In honour of the Almighty and our victory over the demon lord of Zulusia, Emperor Louis would like to award Prince Zen a symbol of bravery.
However, Zen's unexpected actions disrupt the ceremony, leaving those present shocked and struggling to comprehend the unfolding events.''
No! No! No! This can't be happening! Damm! Damm! Damm it!Why can't I do something even in situation like this why!
I shouted as I regained consciousness, my head still heavy and dizzy. It felt as if I were being continuously struck on the head.
The sight of that massacre of my own family in front of me, while I was bound by those stupid chains, still tremors me, sending shivers down my spine, even in my dreams.
I put my hand to my head, trying to calm myself from the horror of that dream, but as I moved my hand, I was stunned.
No, this can't be real. That's not what should have happened.
My attempt to move my hand was futile; they were bound by several chains and handcuffs.
Several guards aimed their swords and spears at me, their state of alertness palpable.
As I lay there, unable to move, my mind struggled to comprehend the situation.
Who the hell are you? Why am I tied up?" I demanded, my voice laced with confusion and rage.
No one replied; instead, they all glared at me with fury, their eyes blazing with the intensity of a thousand suns, ready to strike me down at a moment's notice.
Realising they wouldn't respond, I scanned my surroundings. I was in the Arena of Ace, but it was unlike the one I had seen just a few hours ago. It was engulfed in complete chaos and blood.
For a moment, I couldn't comprehend where I was, but soon the realisation dawned upon me.
I asked them again about their identity, driven by basic human instinct. Even though I knew they wouldn't respond, the need to understand gnawed at me relentlessly.
From the ashes of chaos, a familiar face emerges, a welcome sight amidst the turmoil.
Their presence commands attention, offering a glimmer of hope in the midst of uncertainty.
He stood as the eldest member of the elite club of the five noble guilds, the esteemed head of the Council of the Three Noble Clans, and the revered leader of the elite members of the clerical council.
He was Trusted almost as much as the royal family, he held the esteemed position of chief among all departments and ministries of Zenark. He was none other than my godfather, Sir Arthur.
He displayed a countenance of profound grief and seething rage as he commanded the royal guards to apprehend Prince Ark for the heinous slaughter of the royal family, the emperor, and numerous esteemed officials of Kingdom of Zenark.
I was shaken to the core, unable to believe what I had just heard.
No, that can't be true, Godfather!" I shouted, tears streaming down my face. "I can't believe it. I vowed to protect them. How could this happen? Where are Father, Mother, Zen? Tell me!
They are dead," Arthur replied in a chillingly cold tone.
I didn't want to trust him, but I knew him. He had never lied once in his life. My entire family trusted and respected him. He took care of me, my father, and served my grandfather under his reign too. That's more than enough for me to blindly trust him. But this time, it's different."
Ahaa aha aha!!! I started crying and asked, "How could this happen? I vowed to protect them, not to throw them to the edge of death!
I can't comprehend what I saw. I never thought you would do such a thing to your own family, I've known you since childhood, but even in my scariest dream, I can't imagine what you did Ark.
I felt like it was someone else completely, but it should be clear to you, having me as your godfather won't grant you any mercy. I wouldn't have believed it if someone else had told me, but after seeing it with my own eyes, I can't forgive you. So, I will ask straightforwardly, why, Ark? He said.
Suddenly, a guard appeared and said, "Sir, we have found Prince Zen's body, and we are retrieving it from the remaining walls of this arena."
I saw Zen's body being retrieved. I always had a clear and sharp vision. It was not a mistake. It was Zen. His body was lying on the ground several meters away from me."
I tried rushing towards him, but then I realized my legs were tied with chains as well.
I could barely see what was happening, but I could feel the life force of Zen clearly But except for Zen, I couldn't feel anyone else's presence from my friends and family.
Enough with your games, Ark!" Thundered Thunderclaw (5th in command of the royal guard) squad and one of my friends. "We've had enough of your games. You destroyed everything with your own hands: our glory, friendship, brotherhood-everything.
I can't blame Sam The Thunderclaw; he was the most close and trustworthy individual in the whole regiment. Sam was an orphan adopted by my father, so he truly looked up to him as his own father. But due to me, he has to face this misery. He even joined the military to be part of the royal guard squad, always by my father's side to protect him.
I still wonder why he was not able to save him. He could have easily overpowered me and stopped me. Maybe it's due to my accursed luck or fate that both he and Zen faced this.
Even when he lost one of his arms, my father shared his own essence to reconstruct it, granting him the power of thunder as well. It was a tribute to his bravery that saved the royal family from a conspiracy.
That arm transformed Sam into Thunderclaw, a military commander who instills fear in the hearts of the enemy just by his name but now the person whom he admired is now dead he is suffering but not letting it come outside through his eyes.
I requested Arthur and him to allow me to see Zen. I needed to be sure that he was safe.
Sam replied in rage, "Do you wish to settle your unfinished business?"
In a tone that bespoke his authority as head of all ministries, Arthur replied, "By betraying the royal family and decimating your own kin, you have forfeited any rights to expect mercy.
You will be treated as the lowest of the low, stripped of all basic rights as a prisoner.
I clearly felt despair, rage, grief, confusion, and all sorts of emotions in Arthur's words. Saying these things to me surely was much harder for him to speak than for me to listen. He is the one who treated me and Zen as his own grandchildren since birth.
Glimpses of the time I spent with my family, especially with my parents and siblings, kept revolving in my mind, bringing tears to my eyes and shattering my heart into pieces.
Interrupting my thoughts, Arthur ordered the medical unit to heal the injured and attend to Zen with the utmost urgency. He also commanded the immediate arrival of Chika, the head of the medical council, to oversee Zen's care. Then, he ordered the rescue unit to retrieve the bodies of the deceased and injured. As for me, he ordered my transportation to prison level 10. With a sorrowful and troubled expression, he walked away.
Before leaving, he told Sam, "Let the chaos in the kingdom calm. The judicial council will decide what should be done to this traitor.
All those shocking truths and revelations left me overwhelmed with emotions. I hated myself. I wanted to die-no, I wanted to kill myself. The weight of my actions filled me with disgust.
I realized that no punishment they could give me would ever be enough for what I had done. Even if they killed me, it wouldn't change or undo a thing to satisfy the enormity of my guilt.
I reflected on what I had done and concluded that no punishment they could give would ever be sufficient. Even if they killed me, it wouldn't satisfy their thirst for retribution, nor would it appease the turmoil within me.
Perhaps even a thousand years of punishment in hell could not diminish my guilt. My sins are so vast that they cannot be absolved or repaid. With chaos consuming my mind, I found myself completely devoid of the will to live.
I don't know if it was misfortune, a demon, possession, or something else entirely, but the price the whole kingdom paid is irreparable.
The weight of my own thoughts and the hatred from others and myself became too much to bear, and I succumbed to unconsciousness once more.