Simone had never been more certain of his choices than in that moment—alone in the palace before his father, the Emperor. The grand halls loomed around him, empty and echoing with silence, a stark contrast to the storm that brewed in his father's eyes. Emperor Alden's anger was palpable, his presence overwhelming. Simone, despite his inner strength, felt the weight of it all, his heart thudding in his chest.
The Emperor's voice rang out, cold and harsh.
"You dare to defy your birthright, Simone?" Alden's voice cracked with fury. "You are my son. You were supposed to uphold the legacy of the Valaris family, to be a beacon of power, not hide it like a coward."
Simone stood motionless, his face neutral, his heart racing. He had known this confrontation was inevitable. His decision to abstain from revealing his power had infuriated his father. But what Simone had not anticipated was the Emperor's reaction to his choice. He had always hoped his family, and especially his father, would respect his decision. Instead, the Emperor's eyes burned with an intense, almost uncontrollable rage.
Alden's hand clenched into a fist. "You think you can hide it? You think you can hide your true strength and walk away from your duties? I won't allow it."
Before Simone could respond, the Emperor raised his hand. A surge of raw power exploded from the Emperor's palm, blasting Simone with a force so intense that it felt like the very air had turned to stone.
Simone's body was thrown back, his skin singed by the intensity of the blast. He could feel the Emperor's power searing through him, intending to destroy him. It was like nothing he had ever felt before. His own body burned with the force, and for a brief moment, everything went black.
But as the darkness closed in, something within Simone stirred. His power—the power he had hidden for so long—responded instinctively. A surge of cold, dark energy exploded from him, like a tidal wave crashing against the Emperor's attack. The darkness consumed the light, swallowing the Emperor's blast and turning it into nothingness.
Simone's body, battered and broken, floated in the air for a split second, his eyes glowing with an eerie crimson light. The dark energy enveloped him, a silent testament to the strength of the power he had hidden. The darkness was primal, unstoppable, unlike anything the Emperor had ever seen.
Alden staggered back, his eyes wide with shock. His breath caught in his throat as he watched the spectacle unfold before him. The darkness surrounding Simone was terrifying and magnificent. The Emperor, once the ruler of the world, now felt a fear he had never known. The power before him could obliterate everything in an instant if it was properly harnessed.
Simone's body slowly descended to the floor, his legs trembling but still standing, his expression unreadable. The dark energy began to dissipate, leaving the room eerily silent.
"Impossible," the Emperor muttered under his breath. He staggered forward, his voice trembling with a mix of anger and awe. "You—your power... it's like nothing I've ever felt. You could become the strongest person in the world, Simone. But you... you're a coward."
Simone's eyes flickered to his father, his crimson gaze piercing through the tense air. "I'm not a coward," he said quietly, though his words carried a weight that seemed to silence the Emperor. "I just don't want your throne, father. I don't want to wield power for the sake of power."
But Alden was beyond listening. His anger had turned to something darker, something more dangerous. He reached out, grabbing Simone by the arm with a grip so tight it nearly crushed his bones.
"You think you can escape your destiny?" the Emperor hissed, his face contorted with rage. "You are a Valaris. And you will accept your place as a prince. You will accept your place as the future Emperor."
Simone barely had time to react before the Emperor's words hit him like a strike of lightning. "You will no longer attend the Imperial Academy. I'll have you trained personally to control this power—this beast inside you. You will learn to wield it. Or you will be crushed under its weight."
Simone's heart clenched. He had hoped for peace, for a life free from the chains of the throne, but now it was clear that his father's ambitions had no limits. The Emperor's voice dropped to a whisper of cold fury.
"And until you accept your place," Alden continued, "you will train nonstop. Day and night. No food. No rest. You will become the weapon you were meant to be, or you will break under its weight."
Simone swallowed hard, his body still aching from the force of his father's attack, but there was no time to recover. The Emperor's will was absolute, and Simone had no choice but to obey. He knew his father would not stop until Simone's power was fully unleashed, until he was molded into the perfect heir. The life he had hoped for—hidden in plain sight, free from the expectations of royalty—was slipping through his fingers.
The Emperor stepped back, his eyes gleaming with cold satisfaction. "You will become everything I've wanted," he said, his voice cold and final. "You will become the true heir of Valaris."
Simone closed his eyes, a wave of resignation washing over him. He had made his choice to hide his power, but now it seemed there was no escaping it. His father's wrath had awakened something far more terrifying than any of them could have imagined.
As the Emperor turned away, leaving Simone standing alone in the room, the weight of his new reality crushed down on him. There would be no escape now. His training would begin at once, and it would be relentless. The darkness within him would be forced to grow, and with it, so too would the power of the Valaris name.
For better or worse, Simone's path was now set.