"Son, come back. I beg you!" An anxious voice called out to Mars from behind, hurried footsteps trailing sharply after him. Vivian's curly hair swayed with each stride she took, her expression etched with deep concern as she ran through the tenebrous space.
Her voice echoed across the spacious halls, falling upon uncaring ears as Mars stormed forth.
"Please!" She persisted, finally catching up with him and grabbing his arm from behind. She pressed her head against his back, soaking his exquisite attire with make-up stained tears. His movements suddenly ceased, her distressed voice coursing through his ears, knawing at his mental defences with each moment.
Mars' jaws clenched, tears streaming down his eyes as his muscles bulged. The air surrounding him shuddered, a faint crimson glow shrouding his being as he stood there, unmoving.
From the corners of the great hall, two figures peered through, their expressions showing just how worried they were. Loki and Raven exchanged glances, the meaning behind their actions passed across the lightless space.
No one uttered a word. They all just stood there as seconds turned into minutes. The only audible noise came from his mother's tears, whose hands refused to let go.
"I've already lost your father. I can't afford to loose you too," she finally said in-between sobs, her pleading eyes looking up at her son. "This world is a cruel one. You father was strong, monstrously so, but even he wasn't omnipotent. He fought that invader from a foreign land, and while we all thought he would win, just like how we did back then, we were wrong. We were painfully wrong. And now… and now…"
'I can't stand this anymore!' Raven whispered from the corner, stepping forward to confront her brother.
'Raven! Wait! What do you think you're doing?!' Loki called out to her, but his words fell on deaf ears. By the time he was done speaking, Raven was already close to Mars and their mother. Her voice rose as she addressed the later, her frustration pouring out as she spoke.
"Mars, are you an idiot or what?! Can't you see how hurt mother is?!" she said, pointing angrily at Vivian. "Do you think you're the only one hurting? He's my father to. Do you think I don't want to go out there and find him, to? Well guess what, I do! Even if it means killing every last one of those devils, I would.
"Still, I can't, and you know why? It's because I don't want to give our mother another reason to grieve. I'm not scared of dying if it means rescuing father from that accursed Shadow Faction. But I can't if it means giving our mother another reason to hate herself.
"Is that what you want, Mars? Do you want to cause her more pain that she's already experiencing?!"
'Damn, she really doesn't know how to hold back,' Loki shook his head from a distance.
Vivian turned to look at her, her eyes welling with shock as she responded.
"Raven, that's not how to talk to your elder brother. Show some respect," she said with a shallow voice, her hands trembling as they grasped Mars tightly.
"Mother, this is not about respect. I can't just sit back and watch this idiot do something foolish. What if he ends up dead while searching for our father? What then? What would happen to the rest of us?" Raven struggled to hold back her tears, shaking her head in defiance.
"That's enough!" Mars' voice echoed through the grand hall, his voice carrying a deep weight of anguish. He turned to face his mother, his eyes wavering. Looking into hers, he saw the wonderous times when they were all together as a family, when they didn't have to worry about an insidious threat looming above them, and when they didn't have to worry about their loved one's safety.
But now, their relationship was torn. Kael, the Vampire King, was whisked away by the atrocious enemies of the nightwalkers.
"How… how can I just sit back and let those fiends do as they please? They… they…" the words ended up stuck in his throat, his breathing uneven. His shoulders slumped, a plethora of harrowing thoughts whispering in his ears in a dissonant chorus.
'You're such a disappointment. I couldn't even stand by father's side when he needed me most.'
'Just look at you, firstborn for nothing. What did you do when he was lying there unconscious? You stood there, stunned. I'm sure even if you made it in time, you wouldn't have been able to accomplish anything.'
'You make me sick. The Emperor doesn't need a son like you. Slade should've taken you instead.'
From the corner, Loki finally gathered the courage to emerge. With cautious steps, he appeared before his family, his face etched with deep concern as he stood amongst them.
He wanted to say something, but didn't know how to go about doing it. Instead, he just remained there, basking in the prickling silence swirling all around them. Eventually, it was Raven who spoke, her voice filled with grim hope as she said:
"He'll come back. I know he will. They don't call him the spawn of the devil for nothing. Even if he has to slaughter every last one of them, I'm sure he'll come back. And when he does, those idiots will regret the fact that they disregarded him at such a desparate time."
Hearing his sister's words, Mars shook his head, her words slothly fighting their way into his calamitous soul.
'Dad… please, come back…'
*********
Within other parts of the royal castle, the Darkhavens went about their lives as usual. Living at the top naturally came with its perks. Morality failed to curtail a great portion of their activities, allowing the royal family to indulge themselves while neglecting the pressing needs of those far below their standards. Usually, they spent their time throwing lavish parties, having friendly competitions, drinking, gambling, gossiping, and so much more.
Today was one of such days. Within one of the extravagant chambers of the castle, a birthday party was being celebrated. As expected, the royals spared no expense in making the event as luxurious as possible. They conversed, they drank generous dozes of bioluminescent blood, and some discussions ended up in fights which had to be separated by others present before things could get out of hand.
Despite the fact that it wasn't long since the end of what was labeled as the Dread War, most of the royals had already moved on from that abominable period. However, some still couldn't shake off the harrowing memories that were triggered from re-entering that Arena, that room of slaughter.
Many had lost beloved family members in that terrible place. Not only because of Kael's malevolence, but also that of those that reigned before him. Yet, they did their best to put the past behind them. The Shadow Faction was gone, and Kael was gone. A new Emperor had taken his place. Things couldn't possibly get better from here.
Seated surrounding a roundtable, a family of three enjoyed their exquisite meals as they chatted. Lucien's expression was brimming with prideful satisfaction, his words flowing with pristine grace as he addressed his wife.
"I do wish that madman finally meets his end," he spoke, cradling a glass cup in his hand.
His wife, Lydia, gave him a soft smile, her hands trailing imaginary lines through the tablecloth. "Be careful what you wish for. Even if he perishes, you'd still have to fight Edvard and Daeron for the throne. Do you really think you can beat them?"
Lucien chuckled, bringing the glass cup to his lips and taking a generous sip. He sighed as the glowing liquid coarsed down his throat, replenishing whatever depleted energy needed in his body. Then, he looked back at his wife, a grin tugging at his lips as he responded.
"Are you trying to tease me, Lydia. You of all people should know those two are no match for me. After all, I wasn't selected for the position of Prime Minister simply because of my intelligence," Lucien retorted.
"I suppose you're right. Still, those two may be hiding something. Don't forget how Kael fooled us all that day," Lydia said.
"Indeed. That treacherous vermin gave us quite the surprise with his power. When I looked down at my brother, I actually felt sorry for him. Well, it can't be helped, I suppose. He was the one who went for the throne. His death was all his doing."
Lydia nodded her head, taking a sip from her own glass. "Still, it's a shame he met his end that day. He was a fine young man. Arrogant, but promising. I wonder what would've happened of he became king? Would he have been able to deal with that Shadow Faction?"
"Consider the fact that that brute lost, I doubt it. As painful as this is ri admit, none of us would've fared any better than him during that battle."