fined space like a storm breaking loose. It was a sound that seemed to cw at the very walls, leaving behind an echo that lingered far too long. Helios slowly lifted his head. His crimson eyes glinted dangerously beh the curtain of his disheveled hair as he locked his gaze oity before him. His expression remained impassive, but there was a sm iy in his stare—a fire that refused to be extinguished. "Did you truly believe," the voice from the mist hissed mogly, its tone sharp and venomous, "that I would ever bow to someone as pathetic as you?" The mist swirled tighter as it spoke, its frowing 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 trol—to py my hand so perfectly that even you wouldn’t see it ing." Helios remained silent, unfling uhe weight of Xerxes's words. His crimson eyes bore into the mist with quiet defianbsp;"Xerxes," Helios finally said, his voice low and steady like a bde uhing in the dark. "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 soohan you expected?" His tourned mog, dripping with malice. "AHAHHAHAAHA! How utterly pitiful." "Afraid?" Helios repeated softly, tilting his head slightly as a smirk began to curl at the er of his lips. "Who said anything about fear? Who said anything about dying?" Xerxes faltered for a moment, his form flickering slightly in fusion. "You—" 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. "WHAT THE HELL—" Xerxes roared in pure shock as he recoiled violently. "AHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHA!" Helios’s ughter erupted like a dam breaking loose. It was wild and urained—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 fabsp;This isn’t possible, Xerxes thought frantically. His blood—it should’ve turned bck by now! Why isn’t it bck?"If you’re w why my blood isn’t bck," a calm voiterrupted from outside the cell bars, "then I suggest you take another look at your tract." Xerxes’s misty form whirled around violently to face the source of the voice. "KYLE BRUNTE?" he shrieked furiously. 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 trig down—human blood. Xerxes’s form trembled violently now, its edges flickeriically like a fme 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. "What’s wrong?" Helios’s voice cut through Xerxes’s panic like a bde 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. Xerxes turned back toward Helios with a hiss of fury. "HMPH! You may have outpyed 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 silenbsp;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. The sound of keys jingling broke through the quiet as Kyle unlocked the iron door to Helios’s cell and stepped inside. He k down beside Helios and began w on unlog the cuffs around his wrists. As Kyle bent low to reach Helios’s restraints, he spoke softly without looking up: "Thank you…Your Majesty." Helios narrowed his crimso 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 .Drip

  Drip

  Drip

  The bde 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 beh the steel. A gurgled gasp escaped the lips of the mah him, eyes wide with somethiween terror and fading prehension.

  A sharp twist.

  A wet, choking sound followed. Fingers, weak and desperate, cwed at his wrist, but the strength was already leaving them. The body spasmed ohen twice, before sagging against the chair, limp.

  Drip

  A fresh rivulet of crimson trailed down the edge of the bde, colleg at the tip before falling, joining the growing pool below. The metallic st filled the air, thid cloying. He exhaled, steady now, his pulse slowing as he released his grip and stepped back.

  He wiped the bde against the man's shirt, smearing deep red across the once- 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.

  My eyes fluttered open slowly, the haze of unsciousness lifting like a heavy curtain. My breathing was shallow, uneven, as though I had been pulled back from the edge of some abyss.To be tinued...