Lucas spat out blood, ready to continue. The fight raged on, each strike more devastating than the last. Lucas and Trivia traded blows in the air, their speed reducing them to mere blurs to any onlooker.
Seeing an opening, Lucas launched a flurry of punches that would have knocked out a normal human. But Trivia absorbed the blows using alpha energy and countered with a blast that sent Lucas crashing through a nearby building.
Lucas emerged from the rubble, bleeding and battered, but refused to give up. Determined to end the fight, he charged at Trivia again.
Lucas launched a powerful laser blast, but Trivia deflected it with his telekinetic shield, redirecting it back at Lucas. The blast struck Lucas in the chest, knocking him to the ground.
Trivia wasted no time, launching himself at Lucas and pinning him down with his boot on Lucas's chest. With no pity or mercy in his eyes, Trivia growled, "This is the end, Lucas. Yield or die. I've won."
Helpless and defeated, Lucas yielded. The whole city fell silent. Owen bowed his head in disappointment, his eyes closed, wishing it had never happened. But now there was nothing he could do.
"Now bow to your new king!" Trivia shouted. The crowd, in fear, immediately obeyed. Turning to the guards, Trivia ordered, "Take away this weakling."
The guards walked to Lucas, bound him in chains, and hauled him away.
"That was his first brutal battle," Owen said, full of pity.
---
Trivia now sat on the throne, his heart filled with achievement. Trivia smiled to himself. "I've been in the dungeon for five hundred years, and now I'm free. I'm king now; I've taken what's rightfully mine. It's time to take revenge on those who caused me misery," Trivia thought with a smile on his face.
The door swung open, and Lucas was dragged into the throne room in the same chains that were used to bind Trivia. "My lord, you sent for Lucas," one of the guards reported. "Yes, I did," Trivia confirmed.
"You brought me out to kill me," Lucas guessed.
"Yes, I did. You guessed right," Trivia said, drawing out his sword. He held it above Lucas, who was on his knees with his head bowed down, ready to swing at Lucas's neck.
"Would you want to kill your brother, your blood?" Owen interrupted. "Don't forget he had the chance to kill you, but he chose a fair fight, and this is how you want to repay him?"
"Who cares about being fair?" Trivia said. "I didn't break out of the dungeon and invade Kron for justice. Instead, I came for revenge, and everyone will taste a piece of it, especially him."
"What binds the royal family together is not just the alpha energy but the respect they have for each other. That's why your father never killed you, even when you tried to kill him," Owen said.
"You know it was better I died than being cast out in shame. So, I'm trying to do Lucas a favor so he won't feel the way I felt," Trivia said.
"If you insist on killing him, I beg you to kill him with respect and not as a criminal," Owen pleaded.
"Very well then, I'll kill him in the presence of the whole of Kron tomorrow. By sunrise, I'll have his head cut off."
Lucas's eyes widened in shock and fear that his life would end so fast. He prayed for hope, wishing even the slightest hope would find him. "This is my fate then," he thought. But Lucas was brought back from his thoughts to reality when Trivia ordered him to the dungeon.
The guards were about to take Lucas to the dungeon when Trivia called out, "Wait! He's still the son of Elvis. He might regain his strength anytime soon, and that won't be nice." Trivia said, "So get me the alpha box." The guard brought out a cube-shaped box, its surface black as night with inscriptions all over it and a triangular-shaped hole at the top. Trivia took the box and pointed the triangular opening towards Lucas. The box began to glow with a dim light.
Lucas felt a sudden chill, a darkness that seemed to seep into his very bones. He gasped, his eyes widening as he felt a sudden, intense pull at his core. "No," he whispered, his voice hoarse. "What's happening?" As the energy drained from his body, Lucas felt his legs give out, his knees buckling under the weight of the sapping spell. He collapsed to the ground, the air rushing from his lungs as his skin turned a ghastly shade of pale.
