In the highest peak of the mountains of Aldia lies a legend that none deem to exist. A land lost in the knowledge of other civilizations. A land that once was protected by a single flame— The Land Of Emeraldia.

"Whooooooosssshhhh....."

The cold winds of Aldia whistle through the air, clearing the fog as it reveals a tall mountain with four surrounding pillar mountains.

"Whoooooooosssshhhhhh....." The air grew colder, and the mountain's vision was clear as day. The air, as it passes a large mountain, reveals the mountain its snowy peak shining in the sky, for a second, a large beam of green light BURSTS out of the pinnacle of the mountain...

The green light shone through the heavens and brought forth heavy snow. The whole mountains fell silent. Even the winds were silent. Then suddenly, a coarse growl broke the silence, and the green light stopped emitting. It snowed even harder.

A few moments later, a humongous scaly, four-legged monster with wings appears outside a cave situated in the middle part of the mountain. Its throaty growling awakened monstrous humanoid creatures that rested near it. The large scaly monster is known as a dragon, a green one to be exact. A legendary creature that mostly resides at the top of a mountain, hiding its dragon egg. But this dragon is different from those mythological creatures in every child's story books.

"Groouuuughhhh...." The dragon growled, The humanoid figured monster from earlier bowed down to the mighty beast, steam coming out of their noses.

"Has something disturbed you, our Lord?" Says the monster in front.

"Groooouuuggghhhhh.....! Something has disturbed the 'Chasm!' There will be someone born from the powers of the Emerald... Someone who can destroy the only thing we protect..!!" The monsters were all bewildered, they were all angry.

"Lord Ederius, we, your disciples, will find a way to get inside the walls of Emeraldia. We will preserve the mountains of Aldia until we attain the 'eternal flame' and access the chambers!"  The dragon looked at all of them and took a deep breath.

"Very well, my disciples. I entrust you all with that mission. Do NOT let me down."

For fifteen years, the kingdom continued to prosper. Lord Ederius, the dragon dwelling in the mountains, maintained residency inside the cave. Seeking peace, yet still harboring resentment towards the people of Emeraldia. As the days passed by, a particular event happened. It snowed hard that day. The Queen of Emeraldia, Queen Eryss, gave birth to a twin. A boy and a girl. They were named to be Prince Asreus and Princess Asmodea. Growing up, Prince Asreus was no ordinary boy. He highly excelled in swordsmanship, defeating all he sparred with at the age of six. He was also excellent in politics at the age of ten.

He also excelled in different ways such as picking up girls, cooking, giving speeches, slaying critters, and so much more. He is a talented young man that everybody looks up to, and people admire him.

Asmodea, on the other hand, is the opposite of Asreus. Her personality is bitchy, and she's a total brat. Aside from all of that, she has an affinity for creating potions. But their mother and father forbid her to brew potions. Their Royal Mage, Klavicus, secretly teaches her the forbidden arts of magic.

When their parents died, everything changed. It altered the course of their very lives. 

Asreus grew cold towards his sister and never spoke to her about anything. 

As time passed, Asmodea matured. She learned how to use higher-level magic. Asreus became king and led their kingdom through the harsh calamities and monsters that tried to destroy their homes. Days later, something unimaginable occurred. Asmodea had left the palace and was nowhere to be found. 

Hours turned to days, and days turned to months. Asreus gathered all the men to venture beyond their walls, but none returned. He became more anxious, unable to think thoroughly. 

As Asreus settled down on his throne, he ordered one of the guards to summon Klavicus as he had something to confer about. Minutes later, Klavicus arrived. Klavicus arrives, bending his waist before the king. And as he bowed, he expressed a nervous smile.

"Your majesty, May I inquire what you desire of me?" 

"Greetings Klavicus. I have something to discuss with you."

"What might it be, Your Majesty?" Klavicus clasps both hands behind his waist, waiting for the King's reply. Asreus looks at Klavicus with an expressionless face as he stands up and descends the royal steps. Asreus brings his hands behind his waist, straightening his back. He uttered,

"Tomorrow sunrise, I will venture beyond the walls. I cannot bear this anxious feeling of my precious little sister missing. Most of the soldiers I have sent out to search for her have yet to return from their exploration. Thus, I have come to the conclusion of searching for her myself."

"But, your majesty… That is far too dangerous! Don't you remember what happened to your father?!"

"I know. I can still remember what happened. I was there. I remembered when my father shielded me from those unsightly, unscrupulous wolves. But it no longer matters." Asreus clenches his left fist, his expression full of anguish.

"I do not want to lose those who are close to me no longer, I don't want to lose more men. So that is why I will go by myself." Asreus shifts his eyes towards Klavicus with an intense stare, his eyes narrowed. 

"But sire, think about it… We cannot risk your safety just because—" 

"You CANNOT change my mind, Klavicus! I am the King, and you will OBEY my command. I entrust you the ability to command and responsibility for our kingdom. "

"Your majesty, If you don't make it out alive, what will we- No, what will our kingdom do? This decision Is suicide, sir. She could be inside the walls! Maybe we just haven't looked further ahead!"

