THE CROWNED YOUNG MAN

I heard the clinging sounds of metal as I woke up in a pure white room. I had been stripped naked and my whole body has been bound by metal locks in a table, it is as if I am a research specimen. Men clad in military uniforms also entered after I opened my eyes, they are ready to shoot me with their rifles anytime. I should be panicking now but why can't I feel any danger.

A familiar man came in and pulled my hair strangling my neck to the metal that binds my neck to the table. He gazed at me with anger and disgust. "I have been searching Emperor for so long but who would have thought that you would sneak in my family. Answer me, what is your goal?! Why did you kill so many innocent people?"

Looking at his expression made me smirk. "How cold of you father, is this how you treat your heir? What would you do if I really died?"

He punched me with all his might making me cough blood and teeth. "How could you say that with the face of my son?! I will teach you how scary it is to be at the hands of your enemy."

"What a funny joke, I would not consider my father an enemy. No matter how annoying and noisy you are, I am still thankful that you brought me to this world so I would never kill you." I smiled happily. "And also, no child would want to have only one parent around you know. Mother would surely be lonely if you're gone."

"You!" He positioned himself for another punch but slowly calm down and relaxed. It is the sign that he wants to hear more of my story. "Tell me your story, if I detect a single lie you will be gone in an instant! You got that?!"

My head hurts so badly. I can't breathe.

"I am called a crown. A type of special ability that have its own consciousness, and the person who houses me is called a king," his eyes have doubts but he has no choice but to believe knowing I am telling the truth. "I may say crown but I only know what I am called after interacting with another one, he told me that we are special type of ability far stronger than normal. I don't know how or why I am born but my purpose is serving my king."

"Then, is murdering hundreds of people a part of serving your king?"

"No. I did not kill anyone in the party except for the girl."

"Why did you kill her?"

"Because I was ordered to"

"Who asked you to kill her?"

I gulped as soon as he asked from whom I received the order. "I can't say any further than that. It would endanger the life of my king."

My faint consciousness has been awakened when my father punched my stomach making me cough more blood. "Fa-father, what are you, ku-hak, do… -ing to me?" Father's shocked face withdrew his hands realizing that his son was in control of his body once again. "Father, are you trying to kill me?"

"N-no! I…" The guards salute at my father as he left the room with a depressed face. Just what did I do again? I remember I am in the party when I suddenly… I suddenly killed Miss Emma. It feels just like the time when I killed Teivel, I did not know how it happened but I killed a person and become ecstatic. I wonder if this is what my heart desires all along.

***

At the same time of Orion's confinement, somewhere inside his family's estate a shadow of a great calamity appeared. Declaring himself as the Emperor he flattened the surroundings in an instant, wave of flames engulfed everything just like a dragon hoarding his prey. The only few survive clinging their lifeline into the underground facilities did not dare to show their presence as it would assure their death.

"It is quite a wonderful place if I may say, it lacks greenery though. How come someone could live in such a barren place though? Humans are surely strange."

The bloody-eyes of the young man permeate the body of them who are alive with fear and despair. Gently removing the half-mask, he worn with his right hand, he faced the setting sun with eyes closed feeling what is left in its warmth for the cold night is soon. "Oh Great Family of Stofford, I am the Emperor! Soon, this world will meet its demise, for those who revere me as their ruler will be saved, and for those who did not will experience despair! Revere me! Hail me! Praise me! I will be the saviour of this vanishing world!"

As the sun fully set, the darkness engulfed the world as no moon or stars can be seen, consequently, the emperor who has revealed his identity also vanished. There are no few that survive as no one did die in reality, the establishments and the people are back waking up from a nightmare. Is it illusion or reality, no one but the emperor could answer but there is one thing that could not be falsified, it is the horror that the people felt meeting the great calamity.

"I have changed. You also changed. I am dead and you are alive. Soon, you will die and I will live, our positions will be changed but we would still be together. Only one of us is allowed to roam freely in the world of man, how cruel our fate is? But worry not, as I plan to live for the both of us. You will always be by my side as the source of my power, energy, and cruelty. Teivel Carmine Ellis, you are really a brilliant individual worthy of being a kind benevolent ruler."