In the royal palace, as Geoffrey's schemes grew bolder, King Arnault found himself increasingly consumed by his fear of what might happen should the Aethereal Kin's secret ever be revealed. He had always been a cautious ruler, and now his paranoia seemed justified. He had placed his most loyal soldiers in key positions, all watching for any sign of treachery. But even with his careful watch, he could not predict Geoffrey's next move.
One evening, as the sun set over the kingdom, casting a golden glow on Avaloria's towers, King Arnault summoned his eldest son, Prince Armand, for a private audience. The prince, a young man of strong character and a natural leader, stood tall before his father, yet he remained unaware of the ancient power hidden within their bloodline. This secret was not yet his to know. Only upon ascending to the throne would the truth be unveiled.
The king had kept this sacred knowledge locked away from Armand, just as he had from all his children. As they stood in the hushed glow of the fading sunlight, the weight of this hidden legacy loomed over them, a silent testament to the king's vigilance and the immense responsibility that would one day rest upon Armand's shoulders.
"Father, you summoned me?" Armand asked, stepping into the dimly lit chamber.
"Yes, my son," King Arnault replied, his voice heavy with concern. "There are things I must tell you. Things that may shape the future of this kingdom."
Armand frowned. "What do you mean? What is it?"
The king's eyes hardened, a shadow passing over his features. "There is a power hidden within the blood of our family—within the Aethereal Kin," he began, his voice grave. "This power has safeguarded our kingdom for generations, but it also holds the potential for our immense destruction if ever revealed."
Armand blinked in confusion. "What power? I know nothing of this."
King Arnault's gaze softened for a moment, but only for a moment. "It is a gift, passed down through the bloodline. Only those with the right heritage can wield it. But the secret must never be revealed. The power of the Aethereal Kin must remain hidden."
Armand's confusion deepened. "Why, Father? What is so dangerous about it?"
The king stood, walking to the window that overlooked the palace gardens.
"Because, my son, if the this is revealed to the world, it could destroy everything we have built. The kingdom itself would crumble under its weight."
Armand's voice was hesitant. "Who would seek to destroy the kingdom with such power?"
"Someone like Geoffrey," the king muttered, his face darkening. "He has long been hungry for power. He would not hesitate to take it for himself, even if it meant the ruin of us all."
---
Unbeknownst to the king, Geoffrey's plan was already in motion. Armed with the knowledge Thalia had given him, Geoffrey began to make preparations to awaken the power of the Aethereal Kin. He had already secured a beast—a massive creature from the dark forests bordering the kingdom. It was said to be the largest of its kind, ferocious and nearly unstoppable. Geoffrey believed that this creature would be the key to unlocking the power he craved.
He stood before the beast, his heart pounding with anticipation. This was the moment. This was the ritual that would change everything.
"Prepare yourself," Geoffrey murmured to his lieutenant, Malvin. "Tonight, I will claim the kingdom's true power."
And with that, he stepped forward, his sword gleaming in the moonlight, ready to make the kill that would forever alter the fate of Avaloria.
The full moon illuminated the clearing, casting an eerie glow across the battleground. Geoffrey stood over the monstrous horned beast, his chest heaving from the brutal struggle. Despite not possessing the same power as the Aethereal Kin, Geoffrey had something else—a vast mana capacity. It was enough to fell a monstrous beast.
With the aid of an artifact he wielded, its power shimmering in the moonlight, he could vanquish even the strongest monsters that dwelled within the dark forest. The artifact's energy coursed through him, filling the void where the mana's power should have been. Geoffrey's determination burned brighter than ever, his resolve unyielding in the face of unimaginable danger.
The creature, a massive and formidable foe, lay motionless in the dirt, its once-fiery eyes now dull and lifeless. This was Geoffrey's first time killing a beast himself, and he had poured every ounce of his strength into each strike. Exhausted and trembling, he stood over the fallen beast, the weight of his actions settling heavily on his shoulders.
Geoffrey had believed that once he slew the beast, he would awaken the power that had been promised to him—the power to absorb aether from slain beasts and grow stronger. But as he stared at the lifeless creature, a sinking realization washed over him. Despite his victory, the power he sought remained elusive, locked away beyond his reach. The promise of transformation, of becoming something greater, was nothing more than a distant dream.
The night air was thick with the scent of blood and sweat, the silence of the forest broken only by Geoffrey's ragged breaths. The full moon, witness to his desperate struggle, cast a cold light over the scene. Geoffrey's heart ached with the bitter truth—he was not of the same bloodline, and no amount of strength or determination could change his lineage. The power he craved was forever beyond his grasp.
He stood there, trembling, his sword still buried in the creature's heart, waiting for the rush of power that would surely come. His heart raced in anticipation. He had felt it—the subtle shift in the air as he struck the beast. He had expected to feel the aether surge into him, flooding his veins with the strength he so desperately craved.
But nothing came.
A long silence fell over the clearing as Geoffrey slowly withdrew his sword from the creature's carcass. His eyes scanned the fallen beast, the stillness around him mocking him. The power he had sought—the power he believed would be his—remained elusive. There was no surge of strength, no illumination of his body with the radiant glow of the aether. There was only the emptiness of disappointment.
