Birthright

The prince has been born! The cries of the newborn prince add to the chatter of the midwives, ladies-in-waiting, and attendants congratulating Empress Jade on the successful delivery. The physician performs the standard medical procedures immediately after the prince is born. She then places him on Jade's chest with a smile after confirming he is healthy. Jade's breath catches in her throat at the moment she gazes at her son, her heart swelling with overwhelming emotion. She looks down at her crying son with tears in her eyes, running her finger gently across his cheek.

"He is perfect! So perfect. His name is Jaceon. Jaceon Myxom II, after my late great-grandfather." Jade cries, caressing his small face.

"That is a wonderful name, Empress," says one of her attendants. After a few minutes of skin-to-skin contact between Jade and Jaceon, the physician takes him and wraps him in a warm cloth, gently wiping the blood from his body. As he is weighed, the physician prepares to apply eye ointment, carefully opening his eyelid.

"I've never seen anything like this before, Empress. It appears His Majesty is unlike any other!" the physician says, handing Jaceon back to Jade. "You must see his eyes for yourself, my lady." Jaceon opens his eyes and gazes up at Jade from her arms, his crying slowly subsiding.

"A black iris with a white brim... What could that mean?" Jade questions, running her finger gently across his cheek once more. "Have you determined which Myxote he carries?" The physician looks over at the Myx monitor, a piece of technology that displays the Myxote which Myxom babies are born with after being scanned. While she stares at the monitor, her pupils dilate in shock.

"Unfortunately, the results haven't come back yet, Your Imperial Majesty. It should only be a few more minutes," the physician stammers, her voice wavering as she struggles to mask her growing nervousness and the truth.

"May I see his eyes, my lady?" one of the attendants insists, lowering her head.

"Of course, Jhalla. I know you're an expert when it comes to these matters," Jade replies, smiling. Jhalla walks over, adjusting her glasses. As Jaceon looks at her, a shiver runs down her spine, and she stumbles backward, falling to the floor.

"What's wrong, Jhalla?" Jade asks, her voice filled with concern as a midwife rushes over to help her to her feet. But Jhalla doesn't move.

Jhalla rocks back and forth on the floor, her arms wrapped tightly around her legs. She mumbles in terror, sweat pooling on her forehead. Then, without warning, she suddenly rises, trembling uncontrollably.

"Vantablack... he was born with the Myxote of Destruction..." Jhalla mumbles, struggling to compose herself.

"Impossible," Jade snaps, her voice tight with disbelief. "How can you be so sure? What makes you say such things?"

"Your Majesty, the results... it's true..." the physician admits, her voice trembling. "We should... contact the Emperor."

"For what? This changes nothing—" Jade orders, but despite her strong front, she can't shake the growing sense of fear. The Vantablack Myxote, the same Myxote that resided in Jareth Myxom over 2000 years ago. Jareth Myxom was a ruthless, merciless tyrant who cared little about anyone not of Myxom blood. He conquered planets in days, slaughtered entire species and races in hours, and obliterated whole kingdoms in minutes. Jareth is often regarded as the most dangerous man in history, said to have been 'two steps' from conquering the entire galaxy.

One of the midwives hesitantly calls for the Emperor, who had been waiting outside the bedchamber, as only women are allowed in the room during the birth. She glances nervously at Jade, who gives her a cold look. Undeterred, the midwife steps aside, and Emperor Jaxon enters the room. His proud expression falters the moment he senses the tension in the room.

"Why the long faces? Jade, what's wrong?" Jaxon asks, placing a hand gently on her shoulder. Jade stiffens, her grip tightening around Jaceon.

"This is our son, then? Is he alright?" Jaxon asks, his voice filled with concern. He looks down into Jaceon's eyes, and in that instant, a wave of terror floods through his body. It felt as though Jaceon's very soul was staring down at him, cold and calculating. "W-What is that? Jade?"

"Vantablack..." Jhalla mumbles to herself just loud enough for Jaxon to hear, still shaking as she wraps her arms around herself, leaning against the wall. "The Myxote of Destruction."

