It was another dark, quiet night in Uldar, the royal capital of Indoris.
Inside the grand stone walls of the capital, the residents had grown used to the sounds of terror. Every few nights, a sharp scream would pierce the night air. By now, nobody even jumped. Every single morning began the same way- someone would step into a narrow alley and find a bloody corpse dumped on the cold cobblestones.
There were no investigations. There were no arrests. The royal guards did not double their night patrols. In fact, fewer guards walked the halls now than ever before.
The younger servants and low-ranking nobles were terrified, shivering at every shadow. But the older staff and elderly guards remained quiet and grim. They had seen this exact same bloody madness decades ago, back when they were young. To them, history was simply repeating itself, dragging the horrors of their childhood right back into the light.
Deep inside the inner sanctum of the palace, Emperor Ardan Aghaz was laying in his massive bed. He tossed and turned under the heavy silk covers, his eyes were wide open. It was another sleepless night.
Everything was unfolding just as he had planned, but at very slow pace. A heavy sigh escaped his chest. He raised a weak, trembling hand toward the dark ceiling, opening his fingers as if trying to catch the invisible threads of fate hanging in the air.
A soft, polite knock rattled the heavy wooden door.
"Your Imperial Majesty," a guard called out from the hallway, his voice was cautious, "Forgive me for disturbing your rest, but the Third Prince is outside. He begs for an audience."
A tiny, cruel smile flickered across the old Emperor's pale lips, "Let him in."
"Right away, Your Eminence," the guard replied.
The heavy door creaked open just enough for a single man to slip inside. It was the Third Prince, Lehan Aghaz.
"Father..." Lehan said softly. He stepped into the dim room and immediately dropped to one knee, bowing his head.
The old man groaned as he pushed himself up against his large feather pillows, forcing his frail upper body to sit straight so he could look at his son, "Stand up, Lehan. At ease."
"Thank you, Father", Lehan stood up quickly and rushed to the side of the bed. He reached out and wrapped both of his hands around his father's cold, wrinkled fingers, sitting right on the edge of the mattress.
"Father," Lehan choked out, his voice was thick with tears.
"What is it, my child?" the Emperor asked. His voice sounded remarkably gentle, dripping with warm fatherly concern. He lifted a bony hand and slowly ran his fingers through Lehan's messy hair, "Tell me. What is wrong?"
"Everything is wrong, Father!" Lehan tried to sound brave and strong, but his voice cracked instantly, "Ever since my name was put forward as a rival for the Obsidian Throne, my life has turned into a nightmare. My friends, my guards, my supporters... they are being hunted down one by one! In just the last few weeks, almost everyone I grew up with has been murdered. My servants were killed in their sleep. And yesterday..."
Lehan broke down completely, a sob was tearing through his throat.
"Yesterday, they killed Melissa! My Melissa!" He squeezed his father's frail hand tightly, his knuckles turned white, "What did she ever do to them? She didn't care about power! She didn't want to be a queen! When we first fell in love, she thought I was just a low-ranking palace servant. She begged me to give up this race for the crown so we could leave the capital and live a quiet, peaceful life somewhere far away. Why did she have to die, Father? Why her?"
The warm softness vanished from the Emperor's eyes. His face turned hard as stone, "Which one of your brothers did this? Do you know?"
"I... I am not entirely sure, Father," Lehan stammered, hesitating, "It has to be either Ahiran or Eilan. I went to see them both today. I demanded answers! But Eilan just laughed in my face. He mocked me for crying over a common girl, and then he said a weak fool like me could never rule an empire. And Ahiran..."
Lehan's jaw trembled, his eyes turned bloodshot with rage, "Ahiran said vile, disgusting things about Melissa. He insulted our love, he degraded her memory... I can't even repeat the words he used! I wanted to... I wanted to..."
Ardan tilted his head, his voice sounded dangerously quiet, "You wanted to do what, Lehan?"