 The tension rises as Klavicus' heartbeat engrosses the room. Asreus tries to walk away from the throne room and head straight toward his royal quarters. To his surprise, Klavicus tugs Asreus' arm, hoping to stop him.

 Asreus turns around, seeing Klavicus's distressed expression. He looks at him with a penetrating gaze that instantly intimidates him as he replies in a monotone voice.

"Do not fret too much, Klavicus. I WILL come back alive." 

Asreus pats Klavicus on his shoulder and turns around. He half turns his head and smiles. as he walks away from the hallway and heads to his quarters.

Beyond the walls lies the great dangers of beasts that hunt for flesh and blood, like the wild ice boars that pierce the skin using their frost fangs. Mammoths and their giant tusks, ice wolves with an ability to inflict a disease called ataxia with a scratch. And finally, monsters that appear in picture books. 

A vast place of great wonders, where danger looms everywhere. As Asreus prepared to embark on his journey searching for his missing sister, the screams of men and women alerted the guards, causing them to sound the alarms. 

As the alarms sound, civilians are bewildered by the strange event happening outside their houses. As some people walked out of their doors to check, the monster loomed over their homes as its shadow cast all over the area. Asreus hurriedly moved to observe the situation but was astonished as a large humanoid creature loomed ominously outside the walls. The monster gleefully watched the people run for their lives as it giggled sadistically. 

"What the fuck?" Asreus exclaimed. His hands shaking with fear, he calls out to the people running. 

"My dear citizens, fear not! That creature will never be able to surpass the walls that border the flames of the Eternal Flame!" They rattled in fear, not hearing the voice of their king.

"My people, hear me! Gaze upon the flames that encircle our walls, the flame that severs those who oppose the kingdom!

The monster tries to walk forward but in the process, severs his leg. Its whole body falls flat inside the walls, causing the invisible wall of flames to surge its body into dust. The people gasped in awe and terror, seeing the giant monster being surged by the flames as it turned to dust. They all breathed a collective sigh of relief. as the king reassured them that their safety was well preserved because of the powers of the "Eternal Flame." 

Asreus breathes a sigh of relief as he cheers, 

"Gaze upon the power of our protector! You are all safe from great dangers inside our walls!" 

Everyone rejoiced as their king's reassurance calmed them. Finally realizing there was no imminent danger, they all went home safely. 

As the sun slowly rises, Asreus begins his journey to find Asmodea. 

Asreus exits on the main gateway on a horse. Two royal knights follow him as he makes his way toward the snowy forests, home to the ice wolves. As they step into the forest, 

A chill runs down their spine. The temperature starts going down every time they get closer to the middle. 

"Your majesty, aren't you feeling cold?"  The knight on the left asked. 

"Don't worry about me, my knights. The Eternal Flame guides me."  Asreus replied. They finally reached the middle layer of the forest, and the sun's rays that enveloped the whole outer layer quickly vanished, and the forest turned dark. The wolves' howl reverberates through the forest, their mouth foaming with saliva, charging towards them with blood-curdling eyes.

Asreus sensed the danger, quickly drew his sword, and said, 

"My soldiers, draw your swords. They are all coming behind. Attacking from the left!" 

Both soldiers draw their swords, ready to fight. A tremendously large pack of wolves charges towards the left, all howling and growling. One wolf lunges towards Asreus but quickly meets its demise when he slices its head off, killing it instantly. Five wolves try to lunge towards the Knight on the right. The knight evaded the three and instantly killed the two. The right knight stops and goes the other way around, trying to lure half of the wolves chasing them in his direction. 

"Go on without me, Your Majesty! I will come back alive!" He shouts, his voice slowly fading from the distance, and the growling lessens. A few more wolves showed up and pounced towards the left knight. The knight ducks down, avoiding the wolf. He oversees the other wolf going in for the bite. The wolf inflicts its fangs on his left leg. As the wolf's fangs inflict deadly frostbite, it starts to spread from his wound and into his leg. "Huurrhkk!!" He suppresses the pain he is feeling and stabs the wolf in its head, killing it. Another wolf pounces towards him, and the knight swiftly pierces the creature through its mouth mid-pounce, killing it. 

"Do not fret, my soldier! We are almost in the middle!"

"Understood, Your Majesty!!" 

And as the number of wolves lessened, some gave up on pursuing them. They reached the middle circle of the forest. As a massive covering of overgrown trees casts a shadow over them, the sun's rays penetrate through the branches, illuminating a snowy mound beneath. They both stop at the entrance of the forest. Leaves rustle beside them as the Knight from before shows up with wounds. 

"My soldier, you are alive! Quickly, you must heal him." Asreus swings the bag to the front and opens it. He takes out some healing potions and bandages to cover the wounds. 

"Use this." Asreus hands it to the knight. 

"Thank you, Your Majesty." The soldier tends to the others' wounds. The other takes a healing potion and drinks it, lessening his pain.

