(The Next Day)
(Dravareth Empire — Royal Capital)
Dawn had barely broken when the horns of war shattered the morning silence.
The Velmorian army stood assembled in perfect formation outside the towering walls of the Dravareth capital. Rows upon rows of armored soldiers stretched across the battlefield, their banners snapping violently in the cold wind.
At their head—
rode Eyan.
Clad in black imperial armor streaked with dried blood, he sat atop his warhorse like a harbinger of death. His expression was empty, cold—devoid of hesitation, devoid of mercy.
Behind him, thousands of soldiers waited.
The gates of the Dravareth capital loomed ahead. Closed. Defiant.
Eyan slowly raised his hand. Then his voice rang out.
“ADVANCE.”
The battlefield exploded.
“FOR VELMORIA!”
The Velmorian army surged forward like a black tide. Dravareth’s archers unleashed a rain of arrows from the walls. The sky darkened with them.
But Velmoria’s shield units moved immediately, raising iron barriers as the arrows crashed against them with violent force.
Siege towers rolled forward. Battering rams thundered against the gates. And beneath the chaos—
Eyan rode straight into the battle. A Dravareth knight charged toward him with a roar. “Kill the emperor!”
Eyan didn’t slow. The knight’s sword came down— Eyan’s blade moved faster.
SHRK.
Steel sliced cleanly through armor and flesh. The knight’s body collapsed from his horse before he even understood what had happened. Blood splashed across the ground.
Eyan’s horse stepped over the body without pause. Another soldier rushed him. Then another.
Eyan cut them down without a word. His sword moved with terrifying precision. A throat opened. An arm severed. A body split across the chest. Crimson painted the battlefield wherever he passed.
A Dravareth captain charged him with a spear. “You monster!”
Eyan caught the spear shaft with one hand, yanked the man forward— and drove his sword straight through his chest. The blade slid out from the man’s back. The captain’s eyes widened as blood filled his mouth.
Eyan leaned closer. His voice was quiet. “Where is Velco?”
The captain coughed violently. “I… will never—”
Eyan pulled the blade free. The man collapsed before finishing the sentence. Eyan kicked the corpse aside and continued forward.
Behind him—
Velmoria’s army tore through the battlefield like wolves among sheep. The city gates finally shattered with a deafening crack.
“THE GATES ARE OPEN!”
Velmorian soldiers stormed through the entrance. Chaos erupted inside the capital.
Civilians fled.bDravareth soldiers desperately tried to regroup. But it was already too late.
Eyan rode through the streets without slowing. Enemy soldiers rushed him again and again. None survived.
By the time Eyan reached the royal palace gates— Dravareth’s defense had already collapsed.
The palace guards formed a desperate line at the entrance. One of them shouted. “Protect the Emperor!”
Eyan dismounted his horse. Slowly. Deliberately. He drew his sword again.
“Out of my way,” he said coldly.
None of them did. So he walked forward. The first guard attacked. Eyan’s blade cut across his throat. The second lost his arm. The third never even finished raising his weapon. Bodies fell one after another at the palace steps.
Velmorian knights rushed in behind him, finishing the remaining guards.
Within minutes—
the royal palace of Dravareth stood breached.
Eyan stepped over the fallen bodies and walked through the shattered entrance.
Blood dripped slowly from the edge of his sword. His cold eyes scanned the palace halls.
“VELCO.”
His voice echoed through the corridors like a promise of death.
“COME OUT.”
For a moment, there was nothing but silence.
Then—
The sound of metal echoed from the far end of the hall. A figure stepped out from the shadows. Prince Velco.
A sword rested loosely in his hand, its blade catching the pale light that filtered through the broken ceiling. His posture was relaxed, almost amused, as if the carnage surrounding them was nothing more than entertainment.
“So you made it,” Velco said lightly.
Eyan stopped walking. The moment his eyes locked onto Velco— something dark flashed across them. Without a word, Eyan began moving toward him.