"I want to kill him!" Lehan roared, tears streaming down his face as fury overwhelmed his grief, "I don't care about the damn throne anymore! Curse the throne! It took Melissa away from me! For her... I want to kill him with my own hands!"
"Are you saying," the Emperor asked, his tone was now completely flat and emotionless, "that you are truly ready to take the life of the person who murdered Melissa?"
"Yes! I will kill him!" Lehan ground his teeth together. He shocked himself with the sheer venom in his own voice. He had spent his whole life being gentle, quiet, and kind. He had never spoken a violent word in his life, nor wished harm to anyone, until this moment.
If anyone had been watching the old Emperor closely in the dark room, they would have seen a subtle, satisfied smirk stretch across his face.
Ardan reached out and gently patted his son's trembling hands, "Call the Grand Vizier."
A few minutes later, the door opened again. The Grand Vizier, Artemis Kaine, entered the bedchamber. He looked half-asleep, rubbing his bleary eyes and trying his best to stand up straight in front of his ruler.
"You summoned me, Your Imperial Majesty?" Artemis asked, bowing low.
"A terrible crime has been committed against my dear Lehan," Ardan declared smoothly, "The love of his life, the fair lady Melissa, was murdered in cold blood. My son is heartbroken. And now, he wishes to take the life of the killer."
Lehan stood straight, his chest was heaving, "I will kill him myself."
The old Emperor looked up at his son with sharp, piercing eyes, "Tell me, Lehan. If it turns out your second brother, Prince Eilan, killed her... will you take his life?"
"Yes!" Lehan snapped without hesitation.
"Don't just say 'yes' like a frightened servant!" Ardan barked, his voice had suddenly turned commanding and loud, "Say the words clearly! Express your true desire!"
Lehan swallowed hard, his heart was hammering against his ribs, "I will take Eilan's life!"
"And what if it was your eldest brother, Prince Ahiran?" Ardan pressed further, his eyes locked onto his son.
"I will take Ahiran's life!" Lehan repeated loudly, driven by raw anger.
"And what if it was the Grand Vizier himself?" Ardan asked, casting a cold, mocking glance toward Artemis Kaine, "What if Artemis killed her?"
"I will take his life too!" Lehan yelled, completely lost in the momentum of his own rage.
The old Emperor's lifeless, faded eyes suddenly flickered with a strange, unnatural greenish light. Beside the bed, Artemis Kaine didn't look threatened or angry at all. In fact, a small, amused smile crept onto the Vizier's face.
Deep down inside Lehan's mind, a quiet voice screamed at him to stop. A terrifying feeling washed over him, warning him that he was crossing a line he could never step back from.
The old Emperor reached out and gripped Lehan's wrists with surprising, crushing strength.
"And what if it was me?" Ardan whispered, his voice sounded dark and hollow, "What if I was the one who ordered Melissa's death?"
"Then I would take your life!" Lehan shouted instantly.
As soon as the words left his mouth, Lehan gasped. He couldn't believe what he had just said. Panic flooded his chest.
"So..." Ardan smiled, looking genuinely thrilled, "You would kill your own father?"
"Yes..." Lehan whispered, his throat dry as he swallowed hard, "I would take your life."
Suddenly, the frail old Emperor threw off his heavy blankets. He practically leaped out of the bed, standing tall and strong on the mattress. He pulled his terrified son into a tight, desperate embrace.
"Now you are talking like a true Aghaz!" Ardan laughed wildly, "A real prince ready to murder anyone who dares to cross him! A common, worthless girl like Melissa never deserved your love anyway. But do not worry, my boy. You will get a proper woman now- someone worthy of an Emperor. You shall have Bianca Bistro, the most beautiful maiden in all of Tir Luthar! She will make a perfect empress for you!"
Lehan's head spun. He pulled back slightly, trying to make sense of the madness, "What are you saying, Father? Lady Bianca? She is betrothed to my older brother! She is my sister-in-law!"
Artemis Kaine stepped forward and whispered in low and urgent voice, "Your Eminence..."
