“Emperor, Hadeon Achlys, of the Empire of Ephamour.

Prince, Exios…” The royal knight stopped speaking.

They were both in front of a massive fancy door, that seemed like crystal glass, radiating all different colors.

The royal knight looked at Exios, irresolute.

Eventually he had to ask that question.

“Your highness, excuse me for my impudence, but what should I call you by?”

“Einar.” He said with no hesitation, looking forward to what’s behind the massive door.

“Prince, Exios Einar, of the Empire of Ephamour has finally come back!” The royal knight shouted, and the two massive doors finally opened, revealing the luxury of the long, massive room.

Pillars that were formed as statues of Gods, decorations in gold, chandeliers on top of the ceilings and the amount of windows on both sides.

Exios walked on the long violet carpet that led to the throne to which the Emperor was sitting.

The Emperor that had such light clothing, but sat in excitement as he saw his little brother.

Exios was distant, but close enough to hear and see the emperor.

He looked at his brother and bowed briefly.

On the contrary it seemed like Exios was not happy at all.

Both of the two brothers looking at each other, brothers that were not identical at all.

Hadeon had rich dark black skin, with white long braided hair and light purple eyes.

“Exios! Brother, you have finally come back!” Hadeon shouted excitedly, while making the wine spill from his hand.

Exios looked at his brother and remained silent.

“Ah, brother. Come on, are you not happy to see me? I missed you.” Hadeon looked at him with a genuine smile on his face.

Exios and Hadeon shared a great bond as brothers of different mothers, both of them cared deeply for each other.

Fortunately neither fought for the power or the throne, they both accepted what it was best or needed for the Empire to survive and live in harmony.

Hadeon, despite being the son of a mother whose skin was crucially criticized by many, became the heir.

Exios was assigned to become the official royal knight and commander of all the Imperial Knights in the Empire.

But it became evident to Hadeon that Exios came back for something else.

“Yes, I will tell you now brother.

I kind of hoped you’d say that you missed me too.” Hadeon stood up from his throne and walked gradually down towards Exios.

“You did say that you would come back if it was about the… death of your family.”

“Is it or it was just something to make me come here?

Because I am not in the mood for any of your jokes right now.” Exios spoke to him earnestly.

“Come on, brother, I would never do that to you.” Hadeon let out a small frown but continued with his speech.

“We discovered this secret organization that might have something to do with what happened three years ago.

We still do not know the reason why they did it, but if we initiate a movement on them, we can uncover the truth.”

Exios went silent for a bit, a moment to think about what Hadeon said.

“How do you know if these are the people who killed my wife and child?” The response gave Hadeon chills.

“We have seen some patterns, not only in this Empire, but in the others too.

And from what we know… the parents were killed, and the children disappeared.

And of course they were around Laith’s age.”

“What?”

“Exactly.

As you said, it was not an accident at all, these bastards are doing this for years now.” Hadeon paused for a moment and looked at Exios before carefully thinking of how to phrase the words.

“And… there is a chance that Laith is alive.”

“What are you suggesting.” Exios looked at him straight into the eye.

“We don’t have concrete proof yet, but, brother, if the children’s bodies weren’t found, then all of them might be… alive.” Hadeon exhaled after saying those words.

“So, what are you exactly trying to say here, Hade?”

“Brother, what I’m saying is for you to join this operation to uncover the truth about the deaths and disappearances, but most important of all the truth about what happened to your family.

This is the chance for you to finally know what happened to them.” Hadeon emphasized.

“Is this really your reason or are you in need of someone like me to fulfill the operation in order for it to work?

I know this is not only related about my family and the others.

It has to be connected to the Empire as well for you to do all this hard work.”

Hadeon looked at him in disbelief.

He sighed, putting his hand on his forehead.

“Brother… I am doing this for you too.

For the past three years I have been investigating the case of your family, because I could not see you get yourself destroyed.

It may seem as if it’s not like that, but I care for you deeply brother.

But… as I dug deeper the ties led to unexpected turns.

It is not tied to only this Empire.” Hadeon hesitated for a second.

“Also, it is not… just about the disappearances and deaths of families.

There has been reports of strange…” He stopped as he thought of the perfect adjective.

“Anomalies.”

Exios looked at him in confusion.

“Anomalies? Care to explain it well?”

