— Agh… but what… is hap— AAAGH!
My thought was torn apart before it could even complete. An overwhelming pain swallowed me, indescribable, as if invisible claws of a colossal beast dug into my chest, tearing me from within. My reason shattered, and the world contracted into a single point of pure suffering.
— KYRION! — Aurëalis's cry, raw and almost feral, sounded distant, muffled by the fog of my agony.
She felt, without needing to see, that I was sinking with each passing second.
Keltherion advanced, then, with a glacial serenity, as if the previous turbulence had never touched him. Next, he brought one arm behind his back and raised the other forward, with an open hand in a strangely calculated gesture. There, he seemed to hold something invisible, something that, I would understand later, was, in fact, the reins of my own life.
— D-DON'T COME ANY CLOSER! — Aurëalis roared, her voice hoarse with exhaustion and panic.
In a desperate act, she then extended one of her arms towards her parents, gathering the energy she still had left, ready to attack at the slightest sign of advance.
Seeing that, Keltherion stopped. He stared at his daughter for a long moment, with a heavy, indecipherable gaze. And then, slightly raised his chin, let out a sigh, and spoke with a manufactured calm, but more threatening than any scream.
— …You know, my daughter… — he began, almost lamenting.
— I really don't know what to say. — He said, while, with slow steps, he circled the space like a judge before a sentence already pronounced.
— You disobeyed my orders, left your room, destroyed part of the castle… and, to top it off, killed Edgar. — His voice hardened.
— One of Lumina's most valuable assets.
His fists clenched, revealing that, behind the facade, his patience was, in fact, close to its limit.
— Do you have any idea what you've done? DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT YOU'VE DONE?! — Keltherion exploded, letting out part of his fury.
— Keltherion… control yourself. — Lyssandra intervened, with a severe look.
But what came from Aurëalis's mother was not protection. It never would be. Lyssandra seemed bothered only by the scandal, by the shame, by the possibility of unwanted eyes witnessing that disorder. Never by her own daughter's pain.
Keltherion, realizing that, looked away, closed his eyes, and ran a hand over his face in a gesture of theatrical weariness.
— Hahaha… — he laughed, without a trace of true humor.
— You really… have no idea what you've caused. — He spoke, now, again controlled, as he resumed walking slowly around us.
Before continuing, Keltherion let out a long sigh.
— Before coming here, I received a message from one of the guards and immediately left for the castle. When I arrived, the destruction was already done… and Edgar was already dead.
Aurëalis trembled slightly upon hearing that, but maintained her posture.
Keltherion continued:
— I gave orders to the servants, organized everything… took care of the body. — He spoke, with the coldness of someone listing administrative tasks.
— And then, only after having done all that, I came here, to where I had sensed your energy heading earlier.
He stopped before her.
— Did you even think about how many times Edgar was by your side? How many times he protected you? — Keltherion's voice, at that moment, became sharp as glass.
— He defended you tooth and nail. You were like a daughter to him.
Next, he pointed at me, who was still struggling on the ground.
— And, still, you killed him. Why? Because of this filthy being that should have been exterminated long ago.
The silence that followed was dense. Suffocating.
Then his voice came again, icy:
— Tell me, Aurëalis. Was it worth it? — he asked, emotionless.
— Betraying those who cared for you since you were just a hatchling… who always wanted your good… to exchange them for this — he pointed at me again — for a disgusting being that, moreover, you just met?
Aurëalis pulled me to her, in a desperate, protective gesture. Tears streamed uncontrollably down her face, and the pain in her eyes was deeper than any sadness. She hugged me with a strength that seemed to want to fuse our bodies, a fragile shield against the cruelty of the world.
— Always… wanted the best for me? — Aurëalis murmured, trembling, with scorn.
— What did you say? — Keltherion demanded, as his calm, again, began to falter.
Aurëalis, then, raised her face, showing her eyes that, once teary, now burned with a contained fury.
— DON'T COME TO ME WITH THAT STORY THAT YOU ALWAYS WANTED THE BEST FOR ME OR THAT YOU ALWAYS LOVED ME! — She screamed, letting all her pain take form.
— You've only used me my whole life. Always!
