"Hmm..."
Golden Azarese, now called Moon, woke into a darkness, so dark as if the room itself wished to swallow her whole. The moment her eyes fluttered open, the past ambushed her—every ghost she had tried to forget rushing back with jagged teeth, every trauma clawing up from the pit where she had buried them.
Her breathing became labored as she find monstrous figures forming in the darkness. Her heartbeat stuttered. Then the screaming tore out of her, raw and broken, echoing off the pitch-black walls as she curled into herself.
King Liorei and Princess Lorreign were dining peacefully at the Diamond Palace's lonely Dining Hall. It may not look like it, but King Liorei is a great cook. Even though it's just them, there's enough food for a feast. Princess Lorreign have a large appetite. The King can eat a couple of bowls, but it's the Princess who eats the most.
When they heard the Princess's ground-breaking scream, they wasted no second and rushed to see her in her room.
Moon fumbled wildly for the blanket and dragged it over her head like a flimsy shield, sobbing into the thin fabric while her hands shook uncontrollably. Shadows she thought she had outran whispered her name, screeching and laughing, mocking her crying. Memories she wasn't ready to face again pressed against her skull like knives. And in that suffocating dark, she cried for help---desperate, terrified.
King Liorei kicked the door open because that was the most practical and easiest way to enter for him; then he searched for the light switch to turn the lights on.
"Princess! Princess, it's me! It's me!"
He carefully pulled the blanket. Under, he found the Princess curled up while covering her head. Like a little chick trembling and distressed.
"Princess..."
Moon raised her head. Seeing him in front of her, without the darkness anymore, she felt relieved and saved from the ghosts and demons haunting her.
King Liorei touched her to carry her, and Moon went up to rest against his chest.
"It's so scary. I don't like the dark. It's so scary, Daddy Liorei."
King Liorei looked over his daughter. Princess Lorreign gave him a sorry look, feeling bad for Moon.
She sat on the bed and pat Moon's back.
Moon froze upon feeling that touch. Her wide, terrified eyes glide to see who's doing it---while hoping it's not who she thinks it is.
Princess Lorreign smiled at her.
"N-NO!"
That smile faded instantly when Moon slapped her hand away. King Liorei was just as shocked as his daughter. Moon hid behind him, hiding from Princess Lorreign, from the Princess who---
"Princess, what's wrong? Princess---"
"No! I don't want to! Go away! I don't like you! I don't like you!"
Princess Lorreign stood and stepped back.
"I... I'm sorry..."
What did she do? Why is Moon afraid of her? What's wrong?
"Princess, calm down. Hush, come here."
King Liorei carried Moon in his arms like he always do. Like she's still a baby.
"She's my daughter, Princess. My daughter, Lorreign. Why are you afraid of her? She's very nice."
"R-Right! I'm only mean to bad people! I'm not a bad person!" Princess Lorreign added, trying to clean her image. She even made a silly dance to earn Moon's favor, but it was King Liorei who was entertained. His daughter is so adorable.
But Moon was distrusting. She refuse to look at Princess Lorreign, clinging onto King Liorei's chest and trembling in the cold.
The Princess might not be who she was. The Lorreign Dragunovv in her memories was twisted. This Lorreign now...
She took a sneaky peek of Princess Lorreign. The Princess smiled at her sweetly with rosy cheeks and a peace sign. Moon loosened. Not tensed anymore.
"I'm... I'm scared..." She mumbled and looked away.
"Of me!?" Princess Lorreign pointed herself. "Why, though? If you think I'll get mad at you for stealing my Dad... Aww, you! I don't mind at all! I will always be Daddy's number 1!"
King Liorei smiled.
Princess Lorreign jumped on the bed and laid herself on Moon's body. Moon flinched. The Princess chuckled.
"Don't be scared. From now on, we are sisters. I believe Dad. I believe you. I trust him. I trust that you are the legitimate third lady of Heart."
Moon was stunned for a moment. There was nothing but sincerity on Princess Lorreign's face. It's not layered either. She's not wearing a mask; the Princess is being true and real to her. And since it occurred to her about her situation, she covered her face with her palms to cry silently.
"Mother... My brothers... Hnnngh..."
King Liorei and Princess Lorreign looked at each other with softened expression on their faces before hugging Moon to comfort her.
"We promise you, Moon. You will get your family back."
.
.
.
King LIFE carefully placed Excalibur on its altar after polishing it.
The long day was finally over, and the night reigned. One of the longest days, to say, because of King Liorei's ridiculous assumptions. He does that every year, right before Sun's birthday. How many times have they tried to shut him down? The Armageddon War was long since won, and here goes the bastard King Liorei, waging another for nonsense.
