Chapter 21: The Trial of Ryle Astoria
The grand courtroom was packed. The air was tense with nobles whispering behind their hands, their eyes shifting between the accused—Ryle Astoria—and the king himself.
Ryle sat in the defendant's chair, shackled but relaxed, like he wasn't on trial for mass murder.
Dravenith, now King of Dragon Mountain, slumped in his seat. His assistant, Sylvaris, wrapped her arms around him.
The exhausted dragon king groaned, still half-asleep—then suddenly woke up, his instincts kicking in.
SLAP.
Sylvaris flew backward, clutching her cheek.
The courtroom fell silent.
Dravenith blinked. "...Oh. It's you."
Sylvaris sniffled. "I was comforting you!"
Ryle smirked. "Tsundere dragon."
Dravenith Blushed. "You have no right to say anything!!"
Meanwhile, in another section of the courtroom, Caelum and Luce Valtoria sat with furrowed brows.
Luce, who considered Ryle a close friend, tapped his fingers against the wooden bench. "This is bad."
Caelum, more composed, glanced at the king. "We'll see how this plays out."
But Ryle's biggest concern was still missing—
Thea was still locked in a cell.
He clicked his tongue.
His thoughts were interrupted when Velmara's head butler, the only survivor of the massacre, took the stand.
The old man's eyes were cold.
"The Velmara royal family fought back," he stated. "They had divine protection. But then… they were lifted into the air."
He paused, voice trembling.
"Their bodies glowed… and then suddenly, they collapsed. Their insides turned black."
Murmurs filled the room.
The king's assistant stepped forward. "Do you have any leads on the attackers?"
The butler's eyes flashed with vengeance.
"I killed three of them already."
He clenched his fist. "And I plan to kill another—right here."
The nobles gasped.
Ryle raised an eyebrow. "That's dramatic."
Then he tilted his head. "By the way, if I get executed, what happens to Thea?"
A noble in red silk smirked.
"Don't worry," he purred. "I'll buy her. She'll be much happier with me."
Silence.
Luce turned pale.
He knew.
Ryle wouldn't tolerate that.
The room grew cold.
Before Ryle could respond, Dravenith stood up.
"Your Majesty," Dravenith declared, "Ryle is my adopted big brother. My father found him on Dragon Mountain."
He narrowed his golden eyes. "He only bears the Astoria name because of my father's connection to the real Astoria family."
More silence.
The butler's face twisted in
The butler's face twisted in horror.
"Y-You're lying!" he shouted, slamming his cane against the floor. "He's connected to the massacre! He has to be!"
The murmurs among the nobles grew louder. Some looked hesitant, while others cast suspicious glares at Ryle.
Then—
The butler suddenly gasped. His body jerked upright as if pulled by invisible strings.
Gasps filled the courtroom as he slowly floated into the air.
His body sparkled with golden light—just like the Velmara royal family had, according to his own testimony.
Then—
He collapsed.
A grotesque squelch echoed in the silent chamber as his body hit the ground.
A noble woman shrieked.
The butler's face was frozen in horror. His eyes were wide, unblinking. His lips trembled, as if trying to speak.
But his organs had turned black.
Just like the Velmara royals.
The courtroom erupted into chaos.
"It's the same curse!"
"He's been silenced!"
"Who did this?!"
The nobles immediately turned their attention to Ryle.
"IT'S HIM!" one of them shouted.
Soldiers moved in.
Ryle sighed.
Then, with zero effort, he snapped his chains like they were made of thread.
The courtroom froze.
Ryle stretched his arms with a lazy smirk. "You guys do realize you can't actually catch me, right?"
Luce groaned. "Oh, no."
Ryle turned to Caelum. "Hey, which way is Velmara?"
Caelum sighed, already resigned to what was coming. "South."
"Cool."
Ryle turned—then, in one smooth motion, SHATTERED through the courtroom wall.
Debris flew as he shot toward the prison tower.
The nobles scrambled to react.
"SOMEONE STOP HIM!"
Too late.
Ryle landed in front of Thea's cell. She was still half-asleep, rubbing her eyes.
"...Ryle?"
"We're leaving."
Before she could even respond, he scooped her up princess-style and—
FWOOOOOSH.
—took off into the sky.
Luce buried his face in his hands. "Ryle just kidnapped someone in the middle of his own trial."
Caelum sighed. "At least he asked for directions."
Dravenith yawned, stretching. "Welp. Time for me to go back to sleep."
Sylvaris hugged his arm. "I'll tuck you in~"
Dravenith immediately shoved her off. "Go away, woman."
Sylvaris just giggled.
Velmara: The Land of Angels
By the time Ryle and Thea arrived, Velmara was in ruins.
The once-grand city was in shambles. The streets were littered with broken carriages, shattered glass, and the burnt remains of buildings.
People huddled in alleyways, eyes hollow, haunted.
Thea gripped Ryle's cloak. "This place… it's worse than I imagined."
Ryle exhaled slowly, pulling out his notebook.
"...Time to work."
He spread his black wings and flew straight to the ruined castle.
The moment they landed—
A blade came swinging at them.
Ryle effortlessly caught it between his fingers.
A group of ragged men stood before them. Their eyes were bloodshot. Their bodies trembled.
"Outsiders…" one of them hissed. "You shouldn't have come here."
Ryle raised an eyebrow. "Okay, first of all, rude."
The men charged.
Ryle moved once.
WHOOSH.
In less than a second, he knocked them all to the ground.
One of them groaned, trying to get up.
Then—
His body twitched.
His eyes glowed red.
Then—
He stood back up.
Ryle's expression darkened.
"...Oh. Vampires."
Thea inhaled sharply. "Ryle, be careful. Elves have high-class blood—vampires will target me first!"
Ryle cracked his knuckles. "Then I guess I'll have to eliminate the threat."
His dragon battle form activated.
Golden eyes.
Black wings.
A purple aura forming dragon claws and talons.
The vampires lunged.
Ryle ripped through them.
Fangs shattered. Bodies were thrown.
In the chaos, Ryle grabbed one by the throat.
"Alright, let's talk."
The vampire thrashed violently—then suddenly stopped.
His body floated into the air.
Ryle's eyes widened. "No—"
The vampire exploded.
A slow clap echoed through the ruined castle.
Ryle turned.
A woman stood in the moonlight, smirking.
Her long silver hair shimmered like mist. Her blood-red eyes gleamed with amusement.
Ryle's smirk vanished.
"...Emily Astoria."