She breathed with difficulty, and each word seemed torn from the depths of her soul.
— My will never mattered. My opinions were always treated as those of "an immature child." — Her voice broke for an instant, but the accusation remained firm.
— The truth is that you only had me as a tool. A mean to achieve your cursed goals.
Keltherion's eyes widened, struck by the way his daughter had spoken to him.
— Edgar… — Aurëalis continued, as the bitterness she felt flowed through her voice.
— was the only one who seemed to truly care about me. But when I understood that he also only followed orders… that neither I, nor what was important to me, was worth more than your decisions… I accepted.
Aurëalis's words turned into a harsh whisper to her parents.
— None of you ever truly loved me. And you never respected my choices.
She clenched her fists, as she let her rage flow like poison through her veins.
— You pretended to care while I obeyed what you wanted me to do. The moment I stopped following the script… this — she gestured around, encompassing the destruction and me, who was still fallen on the ground, in an agony that seemed, slowly, to begin to unravel.
— is what happened.
Aurëalis swallowed hard, feeling her throat tighten more and more.
— Even so… — Her voice failed again, exposing part of her wound.
— A part of me cried when I killed Edgar. It hurt. Because, even knowing that he was just another piece in your theater… a puppet tied to invisible strings… I am still capable of feeling. Something you not only lost… but perhaps never had to begin with.
She then stared at her father, defiantly.
— You wanted to kill Kyrion because of a feud between races. Because you thought he wasn't worthy of me. — She said, her voice firm.
— I decide who is worthy of me.
The air seemed to contract at that moment, showing that the tension there had reached its limit.
Keltherion, upon hearing that, let out a dry laugh.
— Ha… hahaha… HAHAHAHA! — The sound echoed in a sinister way.
— So that's it? We are monsters who don't trust you?
Aurëalis replied without hesitation, her eyes burning.
— Exactly.
The word fell like a blow.
— What greater proof than the fact that all of you always knew Edgar was an Artifact Engineer and, still, never told me anything?
Lyssandra gave a slight start upon hearing that. A minimal, almost imperceptible flicker — but enough to crack, even if only slightly, her mask of control.
— Even though I am of the royal family. — Aurëalis continued.
— I discovered this secret on my own while I had to help you.
— Reading some documents, I put the pieces together, observed, thought. Meanwhile, you… — she paused for a moment.
— Never trusted me. You preferred to trust strangers, gods much more likely to sell the kingdom's secrets for convenience or power… than me.
Her gaze became cold, fixed on her parents.
— Your own daughter, and heir of Lumina. — She finished.
The faces of both of Aurëalis's parents darkened even further at that moment, struck by a truth that, however much they tried to hide it, had always been there—right before them. Or, at least, Aurëalis wanted to believe that was the reason. Even if it wasn't real—even if that reaction didn't signify any feeling—she clung to the hope that, somehow, even superficially, she had touched what remained of her true parents. That she had reached something behind their masks. Some crack.
But Aurëalis had been mistaken again.
— Aurëalis… — Lyssandra began, after a few seconds of silence, her voice low, almost a whisper.
— You… found out about Edgar?
The question came serious, clear — without shock, without guilt, without concern for her daughter. Just clear self-interest.
Aurëalis hesitated, with incredulity stamped on her face.
— Since when do you know this? — Lyssandra insisted.
Aurëalis, then, stared at her coldly.
At that moment, it became clear to her: her mother didn't care. Never cared. Never would care about her, in any way.
— It doesn't matter since when I know. — she replied, icily.
— What should matter is that you never trusted me. Never. You only wanted me to be what you decided I should be. — She finished, with a look of hopelessness at her parents.
Suddenly, something in Keltherion finally broke.
Until then, he had maintained that appearance of control — fragile, but existing. But now, after hearing his daughter, his aura ceased to be contained, spreading through the environment like an invisible, crushing pressure, making the air vibrate and the ground seem near to give way.
— You… — his voice came out low, disappointed.
— knew about this… and, still, killed Edgar?
The look he cast upon Aurëalis was not just anger. There was something worse: deep disappointment, incredulity… and the coldness of someone who, for the first time, saw his own daughter as a stranger. As an enemy.