Velco tilted his head slightly. “I expected you sooner, Emperor.”
Eyan stopped a few steps away.
Then—
Eyan suddenly dropped his sword. The weapon hit the stone floor with a sharp echo.
Velco’s brow lifted slightly. “Oh?”
Eyan reached up and tore the heavy armor from his shoulders. The metal plates crashed against the ground beside him. Another piece followed. Then another. Within seconds, the imperial armor lay discarded at his feet. Now he stood only in his bloodstained black tunic, his hands empty.
Velco chuckled softly.
“You marched across an empire to fight me… and now you throw away your sword?”
Eyan’s voice was quiet. “You’re not worth it.”
Velco’s smile widened.
“Confident.” He raised his blade. “Or desperate.”
Eyan didn’t answer..He simply walked forward. Velco struck first. His sword flashed through the air, slicing toward Eyan’s throat.
Eyan moved at the last second. The blade missed him by inches. His fist slammed straight into Velco’s ribs.
.
The impact echoed violently through the hall. Velco staggered back, breath forced from his lungs. Before he could recover—
Eyan grabbed his collar and drove his knee brutally into Velco’s stomach.
Velco coughed violently. Eyan’s fist crashed into his jaw. Once. Twice. Three times.
Each strike landed with brutal force, snapping Velco’s head back as blood sprayed from his mouth.
Velco swung his sword wildly..The blade sliced across Eyan’s side, drawing blood.
Eyan didn’t even flinch. He grabbed Velco’s sword arm— and slammed it against the stone pillar beside them.
.
Velco’s grip loosened. Eyan punched him again. And again. His blows were merciless. Bone against bone.
Velco fell to one knee, blood dripping from his lips. Eyan grabbed him by the hair and forced his head upward.
His voice was dangerously calm. “Where is Eva?”
Velco laughed weakly, blood running down his chin. “What did you say i can't hear you my ears are ringing."
“WHERE. IS. MY. WIFE” Eyan shouted
Velco smiled through the blood. “Oh...your wife she's here.”
Eyan’s fist slammed into his face again. “Where.”
Velco spat blood onto the floor. “Still alive… if that’s what you’re worried about.”
Eyan’s eyes darkened. His fist came down again. Velco’s body collapsed onto the ground.
Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
Eyan stood over him, breathing slowly.
Then—
he reached down and picked up Velco’s sword. The blade gleamed in the dim light. Velco lay on the floor, barely able to move, his face bruised and bloodied.
Eyan stepped forward..The tip of the sword pressed against Velco’s throat.
Velco looked up at him..Still smiling..“You really think killing me will fix everything?”
Eyan raised the sword. His voice was ice..“Yes.”
But before the blade could fall—
.
Something snapped around his wrist. Eyan’s arm jerked violently.
A glowing magical chain had wrapped around his hand. Another chain shot from the shadows. Then another. They coiled around his arms, his chest, his legs. Within seconds—
Eyan’s entire body was bound. The chains pulled tight with brutal force. He tried to move but the magic crushed down on him like iron.
The force dragged him to one knee. The sword fell from his grasp and clattered across the floor. Eyan’s breathing grew heavier as the chains tightened further, forcing him down.
The Velmorian knights surged forward the moment their emperor fell to one knee. “Protect His Majesty!”
Steel rang as they rushed toward Velco. Velco sighed faintly, almost bored. Snap. His fingers clicked sharply.
In the next instant—
glowing magical chains burst from the palace floor. They shot across the hall like serpents of light.
Chains wrapped around the legs, arms, and chests of the charging Velmorian soldiers. One after another they were yanked down, forced brutally to their knees as the magic tightened around their bodies.
Armor scraped loudly against the stone floor. The knights struggled, but the chains only tightened further.
Velco slowly pushed himself upright, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand.
His eyes turned toward Eyan. “You truly are terrifying, Your Majesty.”
Eyan’s glare could have killed..His voice thundered through the hall.
