Indeed, he wasn't the prince, but who would believe him? It sounded absurd!
Only he knew who he was, Marcus Yang.
Zhang raised his cold red eyes up at crown prince, desperation etched upon his face, a stark contrast to the royal poise he once embodied.
Without hesitation, Zhang closed his eyes, his hands flew together in a complex, fluid motion, his fingers intertwining with practiced ease.
Marcus or rather crown prince Yuze quitely and helplessly watched him.
He raised his left, right index and middle fingers, and brought their tips together, ending the rapid sequence on the taro hand seal in less than a second.
The air around him crackled, as he braced for the imminent cosmic spell that began to unfurl from his very soul.
Suddenly, a massive golden avatar manifested from behind , one body, six huge heads with five inch long beards, rising with regal power, each displaying an expression of sorrow, fury, and disaster.
The aura it emitted pulsated throughout the glen.
So terrifying to the onlookers...
Drawing upon the strength within him, he stretched his hand, and a white jade flute appeared, so cool and smooth to the touch.
He felt its song stirring in his heart, ready to weave its power into the air. Instantly, Zhang opened his eyes.
Behind the main entrance to the crown prince' mansion hid the first prince as he watch the occurance.
"Wow! Lord of origin, Thanatos. Not even my master is up to his level." He said inwardly, with a smile full of admiration. "Only he can control time span and even death. But....how did a servant who never cultivated before get such powers?" He thought.
"Whatever, let me just enjoy this." He brushed it off and continued being a spectator.
Well, what would he do? Him going there meant to meet the same fate as the rest.
Even he knew there was no calling for help, no one would stop the one with such powers, not even his master.
With a steady breath, Zhang placed the flute calmly to his lips and began to play a haunting melody—a song so mesmerizing yet perilous that it echoed through the glen like the rolling waves of a distant sea.
As he played, the air thickened, and to the astonishment of all who stood nearby, countless ethereal flutes materialized in the sky behind him, each one pulsating with a malevolence that ensnared the vulnerable hearts of the listeners.
Their haunting tones circling like predatory birds, seeking their prey.
Each flute targeted an individual, the number of flutes were as the population of those present at crown prince's Palace.
But there was one flute less, for the first prince who was protected by invincible spell that made him not seen, and his ears, he covered them with cotton as soon as he say the flute effect on those inside the mansion.
According to the ancient tomes amassed by his master, there were two classifications of the Lords of Origin.
One who straddled between human and demon, and another, the pure demon, shrouded in shadows and imbued with a chaos mostly.
Most importantly, Thanatos was said to manifest only once every thousand years.
Soonest, the notes soared through the palace, waves of dread swept across the surrounding.
Those who heard the music flinched as an overwhelming wave of pain crashed over them, sharp and relentless.
People wavered, clutching their heads in agony, trying in vain to escape the clutches of the deadly yet mesmerizing lullaby.
As the sound waves continued to wash over Yuze, he felt his own strength fading, his body forced to the earth's embrace.
Eventually, as the last notes trailed off into silence, an eerie calm descended upon the glade. Zhang Zhao lowered his flute, a calm breath escaping his lips.
He gazed at the fallen bodies, scattered across the ground,
A ghost of satisfaction flickering across his face as the Prince's body slowly descended toward the ground, at last. This was his reckoning.
Glaring at all who bullied him, and they were dead, he bursted into a loud creepy and devilish laughter....
"haahaahaah
Yet still, deep inside, he felt that emptiness in him, an emptiness that can never be satisfied, just as it has always been, for years.