"Yes, yes, I know," Ardan replied quickly. He tightened his grip on Lehan, holding the boy close to his chest, "Tell me again, Lehan. You just said you would kill me if I was the one who ended your girl's life, right?"
"No! I... I didn't mean it like that…." Lehan stammered, his blood was running cold.
"Did you say it or not?!" Ardan roared into his ear.
"Y-Yes!" Lehan froze, paralyzed by pure terror. He couldn't understand what was happening to him.
"Then take my life!" Ardan burst into a manic, echoing laugh.
The second those words echoed through the room, the Emperor's body seemed to deflate. His skin withered, turning gray and dry like old parchment. His posture collapsed, and he tumbled backward onto the bed, gasping for air.
At the exact same moment, Lehan stumbled backward as well. A wave of intense nausea and exhaustion hit him out of nowhere. His head started throbbing violently, and his limbs felt strangely heavy, as if something cold and thick was pouring directly into his bloodstream.
"Father..." Lehan gasped, clutching his head, "What... what did you just do? I don't feel well..."
The old man weakly raised one hand, waving his fingers to dismiss his son.
Confused, terrified, and barely able to walk, Lehan backed out of the room and stumbled down the dark corridor.
The moment the heavy door clicked shut behind the young prince, Artemis Kaine stepped closer to the bed, "Your Eminence... it is done. The link has finally been established."
"Yes..." Ardan wheezed, a satisfied grin stretched across his decaying face. Even though his physical body was rapidly failing, catching up to his true, ancient age in a matter of seconds, his eyes were bright with triumph, "The foolish boy finally found the courage to speak the ritual words."
"I had told you, Your Eminence," Artemis smirked. His human features began to twist and ripple unnaturally as he was gradually being enveloped in a strange dark smoke. His skin melted into shadows, making him look less like a man and more like a creature from a nightmare, "Pain was the only way to force Lehan to utter the oath. Now, the connection is forged, and your lifeforce can flow freely into his young body."
"Indeed," Ardan whispered, closing his eyes, "I should have never doubted the dark wisdom of The Gilded Liar's lieutenant."
"It is an absolute honor to be praised by the immortal Emperor," Artemis replied, his voice shifted into a strange, grinding metallic tone, "A ruler who raises weak, soft princes just to steal their bodies, devour their souls, and live forever."
"I am growing tired of this temporary trick, Artemis," Ardan muttered weakly, "Stepping from one weak son to the next... it is exhausting. I want true immortality. I want my place beyond the realm of the stars."
"And you will," Artemis said smoothly, "The time is drawing near."
"Good," Ardan nodded, "Now go. Keep a close eye on my new host. Make sure my dear Lehan stays alive until I completely discard this dying carcass and take full control of his young flesh."
"He is perfectly safe, my lord," Artemis replied, "You made sure of that yourself. After all, it was you; and not his brothers, who had ordered the slaughter of his friends and servants. Princes Ahiran and Eilan only targeted his political allies in the court. They never touched his personal inner circle."
"I couldn't take any chances," Ardan coughed violently, a spray of dark blood stained his pale lips. "...oh I hate this last 24 hours. Too much pain….." he wiped the dark blood and huffed, "If Lehan died before the link was finished, my soul would have been dragged straight to the court of Sol. I will be sentence to be burned in his blinding scorching light for eternity! Ahiran and Eilan have strong, stubborn minds. Their souls would have fought back during the possession. But Lehan... Lehan's spirit is soft and broken. I can't lose him at this moment."
The Emperor gasped for breath, his chest was heaving, "Now go! Do as I commanded!"
"As you wish, Sovereign," Artemis whispered softly.
The dark, swirling shadows around the Vizier began to shrink, solidifying back into the shape of a normal human man in noble robes. He looked down at the dying ruler and offered a formal, cold bow.
"Truth is a shadow," Artemis said.
Ardan smiled through the blood on his lips, closing his eyes as he drifted toward sleep, "And the Gilded Liar holds the light."