Leaving behind Lady Death and her brother, Olbrunah leaved the island, still pondering over her words. "Did I really change that much?" he asked himself. Reflecting on his past, he realized that, indeed, he had changed. The old Olbrunah would never have accepted the life of an emperor. He was a born fighter and conqueror, the notion of residing in a palace would have been inconceivable to him.
As he contemplated the reasons for this transformation, Olbrunah found himself locked in an internal struggle. For a dragon, going against one's inherent nature was nearly impossible, their pride and the blood within their veins would not permit it. After thinking for a while, he pinpointed a significant event : the death of his adoptive father. It was at that moment, as a young dragon, that simplistic thoughts took root in his mind, "If you control everything, you live in peace." With the loss of the man who raised him, thoughts of world domination began to germinate.
These ambitions were consolidated upon his marriage to Rei. Yet, at the time, his aspirations were 'modest', he only wanted to become the Overlord of a sector and lead a peaceful existence.
Confused by the extent of his transformation, Olbrunah couldn't help but ponder what had led him down this path. Frustration surged within him, and he silently cursed Chaos, the dragon god, 'All of this because of that bastard's curse !'. From a young age, Olbrunah had sensed something amiss, a void within him that he couldn't quite comprehend. As he grew older, this feeling persisted, gnawing at him from within. It wasn't until he met his adoptive father that he learned the truth, his blood was cursed.
His adoptive father explained to him that dragons possessed an innate ability to unlock the memories of their ancestors, a vital thing for their survival. However, this ability was denied to Olbrunah, leaving his blood's attempt to retrieve these memories futile. The void he felt within him was a result of this curse, haunting him throughout his existence.
As the original bearer of the curse, Olbrunah also faced multiple side effects, with the most significant being the difficulty in remembering old memories and the development of an obsession to fill the resulting void. For being like dragons, who have the ability to live for thousands of years, no matter how evolved their brain was they couldn't store such vast memories, experiences, and emotions. So, their blood served as a container for their entire existence, experiences and memories, in order to support their brain. However, since he was cursed with the highest level curse the dragon god could use, even this ability was denied to him. To this day, he hadn't found a solution, which was one of the reasons he chose Herzal as his right-hand man. With his perfect memory, Herzal was the ideal ally to have by his side. Unfortunately, many of his cherished memories happened before their meeting. So, before he began to forgot them, he devised a temporary solution, employing magic to extract his most precious memories and storing them in a vault within his palace.
Another side effect was the development of an obsession to replace the missing piece within him. That's how Olbrunah developed an obsession for his family. The moment he discovered the concept of "family love" he couldn't resist it. For him, who had to fight to death every being he encountered since the day he opened his eyes, being loved and cared for felt like a divine gift. It all began with his adoptive father, Cael Draconis. Having a father figure who guided him through the ways of the world and taught him how to be a man shaped him into the person he was today. However, his obsession intensified after his marriage. When he wed his wife, his obsession for his family multiplied a thousandfold. But the pinnacle of his obsession came with the birth of his daughter. The moment he laid eyes on her, he knew he had to shield her and ensure her happiness. It was as though his instincts screamed at him to treat her like the most precious being in the entire cosmos. And so, he transformed into the devoted family man and doting father he is today.
Lost in his thoughts, Olbrunah continued to fly in a random direction. Then suddenly, he let out a long sigh, "Ahhhhhhhhh" He then thought to himself, "All of this is useless. I am who I am. From the beginning, I fought, adapted, and changed. I shouldn't dwell on it. No matter how many years pass, no matter how much I change, I will always be Olbrunah Draconis, son of Cael Draconis, husband of Rei Draconis, and father of
He looked around him to find where he was. Without even thinking, he had arrived on a planet with beautiful scenery everywhere, giant mountains, oceans, rivers, and plains with colorful birds dancing in the sky. It looked like a beautiful painting had come to life here. Pure natural energy emanated from every corner of the planet. If any other beings were here, they would consider it a literal paradise in the mortal plane.
This place held immense significance for Olbrunah. He had implemented even greater protection here than in his palace. Only three beings in the entire universe could access this planet, not even the bearers of concepts could breach its barrier. Only Olbrunah, his wife, and his daughter could pass through the protective barrier he had erected. Anyone else attempting to do so would instantly meet their end.
Realizing where he was, Olbrunah let out a nostalgic smile and murmured, "Like the old days. Every time I'm confused or sad, I come to see you." He slowly descended onto the planet, taking in its perfect beauty, untouched by any intelligent being except for one place. In the center of the largest plain stood a tombstone surrounded by white flowers. Approaching the tombstone, Olbrunah spoke softly, "It's been a while, father."
The tombstone, meticulously crafted by Olbrunah, stood as an everlasting tribute to his father. Etched upon it were the words:
"Here lies Cael Draconis,
Last of his noble line,
A Father, Mentor, Protector,
Whose love transcended boundaries,
Guiding me unwaveringly
Through the darkest of times,
His legacy, an enduring beacon
Of strength and compassion."
As Olbrunah read the inscription, a wave of sadness engulfed him. Here was one of the most significant figures in his long life. Without Cael Draconis, the man known as Olbrunah Draconis wouldn't exist. Seated before the tombstone, he began to speak softly.
"I'm sorry I couldn't come more often" he confessed, his voice tinged with regret. "Since I became the emperor, time seems to slip through my fingers. Honestly, it's probably one of the most boring jobs in the universe, but it's what everyone seems to expect of me, the so called 'strongest' being in the universe."
He paused, his gaze fixed on the engraved words. "If you could see me now, Father" he murmured, a wistful smile on his lips, "you'd probably beat my ass while telling me how dumb I am, or how I overthink everything."
Olbrunah's expression grew somber as he continued, "Lately, I've started forgetting some of my memories, despite knowing it was inevitable, I can't shake this fear that one day I'll wake up and forget even the faces of my wife or daughter. I've also begun to lose fragments of the most important memories, like our first meeting. If I hadn't taken measures to preserve my memories, by now I would have lost a significant part of myself."
"Oh, I forgot. Your granddaughter will finish her training in a couple of days. When that happens, I'll take her and her mother on vacation. We'll also come to visit you. It's been a while since they last came here, I think it's a good idea for us to come see you more often."
"Anyway, it's time for me to leave. It was good to talk to you, Father. Like always, it helped me a lot." he looked at the tombstone one last time before saying, "Goodbye, Father."
With those words, he slowly rose and began to depart. As he took flight, a spectral figure appeared above the tombstone, a man with long white hair and golden eyes, bearing a proud smile as he watched Olbrunah leave. Then, just as suddenly as he had appeared, the phantom vanished.