The bitterness in her voice was unmistakable, her words heavy with years of resentment and jealousy. The truth of her twisted motives hung in the air, darkening the atmosphere as she looked down at her sister with disdain.
"But now that Father is gone," Ventris continued with a twisted smile, her voice laced with triumph, "I can take my revenge. I can remake his empire the way it should have been. It's a shame that you, your mutt, and his family won't be there to see it."
The words struck Aurelius deeply, the weight of the loss pressing on him. He could see the pain in Solaria's eyes, and it fueled his desire to fight back. He tried to break free from the grip of his former soldiers, his muscles straining, but with the power they had stolen from Solaria, they were now far stronger than before. All he could do was watch, helpless.
Ventris, noticing his defeated expression, sneered at him, clearly enjoying his suffering. "I have a deal for you, King." she said, her voice cold and calculating.
Aurelius looked up at her, his eyes filled with determination despite the odds. He knew there was no kindness in her offer, but he had to listen, if only to find a way to save his loved ones.
Ventris looked at Aurelius with a cruel smile, her eyes glinting with malicious amusement. "If you can survive for 20 minutes against my generals," she said slowly, savoring each word. "I'll let your family go. At least, for now. They are still transcendent immortals, and they would make... Useful assets. But no matter what happens, you must not fight back."
The air grew heavy with the weight of her words, her offer both a twisted challenge and a cruel game. Aurelius' heart raced. The thought of his family's fate hanging in the balance spurred him to action. His mind screamed for him to fight, to do anything to protect them, but the conditions of her deal made it clear: any resistance would mean the end of their lives.
With a heavy heart, Aurelius stared at Ventris, his gaze filled with silent defiance. This wasn't a battle he wanted, but he had no choice. He would endure. For them.
"Good boy." Ventris grinned with a sharp smile, her voice dripping with satisfaction. "Now it's time for the show."
Aurelius' eyes darted to Solaria, his heart sinking as he saw her being chained. The chains that held her were no ordinary bonds, they were forged by Ventris herself. These chains were unlike any others, imbued with blood magic that made them unbreakable, their curse strong enough to prevent even the mightiest beings from escaping unless certain, hidden conditions were met or broken by a higher power.
Aurelius felt a cold dread settle in his chest as he realized the depths of his sister's cruelty. These chains weren't just physical restraints, they were another layer of control, another means of keeping Solaria bound in her suffering. And, as always, Ventris seemed to revel in the pain she caused.
"I'm sure you're wondering just what kind of curse binds her now..." Ventris taunted, her voice filled with venom. "But you'll see soon enough..."
The suspense in the air was palpable as the once-proud king stood there, his heart heavy with the knowledge of what was to come. He could feel the weight of the moment pressing down on him, the air thick with the promise of pain and defeat. The six angel generals now wielded Solaria's power, and Aurelius knew that, despite his own immense strength, he was no longer on equal footing.
Before, he might have been stronger than any single one of them, perhaps even a match for the combined might of a few. But now, with the power of his wife coursing through them, it was like facing six versions of Solaria herself. Even for an immortal king who had reached the peak of his existence, it was clear that he stood little chance against Ventris and her generals.
Aurelius understood why Ventris was doing this. It wasn't just about victory this was personal. She wanted to break him, to humiliate him, to make an example of him. He would be the first execution in her new world, a symbol of her rise to power. The thought of losing everything, of watching his family suffer, stung more than any physical wound could.
As Aurelius stood there, staring at the twisted scene unfolding before him, his eyes locked on his family. His mother and father were trying desperately to console each other, their faces filled with helplessness and sorrow. His siblings, too, stood in silent pain, but it was his wife Solaria whose screams rang out, begging them to stop, that broke his heart the most.
Through the agony, he forced a calm smile and made eye contact with each of them. Though his body was bound, his thoughts reached out. Telepathically, he sent them messages, each one meant to comfort them in their darkest hour.
