Chapter 7: Moonlit
The grand hall, once a place of vibrant activity and regal gatherings, now stood in stark contrast to its former glory. The very air seemed to hang heavy with grief, the stillness amplifying the weight of their collective loss. Whispers of sorrow and disbelief reverberated through the hall, their voices muted by the profound stillness that enveloped the space.
Above them, the ceiling that once bore intricate patterns of ethereal light flickered sporadically, as if mourning the absence of the guiding presence they once represented.
The raelir, a vast and invisible vortex type spell, had absorbed the majority of the fallens, those treacherous particles that threatened to disintegrate all in their path. But despite its valiant efforts, the raelir had not been able to capture every single fallen. Some had managed to evade its grasp, slipping through its metaphysical fingers and wreaking havoc in the lower levels of the city.
Cassius, lost in his thoughts and burdened by the weight of his grief. With a wave of his hand, the debris from the crumbling building dissolved into nothingness, leaving behind only a faint whisper of energy in the air.
As the last remnants of the fallen structure vanished, he turned his attention to his younger brother, Aurelius, who stood at the epicenter of the grand hall. The golden hue of Aurelius's eyes shimmered. He had been battling the temporal rift, struggling to keep it contained and prevent the chaotic distortion from spreading further.
Every passing moment was crucial. The rift, a tear in the fabric of reality itself, posed a significant threat to the stability of Aetheria. It could very well turn the reality as one know it.
The Emperor's voice reverberated through the grand hall,
It was a force to be reckoned with,
his words were an unyielding authority.
His words commanded obedience and instilled fear in the hearts of all who heard it.
They have forgotten the power of The power and might he held by the Grand Emperor of the Celestial Dominion of Thalassa.
"In the name of Maximilian Marinos, the Grand Emperor of the Celestial Dominion of Thalassa!" his voice boomed, echoing off the walls and causing the very foundation of the hall to tremble.
The dignitaries present, their faces went pale and their bodies quivering, they could feel the weight of his presence bearing down upon them.
The Emperor was a figure shrouded in legend and revered as the pinnacle of strength and dominion. His rule was absolute, his will unyielding, and his punishments severe. No power in Aetheria could challenge him, and no force could bend him to their will. The dignitaries, well aware of the consequences of crossing the Grand Emperor, trembled in fear as the reality of his authority settled upon them.
They were seeing the consequences of crossing a force that could topple nations and crush dissent. They were reminded of the perilous line they treaded in the presence of the imperial might.
The Emperor's declared, they were not the words of a king or a mooarch or a tyrant, -- they were the words of true power.
"I decree the start of The 4th Frostfire Cataclysm," the Emperor's voice thundered, shaking the very foundations of the hall.
The older dignitaries who had seen the devastation of Grand Unification War fought by the First Prince and Grand Emperor, fell to their knees. It was as if they have given up. They could only imagine the Horrors of Frostfire Cataclysm.
In the slums of Union, was a blind beggar without limbs, pounding his head against the wall with as his might. Yelling they killed, they, we no. but who cares about a beggar's cry when a cataclysm was approaching and fallens wreaked havoc
The Frostfire Cataclysms was the named of 3 of greatest wars aetherians ever faced. Their magnitude reached at least a galaxy level war. They were events of nothing but unparalleled devastation, cataclysms that had shaped the history of the realm. Each previous cataclysm had left scars upon the land, forever altering the landscape and bringing forth immense loss and suffering. To invoke the start of the 4th Frostfire Cataclysm was to unleash a force that would consume everything in its path.
The audacious assailants had attacked Aetheria. They defied the might of the Celestial Dominion. They had awakened the fury of the Grand Emperor. The brazen aggression shown towards the empire was an affront to his rule, a challenge that he would not tolerate. Now the consequences were to be faced
In the grand hall, a heavy silence enveloped the dignitaries. None dared to speak, their voices silenced by the weight of the Emperor's anger and the fear of being the target of his fury. They exchanged uneasy glances, their thoughts consumed by the imminent cataclysm that loomed on the horizon.
As the Emperor's thunderous command reverberated through the grand hall, the guards stood at attention, their eyes fixed upon their sovereign. In response to his declaration their armor seemed to come alive. Patterns of ethereal energy surged forth from the guards'. The armors dawned themselves to every contour of their body. the guards willed their weapons into existence. In a burst of dazzling magical energy, the weapons materialized before them
With weapons held firmly in their hands, the guards formed a encirclement, their gazes fixed upon the dignitaries who now found themselves facing the wrath of the Celestial Dominion. The grand hall, once a symbol of opulence and diplomacy, had transformed into a theater of war.