After a cold bath, King LIFE dressed himself comfortably in slacks and white shirt. He arrived at the Dining Hall just in time for dinner with the entire family.
"Daddy!"
Sun cut herself from talking to her brothers and ran to her father. King LIFE wore a smile he only wear in front of his wife, but now to his daughter, too.
Right. That Gerson Fucking Liorei must be out of his fucking mind. That Princess over this one? This is what his wife looks like in her god form. Golden, like the sun. Their daughter takes after Empress Siofra so much that he will never mistake his daughter for somebody else. He raised his daughter himself, watched her closely during night and day that not even a bug was able to slip through his security and hawk eyes. The King loves his daughter very much. He will conquer the heavens for her.
That everybody knows. The King seemed to love the Princess more than his wife now. Well, they couldn't blame him---because at last, after hundreds of years, he finally have a little girl to treasure. When the Empress conceived for the tenth time, they lost all hope thinking that it'd be a son again. The heavens must've heard their prayers and blessed them a Princess.
The Third Lady of Heart, Princess Holy Azarese Elyzena Dragunovv-Warlock.
"You look handsome today, Daddy!"
"Thank you, Princess. You're so sweet."
The King kissed Sun's cheek tenderly while swinging her around. Sun giggled.
"Stop, stop! I'm dizzy!"
Empress Siofra sighed with a little smile, shaking her head at them.
"Come, let's dine. Our Holy skipped lunch---"
"SHE SKIPPED LUNCH?"
King LIFE carefully dropped her to the ground and cupped her face. "Princess, why did you skip your lunch?"
"Daddy, I was not hungry! And I played with my brothers so much, I forgot about it! They skipped lunch, too!"
"I don't care if they skipped their lunch!"
The Princes in question, the quadruplets, gasped with exaggeration, "Wow, thank you, Dad! We felt your love from here!"
King LIFE only hissed and took themselves to the table. He served lots of food for the Princess and the same serving to his wife.
"Eat a lot. You are both so thin."
"Daddy, too much! I don't want to grow! I want to be sexy---"
"Why would a ten-year old think of that!?"
Sun whistled and feigned ignorance.
King LIFE scowled at his daughter, Duchess Selene, who whistled at the same time.
"Selene?"
Empress Siofra placed her hand on his shoulder and caressed him. The King shivered, his face getting red from her touch.
"Let the girls talk. You're so stingy."
Emperor Maxism rang his plate with his spoon impatiently. "Can we eat now? So we can leave already?"
"How about you leave now and eat dinner there?"
Empress Siofra smacked the King.
Emperor Maxism scoffed, "You're getting on my nerves! Continue being a bitch and I will take Liorei's side any time!"
Wow. Thank you, Emperor Maxism. Now that you brought that conversation to the table, most have lost their appetite and the foods seemed cold.
Empress Clastigaufeas stepped on his foot using her heel, spinning it hard against. Emperor Maxism cried in pain but he immediately minded himself. He kept the pain to himself and whimpered like a puppy to his wife who was not giving a fuck if he's hurting.
Only few people are missing, and their seats are still reserved for them. They are not empty. There were stuff toys sitting on them. They were not there to begin with, but ever since Sun placed her toys on those empty seats, it became a custom.
As per her exact words, "They're not gone. They're still here. We just have to wait for them. Let my cute toys represent them!"
Still, with their number, the Dining Hall seemed stuffed and warm. And no, there were no stuff toys on King Liorei and Princess Lorreign's seats.
"Can we just dine? I have affairs to attend to," said Crown Prince Claxiord, eldest child and son of Emperor Maxism and Empress Clastigaufeas.
"He's becoming a psychopathic office worker!" Emperor Maxism worried for his son and bit his nails with anxiety. Crown Prince Claxiord gave him a helpless look.
"Are you not hungry?" Grand Duke Voltage whispered to his wife, Grand Duchess Xerene.
The Grand Duchess sighed deeply while playing with her food.
"I miss our sons," she mumbled, then came her waves of tears. "Why is our cute Wattsybabycakes doing academic research in the midst of their semestral break instead of spending time with us? Why is he such a genius? I miss my baby, Volt! I miss him! Bring him back! Uwaaah!"
Their eldest daughter, Lady Elektra, joined her in grief. She bit onto the napkin as she bawl her eyes out.
"Our Wattsy! This is why I hate school! Bring our Wattsy back!"
Grand Duke Paris covered his ears with annoyance. Really, that mother and daughter are so emotional and obsessed with the youngest member of their family!