"I am glad you are safe, Your Majesty. I am sorry for being a burden at this time." The wounded knight exclaimed. 

"No, I am glad you are safe. You have risked your life to help me on my journey." Asreus replied as he smiled. 

"My soldiers, state to me your names."

"My name is æthwod, Your Majesty." The knight tending the wounds replied. 

"I am called Gullis by my mother, Your Majesty."  The wounded knight responded. 

"You both have incredible names for incredible warriors. I have now recognized both of you. Now, both of you tend to your wounds. I will come up to that snow mound and pay my respects to the late king, Emorosio." 

"So this is the rumored burial grounds of the late King Emorosio..!" Gullis eagerly replied.

"Indeed, my great-grandfather's remains lie here." Asreus lifts his head, staring towards the large tombstone on top of the mound as he walks towards the snow mound and ascends slowly. As he arrives on top of where the tombstone resides, he takes out his sword and crouches down. He sticks out his hand, wipes the dirt off the pedestal, and reveals a small opening. Asreus unsheathes his sword and inserts it inside the opening. Suddenly, a loud click reverberates through the forest. A few seconds later, the mound shakes, revealing a hidden compartment. Asreus opens it but is left perplexed by the missing item. 

"It appears that we have arrived late. Asmodea has been here before us." 

"The princess… She's been here?!" Gullis exclaimed.

"What was in that box, Your Majesty? What did you find?!" Asked Aethwod. Asreus gazes towards them.

"It was a gemstone that our father gave to me… It was given to him by my great-grandfather. Legends say that it is able to guide the sun's wrath and control it with ease. But I think Asmodea has it.

"That is incredible, your majesty!" Aethwod's eyes widen in surprise. Asreus descends the mound in a hurry as the secret compartment closes. 

"Asmodea… I do not know what you are up to, but I hope it is not what I think it is!" 

As Asreus descends, he takes out a small crystal out of his pocket and crushes it. The essence of a fire spirit burns into his sword, enchanting it with a fire spell. 

"Are you both able to walk? We must hurry. I have a bad feeling about this." Asreus runs towards his horse and quickly mounts it as both soldiers rush to ride theirs. 

"Your majesty! Are we heading back?" Aethwod responds. 

"Yes, we are. Ready your weapons for defense. I will be the one attacking."

"But sire, you'll be wounded." Gullis frowned, worried about Asreus' decision.

"I cannot risk losing the both of you. Aren't you both wounded?" Both soldiers looked at each other, took a half-sigh, and nodded.

"We'll be right with you, Your Majesty. We will protect you even at the cost of our lives..!" 

Asreus gallops forward approaching the exit of the middle forest, while the soldiers guard both sides. "HAH!" Asreus jolts the rein, making the horse move faster. 

"HAH!"  Both soldiers exclaimed as they caught up with Asreus. As they finally entered the inner layer of the forest, everything suddenly went dark. It seems the ice wolves sensed their previous prey. They want revenge. Asreus' sword glows radiantly due to the enchantment imbued to it. 

"Be ready, my soldiers. Our objective is to survive." Asreus gallops towards the crying wolves, their saliva foaming on their mouths, and with bloodthirsty eyes, they all gather in packs charging towards Asreus. 

"Aethwod, divert the remaining wolves away from the king!" Gullis calls towards Aethwod. As Aethwod notices, he waves his sword up and proceeds to gallop against the right side of Asreus. 

Both soldiers draw their swords as they roar their battle cry. 

"GRAAHHH!!!!" The soldiers shout. Charging toward a pack of hungry wolves, they each suffer excruciating bites that rip some of their skin off frostbitten legs, dislocated fingers, and different injuries. As the wolves' onslaught ended, they successfully defended their king, exterminating half of the wolves.

As Asreus continues to move forward, exterminating the wolves by scorching them with the power of a fire spirit, Asreus suffers small injuries and can get out of the forest. Both soldiers breathe a sigh of relief as their journey ends.

"It is a great relief to see both of you alive. Yet not so well."

"We are here to protect you from harm, Your Majesty. You shall not worry about us, for we are your soldiers." Gullis responds.

"That is but the truth," Aethwod added.

"Then we must hurry back to our walls. I can feel the presence of the eternal flame. It is calling for us." As the party strides towards the path home, Asreus notices a faint smell of a burning fire.

Asreus peers through the distance, as the walls of the inner walls loomed before him. He sees a vague smoke peering out of the wall as it darkens and encompasses it. Asreus' heartbeat reverberates through the forest, his whole body shaking nervously. As he watched his kingdom engulfed with dark smoke. "We have to hurry." His anxious-filled eyes call out for his soldiers' help as they nod in agreement. 

"What are your orders, sire?" Æthwod asked. 

