Chapter 17: Die

As the sun dipped below the horizon, painting the sky in hues of orange and pink, Carlton and Alaric gathered with their seven children for dinner. Servants bustled about, preparing a lavish feast fit for royalty. The constant address of "Empress" by the servants and guards had long since lost its impact on Carlton - he was numb to it all.

The realization that his current circumstances were vastly different from what he knew began to sink in like a heavy stone. The future couldn't possibly be so radically altered, not even by time's relentless march. His own personality seemed to have undergone a radical transformation and felt foreign to him. Even Alaric - his dear friend turned love-struck spouse - was an entirely new person.