"Baby, he promised to go home soon. Be patient. Here, lobster."
The Grand Duke rolled his sleeves up to feed his wife with lobster.
Thanks to them, the atmosphere became light again.
Only for Emperor Maxism to make it heavy again.
"But really, what's up with Liorei? I heard people are calling them 'Sun' and 'Moon' now to differentiate them. Where in hell did he get that kid?"
Empress Clastigaufeas took the gleaming table knife and polished it with the napkin. Emperor Maxism understood the message and gestured like he was sealing his mouth. Crown Prince Claxiord shook his head. His father is mostly an idiot.
"Can we not talk about her? I'm losing my appetite." King LIFE clicked his tongue.
"But Daddy..." Sun looked down. Her feelings influenced the air in the Dining Room. Gloomy, heavy. "Is it true, though? Am I... Am I an imposter---"
She didn't get to finish her words when the King slammed his hands on the table. Even the Empress is now wearing a distasteful expression on her youthful face.
"Princess, you must not bother yourself with such things. We were all there when your mother birthed you. We were all there to witness your miracle. If there would be an imposter here, that's her. Not you. Or maybe, it was him. Maybe he was possessed by something that made him say shit."
Sun's lips trembled. Tears blurred her vision.
"But Daddy... Why would Uncle Liore do this to me? What have I... What did I do? What if... What if one day, I wake up, and then... And then you're happy with her? What will happen to me, Daddy? I'm scared! What if she swap our places, Daddy? I'm scared! I don't want that to happen!"
"P-Princess!"
Empress Siofra rose from her seat and rushed to her daughter's side to embrace her tightly.
"That will never happen, my Holy. I will never let that happen. You are protected. The Matriarch watches over you. Your brothers are with you, and everybody here won't fall to such tricks so easily. Please, don't scare me like that. Don't say such terrifying things, my Holy."
"But, Mommy, I'm so scared. I don't want to lose you. I don't... Mommy, promise me you will always remember me. Mommy, please. Don't leave me. Daddy, Mommy, everyone... Don't forget me. Don't forget me!"
They were shaken when the Princess fainted from crying so much. The fatigue must have caught up to her since she skipped her lunch. They panicked but the Archidukes calmed them down. King LIFE carried the Princess and sent her to her room, with the Empress behind him with their sons, bringing their wives along since they are healers.
"Fuck. This is becoming so disturbing now." Emperor Maxism ran his hands through his head.
Empress Clastigaufeas started strangling him.
"It's because you opened the damn conversation, bastard. She wouldn't have cried like that. It's because of you."
"A-Ack! Mommy, chill. Privacy, okay? You know I'm a masochist!"
Empress Clastigaufeas smacked his face so hard, he flew away from her. Crown Prince Claxiord ate his food while smirking at his abused father. It's his main source of entertainment. Whenever he sees his father beaten by their mother, it brings him so much enjoyment. His father is annoying and a pervert. He deserves to be beaten sometimes.
"Let's investigate on our own and seek the truth. I fear that any moment by now, Gerson Liorei will succeed in swapping their places. Who knows what will happen next? Siofra's constitution became weak after performing her duties as a God during the Armageddon War. If something were to happen to her then... And a fake Warlock sits on the throne..." Grand Duchess Xerene intertwined her fingers before her face. She had gone serious. And once she's serious, the next step to that is making hell tremble.
The Grand Duchess's name is Franchetti Xerene Covry-Xirquit. She was from Earth, or simply to be called an 'Earthling' for those who were born from that world. She was the only child of a British noble couple who died in the hands of Daro, who was known as LIFE Dragunovv I and also as the 'Godfather'. Their history is quite complicated and there are so much to tell about them. But to make it brief for the meantime, the Grand Duchess was Earth's greatest assassin.
Her codename?
Aloisia.
Next, her husband, Voltage Xirquit, comes second to her, followed by Emperor Maxism, and then Grand Duke Paris. They were known as Calamity, Wildfire, and Avalanche respectively.
The four of them used to be Earth's notorious assassins. They were the best of friends. Their bond is thicker than blood and clearer than water. When they moved to Cosmo-Vale, the Xirquits became the Warlock Empire's back bones. Emperor Maxism went with his wife to rule and fix her empire, and Grand Duke Paris chose to go along with him and settled in the Vernignac Empire when the Emperor bribed and lured him with a fancy title.
And though they are in different empires, the four of them still stand as strong pillars of their under-construction world to this day. With their expertise and minds combined, they are fixing and unraveling Cosmo-Vale at the same time with everything they can.
