(A/N):
Drop a meme here that you find funny. Or reflects your mood.
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Underground Interrogation Chamber...
The silence stretched thin. Mana restraints glowed.
The four prisoners stood unmoved.
From the side, Jack the Ripper clicked his tongue.
-Tch
"Tch. This is going nowhere," he said lazily.
"Want me to handle it? I've got… methods."
Several knights stiffened.
"...."
"...."
"...."
Sally's eyes widened with interest.
Heath's jaw tightened.
Ben didn't respond immediately.
He was watching.
Specifically—Sally.
She wasn't afraid. She wasn't defiant. She was studying.
Her gaze kept drifting back to him with an intensity that wasn't hatred—It was curiosity. Hunger.
The kind a researcher reserved for something rare.
Ben's fingers twitched slightly.
He could end this quickly.
Transform into Ghostfreak.
Possess them. Read their memories directly.
But—
'What kind of mental seal did the elves place on them?' he wondered.
If Patolli anticipated interrogation, there might be blocks.
Triggers. Self-destructive seals.
He couldn't risk detonating their minds in the process.
So he stepped forward instead.
Marx handed him Sally's confiscated grimoire.
Ben examined the insignia carefully.
Not Clover. Different crest. Different design.
He looked up at her.
"You're not from the Clover Kingdom," he stated calmly.
Sally froze for half a second.
"...."
"…Oh?"
He tilted the book slightly.
"Diamond Kingdom," he concluded.
Murmurs filled the chamber. Several captains exchanged looks.
Sally's lips twitched.
"…Sharp," she admitted.
She didn't deny it.
Ben stepped closer.
"You joined the Eye of the Midnight Sun," he continued, "but you're not one of their core believers."
Sally blinked hearing him.
Valtos' eyes flickered.
Heath shifted subtly.
Ben turned to all four.
"Let's stop pretending this is about loyalty," he said evenly.
He folded his arms.
"I'll make you an offer."
Even Julius looked curious.
"If," Ben continued, "you discover that the Eye of the Midnight Sun has betrayed you… used you… or intends to discard you—"
He let the words settle.
"Then your loyalty transfers."
The chamber grew still.
"To me."
"To the Clover Kingdom."
He looked at each of them carefully.
"You work for us instead."
He then looked directly at Sally.
"And in your case… you may conduct studies."
Her eyes lit up instantly.
Ben raised a finger.
"Harmless studies."
He emphasized it.
"On my transformations."
He leaned slightly closer.
"No dissection."
Noelle inhaled sharply.
Charlotte's hand twitched.
Nebra narrowed her eyes.
Nero gave a slow blink from atop Ben's crown.
"...."
"...."
"...."
Sally tilted her head.
"…Harmless," she repeated, testing the word like it was foreign.
"Yes," Ben replied calmly.
"Observation. Measurement. Mana analysis."
"Nothing invasive."
Sally's grin spread slowly.
-Grin
"Ohhhh… that's still incredibly fascinating."
Heath scoffed lightly.
Valtos' eyes narrowed in thought.
Catherine looked unimpressed—but not dismissive.
Julius watched with quiet interest.
"...."
Ben stepped back.
"You don't have to answer now," he said.
"But think carefully."
He let the final words land softly.
"Because tonight, the Eye failed."
"And when organizations start failing…"
He met their eyes.
"They look for scapegoats."
Silence fell again.
But this time—It wasn't resistance.
It was doubt. And doubt—Was far more dangerous than torture.
Ben didn't wait for reactions.
He handed the grimoire back to Marx, turned on his heel, and left the interrogation chamber without another word.
Nero remained perched atop his crown, feathers ruffling slightly as they exited the palace corridors.
Upstairs—The capital was alive again.
Buildings stood restored thanks to Julius.
But the people still carried the memory of flames.
Citizens moved through the streets carefully—repairing shop signs, clearing ash that no longer needed clearing, checking on neighbors.
Relief. Exhaustion. Gratitude.
Ben walked without escort. No fanfare.
Just another figure moving through lantern-lit streets.
They passed a small food stall near the plaza.
The scent hit immediately—Grilled mana beast meat.
Marinated in herbs and fire-roasted until the edges crisped beautifully.
The stall owner froze when he recognized the crown.
"Y-Your Majesty!" he stammered, bowing quickly.
"An honor!"
Ben gave a small nod.
-Nod
"Evening. Smells good."
The man brightened instantly.
"Fresh catch! Caught outside the northern ridge. Marinated for six hours!"
"I'll take a portion," Ben said calmly.
The skewers were brushed with glaze and set over flame once more. Fat crackled. Smoke curled upward. The aroma deepened.
