Chapter 2 — Falcon Kingdom (l)
Thud thud thud.
Hurried footsteps echoed through an exquisite hallway, the sound bouncing off golden walls and polished tiles.
The messenger ran with ragged breaths, heart pounding so hard it felt like it might burst from his chest. Sweat rolled down his chin as he finally spotted the entrance to the throne room.
"Halt!"
A guard thrust his spear across the doorway. His expression was carved from stone.
Panting heavily, the messenger forced out the words.
"I am—" He swallowed hard. "One of the king's messengers. I have an urgent report for His Majesty and the Queen."
The first guard kept his eyes cold and unreadable.
The second narrowed his eyes, studying the messenger for a heartbeat before lowering his spear.
"You may pass."
"Thank you!"
The messenger bowed quickly and rushed forward again, fear and urgency pushing his legs faster.
As soon as he entered the throne room, he fell to his knees. His forehead touched the polished floor.
"Your Majesty!"
"Rise."
The voice that answered him was calm and clean, yet it seemed to vibrate through his bones. It was the kind of voice that reminded one why the Falcon Kingdom bowed to King Quinn.
The messenger leapt to his feet, trembling under the weight of their presence.
Standing before two silver-ranked hybrids felt like balancing on knife edges. His thoughts scattered under Queen Lyla's gaze, memories surfacing unbidden—his grandfather's stories of the royal couple, resurfaced with equal parts reverence and fear.
Lost in his racing mind, he drifted for a moment. He did not snap back to reality until a cold snort cut through the air like a blade.
Every hair on his body stood on end as he turned stiffly toward Queen Lyla.
"Terrifying…" he thought, his expresion pale. "She can influence my thoughts with just a glance?"
"You have a message, correct?"
King Quinn's voice broke the silence, deeper this time and slightly impatient.
The messenger swallowed and nodded quickly.
"Yes, Your Majesty. A bronze-ranked city was attacked three days ago by beast hordes."
King Quinn nodded calmly.
"Beast hordes are common enough. Bronze cities fall monthly. Even platinum cities aren't safe." He sighed. "Is that all?"
"Your Majesty… the city that was almost destroy is Sky City. Where you exiled the young prince."
King Quinn eyes widen in shock.
Not only King Quinn but even Queen Lyla's expression changed. Her silver eyes, usually calm and cold, flickered.
King Quinn stood from his throne and walked toward the tall glass window, frowning deeply.
The messenger watched carefully from the corner of his eye.
The king looked like a man crushed by guilt. The queen, however, only showed shock for a single breath before returning to her icy composure.
"Is he alive?"
King Quinn finally asked.
The messenger nodded and spoke quickly.
"Your Majesty, according to my sources… the young prince awakened his bloodline at the last moment. But something went wrong. He fully transformed into his beast form and wiped out the entire beast horde alone."
A long silence followed.
Then, slowly, a smile grew on King Quinn's face. He lifted his head toward the golden crystal ceiling and let out a loud, relieved laugh.
"I knew you would not disappoint me, boy. I knew sending you to Sky City would not be a mistake. Hahahaha…"
While he laughed, Queen Lyla stayed frowning. Her gaze slid back to the messenger like a thin shard of ice.
"What happened next?" she asked.
Her voice was cold and sharp enough to make him tremble.
"Your Majesty," he swallowed hard, "the young prince is now a possessed hybrid."
The temperature in the room dropped instantly.
The messenger felt like his blood turned to ice. His knees nearly buckled.
"Your Majesty," he added quickly, with shaking voice, "the prince massacred nearly every survivor. When reinforcements arrived, he fled. No one has seen him since."
King Quinn slowly lowered himself back onto his throne. His face was carved with worry.
"You may leave," he finally said.
The messenger bowed deeply, relieved to escape with his life, and hurried away.
When the doors closed, the throne room fell silent.
King Quinn looked at his wife.
"What do we do?"
Queen Lyla stared back at him without blinking.
"What do you mean by what do we do? You and the council set the rule yourselves. All possessed hybrids must be eliminated. No exceptions."
"You want me to kill our son?" King Quinn asked quietly.
"I am asking what you will tell the council," she replied in her cold tone. "Will you break the rule you created because he is your son?"
King Quinn leaned back in his throne helplessly.
He rubbed his chin and sighed deeply.
She was the backbone of this kingdom. Even if the council deferred to him, without her support, his hands were tied. This was going to be troublesome.
After a long silence he finally said,
"Call the council. We will discuss this together."
He picked up the comm device beside his throne, typed a message, and sent it.
Meanwhile, far away from the shining halls of Falcon Kingdom…
In an abandoned cave covered in tall, swaying grasses, a pair of eyes suddenly opened.
Apolo Quinn stared at the rocky ceiling above him with confusion written all over his face. He sat up slowly.
"Where am I?"
He asked quietly only for his voice to spread out and bounced off the cave wall.
He looked down at his arms and froze.
"What the—?"
His arms were thicker. His muscles were fuller. Even his vague shadow looked taller.
He jumped to his feet and stared at himself in disbelief.
"How did I get this big? Was I injected with something?"
He flexed experimentally, amazed by the strength radiating through his body.
How long was he unconscious? Days? A week?
Then agony exploded in his head.
It felt like someone was forcing information into his skull with a hammer.
"Arrrghhh!"
Apolo fell to his knees, gripping his head, rolling on the ground as tears spilled from his eyes. The pain was unbearable.
After a full minute, the pain faded like a retreating storm.
And memories poured back.
Faces. Screams. Buildings collapsing.
And then… him.
The red mist.
The wings.
The slaughter.
His stomach dropped.
"Oh no… I killed all those people?"
His voice cracked.
He sat on the cold floor, placing his head between his knees as panic tightened his chest.
"What would people tell my parents? That I was possessed"? Who would believe me? They'll see me as a beast. And those survivors… they were probably relieved after the horde… ready to celebrate… and I killed them."
His breath hitched.
Tears dripped onto the stone.
"I even devoured them…"
He could still taste the memory.
He covered his mouth, horrified.
He had once dreamed of awakening his bloodline to protect the weak. To defend small cities and poor villages.
Instead… he had become a nightmare.
After a long silence, Apolo wiped his face and stood up shakily.
"I need to see my parents. I have to explain. I didn't mean to do it. I wasn't myself."
He walked toward the mouth of the cave, rehearsing his confession with every step.