To his little sister, he sent a whisper of reassurance, telling her that she would be alright, no matter what happened.
To his mother and father, the words of sacrifice slipped through his mind, wishing he could have done more, wishing they didn't have to suffer like this. They had always protected him, and now he could offer them nothing but a silent farewell.
Finally, his thoughts turned to Solaria. The love of his life. Though the pain of the moment burned through him, he still found a way to speak to her through their bond. "I love you." He thought, each word filled with the depth of his heart. "I'm sorry, but you have to be strong. Please don't look."
The weight of defeat pressed heavily on his shoulders, yet with every beat of his heart, his love for her burned brighter, his resolve hardening like steel. No matter the odds, he would fight, not just for himself, but for the woman he vowed to protect, and for those he failed to.
In that moment, knowing he would likely die soon, Aurelius accepted his fate. His love for them all, his desire to protect them, even in the face of his own death, was the one thing he could still offer. He closed his eyes, gathering every ounce of strength he had left, preparing for what was about to come.
The generals, now brimming with the stolen power of Solaria, stood tall, their faces twisted in satisfaction. For centuries, they had suppressed their true ambitions, but with Ventris offering them the power to rule, they no longer hesitated. Their desires aligned perfectly with hers, to dominate, to reshape the world as they saw fit.
They turned to the defeated king, their malicious laughter echoing through the air. The once loyal soldiers, now corrupted by power, reveled in their new strength, the betrayal clear in their eyes. The air grew tense with their collective malice. This was no longer a battle of power and brute strength.
The silence was broken by the sharp snap of fingers. Ventris, seated atop a golden throne, signaled the beginning of the execution. He took a breath from his place on his knees still with eyes closed, steeling himself for the pain to come. He reminded himself that for the sake of his family, he shouldn't let his instincts take hold to make him dodge their attacks.
His focus was broken by a flash of white light as his ears began to ring deafeningly. His position had shifted and he found himself falling sideways- only to be caught by an unseen force; the telekinetic power of one of the angel generals. The force navigated him by the head, pulling him back up to his kneeling position and tethering him there. As the ringing of his ears finally began to settle, he found himself encircled around them and-
He grunted as a fist wrapped in energy struck his jaw, filling his mouth with the metallic taste of blood, all while Ventris' eyes gleamed with cold satisfaction as she watched the scene. Her joy was amplified by her sister's pained cries as she was forced to watch the scene, watch her husband be reduced to no more than a punching bag. The air rang with the sickening crunch of punches connecting, each blow strong enough to send him flying about the wasteland, but he remained pinned by telekinetic energy in place.
Each movement was a blur of motion as the generals, empowered by their newfound strength, overwhelmed him. The barren landscape echoed with the sound of his pained grunts and struggle, the sickening crunching of his bones breaking, the splash of his blood hitting the rocks and staining the wasteland in red and the shattering of the ground beneath him as the impact from their charged blow had nowhere to go but through him, shattering bone and rupturing organs then into the ground below. He could just barely hear the pleas of his wife and family begging for them to stop above it all. He hadn't wanted them to see this...
The force of each strike was unlike anything he had ever experienced. The strength of his wife, who had always stood by him, protecting him and their world was now being turned against him, fueling his enemies. It was a crushing realization that left him feeling weaker with every blow and Solaria feeling even worse knowing that her own power was being used to kill her beloved. It felt as if it were no different from her own hands bringing him closer to the edge of his life.
After what seemed like forever to everyone present, twenty minutes had finally passed and after one last brutal blow, Ventris signaled the generals to stop their assault.
Aurelius the once proud king of Oreath who stood at the apex of human existence and who had been the symbol of the unity of god and man now collapsed forward into a pool of his own blood, the landscape around him now painted red. He barely managed to raise his head, just so he could look in the direction of his wife, then his family, their eyes full of tears as they watched his broken and bloody form. He took a shaky breath that ached his battered body to the core before he struggled to stand. Solaria looked away in shame as she was powerless to help him, his parents shielding the eyes of the children.
