Chapter One — The Shadow of Betrayal and Blood
Eerie winds whispered, haloing the darkness.
Deep murmurs stirred within the black void—a familiar comfort to the boy who had dwelt there for twelve long years. The whispers were faint, indecipherable, like echoes rising from the depths of his unfathomable mind.
Whispers upon whispers upon whispers...
The Zone of Abyss.
Waves of uncertainty rolled through the stillness.
He sat cross-legged, one leg over the other, his crimson eye fixed on the massive metal door before him—awaiting the horror to come. Through the ancient palace walls, the cries of the people reached his ears, trembling with despair.
He blinked once.
The door creaked open.
**TENEBROUS EMPIRE**
**THE TRIAL OF CABAS SANTOU WILL NOW BEGIN**
The great hall fell silent.
All eyes turned to the man in bronze cuffs, held tightly by two members of the **VOID**—Tenebria's deadliest instruments of execution.
Cries burst from his family, their pleas echoing toward the throne where King Gemma Darkdorm sat, expression carved from stone.
The pillars of the noble houses flanked him, each robed in its house colors, bearing silent witness.
The condemned man was forced to kneel before the towering guillotine.
> "For the sins of blasphemy against the royal families,
> For the sin of betrayal against the kingdom,
> And for the murder of a Royal Guard—
> Cabas Santou shall be executed!"
The voice of the Execution Lord of the VOID thundered across the chamber.
> "His family shall be exiled to the Abyssal Trail and stripped of Tenebrian rights!"
"Your Majesty! Have mercy!" cried the peasants, their voices trembling—
But mercy had no home in Tenebria.
The man's fate was sealed as the blade glimmered above his bowed head.
---
Light pierced the darkness.
Kaelin hissed in irritation, recoiling into the shadows between tall shelves heavy with forgotten tomes. The chamber reeked of dust and solitude; death itself seemed to breathe through the painted faces staring from the walls.
Lantern light flickered. Two attendants stepped in, their eyes scanning the room. One—a young woman—found him first.
"Prince Kaelin," she said softly. "The trial has begun. His Majesty calls for you."
The words struck him like ice. A shiver rippled through him, his breath faltering. As he staggered upright, the maiden hurried forward to steady him. He looked up at her—and froze.
Her eyes told him everything.
Brown, trembling, bright with unshed tears.
Hatred. Pain. Regret.
Her father was the man about to die.
She helped him toward the western alcove and seated him gently.
Her hand stretched out behind her; the second attendant passed her the prince's robe—a dark grey tunic trimmed with gold and a high collar fit for royal blood.
She dressed him carefully, her hands steady despite the tremor in her heart. She fastened the robe, slipped his slippers on, and began to bind his long, dark hair.
Silence thickened the air.
She dared not look at him—but couldn't resist. When her eyes met his, her breath caught.
Blood-red.
Not human. Not safe.
"Prince Kaelin," she whispered as she tied the final knot. "This will be the last time I serve you."
He flinched. His eyes flickered—a brief flash of vulnerable green beneath the red.
He stumbled back, colliding with the great fur-covered bed.
"Miana…"
She fell to her knees, bowing low until her forehead touched the floor.
"My name is not worthy for you to speak, my prince."
"You're leaving me," he murmured, voice trembling.
"My family is on trial, my prince. When it ends… I'll be cast out. I'll cut my hair and leave the palace behind."
He blinked rapidly, turning away.
"You'll be assigned a new mai..."
"I don't want a new maiden!" he snapped, fists clenched.
She straightened slowly, meeting his eyes. The air thickened with a suffocating tension. His blood-red gaze burned into the maiden behind her, raw with fury and grief. She stepped back instinctively.
"Get out," he commanded.
The second maiden fled, shutting the door behind her.
Kaelin turned back to Miana, the red in his eyes dimming once more.
"I don't want a new maiden…" he whispered.
Miana stepped closer, brushing his dark hair back with trembling fingers.