"Vantablack? Tell me she lies, Jade. Tell me it's not the truth." Jaxon grows visibly impatient, terrified, and frustrated. "JADE."

"It's the truth, dear, but it should change nothing. We shape our child's future; he shapes it. Just because he was born with this, it changes nothing..." Jade cries, holding tightly to Jaceon. "He is our son, the prince of the Myxom Empire. No matter what."

"You are delusional, Jade. He must be mind-controlling you. Let go of him now!" Jaxon reaches for Jaceon, but Jade slaps him in disgust.

"What are you doing? Have you lost your fucking mind? This is your child—are you truly the man I married?" Jaxon rustles his fingers through his hair in frustration, pacing back and forth in the room. The midwives, attendants, and the physician watch him, awaiting his judgment.

"Jade, that child could bring about ruin to several planets with whom we only recently mended relations after two thousand years. After two thousand years, the world still fears us, still hates us. We're still paying for the horror the Umbral Reign Era caused to this day. What do you think the world will do when they find out we've been hiding another Jareth here? Letting him grow and get stronger? Jade, we mustn't be selfish. Our best option is to kill him, while he lacks the power to fight—"

"So you want me to allow my son to be murdered? His actions will speak for themselves, he is not another Jareth. I'm not having this conversation, Jaxon. You sound absolutely pathetic." Jade's Myxote begins to seep through as her amber eyes glow bright yellow. Her anger and disappointment are etched into her features. The mercy slowly fades from Jaxon's eyes.

"Jade. Don't make me do this. Think about the empire," Jaxon's eyes begin to glow with a holy energy as a tear streams down his cheek.

"Think about your son," Jade cries. At this, Jaxon quickly reaches for Jaceon, but in a yellow flash of light, both Jade and Jaceon were gone.

"Your Majesty, we could've called for help, restrained her, and taken the child. You know of her Myxote's ability," murmurs the same midwife that called him into the room. "With all due respect, Emperor, even I saw that comi—"

In an instant, a glowing holy white spear, created from thin strings of light, pierced the midwife's body, leaving a gaping hole in her abdomen and the walls behind her. As her body slid down the wall, the screams of the other women in the room quickly escalated until Jaxon demanded silence with a stomp of another conjured spear.

"None of you can understand the pain of being forced to kill your own child," Jaxon mutters, sitting on Jade's bed, his face buried in his hands. "We must find them. That child cannot be allowed to live."

TO BE CONTINUED IN CHAPTER TWO: DEPOSED ROYALS…

Bonus Information!

The Myxom clan members are born with two souls: their own, and another known as a Myxote. The first soul, the Human soul, isn't powerless—every Myxom possesses the ability to manipulate their muscle fibers, granting them enhanced strength or regenerative abilities. The color of these muscle fibers varies depending on the Myxote the individual possesses.

When a Myxom enters their Myxote state, their muscle fibers take over, greatly enhancing their strength, altering their appearance, and amplifying their abilities. However, once this transformation occurs, the second soul—the Myxote—also enters the body. Establishing a strong bond with this second soul is essential for controlling its power.

There are many types of Myxote, each with distinct abilities. For example, Jaceon possesses the Vantablack Myxote, known as the Myxote of Destruction. In contrast, Jaceon's father, Jaxon, carries the White Holi Myxote, which is connected to the Overrealm—specifically Heaven. This Myxote is considered a good omen and is the opposite of the Vantablack.

The most powerful Myxote in Myxom history is the Grey Myxote, or the Boundbroken Myxote, which has only been seen once. Capable of both creation and destruction, this Myxote is revered as a god by not only the Myxom clan but also several other clans, all of whom both respect and fear its power.

Some other Myxote (not limited to) include the Crimson Sun Myxote, Green Energy Myxote, Blue Bolt Myxote, or even the Golden Proton Myxote, the very Myxote Jade Myxom possesses, among others. Some high-tier Myxote can manipulate their muscle fibers to an extreme degree, allowing them to extend limbs or create weapons. However, these abilities are extremely rare.