My eyes snapped open, and not wasting even a moment I looked around the room and I immediately knew where I was. How could I not, after all this is my room when I was a child. And before anything else, I rushed to my mirror where I saw my 14 year old self. Immediately after, I ran to my balcony on the left side of the room.
And as soon as I opened it I saw the imperial capital in all its glory, I saw people opening their shops, erecting or repairing buildings, and going to the market. But this sight just brought tears to my eyes, after all the last time I saw this city it was bathed in fire and ice, it's buildings rendered to nothing more than ash and cinder, while my people were being butchered, violated, and tortured for fun!
I looked at the three sets of walls that were more than 100 meters tall, and the massive moat that embraced the entirety of the vibrant city in it's protective embrace. Fortifications that saved the royal capital several times in the past stood gloriously before me, without even a single scratch on them. But I couldn't help but bite my lip in frustration as I remembered how those same walls were brought down, and instead of protecting my people, were used to execute them by throwing them off its great height.
I looked to the left and saw, a grand building that looked like an ancient fortress, with several flying beasts above it. This was the home to the most honorable and prestigious knights in the history of the empire; The Chimera Knights! Men who rode on creatures who had the body of a lion, the horns of a goat, the wings of an eagle, the tail of a serpent's head, and had the ability to breathe fire like dragons. This grand sight before me looked pitiful though, since I still remember how those bastards skinned the chimeras and used them as trophies, while massacring the defenseless cubs.
I turned to my right and saw a massive floating, upside down, black pyramid, covered in ancient and powerful runes, surrounded with several floating obelisks that orbited it. This was the home of the wizards of the empire where the most important treasures and archives were stored. And yet, even this place of great wisdom and knowledge was not spared and ransacked for all its worth.
As I raised my tear filled eyes to swear once again that this time it will be different, I heard the voice of a man and a woman from inside the room. "My prince, where are you? Are you okay?"
Quickly wiping the tears off my face, I walk back in and see the two people looking for me. The first one was a man named Horus, the head of my personal guard. He was a tall handsome young man in his late teens with silver hair, and blue eyes further complementing his features. He was wearing heavy armor but he moved in it as if it was nothing, and he held in his left hand a spear that gleamed threateningly in the sun light. Although this man who at the moment was only one of more than a thousand royal guards, I knew the true importance and depth of his loyalty, the man that will be later feared as the silver reaper of the south!?
The second was a woman named Kira. She much like Horus, was also in her late teens. She had brown hair, honey colored eyes, and a modest body, nothing was too large or too small. Although this woman was a slave, to me she was more like a sister, always doing her best to ensure my safety and happiness. She was also the head of my personal maids. But the last time I saw her was during the fall of the capital, I searched for her endlessly in the collapsing debris, only to find her with all her clothes in tatters. It was obvious that she had seen true hell and despair before her miserable death. Remembering this, I could only think of one thing 'Nicholas!'
I was suddenly embraced by Kira saying "My prince are you okay? Were you crying?" She asked quickly.
"I'm fine, it's just that I had a bad dream. Don't worry." I said as gently as possible. I then turned to Horus and ordered "Horus, I want all my guards to be mobilized." This shocked both them, after all I never gave an order like this before. Worried, Kira asked "My prince, what's wrong?"
"Kira, I have a feeling that something will happen today, so I want all my guards ready at a moments notice, and Horus I want you to send some of my guards to my brothers and sisters as well, and finally I don't want anyone disturbing me, do I make myself clear?" I ordered in an authoritative voice, which came out unconsciously. Habits were difficult to get rid of.
This once again shocked the two of them, after all I never had this charisma or this authoritative aura before. But they quickly understood the seriousness in my voice and began enacting my orders.
As the two left, a small chimera cub walked in and started meowing cutely. But unlike the rest of the chimeras this one was ash colored and had blood red stripes, similar to that of a tiger. As I looked at this cute little creature I thought 'Who would believe that this is the monstrous chimera the Tyrant of the Ruined Sun once rode into countless battles. The fearsome and incredibly rare Chimera King Bellerophon.'
"Come here Bell." I said to it, and it happily jumped into my arms and started purring.
I walked back to my bed with Bell in my arms, and sat down cross legged as I prepared for the first step in my plan, which is the opining of my first gate of my divine blood.
Demigods gain their powers due to their divine blood, but to use the power of the gods a trial must be passed, and to open the first of the nine gates I must first suffer unbelievable pain. In my previous life, I always delayed the opening of my first gate because of the fear of this horrendous pain, but now I welcome it. After all, this is an insignificant price if you consider what I would gain instead.
I calmed my mind and easily found the traces of the divine blood in my body; usually my father was supposed to help me in this step and I should have been given some tonic to ease the suffering I was about to endure, but what I discovered in my previous life was that the more intense the pain, the more power I would gain! And if you consider my already extremely pure blood, then I would be a true monster when unlock the higher gates. And that brought a malevolent smile to my face!
I started guiding my divine blood to start circulating throughout my body, and that's when it happened.
Pain!
Unbelievable pain, and anguish. And heat. Heat so intense, it caused my eyes to bleed and my skin to begin to bubble and blister. And then my skin became charred black, and cracks started forming as my blood began spill out uncontrollably. But I didn't scream; after all I had already gone through this once before, and it's nothing compared to the higher level gates.
I could no longer feel Bell in my arms, who was obviously freaking out seeing me like this. Although I wanted to console him, I could no longer move my arms anymore. The reason for this, is because every time I unlock a new gate I allow an increasing amount of hell fire into my body! And the amount of hell fire in my body right now was no larger than a spark!
But slowly my body began heal, but not to the way it was before, it was rapidly improving, and becoming far more powerful. When I finally opened my eyes again I was slightly taller than I was, and so was my black hair. But the real changes were to my eyes. My sclera turned pitch black and my eyes which were black, became silverish white! My eyes now resembled a white flame in the middle of a burnt field.
In addition my body was now covered by black tattoos that looked like burn marks, but were actually divine writings that etched itself upon my flesh, and if you focused on them for too long, it would cause those who were mentally weak to collapse.
As I calmed Bell down, who was still in my arms, I looked outside the window and discovered that it was already sun down and word of my fathers death should arrive from the front lines any minute now. Quickly returning to my normal form, and changing my clothes from the burnt ones I was wearing, I walked to the door to begin the second step of my plan, and to erase my first regret in my previous life!