In Warlock Empire, the Imperial Family ranks first, then the Xirquits came next. Without them, there won't be the Warlock-Dragunovv lineage. Without Aloisia, there won't be them. That's how important she is to their circle. Her value is the same as the Empress's.
"That fucking Gerson Liorei, ruining things again for us!" She punched the table and it cracked. "God, I miss my babies! Why can't we use technology here in this world? I miss the internet! I miss my gadgets! I miss my Wattssss~ My baby~"
Grand Duke Voltage pat her on the back to soothe her.
"Right? What are our geniuses doing? We want our internet! Internet! Internet!"
Grand Duke Paris drummed the plate using the utensils. Emperor Maxism danced while singing like an idiot, praying for the age of technology to come sooner.
Of all the issues they are facing, not being able to use technology was the greatest of all. To this day, they are still trying to solve that problem, still trying to come up with a solution, and all. Honestly, there was one who almost made it...
"When is Watts returning? Our genius Watts, come back and give us the formula to use technology!"
Emperor Maxism tweaked together with Grand Duke Paris. They are withering. They need technology. Only then will they feel alive. Grand Duke Paris is known for his expertise with hacking and computers. He's a good fighter, but he's the best in that career. So, he was basically 'useless' now. Or 'nerfed'.
"Just climb the tower and use the things there!" Grand Duchess Maxine, Grand Duke Paris's wife. The adopted sister of King LIFE.
There goes the mention of the Tower.
No, there are no magicians in the Tower they are talking about. The Tower is a unique place where all technology from Earth still works perfectly, thanks to powerful enchantments casted by Prince Astaroth and Prince Izaac. The enchantments essentially bends the Tower's reality to mimic Earth's natural laws, allowing machines, electronics, and devices to function as if they were on their original planet. Outside the Tower, however, the world's own magical nature interferes—its elemental energies and shifting laws override the technology, rendering it useless. In short, the Tower creates a bubble of Earth's logic in a fantasy realm, but step outside, and the new world simply won't allow human inventions to operate.
Prince Izaac attempted to do the same enchament on couple devices outside the Tower before but none of them worked. They theorized that maybe, the Tower was in another dimension that was the same as Earth's characteristics, or that the surrounding nature and laws exclusive around the Tower copies that of Earth, allowing their advanced tech to still work.
None can tell, because Prince Astaroth does the most work in the Tower.
"Ah, yeah, before I forgot."
Emperor Maxism pat his chest before searching for the pockets inside his suit. He pulled a long sheet of paper, then signed it with a pen. He passed it to the Grand Duchess.
The Grand Duchess looked into it and arched her brow higher than Frostbite Mountain. "What's this cheque for? Bitch, I'm richer than you."
"Eggs-cuse mwahhh? That's not for you. That's for Watts. And I'm richer, dwarfina. I'm an Emperor!"
Emperor Maxism wore a smirk so smug it annoyed everyone. Empress Clastigaufeas hissed.
"Why would my baby need money from you!?" Grand Duchess Xerene huffed.
The Emperor passed another thing. This time it was a folder in plain white.
"Moral support." Aloisia glared at him. "Just kidding. I'm sponsoring his research. Our good boy even wrote a formal letter asking for financial help."
Emperor Maxism pulled the napkin to wipe his crocodile tears.
"What kind of parents are you!? You're not giving him allowance!? Our baby Watts must be so thin now. In so much poverty now because of his irresponsible parents!"
"EXCUSE YOU!? WHO SAID WE DON'T GIVE HIM ALLOWANCE!?"
If only the Emperor was near, the Grand Duchess would be strangling him to death.
"I give him a hundred million every week! Ten times more than your stupid ten million!" She folded the cheque into a paper plane and sent it back to the Emperor. "Cheap!"
Grand Duke Voltage scratched his forehead. "Don't play with money."
"He asked for some financial help from me, too," said Chancellor Titania, Watts's only godmother. Her husband, Academia's Headmaster, Jeth Draven, is his only godfather.
"Ah, our baby is doing five researches at the same time this year---"
They flinched when the spoon in Aloisia's grip bent.
"WHY IS HE DOING A LOT!? WHY DID YOU ALLOW IT!? ARE YOU BULLYING MY GENIUS WATTSYBABYCAKES!?"
Chancellor Titania peacefully ate her food. Grand Duke Voltage pushes his wife back to her seat. She wants to jump onto the Headmaster and beat him for using her baby as a slave researcher.
