REWRITE
Cain was now all alone again. The taste of bitter tea left an aftertaste of a sweet euphoric thrill to taste it all over again. As he savored the tea, He could ponder, not expecting to see the cause of the Emperor's misery's cry, which is the little Prince Abel. He looked like him, but maybe because of their blonde hair, that made it much the same. However, Cain may or may not want to boast, but his hair was duller in the shade, yet it was silky to run your hands off. Except the little one is light nevertheless like a golden unpolished one. Their eyes were the same, golden eyes that adorned their face like an angel from above.
" Despite having the same faces, they preferred Abel, who was kind... Oh please, they haven't seen the worse of my era. These fools won't last a day without getting scammed. " he snickers, speaking from experience, that is. "I couldn't believe I keep meeting strange people increasingly these days," Cain cried out. Being sucked out of his mentality to meet one more annoying person made him think it was never easy to be a socialite, unlike the 'Gaius' he used to be. Who used any of this energy to talk? It was much better to waste milliseconds' worth of time in research.
Cain looked at the ceiling with his back laid on the headboard. There was nothing special on the top—just some other gilded clothe. " I can't believe I have to say this, but he and I can be quite the same," he confessed. They were two polar opposites, yet they experienced the same setback. Between good and evil, they were stuck in the middle.
Cain was born with a tongue worth more diamonds. As Firstborn, he was expected to be God's chosen to reign in a land of wonders—such high standing of society, everyone had high hopes for him. What is more worth the tears and blood he shed for the sake of his worldly responsibilities for him to bear? The answer would be the Crown that Cain deserved to be. A crown that will show he is worthy of praise for people. Poor Prince, as human as Cain is, is a child being taught the ways of the adult. He played all by the rules and became a perfect being molded by the ideals of people and Gods. Cain Hadrian Vassilis Adamos was the elder son of Emperor Avi, a loving father of the nation and his family. Except his love is limited to the poor Cain.
He scoffed at the flashbacks, thinking his first 'father' would treat him like that too. " Not my first to be betrayed by a father... Or a family."
A dark void surrounded the man, an empty void that even an echo cant reach anywhere. "What the hell." his voice reverberating endlessly in the dark place. A ring on his ear suddenly bothered him till he passed out.
Like an overflowing energy suddenly surged unto him, it was like an adrenaline rush; for instance, he felt like a light flashed through his mind. He saw a place right in his eyes, a Palace, like a pearly gate from Heaven.
Was this Heaven? Was that all just a death madness experience before entering the holy land? Cain was sure to give up himself, but it was a disappointment; it was just a Palace he lived in. Cain hissed. " That ruined everything now."
He stood near the Golden gates.
It was a palace brimming with gold and diamonds as if God bestowed it to see such a Heaven-like place. People think no sinners should ever step as not to taint this sacred ground, but it was all smeared blood of greed and innocent people dying. What is holy for people is the most dangerous poison to the innocent. The land of Emrys owned the Garden of Eden, where all beginnings of all beginnings started its mark of history. There was a one-time banquet, a bashful one of offerings for their Deity. The Empire did not rest a day, and their knees bled, kneeling, hoping that their devoted love and loyalty would be able to exchange for miracles. Meanwhile, the Cathedral have busied themselves hearing the confessions of the sinner, only keeping to them till death---that may be true, however, their time spent corrupting the minds of people and the wealth of the Empire.
The Emperor and Empress were no strangers to this. Their second-born son had brought many blessings. It was a tradition for the royals to offer gifts to the Deity, expressing gratitude for the boon of a healthy son. The two sons were seen as powerful warriors, symbols of the prosperity they would bring to the Empire. However, if a daughter was born, the situation was different. One son represented wealth, and the other, triumph. Although having a daughter was not considered inauspicious, it simply meant another addition to the family, likely to be married off for political reasons.
"Cain! Cain!" A child's voice calls out in worry. "Abel?" Cain responds, uncertainty tingeing his voice. He moves as though his actions are not his own, his body jolting in confusion, hands trembling. His dry eyes fill with tears as he looks at his own hands, seeing something that doesn't belong. "W-what happened?" He stammers, terror gripping him. Humiliated and suffering, Cain feels an agony beyond anything he's ever known. The accusing stares feel like needles, each one a fresh death. He notices the basket he's holding is filled with a rotting smell. Terrified, he sees the golden apple within it melting like molten lava, and he throws it away. As the scene unfolds, screams rise behind him. The gasps and shock spread through the crowd like a contagion, and Cain's mind is thrown into turmoil.
Without any forethought, his head hit the floor instinctively. "I'm sorry... I don't know what's happening..." He cowered in front of the Priest, prostrating himself to demonstrate his sincerity. The child was utterly clueless about what had transpired, unsure about what was happening to him—Gaius was certain that these were Cain's memories. The Priest, clad in white and adorned with the symbol of God, had a long face seething with anger. He was terrified of God's wrath, even of the Priest himself. Given his religious background, the Priest was not one to appreciate excuses. Just when things seemed to be falling into place, his head was bombarded with even more perplexing matters.