"Right now, I have nothing to order both of you… Our main objective is to go back." Asreus hastily heads on towards the gates, galloping. His hands still trembling, Asreus knows something is up. He realized what Klavicus told him. That Asmodea was lurking inside the kingdom, waiting to strike when the kingdom was at its most vulnerable state. A few minutes later, as the party arrives at the entrance gate, Asreus gazes up at the horrific scene of dead bodies scattered around the road. Gullis slowly descends from his stallion and walks slowly towards the gate. He tries to pry it open from the inside but to no avail. His hands couldn't reach the lever, and using both legs, he tried to reach the lever. "Worthless cur of a gate! I can't even reach this damned lever to enter!" Gullis screeched in frustration. 

"That means the gate is effective you incoherent barbarian!" Aethwod hits Gullis in the head using his knuckles. 

"Your Majesty, should we climb the walls or find another way?" Aethwod asked. 

"I remember a passageway we siblings used without being seen by the guards… We could use it." Asreus and his soldiers went around the east wall and stopped, crouched down, and dug a small hole. "From what I remember, the button's right around here."

Asreus sticks his hand inside the hole, feeling a rough surface, he presses it, and the passageway opens. Asreus crouched down and crawled inside, Gullis and Aethwod both have surprised faces, they smile and crouch down to enter the passageway.

"This is amazing, Your Majesty! This is one hell of an emergency entrance!" Aethwod acknowledged. Asreus chuckled, "We used it to run around the outside walls, but after we saw a large monster nearby, we never left." Finally, after a few minutes of crawling, they entered the walls. As the cloudy smoke engulfs the atmosphere of the kingdom, Asreus is encircled by the lifeless bodies of soldiers. Asreus was astounded, how could a monster be able to walk inside the walls without being disintegrated by the eternal flames? Asreus hurriedly ran in the direction of the smoke as more lifeless bodies piled up. 

"How could this happen?!" He exclaimed with bitter anguish. 

"This must be the work of a comrade. I suspect. No, It can't be!" Asreus' eyes widened with fear as he taped his mouth with his hand, trembling. 

"Your Majesty, are you alright?" Aethwod worriedly asked. 

"I am fine, both of you… I need you two to find the remaining survivors and help them evacuate toward the main plaza. I want you both to report to me ALIVE. Understood?!" 

"Understood, Your Majesty!" Gullis and Aethwod scatter to find survivors, their legs still limping from the injuries that the wolves caused. Still, they persevered. 

Asreus heads on toward the source of the smoke at full speed, and as he reaches the districts, he gazes upon destruction and death in every direction. Asreus sees a mother of three children stuck inside a burning house. He jolts towards the direction and breaks the window, helping the woman out of the burning home. Asreus smiles and reassures them that they are safe and instructs them to head on to the main plaza, but before they go, he asks about the situation. 

"Your Majesty, thank you for helping me and my children!" The mother thanks him over and over. 

"It is fine. I am more than happy to know you are safe. But I must ask, what happened here?!" 

"Your Majesty, Princess Asmodea has returned..! But when she finally returned, she wasn't the same as before… 

Asreus was astounded, "She's back?! How did these events transpire?!" He sputtered. 

"Your Majesty, the things you have seen here… She did all of it!"

"What do you mean?!" Asreus asked with a raised voice.

"She used magic! A forbidden art that only the royal mage is capable of. She used it to control those commoners." 

"That damn Klavicus! This is why she was FORBIDDEN, no, EVERYONE is forbidden to use it!" 

"She… she also controlled a commoner… And controlled them to kill a noble!"

"She killed a noble? Who?"

"She made the commoner kill Count Vien Emer II, Your Majesty… But she failed."

"What do you mean She failed?" 

"I-" She takes a deep breath and fixes herself.

"She controlled the commoner and killed Count Vien! The guards chased her, but she controlled them. She ordered the guards to kill us all! Yes, that's what happened."  Asreus nods and smiles, 

"Thank you for this information. Please keep safe. We will meet again in the main plaza. I expect you there!"

 Asreus waves goodbye and hurriedly jolts towards the palace gates. As he runs around the fine-cut bushes and trees surrounding the Palace entrance, he sees the guards gathered around. He calls out, but they don't respond. As he calls out for the second time, the guards notice him and draw their weapons. Asreus is caught off-guard, and the guard stabs him in the stomach with a spear. Thankfully, Asreus wore plated armor

and wasn't stabbed deeply. He draws out his sword and slashes the spear in half. The remaining guards try to stab him, but Asreus parries it with his sword and diverts the spears upwards, causing the spear to fly away, disarming them. One guard tries to slash Asreus from the back but diverts the blade using his left leg. He then hits all of them one by one with his sword's blunt part in the base of the skull, hitting them unconscious. Asreus gasped for air for a moment and ran towards the Palace doors. 

It seems that they were being controlled…" He muttered to himself. "Klavicus, I hope you are alright!!" 

As Asreus enters the palace doors, he gazes upon the throne room and sees Asmodea settled on the throne. Asreus looks beside her and sees Klavicus, his expression full of disdain, yet still smiling ominously. 

"What have you done, Asmodea?!" Asreus shouts in anger. He grips his sword's handle tightly. 

