A Legacy of Loathing
Basil sat in the ornate room, his head in his hands. The grandiose surroundings—a lavish bed draped in crimson silk, shelves lined with gilded trinkets, and a chandelier sparkling above—felt suffocating. His breath came in shallow gasps as he tried to calm the storm raging in his mind.
"This can't be real," he muttered. But it was. The evidence was all around him: the weight of the fine clothes on his body, the sharp pain from pinching his arm, the haunting face in the mirror.
He was Leon Alaric.
Closing his eyes, Basil tried to remember everything he knew about Leon. As someone who had completed Eternal Reign five times, he had more insight into the character than most players. And yet, recalling Leon's story only made the knot in his stomach tighten.
Leon Alaric. The eldest son of Alaric the Great, humanity's strongest warrior and the undisputed leader of the Alaric family—a name that carried immense weight and reverence across the world. Yet, Leon was nothing like his father.
"An arrogant fool," Basil whispered, the words tasting bitter. That was how the players described Leon. No, it was worse than that. He wasn't just arrogant; he was cruel, spoiled, and reckless.
The memories of the game flooded Basil's mind like a deluge.
Leon had everything handed to him: wealth, status, and the unparalleled legacy of his father. But instead of embracing his position, he squandered it. He bullied servants for sport, gambled away fortunes in underground dens, and drowned himself in alcohol. Where his father inspired fear and admiration, Leon inspired only contempt.
But that wasn't the worst of it.
Basil's hands clenched into fists as he remembered the critical turning point in Leon's story. The event that cemented him as the most hated character in Eternal Reign. It all came down to her.
Aria.
She was a maid in the Alaric household, yet her presence had captivated players from the moment she appeared in the game. Aria was breathtakingly beautiful, with long silver hair that shimmered like moonlight and eyes the color of sapphires. But it wasn't just her looks that endeared her to players—it was her kindness, her quiet strength, and her unwavering loyalty, even in the face of cruelty.
And Leon had destroyed her.
Basil's jaw tightened as he recalled the infamous scene. Aria had begged Leon to stop gambling away the family's wealth. She had knelt before him, tears streaming down her face, pleading with him to reconsider his actions. Her voice, fragile yet desperate, had struck a chord with the players.
But Leon…
Leon had laughed.
He had mocked her, insulted her, and dismissed her concerns. And when she persisted, he had gone further—ordering her to accompany him to one of the underground gambling rings as punishment for her insolence.
It was there that everything unraveled.
The ring was raided by a rival faction, a violent skirmish breaking out amidst the chaos. Aria had shielded Leon with her own body, taking a fatal blow meant for him. She had died in his arms, her blood staining his hands.
The scene had been gut-wrenching. The players had grieved for Aria, mourning her tragic death. But their grief had quickly turned to rage.
They blamed Leon.
His arrogance, his selfishness, his recklessness—everything had led to Aria's death. And in the game's storyline, her death was a turning point. It marked the moment Leon's father, Alaric the Great, finally lost his patience.
To clear the family name and restore honor to their legacy, Alaric had ordered Leon's execution.
The cutscene was unforgettable. Alaric, clad in his battle-worn armor, stood over his son with a blade in hand. His voice, cold and unyielding, echoed as he delivered his final judgment.
"You are no son of mine. You are a stain on our name. For the good of the Alaric family, you must die."
The scene ended with Leon's death—a satisfying conclusion for the players, who cheered the fall of a hated character.
Now, Basil was that character.
He sat frozen, his mind reeling from the weight of it all. He wasn't just stuck in the game—he was stuck in the shoes of the man everyone despised.
And worse, the clock was ticking.
In the original storyline, the events leading to Aria's death were only weeks away. If Basil didn't act quickly, her fate—and his—would be sealed.
"No," he muttered, shaking his head. "I can't let that happen."
But how could he stop it? Leon's reputation was in tatters. Everyone in the Alaric household despised him—servants, family members, even strangers. Changing their perception of him would be an uphill battle, and Basil had no idea where to start.
He took a deep breath, forcing himself to think logically.
"Okay," he said aloud, his voice steadying. "First things first. I need to stop Aria from dying. If I can prevent that, I might have a chance to turn things around."
But preventing her death wasn't just about keeping her safe. It was about undoing the damage Leon had caused. Basil would have to earn her trust, convince her to believe in him—despite everything.
And that, he realized, might be the hardest task of all.
Looking out the grand window at the sprawling estate below, Basil clenched his fists.
"This isn't a game anymore," he said. "It's my life. And I'm not going down without a fight."