— As I said, this doesn't— — Aurëalis tried, but was immediately interrupted by Keltherion.
— It Matters. — He said immediately after, without raising his tone, but with absolute authority.
— It matters to me. It matters to the kingdom.
Each word fell like a weight.
— If you knew Edgar's importance to Lumina… if you were fully aware of what he represented… and, still, killed him… then what you did is even worse than I imagined.
The subsequent look silenced Aurëalis immediately. It was a look that crushed wills.
Keltherion took a deep breath, running his hand over his face, as if trying to organize his own thoughts — or prevent the violence he was containing from escaping.
— Where did I go wrong in your upbringing…? — he murmured, more to himself than to anyone.
For a few moments, no one spoke. The world around seemed suspended. The trees ceased their movement, the wind died, and even the leaves in the air seemed to hesitate — as if time itself awaited what was to come.
— …Yes. — Keltherion finally said.
— I think I've made up my mind.
He then looked up at Aurëalis.
— You want us to respect your choices, don't you? — he continued, with an almost convincing calm.
— Very well. So we shall.
For a brief instant, the weight in Aurëalis's chest seemed to lift. She didn't relax, but a spark of hope gleamed in her eyes. Perhaps he would let us go. Perhaps, as punishment, he would exile her… or strip her of her right to the throne — one of the worst punishments for an heiress. For a noble. And, still, however cruel it might be, it would be the best option. Perhaps the only one she truly desired.
Because, deep down, it wasn't power that called her. It wasn't the crown, nor the castle, nor the name of Lumina. She wanted to leave. To forget that place, that family, those chains disguised as duty. She wanted freedom — not as a pretty word in speeches, but as real life: to breathe without fear, to sleep without guards, to choose without being punished for existing. To live far from there. By my side. Just the two of us.
But fate rarely grants what we most desire.
— But… if we are to respect your choices… — Keltherion continued, as his tone changed from a calm one to, now, a predatory one.
— Then I hope you also remember that choices are only respected as long as they do not harm the kingdom or those who live under its protection.
He took a small step forward.
— This is the code upon which Lumina was built ages ago. And when this rule is broken… the price must be equivalent to the damage caused.
Keltherion's gaze became even colder.
— You killed Edgar even knowing exactly who he was. The price to be paid, therefore, must be equally high.
Keltherion then raised his arm, and turned the palm of his hand towards me.
— And I already know what it will be.
Next, his fingers closed, one by one.
At that very instant, the pain that seemed to have receded exploded within me with multiplied violence. It wasn't just burning; it was as if pure acid had replaced my blood, bubbling and corroding every fiber, every nerve, transforming my insides into a trail of liquid destruction.
— AAARGH—! — The scream tore through my throat.
— KYRION! — Aurëalis also screamed, desperate to see my condition worsen brutally, too quickly.
At the same time, a searing pang shot through one of her own hearts — a direct consequence of our soul link.
Her pain was mine, amplified, a mirror of the torment that united us.
Keltherion, Lyssandra, and Caelus merely observed everything. Too calm.
— There's something you didn't know, Aurëalis. — Keltherion then said, as if revealing a trivial detail.
— As soon as this worm was captured… while still unconscious… Edgar implanted an experimental energy script into his soul.
Aurëalis's face lost its color.
— This script creates a bond of subordination — Keltherion continued.
— And whoever receives it will be completely subordinate to the controller. If they disobey… punishment can be applied whenever the controller wants.
He then tilted his head and let out a cruel smile that left no room for doubt.
— In the case of this trash… the penalty is simple: destroy his hearts, one by one. Inflict the maximum possible pain… until complete death. Without return.
His gaze slid to me as if evaluating a useless object.
— In the arena, his death would have been a conquered right. He would have fought, bled, and, finally, begged for his own life before disappearing. By killing him here, you merely deprived him of the chance to understand how pathetic his existence was before the end.
— What…? — Aurëalis's voice came out weak, almost nonexistent.
She shook her head, as if denial could undo that horror.
— N-no… no… please… don't do this…
Aurëalis fell over me and hugged me tightly, as if her own body could shield me from the impossible.
— Let him go… — she pleaded, sobbing.