"ANSWER ME!" Asreus' eyes widened with anger. He fixed his eyes on Klavicus and cried out, 

"Klavicus, are you being controlled as well?! I'll settle this with her. Do not fret no more!"

Klavicus laughs, "Oh no, Your Majesty, I am not hypnotized." He Jeered. 

"What do you mean?" Asreus stammered. "So you are INVOLVED with this?!"

"Brother, this kingdom does not need you. YOU are weak." 

"What?"  Asreus grits his teeth in bitter sorrow, "You miscreants, this… this is treachery!" 

"No, it is not. We are simply getting rid of you, brother. You do not deserve the throne of Emeraldia. The kingdom's best interest is to have ME as the ruler." 

"What do you intend to do, Asmodea?! You chose to hurt the people you SHOULD be protecting! You do not deserve the throne. YOU are not fit to be Queen!"

"Your tongue tells lies, Asreus. Don't you remember? You're the only reason Father died."

She droned, her eyes dilated as she peered towards Asreus' eyes. 

"What? You know it was an accident! I'd never…" Asreus's body tensed, and he clenched his fist as the memories recollected in his mind.

"Those wolves attacked us! They were the reason for our Father's death. How dare you blame me!"

"You led Father to his demise. You used those wolves to kill him, to steal his throne!"

"You're uttering such lies, Asmodea!" Asreus draws his sword, gripping it tightly as he grits his teeth in anger.

"Very well, I'll allow my soldiers to bring your head to me." She raises her right arm and casts a control spell. She points towards Asreus and orders the soldiers to attack him. With their spears and swords drawn, they all charge towards Asreus. 

Asreus, surrounded by six soldiers in every direction, grabs a sapphire gem from his pocket and crushes it. The essence of a shield monster creates a small barrier that surrounds him for only thirty seconds until it dispels. The soldiers charge at the barrier, thrusting their spears and attempting to destroy it. 

"This can only bide my time..!" Asreus takes another sapphire gem and crushes it. He takes the dust from the gem and spreads it on his sword. The essence of an electric spirit emanates from the sword, enchanting it with the power of electrocution. 

"This could probably not do that much damage." As the shield wears off, all soldiers thrust their spears simultaneously, trying to finish Asreus. But to their surprise, and with Asreus' quick thinking, he manages to dodge their combined attack by jumping out of the way, using one of the soldier's shoulders to leap off.

Asreus rolls on the ground, gripping his sword tightly. He swiftly rises as he kneels on one knee, his left hand supporting his weight at the back of his left knee-up leg. He tightens his grip on his sword as electricity builds up as it travels around the blade. 

The soldiers pivot their heads towards Asreus, jolting towards him at full speed with their spear. 

"Come at me..!" Asreus screams as he stands up. He slowly positions his sword's tip behind him and holds his sword with both hands. The soldiers charge toward him as they thrust their spears. Asreus bends his right leg and strides away from the first attack as he slashes through the spear with his blade, cutting it in half. The other attack comes from the right side, targeting his stomach. As Asreus makes a turn, pivoting his entire body and avoiding the attack. He grabs the spear and kicks away the soldier. The third attack strikes from under, targeting his chest area. Asreus takes a step back, dodging it. Unfortunately, the spear slices his skin from his upper abdomen up until the upper part of the skin near the areola. The spearhead reaches above his head as he bends his back behind. 

"Son of a—!" Asreus swings his sword with one hand, slashing the soldier's abdomen. He grabbed the spear and threw it towards another soldier, hitting their right arm. Behind, the fourth soldier leg-sweeps him, causing him to fall out of balance. The soldier attempts to stab in the chest but parries the sword by diverting it away from him. As he rolled toward the left, quickly standing up, he used the enchantment he added on his sword and struck the soldier with the blunt part, making them unconscious.

"You useless knights! Six of you can't even kill a single man?!" Asmodea bellows her anger. Her rage sweeps the surrounding air. Her voice echoes through the palace, and the influenced soldiers begin to withdraw their attacks, retreating towards Asmodea.

"Very well, brother! You've done well. I guess it's my turn to get rid of you!" With grace, she stands up. Waves her hand as her fingers trace Asreus' shape. Light wavers from her left arm's fingertips to her right arm's palm. As the light concentrates in the middle of both palms, the light turns dark. 

"Brother, I will turn you to dust!" Asmodea casts the ball of magic toward Asreus but manages to dodge it. Asreus lies on the ground as his wound bleeds everywhere. "Hurrrkk!!" Grunting in pain, he tries to stand up as  Asmodea casts another magic ball, this time a little bigger.

"I won't miss this time, brother!!" 

"Shit, I won't be able to dodge in time!!" Asreus stands up with his knee as he raises his sword, preparing for what's coming.

Asmodea shoots the magic ball towards Asreus, but to her surprise, Asreus cuts it with his sword. The enchantment Asreus smothered in his blade sliced the ball of magic in half. With it, Asreus was able to cut magic. As the sword's enchantment wears off, Asreus breathes a sigh of relief and stands up with both legs. 

