Chapter 13: Painting

"Father!"

Echelle's voice thundered through the hall, his eyes burning with rage and hatred.

"How could a monster infiltrate a kingdom with such high security?"

The Emperor's expression was grim, his confusion evident.

"I am just as baffled as you, Echelle."

He admitted. Ellios, still staring at the floor in disbelief, finally spoke.

"Are the guests safe?"

The Emperor let out a sigh of relief.

"Thankfully, they are. But while we were evacuating, another monster attacked."

Ellios and Echelle snapped their heads toward the Emperor, their bodies tensing again.

"Ellios, do not worry."

The Emperor reassured.

"Celest arrived in time and took down the beast."

Ellios remained silent, but Echelle clenched his fists, his jaw tightening.

"Hmph... him again"

He muttered under his breath.

"What about that shady figure?"

The Emperor furrowed his brows.

"What shady figure?"

Ellios quickly shot Echelle a warning look.

"It's nothing, Father. My brother must be exhausted from fighting so bravely."

The Emperor exhaled deeply, frustration creeping into his voice.

"Tomorrow, I will have my best investigators look into this. It is impossible for a monster to simply walk into the kingdom, let alone disrupt a royal banquet."

His eyes burned with anger as he turned to the guards.

"Secure this entire section of the palace until it is thoroughly examined and cleaned. My sons, you may rest now."

The guards assisted Ellios and Echelle, both too drained to resist. Ellios could barely move his sore legs, his mind still reeling from what had transpired.

Outside, the city remained under high alert, patrolled by elite knights. The banquet hall, once grand, was now a battlefield of blood and broken bodies, being scrubbed clean under the cold moonlight.

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The crescent moon bathed the imperial palace in an ethereal blue hue. Stars shimmered above as the Emperor walked alone through the Grand Hall, his footsteps echoing against the polished marble.

He stopped before a long, ancient painting stretched across the hall's towering walls. His fingers grazed the edge of the frame as his gaze softened with nostalgia.

"I wonder… where are you now, Zhou?"

As he walked, the painting unraveled a story—one frozen in time.

The first panel depicted a young boy, no older than seven, with long black hair and piercing blue eyes. He was dressed in a sage-green hanfu, his small figure seated upon a grand throne. An elderly man, his beard flowing like silver threads, stood beside him, placing a golden crown atop the boy's head.

Kneeling before them were humans, forest elves, and dwarves alike, bound together in allegiance.

The boy's wide eyes, filled with childlike wonder, met the old man's. But as the coronation ended, the elder pulled him into an embrace—his form dissolving into dust, leaving only a swirling mist behind.

"And then… you met her."

The next panel revealed the boy as a grown man—no longer a child, but a striking figure of strength and wisdom.

He stood beneath a cascading waterfall, his body illuminated by the golden sunlight filtering through the dense canopy. His long black hair flowed freely, strands glistening as they mingled with the crystal-clear water. The scene radiated serenity.

But then… the water began to boil.

Steam hissed violently, the once-refreshing pool turning into a cauldron of scorching heat. The air thickened, the ground cracked, and the moisture in the atmosphere evaporated in an instant.

Sensing the immense shift in mana pressure, the man's instincts flared. In a single motion, he leaped out of the boiling water, landing gracefully on solid ground. His black hanfu shimmered, golden trims catching the light, his dark cloak concealing his eyes.

With a single stomp, two stone plates rose beside him. He struck them with his fists, the shattered fragments reforming into formidable gauntlets that encased his hands.

His eyes narrowed as he scaled

the rocky incline, following the overwhelming surge of mana pressure emanating from the peak of the waterfall.

When he reached the summit, his gaze locked onto the source of the disturbance—a woman.

She stood in the scalding water, her long crimson hair cascading down her pale shoulders, her golden eyes glowing like molten fire. Her pointed ears hinted at an otherworldly lineage. Bruises marred her body, evidence of a recent battle.

The water around her still boiled, but its intensity paled compared to the inferno she carried within.

For a moment, their eyes met. Time seemed to stand still.

Then—an explosion of fire.

A searing fireball hurtled toward the man. He barely dodged before another came flying. The air thickened with heat.

Then, before he could react, a hand gripped his face.

With inhuman strength, the woman slammed him into the ground, her fists igniting as she struck him repeatedly. Each punch erupted in flames, searing the earth beneath him.

Now clad in golden armor, a half-mask concealing her eyes, she radiated sheer destruction. Her black cloak, embroidered with a crimson dragon trim, billowed behind her.

She finally stopped, standing over a pile of ash.

Or so she thought.

Without warning, arms wrapped around her from behind—one encircling her waist, the other pressing lightly against her throat. A whisper of breath brushed her ear.

She gasped.

The man had survived.

With a growl, she stomped the ground, releasing a fiery explosion. The force shattered the earth beneath them. She spun, gripping his throat and hurling him into the boiling water below.

Diving after him, she caught his head in her hands, summoning a wave of blue fire that consumed his face.

But then—she was underwater.

Her arms were bound.

She struggled, thrashing against the vice-like grip holding her beneath the surface. Just before her breath gave out, she was yanked upward, gasping for air as the man's piercing blue eyes met hers.

"You were the one to blame, Zhou,"

Back in the Grand Hall, the Emperor stood motionless, staring at the painting.

The scene depicted the man and woman, soaked in water, their gazes locked in an unspoken battle.

The Emperor exhaled.

"Zhou…"