Chapter 12: Funeral -1
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Luxion's Main Body – Interior
Omni POV
The interior of Luxion's main body was quiet.
Not a peaceful quiet—just… suffocating.
The soft hum of the engines was uneven, still struggling from strain it was never meant to endure. Occasional vibrations ran through the ship as it flew across the sky.
Leon stood with his arms crossed, staring at nothing in particular.
After a moment, he finally spoke.
"How long until we get home?"
"Approximately one hour, sir," Luxion replied.
Leon frowned immediately.
"One hour? Why is it taking longer than last time?"
A brief pause followed.
"The main propulsion systems are currently undergoing repair cycles," Luxion answered.
Leon's expression shifted slightly.
"…What happened?"
The pause this time was longer.
"Emergency manual override was initiated during acceleration," Luxion said calmly. "The engines were forced beyond operational safety thresholds before full stabilization."
Silence.
Leon exhaled slowly, running a hand through his hair. "…Sorry about that," he muttered. His voice was quieter now. Less sharp than before. "I wasn't in the right headspace."
For a moment, Luxion did not respond.
Then—"As long as you take time to consider the consequences in the future, sir," he said.
Not judgmental, just factual.
Leon gave a small, tired nod.
"Yeah…"
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Bartfort Barony – Outskirts
Luce stood with her hands clenched tightly together to her chest
Her breathing was uneven.
"Balcus… did you find him?"
"No," Balcus replied, voice low. "I've checked everywhere I could think of."
Nicks arrived a moment later, slightly out of breath.
Luce turned instantly, hope flashing in her eyes.
"Nicks—?"
He stopped.
Shook his head.
The hope collapsed just as fast as it came.
"…I see," Luce whispered.
Her fingers trembled slightly before she forced them still.
"Where could he possibly be…?"
"Calm down," Balcus said gently, though his own eyes were tense. "There's already a search party out. And Leon… he's smart enough to take care of himself."
Luce gave a sharp, quiet breath.
"That's what I'm afraid of." Her voice dropped.
"Sometimes he's too smart for his own good, I'm scared he might do something dangerous"
No one argued with that.
The wind moved through the fields.
Then— A small figure appeared on the horizon.
Slowly dragging it's feat with it's back hunched, as if it carried the weight of the whole world.
Luce froze.
"…Leon?" Her voice cracked slightly.
Then she moved, running, not caring about anything else. "Leon!!"
She dropped to her knees in front of him so quickly her legs scraped against the ground, but she didn't feel it. Her hands immediately reached out, checking him—shoulders, arms, face—searching for anything wrong. "Are you hurt? Are you—"
"I'm okay, mama," Leon said quietly.
That was all it took, her breath hitched.
"Then where were you?" she asked, voice breaking slightly now. "We were so worried… what were you doing? You could've gotten hurt…" Her arms wrapped around him tightly before she even finished the sentence.
Leon didn't answer immediately, for a moment, he just stood there.
Stiff.
Like his body had forgotten what to do with comfort.
Then—Something in him broke.
His hands slowly moved, he clung to her.
"…I," he started. His voice cracked once.
Then again. "I… I can't save them, mom."
Silence.
Even the wind felt like it stopped for a moment.
Luce's grip tightened immediately, "Leon…You're still a child, no one expects you to save them, it's enough that you care" she said not letting go, not even slightly.
"I can't…" Leon repeated, quieter now. Smaller.
His face buried into her shoulder.
And for the first time since stepping onto Luxion's ship—He stopped trying to hold everything together.
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A Week Later
Balcus's Office
"Sigh…" Balcus leaned back slightly in his chair, the sound leaving him heavier than he intended.
At that same moment, the door opened quietly behind him. "What has you so stressed?" Luce asked as she stepped inside.
Balcus didn't answer immediately, instead, he dragged a hand down his face, fingers pressing against his eyes before falling away. "…It's everything, my love," he said finally.
His voice was tired, not just from work. From grief as well, he had not just lost a friend who was like a brother to him but under his watch a whole entire village had been decimated, with close to a hundred deaths now weighing on his conscience.
"I have to manage the sympathy offerings from other noble houses, deal with the families of the deceased…" He paused, exhaling slowly. "…and then there's the kingdom's research team."
His hand clenched slightly on the desk.
"They refuse to release the bodies, saying it could be dangerous, there is even a chance of the kingdom forcibly changing ownership of Rivia'" there was a faint edge in his voice now. "I'm being pulled from every direction, and I'm tired Luce, both in body and spirit"
Luce didn't respond right away, instead she walked behind him instead, placing her hands gently on his shoulders and she began to rub them slowly.
"You should try to relax, if you keep this up your body might give up on you" she said softly, as she joked. "You're not as young as you used to be."
Balcus let out a quiet breath, some of the tension easing under her touch, he reached up, placing his hand over hers, giving it a light squeeze.
"I'd like to," he admitted, a faint, tired smile forming. "But the work just keeps piling up."
For a moment—Things were peaceful, as there were the only people left in the world.
Then, something broke that peace.
Knock. Knock.
"My Lord," a voice came from the other side of the door. "Urgent news."
Balcus straightened slightly. "Come in."
The door opened, and a guard stepped inside, posture rigid. "My Lord," he said, bowing his head briefly, "a nine-hundred-meter-class military vessel has been sighted approaching the island."
Balcus's brow furrowed slightly. "…Just when I thought I might get a moment to breathe," he muttered under his breath.
His gaze sharpened. "Do we know which unit it belongs to?"
The guard nodded. "My Lord… it's the Howling Commandos."
There was a pause.
Then—Balcus smiled, face full of relief.
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A Couple of Minutes Later
Bartfort Family Docks
About a kilometer from the docks, a massive ship—nearly nine hundred meters in length—hovered silently in the sky. It remained suspended, unable to dock due to the limitations of the Bartfort Barony's facilities.
Its design was simple, militaristic, clean lines, simple colour code and excess designs that some ships had. Only the Kingdom's insignia marked its surface—alongside a symbol well known even in the most remote territories.
A wolf's head mid-howl, jaws open, teeth bared, and a sword running vertically through it, encircled by a laurel wreath.
From the massive vessel, a smaller craft detached and descended toward the docks.
The air shifted slightly as it landed.
Balcus and Luce stood there waiting with knights and maids they had borrowed from Zola standing behind ready to welcome their new guests.
The ship opened, ten soldiers stepped out first, perfectly aligned, black ceremonial military uniforms—pristine, without a single crease.
They formed two lines on either side of the exit, five and five. Then—
He stepped out, a man whose presence alone commanded the space around him. The moment he appeared, the soldiers saluted in perfect unison.
Balcus responded instantly—his posture straightening, his hand rising into a flawless salute.
Time away from the military hadn't dulled his training, not even slightly.
"Captain," Balcus said.
"At ease, Lieutenant," the man replied.
They held each other's gaze for a moment.
Then, both moved at the same time, closing the distance and pulling each other into a firm embrace.
At that moment they weren't noble and soldier nor were they officer and exsubordinate.
Just two men…Who had lost one of their own. Abrother.
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[Chapter Image]
I am writing my A Levels this year so I'm already stumped and if you add the time I use writing I think I'm entitled to POWER STONES sooooooo give them to me
P.S
Let it be known that the Story is undergoing a Rewrite, hence if you read the unedited chapters its on you, they are no longer part of the story.