My head throbs with a searing pain as I struggle to regain consciousness. Blinking away the haze, I survey my surroundings frantically.
In the wild chaos of the night, stone chunks lay strewn across the ground, casting long shadows on the buried remains of the castle and its residents. Through the ravaged landscape, the tumbling of rubble and debris echoed like a haunting symphony, each crashing thud a mournful note in the orchestra of destruction.
"Aria!"
The name escapes my lips in a desperate plea as I rush over to her, enveloping her in a tight embrace. Relief floods through me as I feel the steady pulse of her heartbeat and the absence of unnatural heat in her body.
"Tsk! What a brilliant explosion, as expected of the fire-endowed pill! Suicidal brats!" The harsh voice cuts through the air, jolting me out of my reverie. I turn to see General Aldric callously kicking the lifeless body of Ignatius.
"Even though this one showed potential, he bloody went and killed himself along with all the other brats in this cursed castle."
His gaze suddenly fixes on me, his anger clearly visible. I braced myself, readying for whatever confrontation may come, though my right thigh protests with a sharp sting, refusing to cooperate with any further movement.
Damn it, I didn't want to use it here. Stealthily, I moved my hand towards my pocket.
"Marine! Explain yourself!" His voice booms, sending reverberations coursing through my body. I freeze in place.
"Looks like you need some motivation!"
Aldric's eyes narrow, shifting towards Aria lying beside me. Suddenly, a patch of tiles ejects from the ground, accompanied by a pillar of stone, precariously positioned above Aria's head.
"Why do you have a fire-endowed pill that Tristan made 2 weeks ago?"
I remain silent, the weight of his accusations heavy upon me. He advances closer, his presence looming over me.
"Why are you here on the night Ignatius is going on a mad rampage? What about the 3 other incidents over the past 6 years?"
I bite my lip. Aldric now stands directly in front of me, his imposing figure casting a shadow over me. The pillar of stone drops lower, barely touching Aria's nose.
"Still silent as always. You leave me no choi-"
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A scream tore through my parched throat.
"It was all me! I was going to destroy this family!"
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A tiny light in the distance vanished.
Good. That will do. I felt a wave of relief wash over me. The damn rats almost attacked us if Marine hadn’t outed herself as the culprit.
I listened half-heartedly as Marine blurted out the events of the past six years. Thankfully, her voice carried well enough. It would be disastrous if the surrounding agents suspected me of madness and mass murder.
Interestingly, Marine's narrative conveniently omitted any mention of Aria's involvement. That could pose a slight problem, considering I had threatened her using Aria's life. However, I respected her decision to shield Aria from this mess.
So, one count of neglectful management and one report about the death of a pureblood. A small price to pay to enter the Succession Trials.
Ignoring the destruction and charred bodies surrounding us, I focused on the foliage. It seemed the agents roughly understood what had transpired. It was time to continue.
"I give you two choices, Marine." I declared, my voice resonating with authority but devoid of anger. "Listen carefully."
I lowered the pillar of Earth until it pressed down slightly on Aria's nose, stretching out my hand.
"Either you continue your futile attempt to destroy the family, and I end your and Aria’s miserable existences right here and now."
"Or you follow me, pledge your loyalty to the family, and enter the Succession Trials."
Marine's hands trembled slightly, her expression torn. She glanced back and forth between my hand and Aria, uncertainty written across her face.
You don’t have a choice, Marine. She is effectively your sister after all. Even if you wanted to die you couldn't. But I could motivate her a little.
"You have five seconds to choose," I counted down, my voice firm.
"Five... Four... Three... Two... One..."
With a sudden surge of determination, Marine lunged forward and shook my hand.
"Don’t hurt Aria, please."
Ah see, you don't have a choice at all.
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Report on Incident at Fort Ashen
Date: May 1st, 1959
Location: Fort Ashen
Incident Summary:
On May 1st, 1959, a tragic incident occurred at Fort Ashen resulting in significant loss of life and property damage. The following is a summary of the incident:
Casualties:
Deceased: Ignatius Blaze Emberheart (Consumption of Fire-endowed pill)
Survivors:
Aldric Blaze Solaris, Marine Blaze Solaris, Aria Blaze Flamestride
Commoners and Mixed-bloods:
Dead: 243 individuals
Injured: 33 individuals
Property Damage:
Fort Ashen was completely destroyed in the incident and deemed irreparable. The extent of the damage is catastrophic, leaving the site uninhabitable.
Suspects and Likely Charges:
Marine Blaze Solaris:
Charged with four counts of murdering mixed-bloods.
Charged with one count of murdering a pureblood.
Charged with one count of mass destruction.
Aldric Blaze Solaris:
Charged with one count of neglectful management of Blaze estates.
Charged with one count of falsifying an invitation to Succession Trials
Currently tailing suspects, direction of travel towards Inferno Bastion. Aldric Blaze Solaris declared that Marine Blaze Solaris would pledge loyalty to the family and enter the Succession Trials. further questioning required, requesting permission to apprehend suspects.
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I skimmed through the report, a fire reigniting in my eyes.
"Oh Aldric, you never cease to amuse me."