Do you want to live?
Is that even a serious question? Why would I not want to live?
But you’ve been through too much. Why not just… die?
If you’re going to continue rambling nonsense, then just stop talking to me.
Very well. Then I shall accept you. After all, I can now sense it. Your indomitable soul.
----------------------------------------
“I still don’t understand what you’re doing here,” Kaen said, his voice full of suspicion.
The man who called himself “Eight” pushed up the strange ice design further up his nose. “Spectacles”— he said they were.
“Did you know,” he said. “The Emperor has a secret library?”
“What?” Kaen replied dubiously.
“It’s true!” Eight exclaimed. “And just twenty-one years ago, someone robbed that library empty. Someone took every single piece of recorded information and secret regarding the history of this Fortress. Hmmmmmm…. I wonder who that could be!”
“So you’re knowledgeable. That’s great. But you still haven’t responded to what I said to you.” Kaen was not amused by Eight’s odd behavior. He had called him “the child of lightning” earlier, and for that alone, he had barely resisted the urge to crush the man’s head in there and then.
Eight sighed dramatically. “Kids nowadays like you have no patience. Do you not care for the history of the place you live in?”
“Do you not care about your life,” Kaen said, taking a step towards him, a small volt of lightning threading between two of his fingers.
“Woah, woah! Hold on!” Eight backed away, shaking both his hands at Kaen, “Please, listen, I have something I believe you’d love to hear!”
He walked towards a table and offered Kaen a seat. After a moment of hesitation, Kaen accepted it. In the massive hall, it was just them and a party of corpses.
Eight began to speak the moment Kaen sat down. “The Emperor’s firstborn was a woman. She was feisty indeed. In the early days, our world was very different, you see. The old Order disallowed females to be fighters or political heads. The First Spear decreed that they should remain subservient workers on the outside, while the more capable men did the true heavy lifting. One woman was an exception to this, but we will not talk about her right now— she wasn’t an Ice Elemental either. But the Emperor’s daughter was, and unlike the other girls, her talent was far too high for her to accept a boring life in the outskirts. By sheer talent alone, she was able to break through the many restrictions the early Spears had placed to keep women weak and docile.”
Kaen was beginning to get bored with the explanation, so Eight quickened the pacing of his wording.
“The First Spear viewed her existence as a threat to the Order. So, in the dead of night, he ambushed her with his First, Second, Third, and Fourth Divisions, and in that one-sided fight, the girl had been impaled with spears over three thousand times. But she always returned from her injuries even stronger than the last time, and she slayed all the Spears but ten. Her end was only met when the first Chain joined the fray and sealed her forever, ending her rampage and he was recognized as a hero.”
“What’s the point of this?” Kaen asked as Eight finished this story.
“Tell me Kaen, have you ever seen a Phoenix?”
“Yes.”
“Not in real life.”
“What?” Kaen was confused by the reply and Eight shook his head.
“The young these days can’t even remember the most important things. In the Prophecy: When the sun’s bird is reborn.”
As Eight finished saying this, he pointed a finger, directing Kaen’s gaze to Aria. A strange mist had begun to emanate from her corpse.
“Do you see it?” Eight asked.
Kaen didn’t know what to say.
“It’s starting.”
Two pristine wings of ice suddenly emerged from Aria’s back as she began to float up slowly. Then, she shot upwards, bursting through the roof of the Royal Palace faster than Kaen could blink. He then shifted his gaze directly in front of him— only to see that Eight was gone.
From everywhere in the Fortress, those who turned their heads towards the light could see a large phoenix of ice emerge from the top of the Palace, as it let out a deafening screech. It was a truly tremendous sight, and it left all who witnessed it in complete and utter awe. It flapped its wings a few times, and then a voice came from underneath it.
“This is even more impressive than what I had originally envisioned.”
Eight had been scouting the Tournament contestants for a week, and by far this girl was one of the most interesting. Her height, frame, personality, and actions, all resembled what he had read of the previous Phoenix. Now he stood upon a fragment of the broken Palace roof, hidden in the mist. We waited a second, then jumped on the tail of the Phoenix. He pointed his finger at the back of the bird’s head, and it broke. He then jumped down, landing back on the floor, next to Kaen who had been looking up.
