– Lunastre Clan, Two Days After Lucian's Disappearance
Sigh.
A man sat slumped in a chair behind a desk cluttered with papers. His hands covered his face as he leaned back, his mind a mess, he couldn't think straight.
The room around him was in disarray broken bottles, shattered jars, and toppled bookshelves littered the space.
It mirrored the state of the man himself, his once-brown skin now pale, his hair disheveled, his beard unkempt, and his clothing wrinkled and torn in places.
"...Where are you, Lucian?" His voice broke the series silence, hoarse and dry as if he hadn't spoken in days.
"You wouldn't leave me like your brother did, would you? I've already lost one son. I can't lose another…"
Pit pat.
Tears began to fall, tracing lines down his weathered face.
"Your mother is restless and worried about you. She's talking about going out to search for you herself. And your sister…" He paused, his voice cracking.
"The day you disappeared, she tortured the attackers we captured, demanding to know where you were. I had to stop her before it went too far. "
"Since then, she and Silvana haven't left their rooms. Yeah, Silvana will stay here for a few days again. Do you remember how you three used to spend time together?"
He stood abruptly, his legs unsteady, and walked to a corner of the room where a single photo frame rested.
It was a picture of him, his wife, and their three children.
He picked it up, his fingers trembling as they traced the edges of the frame.
"Do you remember this, Lucian? You were only five. This was when everything was still perfect, Rishiv, you, Valeria, me, and Elisa. A perfect family…" His voice trailed off, heavy with regret.
"Where did it all go wrong? What did Elisa and I do to deserve losing our children like this?"
"First Rishiv and then you too?"
He dropped to his knees, clutching the photo to his chest as if it were the last thread holding him together.
"You'll come back to us, won't you, Lucian? You have to…"
His sobs filled the room, raw and unfiltered. "Can't I just have a moment of peace? A life where I'm not a king, but just a father? A husband?"
Knock knock.
"My king! It's urgent! Lady Elisa-"
Before the maid could finish, Cassius Lunastre, head of the Lunastre clan, was already on his feet.
He bolted from the room, not sparing the maid a glance, and raced to Elisa's chambers.
In seconds, he stood before her door, flinging it open without hesitation.
What he saw inside froze him in place.
Elisa stood in the centre of the room, her long cyan hair tangled and unkempt. Dark circles shadowed her eyes, but it was her actions that struck Cassius like a blow to the chest.
She held a pillow wrapped in a towel, rocking it gently as she sang a lullaby.
Her movements were slow, and deliberate, as if she were soothing a child.
When her gaze landed on Cassius, she smiled softly. "Lucian! Look, your father's here to play with you!" Her voice was tender, almost dreamlike.
"But darling, you should've waited a few hours. You know it's Lucian's nap time, don't you?"
She stepped closer, her pink eyes glistening with a mix of joy and confusion.
"What's wrong, Cassius? You look like you've seen a ghost. Are you alright?"
Cassius took a deep breath, steadying himself. "El… that's not Luci-"
"Hmm? What do you mean?" she interrupted, her smile unwavering.
"Look, it's our Lucian! He's so cute, isn't he? Can't you see him? He's smiling at us."
Cassius's heart ached as he reached out to her. "El… please listen to me. That's not Lucian. He's not here right now. He is not that small in age either. He's… trapped in the abyss."
Elisa's smile faltered. She looked down at the pillow in her arms, her expression shifting as clarity slowly returned. "
Ah… wh-what are you saying? H-how can you say that when he's right here? Lu-" Her voice broke as she realized the truth.
The pillow slipped from her hands, and she clutched her head, a scream tearing from her throat.
"KYAAAAA!"
Before she could collapse, Cassius caught her, lifting her into his arms. She clung to him, her body shaking with sobs.
"Cas… please tell me Lucian's alright. He'll come back to us, won't he? We'll find him, right? We'll bring him home, right?" Her voice was barely a whisper, fragile and desperate.
Cassius didn't answer immediately. Instead, he carried her to the bed, laying her down gently before sitting beside her.
He rested her head on his lap, his fingers threading through her hair in a soothing rhythm.
"Of course, El," he said softly, his voice steady despite the storm or emotions raging within him.
"I'll find him, no matter what it takes. Even if it takes years, even if I have to search beyond the conquered lands of the overworld and the abyss, I'll bring him back to you. So rest now. Don't worry. Lucian will come home. I can promise you this. Nothing will happen to him."
Elisa didn't respond. Instead, she wrapped her arms around his waist, holding him tightly as if he were her only anchor in a sea of despair.
---
– Unknown Location
"I never imagined that a simple attack meant only to cripple a few noble houses under the Royal clans to put them in a state of panick would cause such chaos."
The voice echoed in the faintly lit room, cold and calculating.
"But it's worked out better than I could've planned. The Lunastre clan has lost another prince… hahahaha! I almost feel sorry for them. Almost. Though I didn't expect Nytheris clan to be caught in this too." The man's laughter was sharp, devoid of warmth.
"But now is the perfect opportunity, out of all the seven royalties, the Lunastre clan is at its weakest. This is the perfect opportunity to crush them and claim their nation as my own." He turned to a servant kneeling at his side, his expression darkening with ambition.
"Prepare for war. Recall all of our Emanants. I want our military at its peak within a year. We will strike the Lunastre clan now that they are at their weakest now. Ensure everything is ready."
The servant nodded silently and left the room, leaving the man alone with his thoughts.
"It's time to expand my power, I will show them how useful I am, and make them regret giving that position to him." he murmured, a wicked grin spreading across his face. "And the Lunastre clan will be nothing more than a stepping stone on my path to domination."