"You!! Did you do it already?! To let all the blood and sweat our whole ancestry amounted go to waste!"
"Ah.. this... I should've said this earlier just to see this kind of lovely face."
He went closer and cupped my face and showed an adoring smile for an adorable creature.
And apparently, that adorable creature.. was me.
"How cute! My elder brother's beautiful face looking infuriated. I wish I could always see this."
I showed a grim expression and slapped his hands.
"This isn't the time for this! Did you kill them? How dare you try and end the peaceful lives of my subjects!"
Contrary to my angry tantrums, inside I was sweating buckets upon seeing the look that should be what he showed me from the start.
That look devoid of any expression. Uninterested as if looking at the corpse of a dead man. Very insignificant and very dead.. man.
In fact, that's one thing I'm noticing too. He was very much showing many emotions infront of me but always give that looks to everybody else.
"Emperor Craig.... who is above and below, you better know what's your position right now. Who fell and who still stands, you couldn't just be more clear, right? Handle me well, brother. I ask you that too, since my temper was always short."
I then showed a bewildered and shocked look. While he remained very stoic. He was touching his red hands which I intentionally slapped hard.
"I'm telling you that as of now, July XX 16XX, the Empire that you rule, Empire of Chronos has lost its power, authority, citizens and standing worthy of it being called an empire. And to this day, the empire's tyrant, Craig that was successfully revived with a forbidden dark ritual has his life pathetically ended by his very own remaining bloodline, his brother, Cerus."
"This will be the story that will flow out of the world, brother. But of course..."
He showed me a kind smile. But I know, that innocent smile was laid with the most hidden murderous intent.
"Since your life is so tenacious, you, a pathetic emperor, survived in reality. That's why, you shall live long enough and see me succeed with my plans. Be grateful, slave and you shall see how much of a failure I have made you to be."
Leaving those final words, he left coolly and did not turn back. I was in a dazed state at this plot twist.
Upon making sure that he was gone now, I let out a breath of relief. But I wasn't really sure if he left me a look-out.
I laid. More relaxedly at the cushion. My seemingly hopeless eyes cooled off and returned to immediate calm.
'I changed something.'
During those times I wasn't able to move, one thought struck me.
'I am not the real Craig, what happens if I was exposed and was sentenced to die?'
Therefore, upon receiving the memories of Craig, a relief washed over me.
What kind of person was Craig?
A dignified, majestic, and beloved as an imperial ruler. It was contrary to how Cerus made him out to be.
That was the things I could dig into when I was synchronizing with his memories.
I wasn't stupid. To die and revive, I have to pay a prize. I can't survive in this world just by knowing the world by a novel. It's just like knowing the outside and remain ignorant of the inside.
By losing a part of myself as a prize, I have to merge a part of Craig with me and that was by the form of his memories. Because of that, I become a different entity from the two, a new one. But to survive, I know they would have always agreed anyway.
I, Both Meis Michael and Craig, a character in a novel, became a different person that was neither a complete outsider nor an insider of this world.
Upon seeing the villain and when the problem I was thinking of materialized and became a crisis I have to face and get through, I have also completely accepted.
I was 'Meis' in the past and am now 'Craig' in the present and maybe even in the future.
Maybe it was the memories or maybe it was this body that helped me adapt.
I used the narural talent of 'Meis Michael', acting, and put more details to complete 'Craig' which was a part delivered to me only as memories.
By then, I would be qualified enough to be identified as 'Craig'.
Now, I remained alive, I did not die as per the original story. Even longer than when the empire fell.
The Emperor, huh...
Without an empire, I wouldn't be an emperor. I lost one of my advantages, but I wouldn't be depressed because of it.
In fact, the fall of such an empire was for the good.
It's not like the fact that this empire was plagued by dark magic was false. This empire, since its founding will always be involved with dark magic.
The founders and rulers of this empire were wielders of dark magic. As time passed, this fact became more hidden to the world until only Cerus, who researched it in the ancient library, his subordinates, and the protagonist who knew about it from him remained the only one who knew it in the novel.
Now, there was an addition, me, the very ruler of that empire.
Opposite from his parents and his brother, he didn't weild any kind of dark magic. But the one who will become the emperor was the most talented of it out of the heirs.
But he hated dark magic and did not practice it.
'It was a waste...'
'It's disgusting..'
Two conflicting thoughts came to me. Both from the two entities I was merged from. Even though this conflicts inside of me is a fatal problem, right now was not the time to think of it.
'How will I proceed now? '
THE END..