“Come out… boys!”
The shadows at his feet rippled violently. Three massive wolves burst from the darkness—Talon, Fen, and Mara—their glowing eyes locked onto Velco as they lunged forward with savage speed.
Velco smiled. The wolves leapt—
—and suddenly stopped mid-air. An invisible barrier rippled around Velco like glass..The wolves slammed against it with heavy force but could not pass.
Velco lifted his sword calmly. One swift motion.
SHRK.
Talon’s head rolled across the floor. Another flash of steel— Fen collapsed beside him. The third swing was just as merciless. Mara’s body dropped, blood spreading rapidly across the marble floor. Three severed heads rolled to a stop near Eyan.
For a second— the world went silent.
Eyan’s voice broke through the hall like a roar. “No… TALON! FEN! MARA!”
The wolves’ bodies dissolved slowly into dark mist.
Velco stepped closer and crouched in front of the bound emperor. “You really believed you could kill me that easily?”
His gaze drifted to the glowing chains wrapped around Eyan’s body. “No magic works on you… yes. But these chains?” He tapped one of the glowing links. “I acquired them personally… from the Dragon King.” The chains tightened slightly. “Even you cannot break these.”
Velco lifted his sword and showed it to him. “And this blade…” He tilted it so the light ran along its edge.
“…was forged to kill the Therald bloodline and those wolves, Dragon king also gave me these.” Velco leaned closer, his voice lowering. “I stabbed your son with this very sword.”
A cruel smile appeared. “How is the boy doing, I wonder?”
Eyan’s entire body trembled with fury. “You bastard… I will make you pay for every single thing.”
Velco threw back his head and laughed, the sound hollow and triumphant. "We'll see about that."
He rose to his full height, brushing the dust from his tunic as if the emperor's threats were mere cobwebs. Then, with a sharp command—
"Bring her here"
—he summoned the knights.
Eyan's head snapped up, desperation carving lines into his face.
Two Dravareth soldiers dragged someone forward. The moment she entered the hall—
Eyan’s eyes widened.
Her hair was disheveled, her face pale, but the moment she saw him— her eyes filled with light.
"Eyan..." she breathed.
"Eva."
She wrenched free from the knights, taking a faltering step toward him. But Velco was faster. His hand shot out, seizing her arm in a vise-like grip, yanking her back to stand beside him like a trophy.
"Where are you going, Eva?" he purred, his fingers digging into her flesh. "When I'm standing right here?"
His gaze shifted to Eyan, cold triumph gleaming.
"Didn't I tell you? Even if your husband stormed these halls, he couldn't do a thing."
With brutal indifference, he grabbed Eva's jaw, forcing her head toward Eyan.
"Look at him. Kneeling before me. Like the dog he is."
Tears welled in Eva's eyes, spilling hot and silent down her cheeks as she stared at her husband, reduced to chains and fury.
Velco's grip tightened. "Now that your husband's here, let's not keep him waiting."
In one savage motion, he seized her arms and slammed her to the floor. The impact jarred through her body, a gasp escaping her lips as the cold stone met her skin.
Eyan's roar shook the hall. "IF YOU TOUCH HER, I'M GOING TO RIP YOU APART!"
Velco's laughter was a blade all its own. "We'll see about that. But first... let's see if you can save her. When I claim her body right in front of you."
Eva scrambled to sit up, terror etching her features, but Velco was upon her in an instant. He pinned her down with his weight, his knee grinding into her thigh, his hands like manacles on her shoulders. She thrashed beneath him, her breaths coming in ragged sobs.
"Please... stop," she whimpered, her voice breaking.
Velco laughed, "Stop? But I haven't even started yet."
He buried his face in the curve of her neck, inhaling deeply, his breath hot against her skin. "You smell so divine."
"LET HER GO, YOU BASTARD!" Eyan roared, his voice a thunderclap of anguish.