— Punish me… do whatever you want with me… I swear I will never go against your orders again…
The sentence died in her throat.
— But, please… don't hurt Kyrion… don't hurt… no…
Keltherion watched her in silence — a silence of contempt.
— Aurëalis… — he finally said, in an almost paternal tone, laden with irony.
— You asked me to respect your choices.
He leaned in slightly, as if explaining something obvious.
— And that's exactly what I'm doing.
His eyes hardened.
— But you know better than anyone… I never go back on my word.
And, with absolute coldness:
— Besides, this being was destined to die from the beginning. It was inevitable.
He closed his hand again.
— Consider this just a reminder… of what happens when someone disobeys me.
Then, without haste, Keltherion squeezed his fingers. Slowly. With intention. Like someone savoring every second of what they cause.
The pain pierced me — not as a wound, but as annihilation. My body writhed, and the next instant an absurd gush of blood exploded from my mouth. I choked. I coughed. I suffocated.
— One… — Keltherion began to count, slowly.
His voice was calm. Satisfied. There was pleasure.
— KYRIOOON! — Aurëalis screamed, in a despair that tore the air.
She threw herself over me, trying anything: to heal, to protect, to envelop my body with what remained of her energy… even feeling, in her own hearts, the pain reflected by our soul link. Nothing stopped her. Her love was an invisible barrier, a silent promise that she wouldn't let me go.
— STOP THIS! — she roared, raising her hand against her father and releasing everything she still had.
The energy exploded. The ground trembled, the trees groaned, the air vibrated as if the region itself was collapsing.
But Keltherion didn't move. The blow hit him… and didn't leave even a scratch. To him, it was less than wind.
He didn't even look away.
— Two…
The pain escalated at that moment, tearing what I still was from within — a pain no being should ever know.
Aurëalis fell to her knees beside me, with her energy practically exhausted. Her body trembled. Her breathing failed. But even so, she continued, trying to save me with hands that no longer had strength. Her eyes, once full of fury, now overflowed with desperate devotion, a love that defied death itself.
As my world faded, and Aurëalis's crumbled, Keltherion, on the other side, seemed to savor every second. For him, this was not an execution, but a performance; a spectacle of agony that he had no intention of rushing.
And then, he continued.
— Three…
— Four…
— Five…
— Six…
— Seven…
— Eight…
— Nine…
Each number was a hammer blow against my soul. With each count, a fragment of my world turned to ashes. At some point, the struggle simply ceased; not because I gave up, but because there was nothing left of me to offer resistance. I was no longer Kyrion; there, I was merely agony: endless, crushing, absolute.
Aurëalis was also at her limit. The pain of the link made her tremble with every second. But even so, she refused to let me go. Her embrace was the only anchor amidst that chaos, the last flame of hope in an abyss of despair.
Before crushing the last heart, Keltherion paused for an instant.
— Hahahahaha… — he laughed, satisfied.
— That was… truly fantastic.
He tilted his head, observing the scene as one appreciates a work of art.
— To see you suffer like this, worm… all this blood… — he murmured, with a sickly gleam in his eyes.
— Ah… what I wouldn't give to feel this again…
Aurëalis raised her face with difficulty. Exhausted. Broken. And yet… refusing to give in.
— Y-you… — Her voice failed, but she continued.
— You are… a monster…
She swallowed hard, drawing in air as if the world itself were heavy.
— To think… that one day… I called you… parents…
The tears, then, came again — not just from fear, but also from hatred and pain.
— But let it be clear… — she forced the words, with what remained of herself.
— You will pay. For every drop of blood. For what you are doing to Kyrion…
She trembled, clenching her fists.
— I promise… — her voice broke, but the oath did not.
— YOU WILL PAY, YOU BASTARDS!
Keltherion's irritation vibrated in the air again upon hearing that. And then, with a terrifying calm, he went back to squeezing his hand, crushing what remained of my life millimeter by millimeter.
The smile that curved his lips was a final insult; he kept his gaze locked with Aurëalis's, forcing her to witness every second of my annihilation, turning my last breath into a trophy of his victory.
— Then try, girl… — He said, looking into Aurëalis's eyes.
And so, finally, his fingers closed completely.