(A/N:
A big thank you to conqueror_supreme for the power stones. It was very much appreciated.
And as usual don't forget to leave behind a comment or a review.
Enjoy… )
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Chapter Twelve — The Undead King
"…And—checkmate! Oh… yeah!"
"Sigh… sir, you are very good at this," Krill said, staring down at the board in defeat.
"Of course," Darius replied, leaning back on his low stool. "Who do you think I am?"
The board sat between them—wooden pieces, cleanly carved, frozen mid-battle.
At that moment, the door swung open.
Serena stepped in.
Behind her stood a very awkward Azeroth.
"Oh?" Darius looked up, surprised. "Azeroth, care to join?" He gestured toward the board.
Deadpan, Azeroth replied, "I invented the game, father."
Krill blinked.
Darius chuckled. "Understanding the game doesn't guarantee victory."
"It's chess," Azeroth said evenly. "Understanding is the game."
Darius opened his mouth—
"Alright," Serena cut in. "Enough."
She turned to Krill. "Give us a moment."
"Yes, ma'am."
The guard withdrew, leaving the room suddenly quieter.
Serena looked at Azeroth.
"Tell your father exactly what you just told me."
Darius frowned, the humor slightly draining from his expression.
"What is this about?"
Azeroth hesitated, eyes fixed on the floor.
"Well… you know that red dagger in the eastern corner," he began. "The one made from a noble vampire's core?"
"Yes," Darius replied slowly. "And?"
"…I kinda ate it."
Silence.
"Huh?" Darius said at last. "What do you mean, you ate it?"
"It turns out my—" Azeroth swallowed. "My trait lets me gain strength by devouring cores. And since that dagger was forged from a vampire core, I…"
"…you devoured it," Darius finished, turning to Serena.
She nodded.
Darius straightened, the board game completely forgotten. When he looked back at his son, his gaze was sharp—measuring.
"I see," he said. "So..? How much did you gain?"
"My attributes rose by quite a lot," Azeroth answered. "My physique quadrupled."
"And…?" Darius prompted, sensing the omission.
"…And I acquired the vampire bloodline."
Silence again.
This time stretched even longer as Darius processed what he just heard.
"Repeat that," Darius said quietly.
"It's—it's only a fragment," Azeroth added quickly. "I'll need to devour more cores if I want to complete it. Haha…"
No one laughed.
Darius turned to Serena, his expression mirroring her own.
"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" he asked.
She nodded.
In sync, they whispered a name—or rather, a title.
"The Undead King."
This silence was different.
Heavier.
Darius and Serena locked eyes, a silent conversation passing between them. Azeroth's gaze flicked between his parents, curiosity and unease mixing in his chest.
Finally, Darius looked back at him.
He was quiet for several moments.
Then he exhaled.
"Sigh… boy, what have you gotten yourself into."
"What do you mean?"
Azeroth frowned in confusion. How did his trait—his sub-trait—relate to a being called the Undead King?
"It doesn't matter," Darius said. "He's gone now."
"Who was that?" Azeroth asked as this was his first time hearing of such a being.
Darius paused.
"Someone whose trait was very similar to yours."
"That's it?" Azeroth pressed.
"Yes," Darius replied flatly.
Serena placed a hand on Azeroth's shoulder.
"It's not a comparison spoken lightly," she said. "The undead king… ha. Just be careful okay?"
She withdrew her hand.
"Yours is a powerful trait. just don't go around announcing it."
Though confused, Azeroth nodded. "Okay, Mother."
Then he turned to Darius.
"Father," he said, "may I request more cores?"
Darius considered for a moment, then sighed.
"Of course. I'll have them sent to you by the morrow."
He glanced back towards the board.
"Is that all?"
Azeroth hesitated, then nodded.
"…Yes."
The room fell quiet once more.
"I'll be going back then."
"Be careful," Serena called after him.
And with that, Azeroth was gone.
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Thud.
The door sealed shut behind Azeroth.
For several seconds, neither of them spoke.
Serena was the first to move. She turned back to the chessboard and took her seat opposite Darius, exhaling slowly—like she'd been holding her breath far longer than she realized.
"…I'm scared, Darius," she said, her fingers hovering over a pawn.
He didn't answer. His gaze lingered on the doorway, as if trying to measure the distance Azeroth had gone.
"Don't you think he's growing too fast?" she asked again, gently nudging the pawn forward.
Darius finally shifted, moving a knight into place with deliberate precision.
"Would you rather he stayed small forever?" he said, his tone light, but the edge of worry was still there.
Serena shook her head, eyes tracing the path of her bishop sliding across the board.
"That's not what I mean. I just… I thought we had more time."
Darius glanced at her, then moved his queen, capturing her knight in one smooth motion.
"So did I," he said softly.
Another pause. The quiet thrum of the chess pieces on the wooden board filled the room.
"…You know," he said at last, moving a pawn forward, almost carelessly, "…if you want, we can always make another."
Serena huffed, trying to mask a small smile.
"You're impossible."
"You love me, though," he replied, capturing her rook with a sharp slide of his queen.
She studied him for a long moment, then exhaled and pushed herself upright.
"…I just hope he doesn't end up like him."
Darius leaned back slightly, his hand resting on the bishop he'd just moved.
"Hey, it doesn't matter what he becomes," he said, eyes meeting hers, "we won't ever stop being his parents."
Serena nodded, her hand lingering near her king, almost as if protecting it.
"I know. It's just… sigh."
She glanced down at the board. "Anyway, it's Alina's final evaluation next month." She moved her pawn with a soft click, sending it sliding into position. "Its been awhile since we saw her. Sign… our growing just as fast."
Darius nodded, sliding his own piece across the board.
"That's true… Our baby girl has grown." He smiled faintly, eyes flicking toward Serena.
"Any idea of when father would be back?" She asked.
"Umm… I don't know, a week, maybe two at most."
The last piece clicked into place.
"Check," he said softly.
They both leaned back, the tension in the room easing slightly—but the silence that followed was thick with thought.
Outside the closed door, Azeroth continued his own path, mind still cycling over the weird conversation he just had with his parents, while also wondering who the hell The Undead King is for them to be so worked up.