"How can you possibly do that?!" Asmodea shrieked, staring at him in terror. She takes a step back, falling butt-first on the throne.

"It seems that I was able to cut it because of the enchantment," Asreus muttered to himself, He steadily turned her head towards Asmodea, and his eyes widened in anger. "Is this how you repay me?!" He screamed as the rage in his heart pierced Asmodea, and she looked at him in fear. 

"If only you had treated me the same way you had treated me long ago… But you NEVER did! You looked at me the same way the people do. Those stares I get from all of you. I don't want your pity, I want everyone's recognition!" Everything fell silent. Her tears rolled down her face as the droplets' sound engulfed the Palace. Asreus was left there, speechless. He stood in the middle of the palace, staring at his beloved sister. If only he had realized what she had felt all those years.

"Asmodea, I... I didn't know. I apologize… When father died, I couldn't bear the thought of losing you. So I tried becoming the person the people envisioned me to be. I'm sorry I grew cold towards you, Asmodea. I just don't want to lose you." Asreus softly bites his lower lip, his tears falling down his chin, his voice shaking. "I'm sorry my beloved sister." He narrows his head down, ashamed. Unable to look at her face.

"You are far too late, brother. You had already lost me." Her voice shakes as she takes a half breath and her tears stop flowing down her eyes. 

"Everyone in this world will bow down to me, for I am the rightful heir to the throne!" As her voice engulfed the palace, the rage in her heart grew stronger. It grew stronger in fact, that her magic lost its balance of nature. She was unable to control it. Magic flows down her palms and onto the wall, creating magical roots that surround the entire Palace walls. Her eyes turned black as she floated upward with her head up. As she convulsed mid-air. Asreus looks at her in horror, not being able to do anything as he stands there, staring. Klavicus calls out to her, hoping for her to stop. 

"My Queen, what have you done?! Your powers declined your call! You must stop yourself before it's too late!" He calls out but is unsuccessful.

A few moments later, her mouth opens, and a ball of concentrated magic flies out of her and into Klavicus, forming an ominous dark cloud, surrounding him. As the clouds enter his mouth, his eyes turn black, as he gazes his eyes toward Asreus and calls to him,

"King Asreus," Klavicus steps in, he stares at Asreus with a menacing look. "You have given 'Queen' Asmodea too much trouble that she had personally asked me to end you." It seemed that the magic clouds controlled him, but something was odd.

Klavicus instantly dives towards Asreus and punches him straight in the stomach, sending him out of the Palace and into those fine-cut bushes. It seems that he used a speed-boosting magic that made him

somehow teleport toward their target. Asreus couldn't process what happened to him as the next thing he knew he was outside the Palace doors with his head hurting like shit. He tried to look for his sword in the vicinity but it wasn't there. It seemed that it flew from his hand the moment Klavicus struck him. Asreus touches his chest and feels a tremendous amount of pain. It seems that his ribs broke from the punch.

"What the fuck was that?!" He grunts in pain as he tries to get up on the floor. He squints as he struggles to peer inside with his blurry vision. For a split second, he sees a silhouette of Klavicus standing. Suddenly, he gets blown away into a lake. "HUHRRGHKKK!!" As he struggles to swim to the surface, Klavicus takes his right arm and pulls him out of the water. Asreus lays there on the ground, coughing out water as he breathes for air. As Klavicus stands over him, he laughs and says,

"Hahahaha! I enjoyed toying with you, Asreus. Now it is time for your death." Klavicus winds up his arm with his hand clenched into a fist, preparing to strike. As he was about to deliver the final blow, Asreus kicked him in the groin, causing him to bend over in pain. "You son of a bitch!" Klavicus cried out in pain. Asreus stands up and kicks Klavicus in the face. Klavicus flies inches away, his mouth bleeding from the kick. Klavicus couldn't help but laugh from a half-assed kick.

 "What a half-assed kick, Asreus! Is that all you got?!" Asreus jolts towards him, re-orienting Klavicus' position with a forceful shove, and spins him around. 

"Shut the FUCK UP, Treacherous SCUM!" Asreus punches Klavicus using his right arm, breaking his nose. He then proceeds to left-hook him, poofing out a tooth. 

"HAHAHAHA! It seems that our King has always been a fucking PUSSY!" Klavicus hollers as he mocks Asreus. 

Asreus proceeds to beat the shit out of Klavicus with consecutive hook punches until he wears out. It seems that Klavicus isn't done badmouthing him. "Is.. That's all you got, miserable wretch?!" Klavicus delivers a contemptuous laugh as Asreus forcibly feeds him a sapphire gemstone. 

"I think it's time for you to shut the fuck up." A few moments later, Klavicus convulsed as his skin turned black, his eyes rolled back, and he tears down blood. Moments later, Klavicus' head explodes, killing him. 

"May you suffer in Cauhl, scumbag." Asreus walks away and onwards to the Palace doors. The sapphire gemstone that Asreus fed Klavicus from an explosive wretchbat found in forest tunnels. 

