★154
"Initially, there were eighty eight Constellations. As of now, only sixty two remain."
She paused for a moment as if thinking of a way to tell me. But with this little information, I'm ready for the inevitably two options left. Dead or Alive.
"Back then, we lived in harmony with the Dark Stars even though they were just three in number. Upon the formation of the Omni Group, we decreed that every Star born within our Domain, as well as all existing Stars and their Constellations, would henceforth be under our eternal guardianship.
In no time, Constellations from unclaimed Drops fled to join a Domain they saw fit, and with that, our factions increased."
"They came to be ruled over? Who in their right minds would do that?"
I asked, my Star instinct unyielding for submission.
"That's not how the Supernovas operate. We aren't after power or dominance. We're just here to maintain the dream of the Star God even though It doesn't need us to.
The formation of the Omni Group, the Constellations, the Arts, and some other stuff was my contribution. I truly wanted to help in creating this Realm of Gods."
"You helped in creating the Arts?"
"Not entirely, but yeah."
"I get it now. You said something about a Constellation not joining any Domain."
I created this branch, and I had to cut it down.
"You really want to know which Constellation you belong to."
She asked, as if the information is dangerous.
"I do."
I replied without hesitation.
"I can't stop you. And I'll tell you. But you need to know the past and why it has come down to this."
"I'm listening, Lady Elara."
"Oh, that's new."
I've never addressed her formally so she was caught off guard.
Said Constellation were called Scorpios. Among all the Constellations, these Stars were cold, strategic, and most of all, prideful. This led to the other Constellation keeping a distance from them. Some often antagonise them due to their weird nature.
There were few of them, twenty in number perhaps, but their pride kept them from staying close to one another, let alone forming groups.
The largest gathering they managed to form at first was six Stars. I'll have to explain this first group of six called the Sixfold Sting. The Sixfold were the origin of the Scorpios Empire it consisted of...
The High and Low Viezer, Dschubba & Jabbah. Both called The Forehead,
The Heartkeep, Alniyat, alias The Arteries,
The Blade, Shaula, alias Raised Tail,
The Sting, Lesath, alias The Sting, and lastly,
The King, Arcab, alias The Scorpion.
This alliance was worth King Arcab's billion years of struggle. He cast aside the pride woven into their very being, chasing something, something only a sovereign of his stature could envision.
Whether it was a Scorpios trait or simply his charisma, the others were drawn to him, and his Empire continued to grow.
"What was it, his dream?"
I leaned forward, my voice brimming with enthusiasm.
Every word Ela spoke about the Scorpios felt like it reached into me, tugging at something I couldn't name but couldn't ignore.
"Like I said, he was the only one who knew the truth, and uniting the hands of his Constellation's members might have been the first step toward it.
No one truly knows, but what we do know is that his dream could have changed the entire Star Realm.
The Deity of Sun and I approached him at different times, but he showed no interest in joining the Omni Group. Strange, isn't it?
It is. Who would've rejected invitation form the gods themselves.
Constellation-wise, the Scorpios were undeniably the strongest, and that hasn't changed till dete.
"During the Rebellion, the Dark Stars struck them down first before turning their fury on us."
"You said there were only three Dark Stars back then. Ho could the Scorpios lose?"
I snapped, clenched fists trembling with rage.
It was bullshit, something I outright refused to accept, no matter how much the facts screamed otherwise. She might have seen this coming because she didn't react to my immature and harmless rage.
"At that moment, King Arcab managed to recruit more than fifteen Stars and it was a good moment to strike."
Void and death, in a mass of chaotic force capable of wiping out Solaria, was unleashed on the Drops they inhabited.
Even the Scorpios living alone in distant, isolated Drops were struck by another, yet equally devastating mass of the same chaotic energy.
"Pure cataclysmic annihilation-beyond conceptual degradation. Their very fabric of existence was torn apart and burned into nothingness."
My face went pale, and I was speechless.
I wanted to react or say something, but I couldn't. After giving me a minute, she continued.
"Despite the erasure, something survived."
I felt my heart beat, and I looked up, waiting for the good news.
"Something not even void or death can destroy, an eternal burning flame."
She paused, giving me time to recover once again before finalising.
"You possess the Edict of Zenith, an unyielding and transcendental will of King Arcab. You are his successor, Antares."
Is this it? The connection I've been feeling?
"You are the Last King of Scorpios."
She declared. The weight of the revelation settled deep within me.
One would say it's too much to take in, but...surprisingly, I didn't feel pressured or responsible. Nothing but the emergence of my first negative emotion, hatred for the Dark Stars.
"I know it's too much to take in, but..."
"It's not."
I intervened. I've never interrupted Elara when she's talking. I was always silent and obedient. But this time, I don't feel the need to be the cute, innocent and obedient child.
"It's sad, but that's in the past, I'm living in the present."
I spoke rather coldly for a child. I didn't know what's going on, but I've changed.
"There it is."
She said with a smile. It's supposed to be a tease, but I am currently not in the mood.
"What do we know of the Edict of Zenith?"
I asked.
"The Supreme Star said it's a product from a ritual used by Scorpios Constellation. King Arcab somehow knew his Constellation was destined to fall, so he decided to forge something that'll last.
But it was just a will. He doesn't have the power to create a Star. And mysteriously, the Star God gave us you, the last of their kind."
"To see what?"
After all these years, why now?
"You have the right to think of your existence as a test because it might be. The Omnis, the Supreme Star, and the Supreme Star God all have their eyes on you. You'll be a new dawn into Existence."
"Was that King Arcab's dream?"
I asked again.
"We don't know because he's gone. And you possessing the Edict of Zenith doesn't mean you're his reincarnation or something.
However, knowing the King, I'm sure the Edict is more than what we know it is."
I let out a long breath I hadn't realised I was holding.
"Thank Star."
The tension in my shoulders melted, my earlier gloom slipping away as quickly as it had come.
A faint smile tugged at my lips, like a child reassured that the world hadn't ended after all.
"I want to live my own life, and for starters, I don't think I'm fit to be king. It's like I'm almost glad I'm the last Scorpios alive."
"You being the last makes you a king by default."
"Oh Stars, I don't want that. I don't want to carry someone else's burden with me."
The words slipped out before I could stop them, small and honest, weighed down by a fear I didn't fully understand yet.
The thought alone made my chest feel tight, as if something unseen had been placed there already.
"You don't have to, Anta-chan."
She stepped closer, her presence warm and unhurried, then gently played with my cheeks as if to ground me.
The weight eased, pushed back by the certainty in her voice and the way she looked at me, as though my worries were far smaller than the future waiting ahead.
(Not that cheek._.)
"It's been a long day, especially for you. How about we call it a day."
"Sure. I'm really tired. I think I'm having a headache."
"Stop playing. You can't have a headache."
"It's an irony."
I replied with a smile.
"Oh, I see. That's good. Let's go get some rest. Tomorrow, I'd like you to meet a few Constellations in Elyvra."
We walked together hand in hand. Like a mother and her child having a conversation.
"Finally, we're leaving the Palace."
I raised one arm into the air, excitement bubbling up inside me.
"Not so fast. I'll have them come here. You're not going anywhere, not yet. I'm keeping you for myself for now."
"You can't keep me here forever. Once I grow a bit older, I'll find a way and escape."
She chuckles.
"I can't wait to see you try."
We left to get some rest we didn't need and prepare for tomorrow.
To be continued...