Velco ignored him, his fingers curling into the front of Eva's dress. With a swift, deliberate tear, the fabric rent apart, exposing her to the chill air and leering eyes of the hall. The sound was a rip through Eyan's soul.
"KNIGHTS!" Eyan shouted, his command a desperate plea.
The soldiers behind him—averted their gazes, closing their eyes in silent solidarity, honoring their queen even in defeat.
Velco's sneer deepened. "Why are you all closing your eyes? You should see this. Just how beautiful your queen looks without her clothes."
Eva curled in on herself, arms wrapping desperately around her bare form, tears streaming as humiliation burned through her.
"Eyan... save me," she choked out, her voice a shattered whisper.
Eyan's eyes glistened with unshed tears, his body trembling not from the chains, but from the storm within. "Velco... let her go. Please. You can do anything to me. Want my throne? Take it. Want my head? Kill me—I won't lift a finger. Just... don't hurt her."
Velco's eyes sparkled with cruel delight.
"Killing you with just sword? No fun at all. But watching you die—every second—as I strip away your wife's dignity? That's entertainment."
He leaned closer, his hands clamping around Eva's wrists, pinning them above her head. His lips descended on her neck, bruising kisses that drew whimpers of revulsion from her throat.
"No... stay away!" Eva cried, jerking against him with all her fading strength. "Eyan!"
Eyan's vision blurred with rage and grief, tears carving tracks through the blood on his face. He threw every ounce of his strength into the chains, muscles bulging, veins like cords under his skin.
"BREAK, DAMN IT!" he screamed, the words tearing from his chest like a wounded animal's howl.
In her desperation, Eva twisted free for a heartbeat. Her teeth sank into Velco's ear, biting down with savage force. Blood welled hot and coppery; he jerked back with a yelp, clapping a hand to the wound as crimson seeped between his fingers.
Eyan seized the moment. "Eva, run!"
She surged to her feet, unsteady as a fawn, her torn dress hanging in rags. She turned toward freedom, —but Velco was a faster.
Before she could take a single step, his hand fisted in her hair, yanking her back with vicious strength. He slammed her into the nearest table, her swollen belly colliding with the jagged edge in a sickening thud that reverberated through the hall.
"AHHH!"
Eva's scream pierced the air, raw and piercing, as she crumpled to the floor.
Her hands flew instinctively to her stomach, clutching the gentle curve where their unborn child grew, a life so vulnerable in this storm of brutality.
Sobs wracked her body, hot tears soaking her palms as waves of nauseating pain radiated from her core, fear for the babe twisting like a knife in her gut.
"NO... EVA!"
Eyan jerked against the chains, the metal groaning but unyielding, his voice fracturing with paternal terror.
She clutched her belly tighter, doubling over in agony. Velco advanced, fury twisting his features. He seized her hair again, dragging her upright only to hurl her against a crumbling pillar. Her head cracked against the stone; blood bloomed from a gash at her temple, trickling down her face in rivulets.
Eyan's screams devolved into wordless pleas. "STOP!....STOP!"
Velco's hand flew to his bleeding ear, his expression darkening to something feral. "You got some nerve, bitch."
He hauled her up like a rag doll, her body limp and protesting, and smashed her against the table's edge once more.
This time, the blow landed square on her abdomen—a direct, merciless strike that expelled the air from her lungs in a guttural cry.
"Ahh!" She collapsed her hands pressed desperately against her stomach, as if her touch alone could shield the life within from the violence crashing down upon them.
__________________________________
(Afterlife — The White Mist)
“MOTHER!”
Leo’s voice tore through the silent mist.
Before them, the swirling veil of white had transformed into something like a living mirror. Within it, the distant image of the Dravareth royal palace flickered—showing the horror unfolding inside.
Leo watched helplessly as Velco threw Eva to the ground again.
His small hands clenched. “Mother…”
His voice trembled as he watched her struggle. Then he turned desperately toward Aurelthia.
“Please… let me go back!” His red eyes were filled with panic. “I need to save my mother… please!”