"It seems father's sapphire gems were finally of use." Asreus slowly walks inside the Palace. He sees Asmodea floating above the throne. It seems she's already sentient. Though, her presence seems a bit odd. 

"Asmodea?" Asreus calls to her. "Can you hear me?!" As she hears his voice, she casts a fast spell that shoots a magic arrow towards him that pierces his lower shoulder. "GUHK!"Asreus grunts in pain. 

"I am now the queen of Emeraldia. Leave, you miserable wretch!" Her voice echoes through the Palace, reverberating through the walls. "My soldiers slit his throat!"  Asmodea commands the soldier from before as she engulfs them with those dark clouds. Their entire appearance drastically changed, with their weapons and armor magically repaired and reshaped preferably to the color purple.

"Don't you love the color? It's the color of your stained blood when it dries, BROTHER!" 

The soldiers charge toward him at full speed, and with Asreus unable to fight, he takes another sapphire gem, his trump card, and crushes it with his hand. As he threw the sapphire dust towards them, a large explosion met the air, combusting the shards into flames and burning the soldiers to death. 

With one final attack, Asreus grabs a spear and with a tremendous amount of force, he throws the spear right towards Asmodea, aiming for her stomach. She oversees this and shields herself with a magic barrier. However, due to the flames emitted by the spear, and its being magic, the barrier isn't strong enough to withstand the spear's speed and the flames' magic. With her final struggle, she tried to create another barrier but was too slow to stop it. And thus, pierces her stomach. 

Asmodea falls unconscious, as the magic surrounding the palace returns to her body.

Asreus lies there, victorious, as he falls unconscious.

A week has passed after the events had transpired, and Asreus lies on his bed, unconscious.

Hours later, Asreus awoke to the sound of two cats fighting. As he opened his eyes and observed the white-marbled ceiling. As he observes his surroundings, he realizes that he is inside his quarters, lying on his bed. He tried to get up but his ribs were still hurting from the fight. As he looks towards his left, he recognizes two familiar knights standing inside his quarters, guarding. It was Aethwod and Gullis. 

"Ah, it is you two! I am glad you are both safe." Both soldiers were awestruck seeing him conscious, as Aethwod went outside to call out for the physicians. 

"Your Majesty!" Gullis bowed down, as he greets Asreus excitingly. 

"I am glad you are conscious, Your Majesty. The people thought you were dead!" 

Asreus chuckled, "I am thankful enough to the gods that I am still alive." 

As the physician barges in to consult Asreus, Aethwod heaves for air as he raggedly breathes. 

"Your Majesty, I am glad you are safe." Aethwod softly spoke, still struggling to catch air.

"May I ask, where is my sister?"  The physician looked at him and with a disappointed look, he spoke, 

"Forgive me, my King. But we had to contain her in the dungeon. She had gone berserk and tried to use her magic, but thankfully, Aethwod knocked her unconscious!" 

"Do not worry. You are not going to suffer punishments." Asreus gives them a reassuring smile. 

"I have an item that can contain her use of magic. It may be a use of help to contain her powers for a while. For now, her trial will be on hold."

Asreus walks towards the right and opens the door, leading to a room. On the left, is a table with reading and writing materials. The middle consists of three full bookshelves. The first bookshelf is labeled as, "History" and "Swordsmanship." The second shelf is labeled as, "Apothecary" and "Herbs." The last shelf is labeled as, "Gemstones" and "Enchantment." On the far right lies a chest. On its left side lies a small cloth bag full of sapphire gemstones. Asreus approaches the chest and takes out a rope that looks like handcuffs. He takes it and exits the room. 

"I have the item. Now, lead me to her." 

"Right away, Your Majesty." The physician responds. As Aethwod and Gullis stride behind

As they walk towards the dungeon stairs, Asreus can't help but ask, 

"How did you contain her all this time?" 

"We asked the help of a shaman to contain her using herbs that can nullify her magic abilities. We then have to chain her down to stop her from hurting more people." 

"Interesting. Though it is a little inhumane, it is necessary." Asreus responds. However, he is shaken by the fact his sister is chained up in a dungeon all by herself.

As they reach the end of the hallway, they descend the stairs leading to the dungeon. 

"Physician, do you have a candle with you?" Asreus asked, pointing towards the candle next to him.

"Ah! Yes. I forgot. We were about to head on to a dark place." Asreus takes the candle from him and gives it to Aethwod and says, "There is a lit candle by the statue by the left, can you please light it up?" He hands over the candle to Aethwod as Aethwod nods. 

"Gullis, how are you feeling?" Asreus asked. Concerned, since it has been a week since those events transpired. 

"I am most definitely okay, Your Majesty. We are more concerned about you than ourselves."  Asreus chuckled, "Alright, I am glad to hear." He turns back to the Physician and smiles, 

"You have been a great help, Physician. Tell me, I have never seen you before. What is your name?" 