"Choose," the Emperor thundered once again, his voice a command that brooked no hesitation. The guards, with their weapons at the ready, pointed them towards the dignitaries, a silent reminder of the consequences that awaited those who defied the might of the Celestial Dominion.
The choice before the dignitaries was clear: to submit themselves to Grand Emperor or to face the full force of the Thalassa. The grand hall, once filled with diplomatic discourse and intricate negotiations, now crackled with tension and conflict.
Governor Shiier's voice Bellowed through the grand hall, filled with a mix of outrage and defiance.
"How dare the empire put the safety of 6000 dignitaries at risk with their poor management!"
Governor Shiier's voice resonated with full force, his words piercing through the tense atmosphere. His accusations were laced with a sense of righteous anger, as if he believed the empire had failed in its duty to protect those under its care.
The governor's impassioned words continued, each sentence dripping with disdain and a belief in his own moral high ground. It was clear that he represented a younger generation, one that had not experienced firsthand the wrath of the Grand Emperor. Perhaps this lack of personal experience with the consequences of defying the empire's might emboldened him to challenge its authority so boldly.
"The empire should apologize for this," Governor Shiier declared, his voice filled with conviction. His words were a direct challenge to the Grand Emperor's power, a demand for acknowledgment of the perceived wrongdoing committed by the empire.
The atmosphere in the grand hall shifted from tense to chilling as Cassius, his patience worn thin, responded to Governor Shiier's audacity with a cold and calculated statement. His voice dripped with coldness of Epsilon Indi as he addressed the representative from Averna,
"I remember Averna being built around a dying star," Cassius uttered, his voice carrying an air of controlled menace. "What would happen if it were to"
– A deadly silence filled the hall, the governor looked unsure and lost. Unable to follow Cassius.
"Explode, "
The dignitaries exchanged bewildered glances, unsure of what he was implying. Governor Shiier attempted to make sense of Cassius' cryptic words.
"Why would it explode?" Governor Shiier finally asked with uncertainty.
The prince's features hardened as he stared directly into the governor's eyes. His gaze held an eerie intensity, a glimpse into a power that surpassed the realm of Laws. With a hint of a chilling smile, Cassius simply responded,
"Because I said so."
In that moment, an unseen force reverberated through the grand hall, an echo of the laws of nature trying to grasp he who defiled them.
The dying star of Averna, its existence already on the precipice of destruction, suddenly erupted with an unimaginable force. A blinding explosion engulfed the region, obliterating everything in its path.
The shockwave of destruction radiated outward, obliterating the landscape and tearing apart the continent itself. The destructive force unleashed by Cassius's command consumed 1/8 of the once-thriving land, reducing it to a desolate wasteland. It was done. The Celestial Dominion of Thalassa Moved. Now there was no neutral ground.
Governor Shiier, frozen in horror, witnessed the obliteration of his beloved Averna, his home, and all those who resided within it. The magnitude of the cataclysm struck him like a physical blow, leaving him speechless and hollow. In that moment, the reality of his defiance and the consequences of crossing the might of the Celestial Dominion became painfully clear.
Silence enveloped the grand hall, broken only by the haunting echoes of destruction. The once-prominent dignitaries, who had dared to challenge the might of the empire, now stood witness to the devastating consequences of their actions. The power of the Celestial Dominion and its rulers was undeniable, leaving no doubt as to the futility of resistance.
Aurelius Stood affixed in his place, unaffected and impervious to the chaos surrounding him. Moments later the temporal rift was closed, but aurelius was drained.
"I am leaving," he said informally before vanishing in the moonlight.
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Deep within the Imperial palace, moonlight filtered through the giant windows, casting a silhouetted figure beside the grand empress's bed. The serenity of the moment was disturbed by the fluttering of wings, accompanied by a soft, hollow voice that whispered through the room. It was the sound of someone burdened with no choice.
"We killed her," the voice lamented.
"It was necessary," replied the figure, still shrouded in darkness.
"Haraet was too much," the voice persisted.
"But the temporal rift wasn't," the figure countered.
"You knew," the voice accused.
"Does the emperor know?" inquired the figure.
As the moonlight shifted, the filtered rays revealed Aurelius seated on the floor beside the empress's bed, while Cassius stood nearby, wearing a defeated expression.
"Does Father know?" Aurelius asked.
"No," Cassius replied.
"This was necessary," Cassius continued.
"We have seen them," he added, his tone heavy with defeat.
"We are doing what needs to be done," Aurelius affirmed.
"Yes," Cassius agreed.
"When all of this is over, we will offer ourselves in Haraet," Cassius said.
"You will have to be the one to destroy me," Aurelius said, his voice almost broken.
"The same goes for you," Cassius replied.
"Now, get up," Cassius instructed. "I am going to see the Imperial Senate and Houses."
Aurelius could hear the sound of receding wings fluttering away.