"I-I tried to stop him, okay!? What can I do? He told me he will drop all his subjects and runaway if I won't allow him to do them!" Headmaster Jeth Draven cried while hugging himself. Afraid of Aloisia, afraid of her youngest, too.
"Huhuhu. My baby. He didn't have to be that smart! Being adorable and sweet are enough! I miss him so much! Volt, I wanna see my baby! Hnnngh! Wattsy!"
"Hush, hush. We will see him soon."
Oh, Watts. You are so loved.
Watts Nikola Xirquit. Youngest child and son of the Grand Duchess Xerene and Grand Duke Voltage Xirquit. Stating the obvious, he is so loved by everyone. He's the perfect balance of his parents' personalities and a chivalrous gentleman. But they think most of Watts's traits came from his father the Grand Duke. Right from the smarts to unwavering loyalty, Watts Nikola Xirquit got the overflowing amount of them from his father.
He is their greatest joy. When he was born, they said Watts Nikola Xirquit entered the world with a smile. The Grand Duchess suffered no hard labor and it only took her five minutes to give birth. No exaggerating pregnancy sickness either, other than the fact that the Grand Duchess hoarded all the sweet pineapples in the continent as a craving. There are so many reasons why he's so lovable, and naming all of them would sound like an obsession.
"What are they about, though?"
"Two of them are the continuation of Sir Ohms's unfinished works, the other three are his. They are about the Other Side, the assumed frozen Deity in Asharria, the Oracle Tree, about the Veils, and lastly, oh---you will love this."
"What is it?"
They leaned closer to him.
"He's solving our dilemma about the use of technology!"
"THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT! HAIL WATTS NIKOLA XIRQUIT!"
"HAIL!"
They raised their glasses for a toast. Their noise filled the Dining Hall.
"Is it the continuation of Ohms's unfinished research?" Grand Duke Volt.
Ohms Tesla Xirquit. Their eldest son and eldest child. There was a famous saying that says, "Before Watts Nikola Xirquit, there was Ohms Tesla Xirquit." It meant that before the present genius was his predecessor. The man himself almost provided the solution to the use of technology, but for some unknown reasons, he trashed the idea. They said it was because someone pissed him off.
The bad idea about him is that---he's the complete opposite of his youngest brother. He possess a hell of attitude and arrogance, saying that he's only acting according to what he's made of. Understandable enough. Come on, he's the eldest son of Aloisia and Calamity. He will hate not to be a Xirquit. He's strong like them, trained by them, handsome like the devil, and a fucking genius. A complete package---if only he's a bit nicer.
And oh, that he's obsessed and over-protective of his brother Watts. More than anybody else.
When his youngest brother was born, he babysat him day and night. There was even a time Watts mistook him as his father and called him 'Dad'. The craziest part was---Ohms hosted a banquet because of it. He calls his brother 'son' and since Watts loves him just the same, he sometimes call his eldest brother 'Dad'.
"That's what I thought, too, but no. While Sir Ohms's work tackles the complicated nature and laws of this world, Watts created an entirely different paper. An invention. He will use a revolutionary kind of technology to make our technology work. Exciting, isn't it!? I'm sponsoring him, too!"
"Damn! I'm gatekeeping that info, Lervoux!" Emperor Maxism bit his knuckles.
Grand Duke Voltage was listening, but he was also reading the contents of the folder in front of him. Would you look at that. The greedy and snake Emperor made a contract about exclusive rights of whatever Watts's invention would be for his empire.
What is he gonna do as a father?
He burnt it right in front of the Emperor.
"NO! MY ONE-MONTH WORTH OF BRAINCELLS! WHY DID YOU DO THAT!? THAT'S FOR WATTS!"
"My son's worth alone is more than what you have offered, Maxism Ford Lee. How fucking dare you."
"Correction, it's Lee-Vernignac," the Emperor corrected with sass and a finger up, "But it's still the initial offer! Did you even read the entire agreement!? I offered him the entirety of our western land including the found mine in it! He have his eyes set on it, so I will generously give that---"
"I can fucking buy your Empire for my son, Maxism Ford Lee, and I will still have enough to buy it again. I will talk to my son and I won't let pests like you devalue him."
Emperor Maxism whimpered and sulked between his wife's breasts. He did not devalue Watts. Everyone have their eyes on him and his next steps. They're not watching him just in case he stumbles anymore, but watch him for an opportunity to make partnerships with him. They are racing to get his signatures over exclusive rights and contracts. His future ahead is so bright, and it can still go brighter. Imagine how powerful their empire will become once technology can be used again.
The cars! The planes! The gadgets! Those luxuries will be in their hands soon!
Or later.