He could feel the flow of his life force, a golden stream of light that arced towards the box. The stream thinned as the last dregs of Lucas's power ebbed away, leaving him gasping and weak. His body began to shrink, and his size reduced. The world around him seemed to dim.
Lucas was drained of his powers; he was weak, unable to feel himself. "Now take him away," Trivia commanded. Then the guards dragged him away.
Owen was filled with guilt. He wished he could help, but he was a servant to the throne and not Lucas.
Lucas was taken to the dungeon. Two guards accompanied him through the hallway while he walked to his cell. Other prisoners stared at him, surprised to see him in prison.
"Well, well, another one of the royals in prison again. Tell me, boy, what did you do?" one of the prisoners taunted.
"Soon King Elvis will be in prison too," another prisoner joked. The other prisoners laughed, their laughter echoing through the prison. The guards tried to silence them, but their efforts were useless.
Lucas kept his head down, staring at the ground while he walked until he entered his personal cell. The bars were made of thick steel rods. It wasn't difficult for Lucas to break free, but now he was weak, Trivia having taken away all his energy, leaving him only with enough to keep him alive. Lucas was perplexed; he wished there was a way out, but there was none.
Back in the castle, the council called for Trivia, accompanied by Owen. "Now that you're king, I'd want you to treat the people fairly and give them what they deserve," Brewn said.
Trivia smiled and brought out the alpha box that was used to drain Lucas's powers. Trivia faced the triangular opening to himself and absorbed all the energy he took from Lucas.
"What are you doing!" Brewn shouted. "You cannot do that! How dare you take your brother's alpha energy!"
"This is just the beginning, old man. I'm planning on killing Lucas tomorrow, but first I think I'll start with cleaning up your mess," Trivia said, drawing out his sword from its sheath.
His sword gleamed in the flickering torchlight. Without warning, he swung, cleaving the head from the first council member's body. The others screamed in terror, turning to panic as Trivia lunged forward, his blade a whirlwind of death.
Trivia carved through the crowd with ruthless efficiency, leaving a trail of blood and gore in his wake. A cry here, a gurgle there, the sounds of their dying breaths filled the room.
The last two council members, Brewn, the head of the council, and another member, stood apart. Trivia turned to Brewn and with a vicious swipe of his sword, sliced through Brewn's neck, silencing his screams. His body slumped to the ground, his eyes wide and lifeless.
Trivia surveyed the carnage, his expression a chilling mask of satisfaction. Then he turned his attention to the only surviving council member—the man who had voted in his favor at the execution meeting.
"You," Trivia said, pointing his blood-soaked sword at the man. "You're next," Trivia said with a thrilling smile.
"You can't kill me," the man said.
"Why do you think so? I killed Brewn, one of the most important people in Kronax. What makes you think I'll spare you?" Trivia said, still pointing his sword at the last council member.
Owen stood aside, watching everything play out right in front of his eyes. Owen did not make any attempt to stop Trivia, even if he could, because of the loyalty he had for the throne.
"I have two reasons why you can't kill me. Number one: I voted in your favor when the council wanted to execute you," the man said.
"That's not enough reason," Trivia replied.
"Wait till I tell you the second reason," the man smiled with a cunning look on his face. Trivia, annoyed by the man's confidence, asked, "Then what's the second reason?"
"The second reason is because I am more important than Brewn," the man answered, with a weird smile on his face. The man's face started peeling off.
Trivia took a step backward, ready for any surprises, only to find out it was none other than Kendrick, Trivia's trusted and loyal servant. "Ta-da," Kendrick said, smiling.
Owen's eyes widened. "This is not good," he thought to himself. "I'll have to do something now, or else we're doomed. This is no longer about loyalty to the throne."
"You cunning... how did you get here?" Owen asked Kendrick.
"I'm a master of tricks; no one can best that in the whole of Kronax. This is a piece of cake for me to pull off," Kendrick answered with an evil smile on his face. A smile also appeared on Trivia's face.