It was the day Lady Beatrice, a noble of the lowest rank with no husband, son, or daughter, was laid to rest in the Royal Graveyard.
Her official death marked the end of the Cherry family, a bloodline renowned for their love of cherry perfu and dical expertise.
I wore a black suit and bow tie, while Cupcake, Evelyn, and Lucy were in black gowns and straw hats, each holding an umbrella except for .
The eleven Royal families from their respective Domains gathered for the state funeral, all dressed in matching dark tailored suits and gowns.
’Creakkkk!’
As the tallic, see-through gate encircling the Queen’s Castle swung open, I was the first to step out.
It was ant to be a cloudless, sunny day, but the sky dimd and turned into twilight. And dark, gentle clouds gathered above, as if the heavens themselves had co to grieve Lady Beatrice’s death.
I walked the cobblestone path, surrounded by pink and purple tulips, holding a transparent jar with Lady Beatrice’s ashes.
Because Lady Beatrice breathed her last in my arms, the burden and the honor fell to to lead her final procession and lay her to rest beneath the twilight skies.
Sheltering from the rain beneath their umbrellas, Evelyn, Cupcake, and Lucy walked behind .
The sky wept, but its tears could not touch . Raindrops slipped from my body like oil on glass, as though repelled by so unseen barrier, as if I were cloaked in latex or wrapped in grief too deep to soak.
The Queen trailed behind Cupcake and the others, flanked by Lana and Riona. Riona held a three-ter-wide umbrella, shielding the Queen from the rain.
The duke and his son, Lucas, were positioned behind the queen, each holding an umbrella. Following them was the leader of the third-highest-ranking noble family, accompanied by his eldest son. Behind them stood the head of the fourth-highest-ranking noble family, along with his eldest daughter.
The line stretched back to the eleventh-ranking noble, Lord Henry, who was accompanied by his knight, Robert.
Monts after exiting the castle gate, I turned west and entered the endless tulip garden.
A cold wind brushed over my shoulders, tousling my black hair as it passed. The tulips resisted, their slender stems bending away. One by one, their petals detached and took flight into the twilight sky, transforming the world around into a living fairytale.
I marched along a narrow cobblestone path, with soft blue lightning sparks electrifying the sky.
The curvy pathway led to a graveyard, where gravestones stood in endless rows, each bearing a na etched in silver ink.
I walked in a straight line, passing forty-seven graves before I arrived at an empty grave. It was flanked by two royal guards in red and white uniforms, each holding a trumpet adorned with the flag of the Demon Empire.
Halting before the grave, I turned to confront the nobles who had followed . Without a word, the two rows, one of family heads, the other of their eldest children, were divided. The heads of families shifted to my left, while the eldest sons and daughters moved to form a line on my right.
Cupcake moved to stand next to ; Evelyn and Lucy mirrored her, taking positions on my left.
With my boots firm in the dirt, I looked at the Queen, who stood before , flanked by Lana and Riona.
"All hail the Queen! The Royal Families present!" One of the two Royal Guards said.
The royal families and the Queen all turned their attention to , their collective stare so intense it nearly made my knees buckle.
Her Majesty, Queen Violet, opened her mouth and uttered words I couldn’t hear. Instantly, the rain stopped, and a countless stream of butterflies erged from the tulip garden, marking the beginning of the funeral.
"Let the sacred rites comnce." Another royal guard said, before blowing his trumpet.
I cleared my throat, acknowledging the presence of the noble families.
"In the presence of your King, life and death are one and the sa," my mouth declared without my permission.
I let go of the transparent jar, which then levitated, hovering in place.
My eyes glowed with a blue aura, and my neck swiveled left and right.
"Bow down before your King, children of the lost era," my mouth commanded again, as though I were possessed.
Shock rippled through the demon nobles as they first looked at , then exchanged bewildered glances.
"How dare you insult the royal family’s honor? Not even death will atone for your sins," the duke barked, his blonde, curly hair framing a face set in the sa dark suit as everyone else.
’Snap!’
"Bow down before your King!" the voice possessing shrieked.
A massive gravitational force instantly pressed down, forcing every single person present to their knees as they struggled to resist. The only exceptions were Lucy and the Queen, who remained standing.
"From east to west, south to north, I see gods disguised as slaves, slaves disguised as gods; my heart has been split into nine pieces, an act of blasphemy strong enough to shake both heavens and earth."
"I am angry." The voice roared.
The gravitational force intensified, crushing the tulip flowers to their foundations and slamming both Lana and Riona flat against the dirt.
The air itself began to compress, as wave upon wave of gravity descended on the graveyard, manifesting visible cracks in reality as if a new dinsion was about to tear through.
"I see pain, I see suffering; for the cris of letting the kingdom fall into ruin, the heavens and the earth shall crumble, and a new kingdom shall erge from the chaos."
I interlaced my fingers, "Look at ," The voice commanded.
The mont their eyes t my ocean eyes, the entire scenery shifted, transforming into a forest of doom.
Mangled snake-shaped trees erupted from the dirt, shooting heavenward, and the moon turned azure, casting a blue hue over everything.
Dark purple rose flowers blood from the trees, each flower was the size of a small mountain, pulsing with a life of its own.
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