An hour before
Kingdom of Eternal Servant
King Antiochus had followed the same routine for years. But the prayers still occupied most of his time. The Name of his Lord was a legacy that had always been passed down from the last King to the next one. Since his childhood, he had known the Name which couldn't be said out loud just by uttering it. The Name which couldn't be listened to just by hearing it. And the Name which couldn't be seen just by writing it.
The only thing to lament over was that the other Kings too knew of this Name. And instead of showing piety towards it, they preferred to use it as a mere contact method. But they all were foolish enough in his eyes to think that his Lord had responded to them ever. No one, not even the Kings, could have shown disrespect to this "Name" if the Emperor were to be still alive. But all traces of his holy presence had been lost 1,216 years ago.
Antiochus believed he was born with a purpose in these tumultuous times. And that purpose was almost in line with that of the last Emperor. To show all beings of the Galaxy the grandity of his Lord's presence. To prove that all pain and suffering could be dealt with by believing in his Lord, and to show that his Lord is the only Beginning and the ultimate End.
But Antiochus also believed that the methods of the last Emperor weren't decisive enough. Sometimes, for the greater good, one must be ready to go against one's conscience. That's the harsh reality and a necessary sacrifice that a staunch believer of the Lord must pay. And true to these beliefs, Antiochus had taken steps that must have to be taken at different parts of life. And to regret those actions would be an act of profanity.
'Yes, an act of profanity.' Antiochus thought, waiting for his guest's arrival.
A person of astute mind wouldn't need to be told the importance of this guest given that the King himself had been waiting for him. These kinds of guests neither come with an announcement nor are they needed to be sent off grandiosely. They come and go like the passing wind, leaving behind a whisper of pleasure, or sometimes a warning of inevitable doom.
The door to the secret hall in the Palace opened without the usual creaking sound and a masked man in plain black garments came in. His clothing contrasted beautifully with the whiteness of Antiochus's robes. The man took off his mask and took a seat at the table opposite Antiochus. The wine on the table was bound to be left untouched today.
"I am late."
"No one is late enough in the sight of the Lord," Antiochus replied with a slight smile.
"Don't hide behind your Lord. The situation has taken a drastic turn against us."
"Haha, not all hope is lost. Every turn must pass through the vicissitudes of time. And we don't lack time, do we?" Antiochus asked.
"Humph! What do you know of time? We have been losing out in strength in the 1st Quadrant since the new General has assumed her position."
"Let her relish in her victory, we still have to deal with other critical issues."
A brief silence was followed upon the mention of these critical issues. The spacious room wasn't dark, but often this darkness depends on the matter being discussed. And for a moment, the dark shades in the corners seemed to overwhelm the lighting on the walls.
"The new nobles in the 1st Quadrant have outnumbered the other kingdoms. If this goes on, the outcome won't be favorable for both of us."
"This has been bugging me, too. But no one can interfere in this process. We had sanctioned the terms in the presence of our Lord. I would have to take action if someone were to go against the Lord's will," Antiochus said, tightening his grip on the Papal Ferula.
The man opposite Antiochus narrowed his eyes, seeing the ominous shine of the black globe on the top of the golden staff. He was about to retort when Antiochus visibly relaxed his grip and continued.
"But there are other ways through which we can serve the Lord in all reverence. The Barren Earths are unapproachable to foreign beings, yes. But cosmic calamities and destruction are still a part of natural phenomena."
A beam of realization shined out of the black-robed man's eyes. Some paths had always been opened, but not everyone could see them.
"But the innocent…"
"You? Are you, of all, considering Innocents? Every life has been and would come into existence to serve The Oldest One. This wouldn't be a meaningless slaughter, but a pious act under the Lord's Name. Let the awakened go into slumber and return to the Lord's embrace. No matter if a path is bloody or merciful, they all have the same destination."
The dark shadows gained a red tinge and even the lighting Mana globes hovering below the ceilings seemed to lose out against them.
"I am not concerned if this Path goes towards The Oldest One or not. But it's tempting enough to walk onto," the Black-robed man said. He looked at the dimming of the lighting globes and continued, "Alvis would enter the Dungeon within the next 2 weeks."
"Hmm! Yes, he is nearing his time limit. Are you worried about the Supreme Commander's interference? Huh! Someone could even scare you off?"
The man didn't retort to Antiochus's remark full of mockery. Being scared or not, even then no one in this Galaxy would go against the Judge of Calamity over some trivial agendas. But he knew that if the Last Saint had brought up that name, then he must have some way to overcome this hurdle.
"Don't worry about him. He won't interfere. The more we would fight with each other, the more he would step back. Also, he has been missing from his office since last week."
"Missing?"
"Hmm, who knows what that old monster is up to? But with him not available and the Red Dragon being away on the hunt in the Dungeon, we can solve both issues simultaneously."
"What do you mean by 'both'? Stop being so cryptic, Antiochus."
"The Princess wants to assure her dominance by purging our forces from her Kingdom. That's an endeavor full of merits, but merits can't be earned without facing risks. And accidents can happen to even those who aren't meant for them."
Antiochus had never lost his smile, for it represented his unshakable belief in the Lord's Name. But for the first time after his arrival, the man opposite him also showed a grin. It wasn't a villainous smile, nor was it foolish. One could have seen this grin on any average person, imagining the fruits of his/her efforts.
The man stood up and put on his mask, and with no words of farewell, he exited from the secret room, leaving it in its sacred silence. Men of their status didn't dilly-dally on pointless things. It had been only expected of others in their presence.
*
Antiochus felt tired after passing on the sentence to many lives. And the best tonic to this tiresome feeling had always been a heartfelt prayer. He went to the Hall of Prayers, which had been emptied following the daily schedule. The Hall of Prayers had a high ceiling, and it was long enough to keep on walking for hours. At the end, there was a massive black Veil that had been hung since the Kingdom was first established. This Veil represented the God in whom the citizens of the Kingdom of Eternal Servant had been believing for eternity.
King Antiochus, like other pious believers, kneeled under the fluttering Veil. The sight of the darkness of the Veil filled his old heart with pleasure and piety. Here he could be just another man pursuing his goals, here he could be just another man asking for forgiveness, and here he could be just another man cherishing his faith.
"Darkest among Dark, Devourer of Dreams, Endless Veil of Slumber."
Antiochus prayed, uttering the same words he had been saying since they had selected him as the next King. He could have always felt a presence watching him with an unseen gaze of sacredness. But something had changed since the last time he prayed. Something unbelievable and utterly impossible had happened to that presence he was familiar with.
Antiochus felt himself being surrounded by darkness even darker than the Veil in front of him. He felt himself being cut off from his surroundings and every cell in his body felt the horror of being devoured alive. His blood vessels could hardly bear the pressure of his blood anymore. In sheer terror, Antiochus saw the Veil opening up little by little. But before seeing anything, he heard a sound.
The sound came from the farthermost regions any being had ever been to, and it softly came into existence. It was faint and yet it was rhythmic. Antiochus unwillingly got reminded of a natural phenomenon: earthquake. And then he saw 'It'.
"AAAHHHHHH!!!"
The scream couldn't hide the state of his body on which tiny bubbles filled with pus and blood had burst out. His skin had been torn open by the flesh underneath it, and it had flailed about involuntarily. The most horrific were the visions that had come in front of his eyes like an unbearable itch. He saw himself gutting babies; he saw himself slicing throats, and he saw himself being annihilated by a white-haired being.
"NOOOO!!!"
Antiochus tried to run away by concentrating all his Kingly strength. But his right hand didn't listen to him and with a heart-tearing sound, it broke off from his body.
"What… What is this ABOMINATION!?"