"What have you done?! The Priest cried, seeing the deity's statue cried of the blood, and the offerings turn to rot. "What kind of sins have you committed that Deity is displeased?!!" The anger of Emperor echoed through the palace, and while people watch in a fearful stance. The poor child was shaken that he keep hitting his forehead till it bruised and bleed. "The offerings... I do not know what is happening, Eminent."
"Preposterous child—!" The Priest's voice boomed like a thunderous command, his hands waving in the air, anticipating the child's punishment. The Empress, the child's mother, burst into the room. The sound of a sharp slap echoed through the silent cathedral. The Priest realized his mistake too late. A collective gasp emanated from the crowd. The Empress slumped to the floor, a red mark visible on her cheek. "Eminent, please have mercy," she pleaded.
"Your Majesty!" The Priest, devoid of empathy, was indifferent towards the wounded Empress. The Emperor, who had witnessed his wife's violation, merely stood by as chaos unfolded around them. It was clear that everyone was heartless. In this wretched system, only those with power could afford to be ruthless and vile, men who surely didn't deserve a place in heaven. Cain clenched his small fist so tightly that his own hand almost bled, as the tears he held back stung like a fire burning within him.
The Empress is sprawled out on the floor, her pearl necklace snapped and causing a bleed in her neck, rippling through her bodice. Her disgraceful appearance almost made Cain felt the guilt. He never knew what it felt felt like to be protected by a mother.
The warmth of another body pressed against him offered a strange kind of comfort, a sensation Cain had never known. But the woman cradling him wasn't familiar. He wasn't sure if she recognized him as an impostor, a stranger inhabiting the body of her son. "It's not your fault," she assured him, the words a foreign weight on his heavy heart. "Why?" his voice strained, laced with sadness. He flinched as her gaze met his. Yet, her eyes, wide and filled with fear.
"The Crown Prince is now crying blood!" A panicked woman shrieked in disbelief. All eyes darted into the child, and before everyone could even react, he tried to wipe the tears in his face. Everyone gasped even more, his eyes dripped with crimson tears started to fell like a waterfall. He screamed at the sight of the blood, and the Empress scurried at his side and quickly rubbed the tears in her dress, yet it still continue to dripped. He saw the Statue of Deity already have a dried blood staining in the hard stone surface.
Reality began to distort around his vision. In a blink of eye, he was no longer holding tight with a mother, but kneeling on a cold stone alter draped in white cloth. It was different place, though an unease snaked down his spine.
The altar was flooded with Lilium, the scent should be sweet, yet it was foul as a pollution of a car mechanic. White lilies shouldn't be scented like this. Why is no one complaining about the scent. He was unable to grasp the situation, everyone were solemn, the thick air of regret and sadness become more overbearing. Cain looked around, examining the area. He could also hear the ushers of nobles behind their backs. A loud cry of a newborn baby echoed in the silent and unfortunate room.
Although the nobles didn't come to the funeral to express their warmest condolence. They only laughed at their graves and spat on the dead image. They were no longer afraid, lest what can a disfavored child do to bring the Empire into prosperity. The Crown Prince, kneel there in front of the two casket.
The Empress who helped Cain from getting slapped lay there lifeless, still, beautiful in eternal slumber, and the Emperor who only watched having his family dragged down have his hair turn white and quickly grow old.
A bitter chuckle escaped his lips. Here he was, mourning a stranger, their faces etched in his memory for all the wrong reasons. He wondered what revelry unfolded in his so-called family's opulent homes. Did they mourn his demise, or did his burnt corpse become a source of amusement, just like the unfortunate royal before him mocked for their misplaced loyalty?
"How pitiful." A voice weeps beside him. A figure in his vision registered, a low murmur.
Lucien Akeldama Yair Pereira, the brother of the Empress. He was known for his bright cheerful smile, yet now his presence at funerals become cold and heartless. Yet, tears streamed down his usually emotionless face.
Cain flinched and straightened his shoulders. He could see his trembling hands, approaching at the Empress dead body, yet he refrained and woefully said, "I shall dispose of the snake that poisoned the apple. I never knew a snake would also come to take a bite of the apple and the fact it has been living in the garden. As if it's someone's 𝘱𝘦𝘵.," Lucien's voice broke, yet he try to speak in a loud commanding voice. His eyes, usually filled with a simmering anger, were vacant now, a cold blue reflecting nothing.
Another man snickers near Cain. " From today on. A symbol of a snake is prohibited in the Empire. Failing to do so will be an act of treason. It greatly caused the Empire to lose a royal family, not just one but two of the prominent rulers of Emrys. " he sniffled. I lazily look at my other side, a man with dark blue robes lazily glancing at the altar.
Ashmodai rested his hands on Cain's stiff shoulder. " My dear nephew, I couldn't imagine we would lose what we have held special. " he showed his condolences. Lucien grumbled under his breath, but Ashmodai smiled forcibly. " If snakes were to be prohibited, then I would commend that humans that act like one are also a candidate for it, no? A human that can bite like poison." Lucien reasoned slyly.
