"Mother?"
A boy's frail voice echoed across the void. The sound was endless, getting fainter and fainter at every second. It repeated the call until there was nothing but deafening silence. The boy was Noah, his clothes soiled with blood…
Blood? From whom?
Noah retaliated with a flinch when he heard a small, silent chuckle—almost like a taunt. He blinked and then what appeared before him was the body of a woman with a stomach cut open, and—
A man smiling as he feeds on a stillborn baby with a smile on his bloodied mouth.
NOAH awakened panting. His heartbeat was ringing on his ears, beating hard and fast. The sound of his throbbing heart was the first thing that sank in in his system, and then after—a pain in his left chest followed, along with his weakening muscles.
"Noah." A voice from his side. "Or more likely… Alexander Octavius IX."
Noah found his gaze drifting towards a familiar face. In his side was Julian Ortfalcon, a friend of the family. The High Magician of the palace. The Mage of the Royal Court. From his golden eyes, there spark sympathy and worry.
"Julian." Noah said, almost inaudibly. "Wh-where's Father?"
Julian Ortfalcon closed his eyes, and then lowered his head. He remained in silence for a while, but he spoke clearly.
"The king passed away, Your Majesty," Julian says.
Noah bit his lips, and then he gulped to restrain himself. "Bring me to him."
Julian eyed him with sadness. "I'm afraid I cannot do that."
Noah closed his eyes, preventing the unshed tears to fall. "Why? I can handle it, Julian. I… I want to at least see my Father. I w-want to see my Father."
"The body of the late king is nowhere to be found," Julian says. "We were only able to recover his arm, burnt by the fire. But there was nothing else found rather than that."
"Wh-what about Mother?" Noah asks, clearly desperate. "My s-sister? They're here, right? Their body… it didn't burn, right?"
Silence.
"Answer me, Julian!"
"The Queen's body burnt to crisp, along with your sister's." Julian exclaims. "We had them in coffins, but they are unrecognizable right now, Your Majesty."
"Bring me to them." Noah demands, his blue eyes gleaming with unshed tears. "Please. Bring me to my family."
"I cannot." Julian says. "Your body is in a critical condition right now. You are in a hairsbreadth to death, Your Majesty. The Nightmare has taken course on your body too early, thus your immune system is as weak as a newborn. You have to be in this enclosed barrier that protects you… for months."
"What?" Noah's eyes widened in astonishment, his hands trembling in fear. "No. I want to see them. Bring me to them!"
"I cannot do that." Julian answers. "I'm sorry."
"No. That can't be right. I have to see them. I want to be with them. My mother—Julian—you know I have to!" Noah screams, as his eyes starts to flow with beads of tears. "Mama… mama… I want to see her. I can't go on like this. I want to be with my Mama…"
Noah covered his eyes with both of his palm, sobbing. "I don't want to be a-alone."
Julian embraced the frail child, as tightly as he could. Noah's eyes widened, and then retracted into a squint as he burst into a loud sob, crying in anguish.
There, the young child sat in the bed with someone holding him tightly, crying in lament for the last time.
He sobbed away the agony,
Before he detached his feelings, and live to his new name.
**
"Noah…"
Sheila stared in sadness, peering through her black umbrella. Standing amidst the rain was an expressionless boy, all dressed in black as he eyed the tomb. His blue, empty eyes met Sheila's.
He smiled.
"Now I am king."