Ventris smiled, her revenge was now almost complete.
She began clapping her hands, the sound reverberating through the vast emptiness of the space. "Good boy, Aure." She said, her voice laced with mock praise. "Now, as promised, I'll let your family go." She smiled.
With a casual wave of her hand, the energy cage dissipated, and his family was freed. But they remained still, not moving from where they were. She watched them for a moment, her smile fading as she reconsidered.
"Hmm... On second thought..." She added with a sinister grin and Aurelius felt a sudden stab of dread. "No, I don't think I'll keep that promise after all."
With a wave of her hand she brought the gigantic spear of light down on them, a blinding explosion of light erupted, consuming the space in an instant. The king's eyes were forced shut by the sheer intensity as his anguished "No!" got lost in the commotion, but as the light faded, he slowly opened them struggling to focus. When his vision cleared, all that remained was a massive crater, the ground scorched and broken. Dust swirled through the air, settling slowly, leaving nothing in its wake, no sign of his family, no trace of the life that had been there moments before. Just the remnants of devastation.
Looking at the crater, the young king's heart sank, and a ragged, heartbroken cry tore from his throat, raw and desperate as he called out for his mother, father and siblings like a helpless child. He rushed into the crater, his hands trembling as he hugged the heaps of rocks, crying for his brothers and sister. His mind fractured with grief, unable to fully comprehend what had just transpired to Ventris' delight.
On the side, Solaria fought against her restraints as she too cried for his family whom she had grown close enough to call her own, each movement a desperate attempt to reach him, to hold him as he broke before her eyes. But her strength was fading still, and despite her efforts, she could not free herself. All the king could do was stand in the silence of the sheer destruction.
Ventris laughed cruelly, the sound echoing through the emptiness. Her gaze was filled with mirth, watching him from a distance as he struggled with his grief. Every part of her being seemed to relish in his pain, her smile widening as she took in the sight of the broken king. The angel generals who were all laughing originally, went silent as they watched the scene with somber expressions. For all their hatred for the king, not even they would go this far, be this cruel...
As grief washed over him, the young king offered up a silent prayer, one born of love and great sorrow. He prayed for his family to find peace, and for the hope that, someway, somehow, he would see them again. The anger that flared within him grew into an all-consuming rage, but despite the fury burning inside, he fought to calm his mind. Desperation laced his every thought as he tried desperately to hold onto whatever fragment of himself remained, struggling to stay grounded amidst the chaos. After all, he still had his wife to help.
He knew that, in his current state, he stood no chance against his enemies, especially now that they wielded the stolen power of Solaria. They were leagues beyond him, and every instinct told him to retreat. Yet, he steeled himself, drawing from the depths of his pain and rage. With a deafening roar, he unleashed all the power he could muster, and in a flash, he was at his wife's side.
His claws moved swiftly, carving a runic mark above the wound in her side, as he whispered a chant under his breath. That rune would siphon his lifeforce to strengthen her and to cease her bleeding, at least, until his life force runs out. With every ounce of strength he could summon, he ripped the chains that pinned her to the boulder from their grasp, tearing through them with brutal force.
Ventris sneered from her throne, her voice dripping with mockery. "Look at the little pup go." She taunted. "He really thinks he can make a difference, huh? The chains were never the problem. Even with them shattered, it's the shackles that matter. Unless you break the shackles," Ventris continued, her tone dripping with disdain.
"You can't hope to free her. Her power will still be siphoned. These shackles are tied to this dimension, and she cannot leave unless every single one of them is removed."
"Even worse." Ventris continued with a cruel smile. "Each shackle requires a different condition to open. They're not just tied to this dimension, they're cursed, each one with its own twisted rule. It's not just about strength or willpower, little king. You'll never break them all." She mocked.