The throne room of the Eternal Palace. There, a desperate and pain-filled scream intermingled with a scream of pleasure. Disgusting squelching sounds echoed, shortly followed by a loud *crack*.
The desperate scream cut off, but the scream of pleasure continued for a bit longer, finishing off with a content grunt.
A young prince with golden hair and glowing gold eyes watched the scene unfold with a blank expression.
Barely ten years of age, Lucian Li Eternia found it hard to process what was unfolding before his eyes. As a result, he could only stand numbly by the side as his father stood up to kick aside the unmoving body of the young woman that the man had just been pressed against.
It flew through the air before landing on the waxed marble floor a short distance away with a loud thud. As it did, blood and other fluids splattered, slowly pooling beneath it.
"Hmph." Maximilian Li Eternia pulled up his silk trousers and adjusted his robe. Glancing at the fresh corpse with his glimmering gold eyes, the Emperor of Eternia scowled and said, "Screaming so loudly when other women would grovel for just a taste of this Emperor's sword..." He flicked his wrist, causing a pillar of golden light to crash down upon the corpse.
A sickening sweet smell filled the air as the corpse slowly dissolved in the light. And then it was gone, leaving only the blood trails by Maximilian's feet as the traces that it once existed.
Lucian carefully controlled his breathing and said, "Is this another lesson, Father?"
"Hm?" Maximilian paused in the middle of adjusting his golden hair. "Lesson?" He stopped and then laughed. "Yes. A lesson... I had almost forgotten that was why I brought you here." He sauntered across the room, his bare feet slapping the polished marble floor as he did.
Lucian did his best to not think about how the sound reminded him of the explicit and brutal scene he had just witnessed. Instead, he stared his father in the eye and said, "May I ask what this lesson is?"
Maximilian chuckled and placed his hand on Lucian's head, lightly ruffling it. "Of course, Son." He grinned and said, "The lesson is simple." He pointed at the slightly singed floor and said, "The Emperor's will is absolute. And if anyone dares to resist or impede it, they will face our wrathful light."
"...I see."
Maximilian let out a hearty laugh and then patted Lucian's shoulder. "I knew you were smart. Much smarter than your dead siblings..." He shook his head and then walked back to his throne, letting out a sigh. "To think that such a smart kid came out of a dirty whore I grabbed off the street." He laughed and said, "The goddess truly has her own designs unknown to us mere mortals."
"...Yes, Father." Lucian bowed his head and then said, "Will that be all?"
"Hm?" Maximilian blinked and then laughed. "Yes, yes. Just as impatient as me when I was young... Hah. Go and enjoy yourself, Son. I will call you if there is more I want to teach."
"Then I take my leave, Father." With another bow, Lucian turned around and left.
Just as he reached the door, Maximilian called out. "Wait."
Lucian paused and then turned back around. "Yes, Father?"
Maximilian put on a serious face and said, "The Emperor stands above all but the Goddess. You can have toys, but friends, family, and comrades are simply parasites to men like us. Keep that in mind."
"...Understood, Father." Lucian paused and said, "Is there anything else?"
Maximilian waved his hand and said, "Go have your fun, Son. Ah, but watch your back. The Emperor's role and will is absolute, but the Emperor Apparent is not." He leaned on the side of his throne, resting his head on his fist. "I would hate to lose my favorite son before I ascend to the embrace of our Goddess. Try not to die before I call you again."
"Of course, Father. Then, I bid my leave."
xxx
As Lucian walked out of the throne room, an elderly man bowed to greet him. "I see your meeting with the Emperor went well, Young Emperor."
Lucian didn't immediately respond, instead taking a moment to analyze the man.
A sleek and tailored suit outlining a muscular body forged by decades of combat. Silver hair cropped short and combed in a neat side part. A wrinkled face covered with scars. Icy blue eyes that shimmered with power.
That man possessing those attributes was William Li Elemens, Lucian's personal guard and retainer who had been with him since birth.
He was also Lucian's grandfather on his mother's side.
After taking another glance to ensure that it truly was William and not a doppelganger or an assassin, Lucian nodded and started walking.