The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
“What just—”
The young Spear stopped the moment he saw Aria’s body falling from the sky. Kaen raced under her, catching her body. He was shocked to see that her wounds were completely gone, and she was breathing.
Eight stood before him, a proud grin on his face. “Now if you want to live, heed my words carefully,” he said.
----------------------------------------
As the Emperor looked at the faces of the children underneath, he was very aware as to what they desired. They wanted excuses, explanations, anything to calm down the chaotic emotions ringing in their hearts. He would do his best to quell that, but he would be honest with his words.
“For the duration of my extended life, my heart has been captivated by a single being,” he began. “The divine being called Seraph was my closest companion. The recollections I have of those times are fragmented— I believe much of it has been stolen from me. But at my core, I am an artist. And he, Serpah, was the embodiment of radiance and confidence. He was the personification of perfection, and he will never leave my mind.”
No one responded, but everyone was confused. He turned towards Keilan.
“I am sure that you have discerned that the Sacrifice is false. Though your precise means as to how you acquired that conclusion elude me, I can surmise some possible methods. That is not of our immediate concern, however. I must reintroduce myself to you all. I am Aelon. I am the first Emperor, as well as every Emperor that followed.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about but—” Oden began as he got up, his fist clenched towards Aelon.
“Hush, hush. In due time, everything will make sense.:
He looked back at Keilan. “What was I saying? Oh yes, the Sacrifice. You see the islands will endure, regardless as to whether the sacrifice happens or not. They are but an excuse for me to inherit my sons’ bodies and extend my lifespan. I agreed with the Spears to perpetuate false narratives to maintain the order of society. However, I suspect they had an external motive for themselves to gain control during my absence. You see, new Emperors have always come as “secret sons”, but we do not permit any in the past to speak about it so that the information gets erased by the next generation. It is a tradition that has existed since the first years of this nation.”
Crystal stepped in front of Keilan defensively. “Father, I’m not sure as to what you mean entirely, and I want to believe you’re lying or being manipulated. Maybe you’re just senile. But you won’t be touching my brother.”
The Emperor smiled gently. “You may relax my daughter. I have no such intent.”
Despite his body being so aged and withered, his words still carried tremendous weight.
“When the time came for me to seek my first wife,” the Emperor continued, “It proved challenging for me to find true love. I am only drawn to beauty that is unparalleled to anything else. I once brought some companions to my island. They were unique, and their origins are lost to me. However, two of them could generate and manipulate crystals like the ones you see before you. I found these crystals to be profound, and I immediately married the young girl. I was desperate to bear children with her— you see, I wanted that ability to last and be treasured by me for generations. Despite my best efforts, that woman was unable to bear a child with me or any other man in the land who wielded that power. So I desperately forced her brother to fill this cavern with the crystals, and I have preserved them here since.”
He turned his gaze towards Crystal, and whether her expression was of shock or disgust— Sorn couldn’t tell.
“You see Crystal, you are a success. For a small amount of that blood has sprouted in you, though you have never used it since that birth. Regardless, it appears my many thoughts have distracted me.”
He looked at the children staring at him. He probably wasn’t being successful in calming them down, but there was little he could do about that.
“Since then, I have waited patiently, for a chance to see the person who will win the race on the Promised Day— to see if that person can replicate the perfection that Seraph held. In the meantime, I have suppressed my desperate urges by passing time and creating artistic expression with my many brides. They are tributes to my desires.”
He took a deep breath. He had spoken with passion for too long. There were limits to what he could do at this old age. Then, he continued.
“Ninety years ago, the Flower of the Chains was born. She was a woman of such exquisite beauty that she rivaled even the angelic vision I once beheld of the divine angel. However, the first time I laid eyes upon her, she had been promised to Varian. I let the two of them live in harmony for two decades. I wished the best for them, but I could no longer bear my jealousy the day she became pregnant. I commanded Varian to relinquish her to me. Varian was a good man, but he was also a slave to the hierarchy. Then, I took that woman to this very cave and threatened to kill her child in front of her if she did not oblige with my commands. Then, just like I did to that girl here, I began replacing her features with these crystals.”