“Yeah, uh, reports are about anomalies living in the shadows.

Dead creatures coming back as monstrous… entities.

I do not know the meaning of this brother, but it seems pretty terrifying.

I am scared of this type of shit if you ask me, it could lead to potential danger to the Empire.”

“Has been there any sighting in the Empire?”

“No, not in here.

But there have been multiple sightings in the Everereal Empire.”

“What? You even sent spies into the Everereal Empire?”

“Brother.

The answer to your family’s death might be in that place, that is why I had to send some of our people in there.

I told you; it is not only connected to our Empire.”

Exios couldn’t process everything that Hadeon had said.

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“Just tell me when all of this started to happen.

If not three years ago, when did these… anomalies… started to appear?”

Hadeon smiled while making a firm eye contact with Exios.

“Weeks ago.

To be exact, the day that you found that little girl.”

And as Hadeon responded him, a loud ringing noise was heard through Exios’s ears.

A bright red light appeared in front of him, that led back through the door.

Danger was sensed inside him.

“You.” He was bewildered by the realization, while looking at Hadeon.

“You brought me here, so that you could take that child.

I should have known.”

“Brother, I need to inspect that child.

If you were there, you would have caused a commotion.

At least you know the crucial information I have given you.

More important than that child, is it not?

it is about your family after all.” Hadeon started getting back at his throne.

Exios stood still, watching Hadeon getting back to his seat.

“So, you know?”

“What?

That child being special?

Yes, she is the cause of the blooming of the purple spider lilies in the palace.

It left traces of a vast amount of mana and energy, that a child at her age or like her at all would not be able to obtain.

How impressive is that?” Hadeon was filled in amusement as he spoke of the child.

“You wouldn’t be able to see her core.”

Hadeon smirked at him.

“Is that so?”

“I tried to do so many times, already.

But guess what?

All I could sense was the energy, but the core was so well protected and fortified.

So either she knows the answers, or you will have to get more information about her unknown core, which would be more work for you.

Good luck.”

Exios turned his back and started walking rapidly towards the massive crystal-like glass door, to which ahead of him appeared the faint red bright line.

And as he finally reached the exit, Hadeon stared at Exios leaving the place.

Causing him to sigh once again with a troubled expression on his face.

-----

Exios got out from the palace, passing through all the guards who bowed to him.

As he got out, he instantly went for the carriage, but instead of getting in, he gets on top of a horse that was attached to the carriage.

With a swift of his hand, he instantly formed a long knife connected to his arm, the knife was made out of iron steel, sharp and firm.

And as he cut out the ropes that attached the horse and the carriage, the long knife transformed to his original form.

Exios began to move quickly with the horse he was riding on.

And as they kept on moving, Exios continued to guide the horse to its full speed capacity, while his head was filled with a storm.

Various thoughts came into his mind.

A lot has happened, and a lot has been said.

Too many things that he couldn’t understand well but tried to search for answers.

As to why his family’s death was connected to an entirely different Empire, who were the people who did this to him, what were the strange anomalies that his brother talked about.

Why the child might be connected to everything that has been happening and to what exactly is inside the child’s core?

To be more exact, what core does she hold?

But as Exios kept on thinking, the only thing that was so clear in his head was the tragic event that happened three years ago.

The storm of thoughts gradually faded away, but the scene was on repeat in his head.

‘Not now.’ He thought as he continued to gallop as fast as he can.

But the ‘not now’ was not enough.

-----

“Forward!” Exios shouted, while walking in front of the tired sweaty soldiers.

All of them exhausted due to the harsh training of the official imperial commander.

Exios, the one in command, looked at all of them with fierce eyes.

While the soldiers couldn’t even take a glimpse at Exios.

After doing what Exios told them to do, they started to swing their wooden swords.

“More strength!

Do I have to remind you all that most of you still have to gain mana in order to use weapons and abilities consecutively?

If you have not awakened your mana yet, focus on your strength!

Otherwise, you will fall behind and I will have to send you home.”

The soldiers, who were exhausted a while ago, started training rapidly, using their full strength, causing to clearly hear their heavy breath.

Exios remained firm and bold, not showing any emotions.

Analyzing every move of every soldier.

But amidst of the shaky training ground, a knight ran all the way to Exios.