Nero leaned forward slightly, interested.
Ben noticed her reaction.
"You're not getting any," he muttered quietly.
She blinked at him. Unamused.
-Blink -Blink
"...."
Moments later, the vendor handed him a wooden tray.
"On the house, Your Majesty!"
Ben paused. Then placed coins down anyway.
"...."
"Keep it fair."
The man's eyes widened, then softened with gratitude.
Ben carried the tray to a nearby wooden table beneath a lantern.
He sat. Set the tray down.
The city murmured around him.
He picked up a skewer.
The meat was tender. Smoky. Rich with spice.
For a moment—No undead. No portals. No conspiracies.
Just grilled mana beast under a quiet night sky.
Nero hopped down from the crown to the table, staring at the food.
Ben sighed seeing her reaction with a amused look with a teasing smile.
-Sigh
"…Fine."
He tore off a small piece and set it aside.
She snatched it instantly.
"...."
"...."
They ate in silence.
Ashvale Village...
Ashvale was small. Quiet.
The kind of village where children ran barefoot through open fields while elders watched from shaded porches.
That afternoon—Laughter filled the air.
A group of boys were playing near the old hill outside the village when one of them stopped.
"…Hey. What's this?"
Half-buried in the dirt was a stone.
Dark. Jagged. Wrong.
It wasn't smooth like river rock.
It looked carved—yet broken.
The boy knelt and brushed away the soil.
The stone pulsed faintly.
"…Cool."
The other kids circled closer.
"Don't touch it," one girl said nervously.
The boy leaned in.
As he stared at it—The world tilted. A faint ringing filled his ears.
Then—A voice. Soft. Sweet. Calling his name.
"…Come closer…"
His breathing slowed. His pupils dilated.
"...."
The stone's surface shimmered.
"Hey!" one of the boys called. "Are you okay?"
The boy didn't respond.
He reached forward—And touched it.
Instantly—The stone shifted.
Dark crimson spread across its surface like blood blooming through water.
It began glowing.
On... Off... On... Off...
"...."
"...."
"...."
Faster. The air vibrated.
"Guys…?"
The other children stepped back.
"Stop it!"
But the boy didn't hear them. His eyes were fixed on the stone.
A circular distortion formed beneath his feet.
A portal. Sudden. Violent.
The ground cracked.
The portal snapped open—And swallowed him whole.
Gone.
The children screamed.
-Ahhhhh!!!
The stone shot upward into the air—Then shattered.
The earth trembled.
Behind where the boy had stood—The ground began to rise.
Stone pillars pushed upward violently.
Ancient bricks broke through soil.
A ruin. Old. Forgotten.
Emerging from beneath the village hill.
Villagers ran toward the scene, shouting.
"What happened?!"
"Where's the boy?!"
Dust filled the air.
The structure continued rising—An ancient doorway revealed.
Etchings glowing faintly red.
Whatever had been buried there—Had been waiting.
And somewhere beyond sight—Something had just claimed its first offering.
Dust still drifted in the air.
The ancient structure had fully surfaced now—jagged stone towers, cracked archways, crimson sigils pulsing faintly across its surface like a heartbeat that did not belong in this era.
Villagers rushed forward.
"Get him out!"
"Someone do something!"
But just as they neared—A transparent wall shimmered into existence.
A barrier.Invisible until touched.
-THUD. -THUD.
-THUD...
One of the men ran straight into it and was thrown backward by a dull pulse of force.
"What—?!"
The boy's father arrived seconds later, breath ragged.
"Where is he?!"
"He vanished—! The ground—!"
The mother stumbled forward, eyes wild.
She slammed both palms against the unseen wall.
"LET ME IN!"
The barrier flared red where she touched it.
Her scream broke.
The father clenched his teeth and stepped forward.
He channeled mana into his fists and struck the barrier.
Once... Twice...
A third time.
Each blow echoed uselessly.
The surface rippled—But did not break.
He struck harder. His knuckles bled.
The barrier did not yield.
Behind it—The ruin's entrance stood silent.
Watching. Waiting.
The mother collapsed to her knees, sobbing.
-Sob -Sob
"He's just a child… he's just a child…"
The father placed a trembling hand against the barrier once more.
This time, he did not strike it.
He stared through it. At the doorway.
At the glowing symbols carved into ancient stone.
His face darkened. Not panic. Not despair. Resolve.
"Send word to the capital," he said quietly.
No one argued.
Because everyone present understood something terrifying.
This was no accident. This was summoning.
And somewhere inside that ruin—Their son was alone.
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(Author's POV)
(A/N)Thanks for reading the chapter!
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Guys My New Fic name is: Star Entertainment: Building An Empire.
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