William immediately followed, walking directly behind and to the right of Lucian.
Lucian gave William a sidelong glance and said, "Father wished to teach me a lesson."
William's eyes flashed an electric blue for a moment before returning to its usual hue. "I see." His voice was cold as he said, "There are many lessons the Emperor wishes to pass, I see."
"Yes." Lucian glanced at the hem of his pants where a faint splatter of blood could be seen. Specks that flew and stained the cloth while he had been standing numbly to the side. "...Of course, I will decide what I take to heart."
Willaim visibly relaxed and then let out a calm smile. "As you should, Young Emperor."
Lucian quietly stared at William and then said, "Be careful, William. You are my favorite 'toy.' I do not wish for Father or the parasites hiding in his shadow to take you away under the pretense of aspiring beyond your position."
William bowed his head and said, "Of course, Young Emperor."
A crisp and professional action. Even so, a faint smile remained on the old man's face.
Lucian stared at him for a while longer and then continued on his way. "Come. I wish to continue my studies."
"As you will, Young Master."
xxx
Eternia. That was the name of both the world and the Empire that ruled it.
A name carrying the meaning of timelessness and permanence. Something that would persist until time itself ceased.
Lucian idly flipped through
Eternia had existed since the emergence of the Primogenitor one million years ago. Granted divine authority and command over light, the Primogenitor had forcibly united the scattered continents of the world into a single landform, conquered the savages and beasts in the wilderlands, and then established the Empire of Eternia.
A man among men blessed by the favor of Goddess Sefir, he lived for a thousand years and brought Eternia into a golden age.
And that golden age persisted to the current day.
Favored by Goddess Sefir, the Primogenitor's lineage and heirs were granted a thousand years of lifespan as well as the divine power and authority to do as they pleased.
Of course, that was only the 'true heir' selected by Goddess Sefir.
Flipping through the heavy tome, Lucian could tell that the glorious tales and history written within were edited to exclude the bloody reality of familicide, genocide, and various cruelties.
After all, were that not the case, he would not have had to bury three older siblings before he had even come of age.
But that was neither here nor there.
Lucian flipped further through the tome before reaching the portion describing the more prominent of his ancestors.
Primogenitor Lucifix Li Eternia, wielding the Divine Light of Transcension, enhancing his capabilities far and above any being alive.
The Emperor of Victory, Pendragon Li Eternia. Wielding the Divine Light of Victory, he succeeded in every task, battle, and objective he sought throughout his life.
The Emperor of Plenty, Duran Li Eternia. Wielding the Divine Light of Abundance, he turned barren deserts into plains and salted oceans into pure water.
The Emperor of Music, the Emperor of Fiction, the Emperor of Control...
And then there was the most recent Emperor.
Maximilian Li Eternia, wielder of the Divine Light of Absolution that purifies all the filth in the world.
1000 years each. A reign lasting a millennium, ending with the Emperor ascending the mortal realm to rest within the embrace of Goddess Sefi without exception. After confirming that fact, Lucian closed the book and decided.
This 'eternal' world. This 'absolute' empire held together only by the authority of an unfathomable being.
Staring out the window of his room at the vast imperial city where millions of lives were decided by a trifling hundred, he muttered, "So wasteful."
Eternal Calendar, New Moon of the Sixth Cycle, Year 9,999,989.
On that date, Lucian Li Eternia, Emperor Heir Apparent and 777th son of Maximilian Lu Eternia, learned two valuable lessons from his father.
First, the emperor was always correct. And if one were to question the emperor's will, the emperor need only eradicate the opposition.
Second, and most important of all... Lucian's predecessors were wasteful fools who squandered what was given to them.
Lucian quietly put his book back on the shelf in his room and then stood up, mentally calculating the time remaining.
Eleven years.
Eleven years to prepare for his father's ascension and his own reign.
Eleven years to survive as countless nobles sought his neck to have their sponsored child assume his position.
Eleven years to prove his worth to that ambivalent goddess looking down at them from above...
Lucian held out his left hand, watching as a distorted golden star hovered above his palm. After staring at it for a bit, he closed his hand, dispersing the light.
There was much to be done.