Michael's body froze as he could not understand anything that was being said. All that kept flashing before his eyes was Olivia's face.
Uncle Sam said,
"I was actually here to tell both of you something other than Lucien's past. It's a shame I couldn't make it here before the marriage, but after everything I have told you..."
"Michael and Olivia..."
"You both are half-siblings."
Olivia's eyes went dark.
Her jaw dropped, and her face slowly turned to anger as she realized what had just happened between her and Michael.
Uncle Sam continued,
"I completely understand what both of you are feeling right now. You both have every right to be angry at me, and I am sorry that I couldn't tell you before it was too late."
Michael stared at the sky, unable to process anything.
Just when he thought he had finally learned everything about his life...
He realized he still knew nothing.
He quietly asked,
"Why did I spend my whole life away from my family?"
Uncle Sam replied,
"I am going to tell you about the Curse of Spiecha."
Olivia, still furious, asked,
"What does that even mean?"
Uncle Sam answered,
"This was a curse placed upon the Valric Clan fifty years ago."
Michael interrupted.
"I am twenty-seven right now."
Uncle Sam nodded.
"I know."
"Spiecha is a story that traces its roots all the way back to the Dark War. She was a witch who survived the war while fighting on the side of the Son of Marca."
"After the war, she lived a peaceful life, but there was one problem."
"The Valrics stood above everyone else in the world. They were so powerful that countless innocent people died because of them."
"Because of this, she trained relentlessly until she unlocked the Book of Curses, where she learned a forbidden curse and practiced it day and night."
Michael asked,
"How do you know all of this?"
Uncle Sam smiled.
"My life has no purpose other than reading books and traveling the world."
"You probably think I am sixty... maybe fifty..."
"But I am one hundred and fifty years old."
Olivia's eyes went blank.
Michael asked,
"How are you one hundred and fifty years old?"
Uncle Sam laughed.
"Some secrets about my life are meant to remain secrets."
"Anyway..."
"Back to the story."
"After mastering the spell, Spiecha traveled to Elyndor Realm and placed a curse upon the Valric Clan."
"From that day until the end of the bloodline..."
"No Valric could have a son."
"At first, nobody believed her."
"But years later, every male child born into the clan began dying before the age of five."
"The only exception was if the child was abandoned by the clan before the curse could claim him."
Olivia asked,
"Then why is the clan almost extinct? Girls can still be born."
Uncle Sam nodded.
"They can."
"But daughters alone cannot continue the Valric bloodline."
"Generation after generation, the clan slowly disappeared."
"That is why both you and Thorne were abandoned."
Michael was having a difficult time processing everything.
The amount of information was overwhelming.
Uncle Sam looked at both of them before speaking again.
"Don't waste your time standing here."
"After everything you have done..."
"Do you really think the Black Fang Order doesn't know what happened here?"
"They are already sending troops to reclaim this area."
"The leader of those troops is..."
THORNE VALRIC.
"Get ready."
"You are both about to meet your half-brother."
"But he has no idea that either of you are related to him."
Michael stood in the middle of the room, completely lost.
He no longer understood who he was.
After a long silence, he wiped the tears from his eyes.
Michael looked at Olivia.
His wife.
His sister.
He couldn't even tell which word hurt more.
He closed his eyes.
"Whatever happens..."
"I'm still going to protect her."
Just as he went to the balcony
Michael looked at the wedding ring on his finger.
Hours ago...
It had been a symbol of love.
Now...
It felt heavier than Regicide.
Outside, soldiers were already marching toward Lucien Reach.