Tit
Tat
The night air was cool as Neron followed Kido through the Royal Courtyard, their footsteps light against the cobblestone path.
The moon cast faint shadows around them, but Kido seed to know exactly where he was going. They approached an unassuming section of the courtyard wall where vines had overgrown, obscuring a hidden entrance.
"This is it," Kido whispered, brushing the foliage aside to reveal a small, ornate door. It looked ancient, the carvings on its surface worn with age.
"How did you find this?" Neron asked, his voice equally low.
Kido smirked, a glint of pride in his eyes. "Let's just say I've been paying attention to places the others ignore. Plus, I picked up on traces of energy—the Cult's energy—lingering here. You wanted answers, right? This is where they'll be."
Neron nodded.
Kido pushed the door open, revealing a narrow staircase spiraling downward.
"I'll keep watch out here," Kido offered, leaning casually against the entrance. "Wouldn't want anyone stumbling upon us."
"Fine," Neron muttered, summoning a faint orb of light that hovered over his palm. He stepped into the stairwell, the door creaking shut behind him as he descended.
The air grew colder with each step, and the walls seed to close in. The only sound was his steady breathing and the faint hum of his magical light. After what felt like an eternity, he reached the bottom—a long corridor that stretched into darkness.
Neron advanced cautiously, his senses sharp.
The faint tallic tang of blood lingered in the air, though it was old, almost imperceptible. He finally reached a heavy door at the end of the hallway. With a wave of his hand, he unlatched the locks and pushed it open.
The sight before him made him freeze.
Bones.
Three skeletons lay chained to the walls of a small dungeon. The air felt oppressive, as though the room itself bore witness to imnse suffering.
Neron stepped closer, his gaze narrowing on the remains.
The skeletal figures bore no sign of life or lingering energy, yet there was no mistaking their presence. He crouched, studying one of the skulls. The shape of it, the faint traces of dark energy—this wasn't just anyone.
"Legris," Neron murmured, his voice hollow. His hand moved to the next set of remains. "Reed." Then the third. "Netherlore."
A pit ford in his stomach, his mind racing.
He had spent months among the Midas people, training under their Emperor, learning their ways, even beginning to trust them. Yet here, in this dungeon, lay the undeniable truth: three mbers of the Nether Cult, slain and discarded like trash.
How? Why?
'No… I can't be sure that they did this!'
His head swam as conflicting emotions surged through him—doubt, anger, confusion. He had to know what had happened here, no matter the cost.
Taking a deep breath, Neron activated his Original Magic.
"[All The Ti In The World]."
The world around him blurred as his consciousness slipped from the present and into the past.
The dungeon was now dimly lit by torches, the scent of blood fresh and overpowering. Neron's disembodied form watched as the iron door creaked open and guards marched in, dragging three prisoners. Legris, Reed, and Netherlore looked battered, their faces bloodied and their clothes torn.
They were forced against the walls, chains clamping onto their wrists and ankles.
Monts later, the Emperor entered, his presence commanding and unyielding. Kuzon, only a child, followed closely behind, his golden eyes wide but unreadable. Enjoy more content from empire
"Filthy humans," the Emperor said coldly, his gaze sweeping over the prisoners. "Weak. Inferior. You co to my Empire without Aether, without potential, and think yourselves our equals?"
Legris raised his head, his lips curling into a defiant smile despite his condition.
"Equality? We never cared about that. You're just scared of what we represent."
The Emperor's eyes flashed, and with a wave of his hand, a surge of Aether energy slamd into Legris, silencing him.
"Scared? Hardly. You are ants, daring to stand before giants."
He turned to Kuzon, placing a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Do you understand now, Kuzon? These creatures—humans—are weak because they cling to their base forms. They lack the strength to evolve, to beco more. It is our duty to remove such impurities from our world."
Kuzon hesitated, his small hands trembling. "But… they're alive. Isn't that… enough?"
"No," the Emperor said firmly. "rcy is a weakness we cannot afford. And you, as my son, will prove your worth by executing them."
Neron's heart sank as he watched the young prince's hesitation. Kuzon's eyes darted between his father and the prisoners, his internal struggle visible.
"I…" Kuzon's voice wavered, but after a mont, he straightened. "I'll do it."
The guards handed him a gleaming blade infused with Aether. Kuzon approached Legris first, his expression a mix of fear and determination.
Legris t the boy's gaze, his defiance unbroken. "Do it, kid. Show the world what your precious Aether really stands for."
With a cry, Kuzon drove the blade through Legris's chest.
Neron's vision blurred as his emotions spiraled out of control. He watched in horror as Kuzon repeated the act with Reed and Netherlore, tears streaming down the boy's face even as he obeyed his father's orders.
The scene began to collapse as Neron's consciousness rejected the overwhelming trauma. He was yanked back into the present, gasping for breath. His orb of light flickered as he leaned against the dungeon wall, his hands trembling.
"Haa… haaa…."
No way!
It couldn't be real… but there was no other explanation.
The past couldn't lie, and ti was his ally. The fact that he witnessed the execution of his friends, and it coincided precisely with the timing that the Cult Leader inford him was their death was enough to deal it for him.
'They killed you, Legris… Kuzon, that bloody Emperor!' Neron could feel sothing rise from the bottom of his burning heart.
He felt his rage churning, searching for an outlet to release it.
Then—
"Neron?" He heard a voice coming from behind him.
Slowly, he turned back and saw the Emperor. He stood there with his wife, the Empress, and their two children standing behind them.
They appeared horrified as they stared at him.
"What are you doing here?"
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