"My name is Houssein, Your Majesty. I was merely a Physician by the nobles in the Fifth District. Your Royal Physician, or should I say your Royal Mage, Your Majesty. He was found dead outside the Palace. And so with Count Vient Emer The First's decision, he decided to replace Klavicus' position until you are fully recovered." 

"Hm, that is alright to me." Asreus nods in agreement, smiling. 

"I am glad to hear of you, Houssein." Asreus stretches out his hand, offering a handshake. Houssein narrows down his eyes, looking at Asreus' hand. He smiles and shakes it. A few seconds later, Aethwod comes back with a lit candle.

"Your Majesty, I am sorry I took too long, I got lost. Here is the candle, Please let me lead the way." 

"That is no problem, Aethwod." 

As they head inside the dungeon's entrance, Asmodea's scream reverberates through the iron bars of the cell. 

"LET ME OUT, INCOHERENT LITTLE SHITS! I AM THE HEIR TO THE THRONE, THE RIGHTFUL QUEEN OF EMERALDIA!" 

"She sure is a feisty one, Your Majesty." The Physician commented. As they're nearing her cell. 

"Yes, she is," Asreus replied. He scours his surroundings, it seems that most of the cells are empty, only Asmodea resides here. Finally arriving at Asmodea's cell, Asreus gazes at her current situation as he looks at her in disbelief. Her hands were chained together, with her fingers tied up, unable to separate. 

"Ah, so you came to see me, brother~!" 

"Yes, sister." 

"Look at me! They're treating me like FUCKING CATTLE!" Her chains vibrate as she tries to move her hand.

"You need to be contained."

" LET ME OUT, ASREUS! I AM YOUR BLOOD, YOUR SISTER!" Asreus looks at her, that same look everyone gives to her. 

"You fuck! How dare you look at me with those eyes?! That look… THAT FUCKING LOOK! I DON'T NEED YOUR PITY!" She shrieks, as Houssein opens the prison cell, Asreus hurriedly goes inside and slaps her. 

"SHUT THE FUCK UP, YOU WENCH! YOU DID THIS TO YOURSELF!" As she was slapped, she couldn't help but laugh. As she looks at Asreus' rage-filled eyes, she bursts into a maniacal laughter. 

"So this is how you treat your sister? You're a pig, Asreus. A PIG!" He sticks out his hand and cups her chin, forcing her to look at his eyes.

"You hated this look, didn't you, HUH?!" He screams, slapping her again. 

Asreus grabs the key from Houssein and with his left arm, he grips Asmodea's arm with a firm grip as he unlocks the chains. 

"Oh? So now you have a change of heart?" 

"No, I do not." He takes out the rope handcuff from before and wraps it on her arm, closing it tight. 

"Careful! These hands are important!" she chuckled, unable to contain her laughter. Asreus goes to the other hand and opens and grips it with his left hand firmly, as he opens the lock. 

"Stop moving your hands, Asmodea!"

"Ouuhhh… but this damn rope makes me feel weak~" 

Asreus takes the other end of the rope and wraps it on her arm, finally closing it tight. 

"Get up. We'll move you somewhere else." 

"Oh? You're finally doing something nice to me!" She jeered. 

"Stand up." Asreus coldly replied. 

"Aww brother. I thought you'd be nice~?" 

"Keep walking!" Asreus exclaimed. 

"Fine, fine." She replies in a serious tone. 

After they left the dungeon, she was put in an upper cell near the court of law for three days, with Asreus unable to decide what to do with her. Asreus leaves the cell room and outside of the building. He gazed upon the aftermath of what Asmodea had done to their home, their kingdom. He sighs and walks toward a rock and sits on it. 

He looks around the area, seeing all the villagers helping each other, with some of the workers repairing the houses, and children playing in the sand, he even sees the mother he saved from before. He waves at them, smiling. He takes a deep sigh, grinding his ass on the rock, he slides his butt on the rock, as he sits on the ground. He lays his back on the rock, staring at the skies. He takes a deep breath and exhales. 

"Sigh," He narrows his head down, lifts both legs, and places both arms on his knee in a sitting position. 

"I still reminisce about the times when everything was fine." 

"The times when everything felt okay. Where we would laugh and laugh until our stomachs hurt." 

"But when Mother died, you changed. You grew colder towards me."

"I apologize about what you feel after Father died. I, too, ponder the same thoughts. I, too, contemplate the time when Father saved me from those wolves. But it is the past, and we shall live with it and carry on." Tears welled up in his eyes. Each word he uttered carried the weight of emotions that he kept. Asreus' tears roll down his chin and onto the ground. For hours, he cried and cried, unable to think about anything but his sister. As the sun set for the day, he finally stopped. 

Moments later, he stood up and returned to the palace on foot. The following day, Asmodea was put on trial. And with Asreus' decision, he decided to exile her, away from the walls that surround the kingdom. In order for her to not use magic, he ordered the headsman to cut her hands so her not to cause any more harm. And thus, Asmodea was exiled. 

CHAPTER, END.