He caught her hand and pressed it to his cheek.
His eyes spoke what his lips could not.
She smiled faintly, though sorrow bled through it. She wiped away the tears streaking down his face.
"Besides," she murmured, "you're not alone. She's always with you."
He stiffened, his voice low and sharp.
"She is always with me," he said, eyes flaring crimson again. "SHE IS ME. I don't want you to leave."
"I also don't want to leave you, my Lord," she lowered her voice. "The situation demands it for now. I'll go, and train myself to be worthy of you."
"You're enough!" He objected. "You don't have to be more."
"Prince Kaelin…" Miana's voice trembled. She held his hands tightly, trying to calm him. "Please, stop crying. There are people outside—please…"
Her eyes darted toward the window.
The once-bright sunlight had vanished. Dark clouds gathered, swallowing the sky. The ancient paintings on the walls seemed to twist in the dim light, their painted smiles curving into sinister smirks.
And the room, once merely lonely, now felt alive.
** ** ** **
The guillotine blade was lowered to the man's head, and as his helpless family watched, the blade came running, giving a perfect cut, spilling his blood to the hungry mother earth. Many tear up at the harsh, severed sight, his head thudding feet away from the guillotine.
It didn't faze the elders, nor did the young royals react. Rebels push forward to the higher-ups, voicing their anguish, only to be blocked by the VOID.
As the chaos drew near, the sky darkened in response, drawing all attention. Children shiver in the sudden chilly environment; balls of thunder illuminate the sky.
King Gemma gazed up at the cloud, getting a nature call to dispatch from the execution ground; he stood up and turned to leave the ground; his guards and warriors followed behind. Eunuchs and maidens hurry to secure the royal offspring, but the king's eye could not trace his heir.
"Where is Kaelin?" The question was directed to his trusted guard.
"The prince refuses to come out, your majesty." He stepped forward to reply.
King Gemma didn't try to hide his disappointment, even as he watched the second queen, who led her two children down the hall to their chamber. He turned around and took his steps, elegant and foreboding, to his heir's quarters, having the guards trailing quietly behind.
...
Prince Kaelin's room was located in the east wing, beneath the stone ground, like an underground tavern. He had insisted on an enclosed space, where light could never invade.
"The light is my opposite."
He would always say.
A different pattern of building, more rows of perplexing painting decorations, drew the heir himself, littering the hallway underground.
The door was unchained and pulled open by two guards, letting light illuminate the underground passage.
King Gemma gave a halt command and walked in by himself.
He walks through the hallway, having just touched fire that seems to dance like wailing maidens at every short distance.
He approached the large metallic door that was wide open and walked through it into the dark room.
The room was still. Too still. Uniquely Kaelin.
"Kaelin!!" He called into the dark.
"Go away, Father!!" He yelled back.
"You were supposed to be present at the trial!!" He bellowed, awaiting the disappointing reply from his son, whose direction he can't seem to fathom.
''I want Kae...my maiden back.''
"That's against the rule, Kaelin!!" The king, utterly disappointed, barked. "You're going to be the emperor of this kingdom someday. The rules must be followed starting from you!''
He got no reply, only a silent sob.
"Get out of here. The people of ELDRIDA will be here soon. You'll meet your betrothed today.''
...
The king squinted, clearly not used to silence after a betrothal topic.
Instead, the door creaks behind him, vividly drawing his attention. He spun around in a quick attempt to stop his fleeing son, but it was like reaching for the dark.
All the lights lighting the hallway suddenly burst out.
He gasped, staring at the metal door that creaked loudly, pulling to shut.
He rushed back just in time to squeeze through the exit before the door clanked shut, locking him in the hallway.
"KAELIN!" He raged.
Swiftly taking a turn, he dashed out of the dark hallway, exiting into the stormy day.
"Your Majesty!!" The guards chorused in sudden alert.
He left the palace again!! King Gemma roared.
Find him before they arrive!!''
TBC...