------------
Warning: Some topics ahead might be too disturbing for some of the readers. Read at your own risk.
(3rd Person POV)
In the crown prince's room of Aula Regia palace,
Aston Phoenix was seated on a comfortable chair, laden with fluffy cushions. His legs were on the table in front of him and he was thinking deeply about something.
This serene atmosphere was broken by another person, the personal butler of the crown prince, Edmund.
Edmund entered the room quietly and stood calmly in the room beside Aston.
Some minutes later, Aston Phoenix asked him, "What do you want to report, Edmund?"
Edmund spoke in his tranquil voice, "Your Highness, the head of the underworld in Pedelian's region has been changed. The one who you wanted for interrogation has also been brought."
"Hmm..take him to the basement. And make sure no one comes there when I am busy questioning him."
"Of course, your Highness. Also, William Phoenix is standing outside. Should I send him in?"
Aston smirked and there was a shade of delight in his expression, "Very good, Edmund. You are not repeating your mistakes. That's why I keep you around me. Send him in."
As Aston spoke those lines, a slight shiver ran down Edmund's spine when he remembered what had happened when he mistakenly called William Phoenix the father of his highness.
He went outside and sent William Phoenix in.
William went in and his wrinkly face could be seen ashen with worry and his body was trembling with fear.
A father was fearing his own blood...
Aston looked at his supposed father in contempt, "Did you do what I ordered you to?"
His nervous voice came out, "Y-Yes, I have informed t-the council that you are visiting the Agriches for some time."
"What reason did you give?"
"I g-gave them the r-reason that Agriches h-have been getting out of c-control and sending the capable c-crown prince is a good idea."
Aston took a deep breath and then said, "Good reason. I hope there will be no repercussions. Send me weekly reports through the members of Tenebres Squad."
"O-Ok"
"Don't make any major decisions without my agreement. If you do, then you must know the punishment you will have to suffer."
"I k-know. P-Please don't hurt m-me."
"Go and leave this room. Stay quietly like a puppet and follow my orders."
"Y-Yes, my lord."
Saying that William Phoenix, the emperor of this empire went out of the room relieved.
After several minutes, Aston stood up from his seat and went out of the room.
He found his butler, Edmund standing outside. Edmund nodded to him and led him to the room in the basement.
The basement could only be accessed by a secret pathway through the fireplace in the dining room. It needed 19 buttons to be pressed in a particular order.
Only three people knew of this secret, the king, the crown prince and Edmund.
Both of them went down the stairs with dark and dreary walls.
Aston started to hum a tune that may have been classified as playful but Edmund knew what it signified...
---------
Edmund pointed his lord towards the room and bowed.
Aston walked towards it and went inside.
What greeted him inside was an unconscious person tied to a chair with his legs and hands tied with a rope.
The name of this person was Roan Alshes, he was the head of the underworld forces under Aston Phoenix in the Pedelian's territory.
Roan Alshes was a person who had experienced ditches as well as riches.
A person who had fallen from grace in a noble's family met his lord and saviour, Aston Phoenix. Since then, he had put his whole life into the welfare of the crown prince.
Putting every single drop of his blood and sweat working for him...
He struggled, fought teeth to teeth and finally became one of his direct subordinates. He was a person who was able to fight and became proficient in management as well.
Every day, he woke up for the purpose of putting another stone in the path of Aston Phoenix to achieve everything.
Though, it was not meant to be...
His one mistake led to his position getting taken. He was devastated, it took more than a dozen years to reach where he wanted. And now all of it was getting taken away?
He was informed that he would be taken for interrogation by the crown prince, to make sure he wasn't a spy and he didn't mess up on purpose.
This was a thing that took him to the ninth cloud.
He was finally getting to meet his lord!!
He knew that his lord was like a god residing in the world of men.
His lord will forgive him for his mistakes!
After all, God forgives men for their mistakes, right?
He was put in an unconscious state but his thought at that time was still that this was just a small decision in the plan of his lord. He will definitely be forgiven...
-------------
Aston Phoenix wore some black gloves which were hanging on the hooks behind the door so as not to allow blood stains on his hand.
He took off his coat and walked toward the person unconscious on the chair.
He had been given all the information about the person in front of him by Edmund.
He swiftly clicked his fingers in front of the face of the unconscious person and said in an impatient tone, "Oy, wake up."
After a few moments, Roan Alshes woke up groggily. He blinked his eyes for a few seconds.
After gaining clarity, he looked at the person in front of him.
Recognising him in a trice, he bowed his head as much as he could and said with a tone of extreme worship, "Greetings to the honoured crown prince of the empire!"
Aston had a subtle smile on his face on listening to that but he said in a serious tone, "Do you know that because of your mistake, our forces in the Pedelian region were reduced? We would have suffered defeat if not for the assistance of the Tenebres squad."
