Chapter 44: Broken Chains

Silence.

A dark and unsettling silence.

A silence that seemed to mimic the final moments of a drowning man's life as he descended into the ocean's cold embrace. That was the most apt way I could describe the state of the room after the guard spewed his horrifying report!

But this eerie stillness wasn't meant to last as I asked in a frigid tone, while my eyes gazed at him with the promise of an excruciating death "What did you say?"

The guard felt his knees nearly buckle under him, as he stutteringly replied "T-The r-royal entourage w-was a-attacked on their w-way to the Royal Mausoleum."

"Isaac." I say anxiously as I slightly turn my head towards him.

He instantly understands my order, as he seemingly vanishes out of the room to discover the validity of the claims, causing the suffocating silence to once again return, much to the horror of the guard, who felt a pair of invisible, ice cold hands quietly strangling the life out of him.

Luckily for him, it only took a few moments for Isaac to return with a complicated look in his eyes, which wordlessly answered my question for all those present.

"Are they alright?" I worriedly ask as I promptly stand up, causing my chair to noisily skid across the floor, greatly shocking the gathered men.

Especially Hamilcar, Horus and Abraham, as this was the first time they saw genuine fear in their emperor's eyes, which had always remained cold and decisive even in the midst of a harrowing and brutal war, that he nearly lost his life in!

"The royal family is completely unharmed sire.

So are all the members of the Palace Guard and Shade Corps, but nineteen maids and servants were sadly killed, while many more were injured to varying degrees, three of whom would've most likely not seen tomorrow's dawn if not for Empress Esmerelda's healing arts." Isaac replied grimly.

Hearing his words greatly relieved my worst fear, especially since my mind significantly cleared after my shock, and I recalled that my mother is a very talented fifth rank priestess that could heal most serious injuries.

But as soon as my worry vanished another quickly took it's place, as I now dreaded the psychological trauma this could cause my young and inexperienced siblings, since no healing art in existence could heal mental scars!

The greatest example of that is my own mother who despite being a fifth rank priestess, who could heal most mortal wounds, still suffered greatly in her latest pregnancy, mostly due to her unstable and extremely pressured mental state.

I slowly sit back down, while resting my chin on my right fist thoughtfully for a few seconds before asking in a voice completely submerged in malevolent bloodlust "Who did it?"

Death's haunting cackle seemed to echo across the silent room, as all those present could feel his chilling gaze scraping across their flesh in hunger, while the playful breeze that was constantly cooling them through the nearby open window suddenly stalled, as if the wind itself seemed to flee before this awakening monster!

I stood in front of them for a second without knowing what to do or say, before slightly turning my head towards Kira, and ordering in a cold tone "Take them to rest."

Kira swiftly began to implement my orders, and I couldn't stop my head from drooping slightly as they began to slowly pass by me, while I bite my lips, and clutch my fists so hard they begin to bleed in a desperate attempt to not allow my rage to take hold of my rational mind, and a monster I didn't want to show them is released!

But before I could regain my composure, my mother turned around and loudly called "Alexander."

Hearing my mother calling me so seriously, I turn around and behold a scene that made my eyes go wide in utter disbelief!

My mother had two personas she always displayed. The first was a kind, affectionate and playful one, which was only known to us. The second was proud, dignified and seemingly untouchable; the perfect definition of an empress, which she always showed to everyone else.

But what I'm looking at right now was nothing like that! Her eyes were neither kind nor cold. In fact they were filled with nothing but... malice!

Malignant, wrathful, vengeful malice to all those who dared try to harm her precious children!

And seeing her expression, I suddenly think incredulously 'What in the names of all the Gods am I doing?! Since when did I ever care about those noblemen's feelings and positions? Since when did I worry over justification and evidence before acting? Since when did I start acting like this?

Since when did I become so weak? Since when did I forget who I am? I am a tyrant! The greatest scourge of the Gods!

The Mad Monarch! The Bloody Emperor! I am the..."

And as I reached this point in my thoughts, I heard a loud breaking sound in my head, as if a great and mighty wall had just come crashing down, and the three voices that have been arguing in my mind since this morning instantly quieted down, as a fourth one suddenly appeared!

"Finally." Unlike the other three that at least sounded human, this one's voice resonated in a deep, monstrous growl, that oozed in malevolence, before unleashing a deafening roar that violently shook all the corners of my mind, while my suppressed madness finally erupted in revelry at it's newfound freedom, as it ingulfed my obsidian eyes!

"Do you understand what to do?" My mother asked.

"Perfectly." I said with a small, innocent smile that sent chills up everyone's spines, as my eyes became the very definition of a phantasmagoria of madness!

"Good." She replied before going back into the castle.

But little did Esmerelda know what manner of horror she just unleashed. Little did she know that the world was about to get it's first taste of the being that once made it tremble by the mere mention of it's name. The being that resided in the deepest and most twisted parts of her son's abyssal soul.

The being known as the Tyrant of the Ruined Sun.