Aurelthia stood quietly beside him, her long robes moving softly within the endless mist. Her expression carried both sorrow and ancient calm.
“It is not within my power to send you back,” she said gently.
“I cannot interfere with the path of timelines so easily.”
Leo shook his head, tears streaming down his face. “Please don’t say that!” His voice cracked. “My mother needs help!”
He grabbed her sleeve desperately. “Please… do something… save her… please!”
For a long moment, Aurelthia did not answer. Her gaze turned slowly toward the mist where the scene continued to unfold.
Eyan struggling. Eva crying out. Velco standing over her. A faint sadness passed through Aurelthia’s eyes.
“There is… very little I can do.”
Leo looked up at her immediately.
“Then try!” His voice trembled with hope. “Please…”
Aurelthia slowly raised her hand. The mist around them began to stir. “I will try.”
Her voice carried the quiet weight of something ancient. Her eyes suddenly glowed with a deep azure light.
The air around them vibrated faintly as an unseen power rippled through the afterlife itself.
__________________________________
(Royal Palace — Dravareth)
Velco forced Eva down onto the cold marble floor once more. Her voice broke through the ruined hall.
“EYAN!”
Across the chamber, the emperor struggled violently against the glowing chains binding him. The metal links tightened mercilessly around his wrists. Their edges dug deep into his flesh as he twisted his hands, trying to force even the smallest gap between them.
Blood slowly began to drip down his fingers.
…
Velco glanced over his shoulder with a mocking smile. “Why are you screaming?” His voice carried cruel amusement. “There is nothing he can do—”
Suddenly—
A strange vibration rippled through the air. Velco’s voice stopped. The magical glow surrounding the hall flickered like a dying flame.
His smile slowly faded. He looked down at the locket hanging from his neck. The stone embedded within it—once glowing with power—had begun to dim. Then it went completely dark.
Velco’s eyes widened. “What…?”
Behind him—
.
The chains binding Eyan trembled. Then they shattered apart. One by one the glowing links broke away from his arms and legs, falling to the marble floor before dissolving into fading sparks.
Eyan was free.
Velco’s voice shook with sudden panic. “No—!”
Eyan moved like a storm unleashed. In a single violent motion, he crossed the distance between them. His knee drove straight into Velco’s face with brutal force.
.
The impact echoed through the palace hall. Velco’s body was thrown backward across the floor as blood burst from his mouth. He crashed onto the marble, coughing violently.
Velco struggled to push himself up, fury burning in his eyes. “Damn it!”
His hand shot to the locket around his neck. “Why isn’t the magic working on him?!”
__________________________________
(Afterlife — The White Mist)
Leo stared at the vision unfolding inside the swirling mist.
Happiness filled his eyes. “Father is free…”
He quickly turned toward Aurelthia. “What did you do?”
Aurelthia lowered her glowing hand slowly. “I merely severed the magic flowing through that locket.” Her voice remained calm and distant. “But only for the emperor.”
Leo blinked in confusion. “Only for him?”
Aurelthia nodded slightly as she looked back toward the battlefield within the mist. “It appears that man obtained the artifact from Zeradros’ power.”
Her gaze darkened thoughtfully. “He was controlling the chains through it.”
Understanding slowly spread across Leo’s face. “So that’s why…”
“That’s why my magic didn’t work when I attacked him.”
Aurelthia gave a small nod. “Yes.”
Her eyes returned to the palace scene where Eyan now stood over Velco. “I must admit… that man is extremely dangerous.”
A faint sigh escaped her lips. “He came prepared for everything.”
Then something curious passed through her expression.
“But even so…I cannot understand why he returned to this timeline...To walk willingly toward a fate that he cannot escape."
Leo looked up at her. “What do you mean?”
Aurelthia’s lips curved into a faint, knowing smile. Her gaze returned to the mist.
“That man…”
She paused.
“…is going to die.”
.
.
To be continued—