Roan internally gulped as he said carefully forming his sentences, "I apologize for my inability, my lord. You are free to give me any punishment you want. Just please give me a chance to make amends, I would put my everything into it. I made an incorrect judgement and I would be glad to be punished for it. But please, allow a second chance."
Aston pretended to be in deep thought, "Let me ask some questions to see if you are faking your loyalty for me or are you serious as your words mean."
"Give me one good proof to know that you haven't betrayed me and joined the hands of the Blue mongrels."
Roan tried to push his case forward, "My lord, I don't have anything to prove that but just give me a chance."
Aston roamed around the chair, pretending to think over what he had said, "Alright, I believe what you say. I am sure that you haven't betrayed me."
Roan was extremely happy to listen to that and exclaimed, "My L-"
However, his happiness stopped as Aston grabbed Roan's jaw harshly.
*Crack*
*Krrk*
*Kltch*
He was slowly crushing it, not fast enough for it to be quick pain and not long enough to allow Roan to get time for rest.
Roan tried to struggle but he couldn't escape the strength of Aston's hands.
The sound of jaw cracking could be heard clearly in the room.
As Aston was doing this, he leaned near Roan's ears and said, "Of course, I know that you didn't betray me. If you had, you would be facing pain a hundred times more than it is now."
Roan's eyes widened as Aston released his jaw. He started gasping for air and was panicking internally.
Aston said in a serene voice, as silent as death, "You said that you would face any punishment, right? Then face the repercussions of your own words."
Saying that, Aston's hand moved extremely fast towards Roan's face, he grabbed his eyeball and pulled it out of his eye sockets.
Roan wanted to scream, scream with his all might but after convincing himself that he deserved this and after this, he would get a chance back. He persevered and didn't squeak a sound.
Aston, on witnessing his tenacity, smiled.
Smiled on seeing a toy with willpower...
Roan's face had lots of blood on him dripping down his cheeks. It was flowing out of the eye socket.
Aston moved his hand which had the eyeball towards Roan's mouth and shoved it in.
Roan was ordered with a single word.
"Chew."
Roan, unwillingly ate his eyeball. It took some time, crunching, and chewing a part of your own body felt disgusting for him.
But he still did it because he believed in his God. He believed that he would be given another chance.
After the deed had been done, Aston had a satisfied smile on his face. He had a lively expression, full of excitement. His eyes had dilated and a permanent wide smile was smeared across his face. It looked as if a drug addict was getting his daily drugs.
"Very Nice. Your punishment is half done."
On hearing that only half of his punishment is done, Roan had a look of total despair on his face.
Aston tore off the ropes tying Roan's hands barehandedly.
He went back and took a chair from the corner of the room.
He sat in front of Roan and said while smiling, "Pull out all of your teeth."
Roan who had already turned slightly resistant to pain followed the order without any contention.
He used his free hand and pulled out each of his teeth, slowly one by one.
After he had pulled out one, he would sit there and grimace for a minute but his dedication to his lord moved him forward.
After all of them had been taken out, his face was an unsightly mess. With tear and blood-laden cheeks, swollen eyes, a crushed jaw and a mouth full of blood as well as without any teeth.
After this had been done, Aston's eyes had a crazed bloodlust in his aura.
Roan, who had already been battered with pain asked in a pleading voice, "Ish this f-ine, my l-lord? Please g-give me another chan-sh. "
Aston smiled a sweet smile, the one he showed in public to improve his reputation among people.
"You know, Roan. I think you have done enough in this world. Maybe, it's time that you go on from the mortal plane, right? Look at you, full of weaknesses and no strengths."
Hearing those words, Roan was crushed with anguish, he knew that he had no more chances and he would die without any doubt. The light died out from his eyes as despair had struck him deeply.
Aston pointed his hand at the body of Roan and controlled something with an otherworldly power.
It led Roan to feel an inhumane amount of pain. He screamed, screeched and shrieked.
It was like someone was boiling his blood.
He knew that his lord had no more work for him and he must go away.
He had tears in his eyes as he asked, "Was I a good servant, my lord?"
"No, you were not even a servant. You were just a puppet for me to use. Nevertheless, an exciting puppet to play with."
These scathing remarks were the last straw.
Roan's sanity broke like thin ice as he shouted in extreme pain, "Long live Aston Phoenix, the crown prince of the empire!!!"
Before his whole body burst and there was blood everywhere, all over the room.
Seeing this glorious sight, Aston laughed and guffawed like crazy.
He wheezed at the naivety and the foolishness of the person he just killed.
After his hearty laughter, he went outside the room and told Edmund to clean up the room properly.
The sight that greeted Edmund was still something that turned his stomach upside down, despite being a battle-hardened warrior.
To him, the scenery in the room seemed like the work of the devil.
-----------
(End of the Chapter)
If you enjoyed the story, please drop some power stones. Comment about things that you liked, disliked or any suggestions for the fic. Give a review as well to ensure I can improve my work.
Join my discord server - https://discord.com/invite/Vr4cnbxGvy