The palace doors creaked open as they stepped into the grand entryway, a massive white hall, partially ruined, with chaos frozen in time. Skeletons of soldiers and knights lay scattered across the floor. Cracks split the marble tiles. The scars of battle were everywhere. Yet, even through all the destruction, the extravagance of the palace still clung to the ruins like a ghost refusing to fade.
"Woah, Natha-"
"…Another one?"
In the center of the room stood a man dressed in a formal black butler's uniform. His posture was calm, collected, completely out of place in the wreckage.
"Please, I'm not someone to be wary of," he said gently.
He turned in a slow spin, opening his jacket to show he carried no weapons, just cloth and skin. A small gesture to ease their tension.
Nathan didn't lower his guard.
"Then what's your role in this hellish story?"
"To call it a hellish story… how right you are. I'm nothing more than a narrator. Here to tell you the rest."
"Are we in the past?" Lilo asked, watching him carefully.
"I'm afraid not, little nymph. This is just… a fragment of time."
"…."
"Please. We have some ground to cover before we reach the king's room," the butler said,
They followed, stepping through what remained of the palace. The halls had once been beautiful. Now, torn paintings hung half shredded from the walls. Cracked statues lined the corridor like silent watchers. Some pieces had been spared, but most had not.
"The invaders were crusaders of the time," the butler explained. "A theocracy devoted to the god of time... Vorthakar."
"We found a prayer. We already know his name," Nathan replied.
"You may wonder why our people were slaughtered by a holy state. The truth is… it was all a misunderstanding. One no one realized until it was too late."
"A misunderstanding?" Nathan asked.
"Yes. But I ask only this, hear the full story. Decide for yourself once it's over."
"Fine…" Lilo muttered.
They stopped in front of a tall door. The butler opened it and stepped aside. Inside was a large room. A grand bed, white furniture, an ornate mirror, and several wardrobes filled the space. Everything was once bright, now dulled by dust and time.
"A girl's room?" Nathan asked.
"This belonged to Princess Keylys. She didn't mean to, but… she brought destruction to all of us."
"…."
"The Aurelion Empire worshipped purity. The royal family believed their bloodline to be the purest of all. It became their obsession."
Without explanation, the butler turned and led them in a different direction than before. Neither Nathan nor Lilo asked why.
"The Emperor, our last one, was once a great ruler. In his youth, he was wise, even beloved. But age and conquest turned him greedy."
"I figured he never surrendered," Nathan said.
"He didn't," the butler admitted. "I apologize for the decisions he made. I speak only from shame."
"Don't worry. Please, continue," Lilo said.
"In time, the Emperor began to believe his bloodline was more noble than any god. He outlawed worship of Vorthakar across the empire. But Princess Keylys… she believed in the god of time. She prayed in secret. It only worsened the relationship between her and her father."
"What about the Empress?" Lilo asked.
"She died during childbirth, the Emperor never forgave the girl for surviving. When he discovered she was still praying to Vorthakar, he locked her away."
They reached the spiral staircase of one of the towers. As they climbed, the light dimmed and the air grew colder. At the top, the butler opened a narrow door. The room inside was nearly empty. A pile of old hay in the corner. A single barred window letting in a thin line of light.
"As you can see… it was crude. But she never gave up her faith. Every night, she prayed. And then… Vorthakar appeared. He spoke to her."
"A god? In human form?" Nathan asked, stunned.
"That's incredible," Lilo whispered.
"It was, but it didn't last. They fell in love. A love forbidden by both the Emperor… and the laws the gods themselves had to follow."
"Gods have rules?" Nathan asked.
"I don't know how it is now, but in our time, yes. They did."
He stared at the hay pile for a long moment, sorrow softening his face. Then he turned and led them down another corridor.
"The king found out. I was the one who told him. I listened through the door. I thought I was being loyal."
"…."
"…."
Neither Lilo nor Nathan said anything. The silence spoke louder than words.
"When the Emperor heard… he didn't hesitate, to prove the royal family's purity, he dragged his own daughter before the people. And he burned her. Alive. On a stake. For loving a 'lesser god.'"
"That's… her own father did that?" Nathan asked, barely able to believe it.
"...Poor girl," Lilo said.
"Greed blinded him, and when Vorthakar heard what had happened… his fury had no end."
They walked in silence for a long time after that. Eventually, they arrived at a grand golden gate, untouched, still shining in the ruin. Beyond it was the throne room.
Where the Emperor had died.
And where the story would end.