Another heavy breath added in the moist air.

The knight that reached Exios took a moment to breath and reorganize his thoughts.

Exios eventually noticed the knight and waited for him to speak.

The shaky eyes of the knight also spoke with a shaky and preoccupied voice.

“Your highness…

I-I am sorry to have barged in like this, but-“He took another moment to breathe.

“Something happened to his highness’s wife.” The knight couldn’t look at Exios no more.

Instead, he looked at the ground, to which showed Exios’s shoes.

And as he said that out loud, Exios did not hesitate to run pass the knight, making him stagger a bit.

And there was Exios who ran through the whole Palace, trying to reach for the exit.

Passing through every walking maid in the halls, every butler and every knight.

Making noise with his heavy metal armor.

But not a single sound was heard in Exios’s head.

Muffling was what he heard.

And what he kept on thinking was the last time he saw them.

Yes, he saw them earlier.

During the morning, where all of them ate together.

They said their good mornings, they talked about how they were going to spend their day and after leaving his wife and child he kissed both of them on the forehead before leaving them in the tavern.

It was a normal day after all, what could have possibly happen to them?

After reaching the main door, he desperately searched for a horse.

“Where the fuck are the horses?!” He yelled, running around near the gates.

He had no time to waste.

“Fuck it!”

He gave up on the horse and started running instead.

And as he ran all he could think of was for them to be okay.

The knight must have exaggerated the way he spoke.

But he had no time to waste.

As he ran through the gravel path, getting further away from the gate and the palace, a carriage was heard coming from the opposite direction.

He ran ahead of him, finally catching up on the carriage that was also coming at him.

The coachman, guiding the horses, was terrified about Exios not stopping.

“W-what are you doing?!” As the coachman tried to stop his horses instead, Exios made a jump to which perfectly landed on a horse, and in that second of landing on the horse, his hand formed a long steel knife that instantly cut the rope that connected the horse and the carriage.

He made a run for it with the horse, not looking back at the mess he made.

His hand returned to his original form, while his mind was still focused on his family.

Hoping for whatever the knight was about to say was wrong.

He didn’t let the knight finish his words on purpose.

He wanted to see them for himself.

“Hiya!” He shouted, trying to go back home as fast as he can.

-----

Exios finally reached the tavern.

The people were walking around him, amused by the sight of the horse, as it had a royal armor.

Exios got off from the horse and stayed still in front of the tavern.

Unlike three years ago, he was hesitant to enter.

With a worried expression on his face he let out a deep sigh and walked towards the tavern’s door.

He slowly grabbed the handle and turned it, in which a sound was heard.

Click!

-----

The doorknob was turned, and the door opened slowly, gradually lighting up the tavern that was covered with darkness.

But instead of the light brown color of the wood on the ground, it was filled with a red liquid color.

Right in front of Exios laid his lifeless wife on the floor.

And suddenly his mind was blank.

Staring at his wife, laying on the cold floor.

He slowly went in, but as he took another step his foot touched the blood.

He looked down and stopped.

He stared at the blood that was below him.

He did not want to believe what he was seeing.

‘What is this? Blood?’ This is what he thought at that moment.

But he did not panic.

Instead he looked at his wife again and began to move towards her.

He kneeled to the ground as he was finally close to his wife.

Touching her caramel wavy hair, caressing her face then gently grabbing her from the shoulders and putting her on his arms.

He could see that his wife was unresponsive.

But her eyes were still wide open.

Lifeless.

“Lea.” He whispered gently, as if he was trying to wake her up.

Or maybe he was trying to wake himself up from this dream.

“Hey, baby.” He continued, but his voice slowly began to tremble, and his eyes were filled with tears.

“Lea, my love.” His voice cracked.

Tears fell down, falling onto his wife’s face.

He moved his head onto hers, causing to both touch each other’s heads.

Exios broke down.

Realizing that he wouldn’t be able to wake up with tears flowing onto his face and his wife waking him up and telling him that it was all a nightmare.

It was no dream, but a realistic nightmare.

-----

As Exios expected, no one was in the tavern.

They got Liliana.

But he had to make sure of that.

He also had to make sure that Liliana and Crimson were okay.

But all of this reminded him of the tragedy that happened three years ago.

Just this time there was no blood and no lifeless body on the floor.