Geoffrey's breath quickened in frustration.
"What is this?!" he muttered to himself, his voice low and filled with disbelief. "This should have worked. I've killed the beast. Where is the power?"
Malvin, standing a few paces behind him, hesitated before speaking.
"My lord, perhaps… perhaps it is not the time. Maybe you need to perform another ritual, or—"
Geoffrey spun around, fury flashing in his eyes.
"No! This was supposed to work!" Geoffrey shouted, his voice echoing through the clearing. "The beast's aether should have flowed into me. I have done everything as the information we gathered! I should have been given the power!"
His frustration boiled over, the weight of his efforts and expectations crashing down around him. The cold night air seemed to mock his desperation, his cries mingling with the rustling leaves. Geoffrey's fists clenched in anger, his eyes burning with a mix of fury and disappointment. Despite his meticulous preparations and unwavering determination, the power he sought remained just out of reach, a cruel reminder of the limits imposed by his own bloodline.
Malvin lowered his head, sensing his lord's growing anger.
"But, my lord," he began cautiously, "it's probably because you are not the same with Aethereal Kin. You are not of the royal bloodline. It is said that only those descended from the kingdom's founding families can awaken the power of the aether."
His words hung heavy in the air, a stark reminder of the insurmountable barrier that stood between Geoffrey and the power he so desperately craved. Malvin's voice trembled slightly as he delivered the painful truth, the weight of their reality pressing down on both of them. Geoffrey's fury and disappointment seemed to intensify with each passing moment, his dreams of wielding the aether's might slipping further from his grasp.
Geoffrey's face twisted in disbelief.
"What do you mean? I have slain the beast! I have fought for this power with my own hands! It cannot be for nothing!"
Malvin's voice was steady, but there was a hint of sorrow in his words.
"I'm afraid the truth is that only those of Avaloria's royal blood can awaken the power. You... you are not of their lineage, my lord."
Geoffrey's hands clenched into fists, the weight of Malvin's words sinking in. His vision blurred as the crushing realization hit him. He was not a part of the Aethereal Kin. He was not a descendant of the founding families, not of the bloodline that carried the secret power of the kingdom. He had long believed that ambition and strength could grant him the throne, but this... this was a power that had been denied to him before he could even dream of claiming it.
"No..." Geoffrey whispered, his voice barely audible, the rawness of the revelation making his stomach turn. "I... I am not part of them. I am not one of them."
His shoulders sagged, and he took a step back, his gaze falling to the lifeless creature before him. The power he had so desperately sought, the power that could have been his key to dominance, was nothing more than a distant dream. His ambition, his desire for strength, had led him down a path that had now crumbled beneath him.
"I have wasted everything," Geoffrey muttered, bitterness tainting his words. "The throne... It was all for nothing."
Malvin stepped forward, his voice calm and measured.
"My lord, your ambition is not in vain. There are other ways to gain power, other means to control the kingdom. You still have the loyalty of your people. We can find a way to—"
"No!" Geoffrey snapped, cutting him off. "There is no other way. The Aethereal Kin's power is the key. Without it, I am just a man with nothing."
His hands trembled as he stared at the dead beast, his dreams of supremacy slipping further from his grasp. The world around him felt cold, his plans shattered, and the future seemed dimmer than ever.
---
Back in the royal palace, King Arnault stood alone in his chambers, his thoughts consumed by the growing threat of Geoffrey's ambitions. He had feared that the duke would learn of the Aethereal Kin's power, and now that fear was becoming a harsh reality. But as the king stood in the quiet of his study, he could not shake the feeling that something was wrong.
Lord Uriel entered, his expression grim.
"Your Majesty, we've received reports. Geoffrey has... slain a beast. He attempted the ritual."
The king's heart sank. He had feared this moment. "And?"
Uriel hesitated before speaking.
"He has not awakened the power, sire. He is not of the royal bloodline. The power of the Aethereal Kin... it does not respond to him."
A heavy silence fell over the room, and the king let out a long, slow breath. "So, Geoffrey has learned that he is not one of us after all."
Uriel nodded. "He is left with nothing but disappointment, sire."
King Arnault walked toward the window, his eyes gazing out at the kingdom that he had protected for so long. "And yet, his ambition will not die so easily. Geoffrey is not one to accept defeat. He will find another way to gain power."
"Should we act?" Uriel asked, his voice cautious.
The king turned, his expression hardening. "We must. The danger is not over. Geoffrey may not have the aether, but his ambition is dangerous enough. We cannot allow him to become a threat to the kingdom."
---
Meanwhile, Geoffrey stood alone in the clearing, staring at the lifeless beast. His dreams, once so vivid, now felt like the hollow echoes of a man who had lost everything. He had believed that power would be the key to his future, but it had slipped from his grasp.
"I will find another way," he whispered to the night, his voice filled with a new, dark resolve. "I will take what is mine, even without the aether. The kingdom will fall... but not yet."
As the wind howled through the trees, Geoffrey turned away from the creature's corpse, his mind already turning toward the next step in his pursuit of power. The path before him may have been more difficult now, but it would not stop him.
The game for Avaloria's future had only just begun.