Chapter 12: The Doom of Alderwoods
Alexander took Valen to every spot in the palace, and soon the night fell, and they were sent into their rooms to sleep.
But somewhere in the Palace, some of the most powerful people in the Empire gathered.
The Emperor of the Empire is the head of the royal family, the mighty sun of the Empire.
Emperor Atrostus August Verdian sat at the throne in the palace; his presence was dominating and blinding, yet it was hiding something dark.
Three people stood in front of him, the heads of their respective duchies in the empire.
Diable Veridian: One of the few to reach the seventh realm of the path, legend says his sword cuts through even the fictional concepts.
Duchess Evernight: She didn't pick a name for her; as a duchess, she believed it was unnecessary. She just observed her surroundings and made a move.
Duke Vorteign: He stood beside the other with pride and dignity; his old armor crest sang the song of the wars he fought in and the people he protected.
And then the Emperor remembered something.
Something that forced sleep out of his mind.
The dragon roared through the heavens with unfathomable might and spoke to the future itself.
"The seeds of Draca's head have appeared; stop them before they sprout; otherwise they are the ones that will lead to the Empire's demise."
HuffH
The Emperor broke through to the present with the mere memory.
Sweat dripped from his forehead like water from a fountain.
The Emperor looked at them.
And announced
"You are here to discuss the prophecy."
"Prophecy?" Duke Vorteign questioned.
The emperor replied while looking at the floor below.
"The draca's head has been planted and is about to sprout, and the day thus was prophesied Valen was born."
Diable panicked and said
"No, this can't be you; you know he only has one S rank blessing...."
Silence
Diable realized the aftermath of the things he was about to say, and then he continued.
"The Child of Alderwoods is the draca's seed; he has two S-rank blessings."
The room went cold.
The Duchess of Evernight narrowed her eyes; the duke, Vorteign, tightened his grip on the sword.
Slowly, Diable spoke again.
"The Alderwoods were the previous rulers of this land until the Unknown Emperor; their blood carried ambition—"
Diable swallowed and continued.
"Even that boy's second blessing is of Rebellion, the blessing of archangel Lucifer, if the prophecy speaks of multiple draca's head War, Rebellion, and Death."
The Emperor's breathing calmed bit by bit.
"And then should we let the seed grow?"
Diable locked his eyes on him.
"If we want the Empire to burn, then yes."
The decision was made.
The Emperor summoned one of the most powerful imperial squads and sent them to the Valamire Village.
Unseen, without sound, Valen stood outside.
Two palace guards lay unconscious under his feet with blood dripping from their arms, revealing some wounds.
Valen stood there frozen after hearing everything; his mind feared the worst.
Valen heard footsteps and moved.
He moved through the mansion like an assassin in the night.
And then he found what he was looking for: Diable was standing alone below a torch.
Valen appeared in front of him.
He asked quietly.
"What will happen to Marcus and the Alderwoods?"
Diable sighed; he placed his hands on Valen's shoulder.
He sighed, a rare sound from him, one that Valen had never heard.
He revealed it in a cold tone.
"They will be killed."
The word cut through Valen's heart and soul.
Diable twisted his head slightly, head heavy with regret.
"Hidd you're Blessing of Ares," he continued after. "Use only Thanatos until you join the imperial academy.
Valen said nothing; he just looked at the floor below.
But his heart sank; something broke. Another wish for unlocking the Thantoss blessing was fulfilled.
Two more remained.
Far beyond the gates of the capital or the rooms of the imperial palace, a land unaware of the coming bloodshed.
The imperial squad assembled.
Five Fifth Realm imperial knights and one Sixth Realm beginner, a squad capable of destroying worlds and reshaping terrains by themselves.
Their goal is the destruction of Alderwoods.
Through a Godai Imperial knight's power, one so expert he could communicate from one corner of the world to another from the essence of the same element.
The emperor's voice echoed through the air.
"Execute"
The Knights reached Valmire before the sun rose.
And everything happened in swift screams; echoed blood spilled, and panic settled.
The Flames of Valamire cracked the flame, raged through houses, their armor stained with blood.
A village that was once echoing with laughter was now silent; they stood, they were hollow.
The houses were starting to get consumed by the flames as the remains collapsed onto the ground, defeated; the night was thick with smoke, yet one man stood amidst the chaos.
Aurelius Alderwood stood unwavering at the center of a ruined village.
His sword was broken between point to point, its edge chipped, and his armor was broken; old scars started to reveal.
Yet somehow he stood unwavering, unwilling to back down.
In front of him stood some of the old faces he recognized, each powerful enough to destroy armies.
Now trembling not in fear but in regret.
Aurelius's voice trembled; he asked a question.
"I asked you something," his voice steady despite the trembling and the blood dripping from his wounds. "Why?"
None of the knights met his eye; none dared to.
One of the knights slammed his fist onto the ground, his fist covered in dirt.
"The order...The order came from the Emperor himself.
Silence once again stretched like blades yet did not swing.
Aurelius let out a breath quiet enough to not reach the knights; the breath was not out of anger or despair but of understanding.
"So the sun does not see its own shadow as a part of him, huh? It fears it."
He lifted his blade.
"Then follow your orders like I taught you to."
Aurelius commanded the knights not as an enemy but as a teacher.
The sixth realm knight rose slowly, tears dripping from his eyes like blood from the wounded. "Please don't make this...harder than it is already."
Aurelius smiled.
"Nobody wants to."
End of Chapter 12
Author's note: Hey guys, so here is the chapter. Hope you will enjoy it because, like, this is a turning point in the story and something was revealed, and I enjoyed writing these chapters a lot, so hope you enjoy them as well.