At first, he had been far easier to listen to. His tone was filled with purposeful understanding as if he was trying to connect with the others and make himself sympathetic. Now, he had become completely detached. The nostalgic and cherishing look in his eyes as he talked about his horrific deeds made him appear maniacal to everyone looking. He snapped a crystal off the wall and looked at it fondly.
“In experimenting with that woman, I had forever ruined her ethereal beauty. No longer was she the perfect, smiling flower that was once the weakness of all men. I was defeated, and so I abandoned her to die. But there was one man— a Spear— who defied the Order and stole her away, as he fled south, just as my eldest two sons had done. I gave chase alone and found my love, abandoned in a cradle in a land far away, weak as she held you. I put her out of her misery and carried you back.”
The mention of “you”, caused everyone confusion, and Aelon looked directly at Keilan.
“Yes, Keilan. You were that child. I want you to understand this: you are not my kin but the last link to my only true love.”
The room was silent for a moment, and then Oden moved, breaking free from whatever the Emperor had done to freeze him in place. Plastered on his face was pure hatred.
“I’m going to rip you limb by limb for what you did to my sister,” he growled as a radiant energy emitted from him. Just like in his fight against Ren, his body had shifted, and sharp bits of ice claws emerged from his upper limbs.
“Moments ago, I felt the birth of the Phoenix. It appears you have had the Bear for quite some time. This generation truly is blessed.” The legs of a swan emerged from the ground as they latched onto Oden’s hands, freezing him in place.
“You have deemed yourself to be justified in taking my life. Perhaps you are. Yet, I cannot meet my end just yet. Not until I behold Seraph’s memory once more.”
“I DON’T GET IT!” Crystal suddenly screamed, her eyes wet as she glared at her father, someone she had looked up to and trusted dearly. “Why— how could you be so horrible.”
Aelon gave her a pitying look. “Crystal, you are my blood—”
He was cut off as Crystal pointed at Rose, who hadn’t moved an inch from the floor.
“Was my mother also like that?” she asked.
“Your mother was very beautiful. Though I do not remember her name…. Or face.”
A spear was launched towards Aelon, but another swan’s foot emerged from the ice, batting it away.
“I would prefer you stop acting so hastily. I am not at such a young age where I can continue to use my abilities with you. So let us use words. Tell me, what have I done to wrong you? Even now, I have come forth at my own volition, blessed you with my presence and the best of intentions. I am a simple and honest man, driven by my motivations. Is it so evil to live for myself?”
“Shut up! You just intend to take over my bo—”
“I said before, Keilan, I do not harbor that desire any longer. That was a dream that ended long ago when my true sons left. My eldest somehow had learned of the truth behind the Sacrifice, and he left. The second son followed him shortly after. Unfortunately Keilan, this is a secret that is only known by me and one other— a man I trust deeply. But you are not my son, you are Varian’s. Therefore, you are not eligible for the ritual that allows me to take control of your body. Do you understand?”
Then, he turned his gaze towards Crystal, who was silently shaking with anger.
“I never mentioned this to you before— I didn’t know how to. You possess the same beauty I spoke of before. I am beyond delighted to say these words truthfully to my daughter.” Crystal gave back a look of pure disgust, and he turned towards Keilan. “Protect her with your last breath, Keilan. She is your radiance, and your little sister.”
He had frozen everyone in place now. None of them could move a muscle or commit any action that might interfere with Aelon’s words.
“You— outsider,” he said as he met Sorn’s eyes. “I still do not know who you are or where you came from. But you must humble yourself. You are not the chosen child the Prophecy spoke of. Your role will be far darker. The true chosen one is—”
He paused, pondering his own words. “You are all filled with hatred toward me. That is saddening, but I understand. You may have the desire to kill or hurt me now, but I would like to remind you that Varian has learned of your arrival here. He will kill you far faster than any of you can reach me. But I will give you the freedom of choosing what you do from here for yourselves.
He snapped his fingers, and a symbol beneath them glowed. Then they all disappeared.
“To the very last moment, I still can never come close to reaching your perfection.”
The Emperor walked over to Rose’s body and stopped. He stared at it for a moment, and then he picked her up, gently carrying her in his arms. Then he walked through a secret passage in the side of the cave, slipping into a crack. After that moment, the tunnel was completely silent.