The massacre at the Vespra estate sent shockwaves through the entire continent. Whispers spread like wildfire-of bloodshed under the pale moonlight, of a son who had slain his own father and nobles in cold blood. Fear, awe, and uncertainty rippled through the nobility and commoners alike.
Seraphina and Alissa, upon hearing the grim news, rushed to confront Xue. They arrived at the Vespra estate, still shrouded in the eerie silence of death. But when they found him, he wasn't standing in blood-soaked halls or cleaning his blade. He was sitting in the garden, holding a flower in his hand.
His crimson eyes, once burning with determination and fire, now seemed dull and lifeless, like dim coals smothered by ash. He wasn't staring at the flower with tenderness or curiosity, but with an emptiness that made them shiver.
It was as if he didn't see it at all. He looked not like a man, but a hollow shell, a mimicry of life. Even the flower in his hand seemed more vibrant than he did. Compared to him, even the plants in the garden seemed to radiate more warmth and vitality.
Seraphina hesitated, her voice caught in her throat. Alissa, usually bold, found herself rooted to the spot. Just as they were about to ask what had happened, Xue's voice broke the silence.
"I killed him," Xue said, his tone flat, without remorse or pride. "I killed my father. And the nobles too."
Seraphina gasped, and Alissa's wings twitched with unease. Before they could ask why, Xue continued, his gaze still fixed on the flower in his hand.
"My father celebrated the deaths of the Elites, mocking the sacrifices of Elysia and the others. He invited those nobles here, planning to use their deaths as a stepping stone to power. He wanted the Vespra name to rise from their ashes, to turn their legacy into a mockery." His fingers tightened around the flower, its petals crumbling in his grasp.
"I couldn't let it happen," he said, his voice low, almost a whisper. "They didn't die for his schemes. They didn't fall for people like him to build their thrones on the blood of the innocent. He mocked them. So I silenced him."
Alissa finally found her voice, though it trembled. "But... killing them all... Xue, was there no other way?"
Xue's hollow eyes finally met hers, sending a chill down her spine. "No. They deserved it. Every single one of them. And if I could go back, I'd do it again."
Seraphina's hands trembled as she tried to process his words. "Xue... this isn't what they would have wanted. This isn't what Elysia would have wanted."
At the mention of Elysia's name, a flicker of pain crossed Xue's face, but it was gone as quickly as it came. "Elysia is gone," he said coldly. "They all are. And now, I'll do what they can't. If the world must be broken to protect what's left, then so be it."
The garden fell silent again, the only sound the rustling of the wind. Seraphina and Alissa exchanged a worried glance, unsure of what to say, unsure if the Xue they knew still existed.
Finally, Alissa whispered, "What happens now?"