The moment 10-year-old Prince Rayon saw his father, the king, and two of his palace guards approaching him with a dagger towards the back of the house where he was quietly sitting, he just knew the end of his journey on earth was about to be cut short. And what he predicted manifested into reality. He didn't understand why he had to be killed for saving the entire people present at the palace on that faithful day. And why it has to be his own biological father to carry out the elimination.
It all began on the day of the Royal Ascension ceremony. A yearly event where all sorts of rituals are offered to atone for the sins of the entire nation.
The ground floor of the beautiful palace of Bergen in Norway was surrounded with designs of jewels and silk.
Lords and ladies across the seven kingdoms were assembled, each one with an aura of royalty,
King Fredon, a mountain of a man with a long white beard, gorgeously dressed in his royal attire, stood beside his beautiful queen, Anora.
Her beauty was as sharp and flawless as a diamond. with her beautifully styled. And their children stood between them: the eldest, Prince Ray, already sixteen, standing confidently ready for the day, and young Prince Rayon.
Prince Rayon, a ten-year-old, stood quietly between his parents in his perfectly fitting brightly colored robe, who preferred the company of the royal archivists to that of sword masters.
His neatly combed hair and composure made him another center of attraction among the other guests seated at the venue.
Rayon held a secret, a magical vibrant power in his chest that felt like a caged bird.
He had been told by his father repeatedly that his magic was not to be revealed until his eighteenth birthday, after the proper rituals and controls were in place. It was a weapon to be unveiled at the right moment.
But that faithful day wasn't what was expected as the unusual event unfolded.
The high priest had had sexual intercourse with his wife, which required him to go for cleansing before performing any ritual in the palace.
But he had forgotten and went ahead with the ritual. Just as he began with the ritual, three horrifying creatures appeared in the palace. It was a dragon; their eyes were as red as flames, with its mouth protruding dangerous flames and ready to unleash them on everyone gathered at the palace. They roared angrily like a lion ready to devour its prey.
The fear that gripped the people was like that of a little child locked inside a dark room. This had never happened before; everyone, including the king, was shocked and surprised.
The young prince couldn't stand and watch his beloved family perish. At this time, he would have to disobey his beloved father for the first time and disappoint his mother.
Rayon couldn't hold back his powers. His emerald magical light did not simply glow from his chest; it exploded from him and brightened up the whole atmosphere. With full force, he rose above the height of the dragons, overshadowing them, and a wave of pure, unformed energy devoured the disaster.
The silence that followed was heavier than any sound. Everyone that was present at the palace were surprised.
The look on his father's face was not one of awe, surprise, or pride. It was pure, unadulterated terror.
Young Rayon, who only tried to save his beloved family and people, turned his face down as he was too shaken to look up with tears in his eyes.
That night, there was no supper in his chambers. Instead, his father arrived with two of his palace guards. hidden by enchanted helms.
King Fredon, looking at his young son, said, 'The power is too great, too untamed. It is a threat to the lineage and to the kingdom itself.
Rayon didn't understand. Everything got him confused. The only words he could utter out loud at that moment was, "I'm sorry, Father! I didn't mean to! I can learn to control it, I promise!"
But promises were currency for children, and Rayon had just proven he was no longer merely a child. He was a variable. A dangerous one.
He was taken to the Celestial Antechamber, a room used for astral projections and communing with distant stars.
They told him it was for his own good, to help him "contain" his power.
He believed them, and followed them to the room. And his father held a Soul-Severing Dagger in his arm,
The cold of the room was nothing compared to the cold that entered his heart as the truth dawned on him.
He discovered that this wasn't a lesson; it was an execution. He tried to call upon his magic to fight back. But the shock and betrayal had frozen it solid within him.
The last thing ten-year-old Rayon saw was the cold, remorseful yet resolute look in his father's eyes and the glint of star-metal as it plunged toward his heart.
He felt a lot of pain. Tears rolled down his cheek. He was only trying to save his beloved family, the only one he cherished the most in the world. So why the cruelty? Why the betrayal from his own blood?
This thought of his sprang forth a furious, burning, singular purpose that refused to be extinguished. His consciousness was like a shredded banner on a battlefield, rallied around one emotion: vengeance.
Slowly, he painfully passed away. But before he died, he held one thing in his mind: That he would not fade. He would not go gently into whatever night awaited him. He would be reborn, not in some distant land, but here, in the capital city itself. He would be close. He would be ready. He would return. He would find a way back, and he would tear down the house of King Fredon, stone b
y stone, until nothing remained but the dust of their hubris.