A dull ache pang in his mind, and he squeezed his eye shut and everything went darkened.
When he woke up once again, his whole body could vividly described the grass touching his skin. The forest was surrounded by blinding sun rays. A girl stood there, yet blurry and It was the golden necklace that made such glimmers. Exquisitely molded like a real snake, with the head and tail wrapped around a person's neck as if it were suffocating them. The emerald eyes of the snake were glistening right into his eyes. Under a trance, he was hypnotized to be soothed over by this person like a spellbound for him intentionally. He remembered the Duke's order of the symbolism of the snake, but in his heart, it felt like he could not care about those.
He was welcomed by the warm embrace of a girl. Her fragrance enveloped in his nostrils. A floral scent. " Goodbye, my friend," she murmured. Her voice was pleasant to hear like it was ushering hi, to sleep into the restful embrace. " Wait... Stranger, what do you mean?" je asked in bafflement then Cain felt the absence of her presence slowly washing away. He tried to reach out to her cheeks. A familiar feeling coiling from his stomach.
There was an unfathomable pain in his heart that he couldn't understand. This woman he barely knew made him this way, but in his head, Cain knew these feelings weren't part of him.
Then he was awakened from his slumber. His body jolted in the air while sweat drops dropped on his neck. "Your highness?! Are you okay?" a female voice registered in Cain's mind, and somehow there was an ease of comfort. He realized he was holding someone's wrist, he gazed in his groggy eyes is maid looking at Cain with a flustered face. Her blonde hair was on Cain's face, and he realized he held her wrist for no reason. He let go of her hand in a instance, and the maid also scurried and bowed.
"I-is this a dream," he mumbled, trying to sort out what he is feeling right now. The dream he have made him almost hysteric. He couldn't distinguish which was true. Hos mind is again cluttering and hurting. He clutched his head in agony, silently screaming for help. "I need to be alone... Tell Duke Argus I'll start working the Empire affairs," Cain softly said.
The maid was forced to leave in my presence under Cain's command. Cain didn't look over the door as it shut and kept his mind occupied from the fever dream.
It's now is second day in this world. No progress would be made if he keep passing out and being bedridden for a long time—He bet Cain would be disappointed by what he was doing right now. He thought he would repay this life in exchange for resolving problems. This time he won't waste another." I'll do everything myself anyways," I snickered.
He's not used to being pampered like that. As you see, the Gaius he used to be lived differently. The bathroom felt new to his eyes. What can he say about this? It somehow felt empty and lifeless, and only the golden looks of the bathroom made him feel sick looking at it. " I get it already. You love gold and anything yellow. But It starting to look like piss to me. " The tub was open, and there was no faucet to turn in because, of course! How come he is so stupid these days?
He's so fucking stupid I shooed all the servants. They should be the ones who knew the water well. " I can't just accommodate so fast in here." His mind is clashing between Cain's and his own person. His memories and thoughts going auto while he still have the morals and wits working over his tiny brain.
Cain. Cain. Cain. What did Cain do? Isn't he powerful? I bet the water is not a problem! And just as I speak, I know a particular word he used to say.
Pacing around the room till he remember the exact words he used to say. " Bring me water. Fill my tub and cleanse my sins," he imitated the voice of Cain's menacing expression he always made. Thinking of 'cleansing my sins' was like holy water in sorts. It was purposely made for Cain only to cleanse the sins Cain has committed every day, and that shivers him to the taught he used to bath with a body full of blood; worse is, that blood wasn't his own but someone he might have murdered. The tub suddenly filled with water in an instant. " Oh, my word. Magic really existed!" he exclaimed in amusement.
He drop himself into the tub with nothing but a bare body. It was cold water. Didn't expect the temperature to be a little low. However, he forced to accompany myself and still bathed with a shivering body. The scars he had even started to heal in an instant.
After the bath, he looked over the thousand clothes in hthe big closet room, and everything seemed too extravagant. And he thought a woman's closet was already big enough, but a wardrobe of an Ancient man seems to beat the record. Naturally, a servant would dress him in a heavy and splendid clothes, but why should je wear such flashy ones if he stay in a Humble palace all alone? Failing to see how ancient nobles would walk in many layers of clothes just to flaunt wealth is too troublesome.
Red, blue, and different hues of the shirt, but the white linen robe caught his eye more; it was neatly looking than anything. It was breathable attire that, despite it, reminded him of his own Laboratory jacket.
Maybe he missed his life so bad that this robe made me think this looked like my lab jacket. Putting on the robe,CainI realized it was also too revealing. How much of a—never mind. It was like a long robe jacket, flowy, and another short robe that were just plain crimson dyed and wrapped over his waist. He faced himself in the big mirror and felt accomplished by his look.
" Great, I look just straight out of the ancient book." He gleamed, posing confidently.
Cain left his room, and it was once again quiet like back then. There was no time to waste roaming around, so he went directly to the library. It was not an easy walk from his room to a one-kilometer walk around the palace, and in the start, Cain went with no assistance, but now he got dozens of servants following in his back. He sighed deeply when his foot stepped into the quiet library and brushed off the servants outside.