The six human kingdoms nearly trembled the following morning.
As if the breathtaking fireworks and the meteor showers from the night before, so divine they could have been crafted by the Celestials themselves, weren't shocking enough, the true spectacle had only just begun.
Because the moment dawn broke, every citizen across Solmara woke to behold something… impossible.
A Black Tower.
Massive. Towering. Ancient and new all at once.
No matter the distance, every kingdom could see it.
From the Water Kingdom of Vaelundis, beneath the floating skies of Zephyriax, within the pale silvers of Noctharis, across the scorched dunes of Gaianthos, through the blazing heart of Pyrrathis, and, most vividly, in the Northern Kingdom of Aquilonis.
It stood.
An obsidian spire piercing the heavens.
And the moment it appeared, the royal families of every kingdom, save for Aquilonis, sent immediate investigation teams.
But none of them could get close.
An invisible barrier surrounded the tower, no magic, no force, no spell could penetrate it.
And yet through that unseen wall, the human scouts saw what lay beyond.
Not just a kingdom.
An empire.
A world five, maybe ten times the size of all six human kingdoms combined.
They saw flying vessels gliding like birds of steel. Towers that reached for the stars, some even higher than mountains and yet still could not rival the Black Tower itself. Roads made of light. Sprawling cities filled with energy unlike anything in human history.
It was like staring into a dream.
Or a warning.
Panic spread.
For the first time in centuries, kings and queens who had not spoken in decades were calling one another, desperate to find answers.
Who were they?
Where did they come from?
Were they friend or foe?
While the rest of Solmara buzzed with dread and awe, one person remained undisturbed.
Inside the Empress's Chamber at the Aquilonis Empress's Palace, Ceres slept soundly, a small smile resting on her lips.
The image of the fireworks lingered in her dreams, soft and warm.
"Should I wake her up?" asked Seiryu, standing at the center of the chamber, glancing nervously toward Tuf, who was stuck just outside the threshold.
As usual, Tuf couldn't enter.
The rune he personally etched into the room had a nightly reset function. Every midnight, the Empress's permissions would clear, requiring her direct consent to re-enter the next day, unless he was already inside before the strike of twelve.
And he wasn't.
"No," Tuf replied with a lazy shrug. "You'll regret it if you wake her up over something that's not even a problem."
"Not a problem?!" Seiryu gestured toward the open window where the Black Tower loomed in full view. "Your empire just appeared out of thin air! Now the entire human world is spiraling into chaos!"
"Exactly," Tuf said, arms crossed, one brow cocked. "Our empire. My father's empire. Technically, her empire, too. So why ruin her beautiful dream just because reality caught up?"
Seiryu stared at him like he'd lost his mind.
And beside Tuf, Legion remained quiet.
But inside, he was unraveling.
Even though he was still near the Empress, he could no longer feel her warmth. No longer reach her. It was like she'd drifted somewhere his loyalty couldn't follow.
While Seiryu and Tuf were still debating on whether or not they should wake her, Aurelian was in the Council Room, buried in tension and surrounded by the nobles and high-ranking officials of Aquilonis.
"Your Majesty," Celion began, his tone cautious but clear, "The five other kingdoms have sent us a formal request. They're calling for a full gathering of all royal families to discuss the sudden appearance of the Black Tower… and the emergence of the Velrathis Empire. They're asking you to be present, and to bring the Holy Beast with you."
"Hah!" Count Revan Orland scoffed in disgust. "When we reached out to them for aid regarding the possible threat of the demi-human prince, they mocked us. Insulted us. And now they dare demand that we offer up the power of Seiryu like some tool to be lent?"
"Your Majesty," added Ariel, the Master of Dark Magic from the Magic Tower, "if the decision were left to us, we wouldn't need to respond to their call at all. With Master Tuf here in Aquilonis, Velrathis is clearly on our side, there is no threat. This is the time for Aquilonis to rise as the leading kingdom, not to bend or accommodate. Let them come to us." His eyes glinted as he leaned forward. "Didn't you hear what they called our Empress? 'Mother.' It may be hard to believe, but it is the truth. And as long as the Empress remains with us, Velrathis is not our enemy."
The room erupted in voices, arguments, speculations, alliances forming and fracturing with every shouted theory. But Aurelian wasn't listening. Not really.
His eyes were fixed on the massive, distant silhouette outside the window, the Black Tower.
He had seen the fireworks the night before.
A spectacle too grand to be anything but a declaration. And it wasn't just power it declared, it was love.
He had seen Ceres respond with a meteor shower. Her eyes shining not with pain, but with longing.
Somewhere in that obsidian fortress… was the man who held the Empress's heart.
Three loud knocks echoed through the Council Room, silencing the arguing officials in an instant.
The doors opened… and in walked Comet, the elegant demon with an air of ease and power. All eyes turned to him as he walked with the poise of someone completely unbothered by the weight of the moment.
"I bring a message from the Demon Lord," Comet announced, his gaze locking with Aurelian's before anyone else could speak. "He says. As long as Ceres Evadne is safe and happy, you have nothing to worry about. That is the message."
No one moved. Comet, unfazed by their frozen stares, lifted his hand.
"And also, the Demon Lord asks me to offer this to your kingdom, as a sign of gratitude… for taking care of his beloved."
With a single wave of his fingers, the grand Council Room transformed. The floor and tables shimmered as treasures, riches unlike anything they'd seen, filled the space. Chests of gold. Ancient gemstones. Silks from beyond their world. Potions and elixirs long thought mythical by both the Magicians of the Tower and the Priests of the Holy Church appeared in ornate boxes. Some of them even glowed.
The nobles gasped. Even the most stoic ones paled at the sheer magical presence these items radiated.
"And also," Comet said, stepping toward the center of the chamber.
Six smaller boxes appeared. They opened to reveal golden envelopes, each ornately sealed.
"Ten days from now, the Demon Lord will host a grand banquet. Everyone here is invited. You may each bring up to five family members and five knights of your choosing."
He gestured to the remaining four boxes. "These are for the Dukes to distribute as they see fit. The same invitation applies to them and to any foreign royals they wish to include."
"The banquet," Comet continued smoothly, "will be held in the Black Tower. A portal will open an hour before noon to take you there. You'll be offered a sightseeing tour of Velrathis Empire before the evening dinner."
His tone dropped just enough to carry a warning.
"As long as none of you start anything stupid… you will be fine."
Then Comet turned his gaze toward the nobles and high-ranking officials, his expression unreadable.
"Master Tuf's promise will arrive an hour after noon. Good day."
And with that, he exited the chamber without waiting for acknowledgment or permission.
The room erupted into motion.
Gasps of disbelief, excited murmurs, and hurried footsteps echoed as the nobles flocked toward the treasures now filling the Council Room. Even the ever-composed Celion couldn't stop himself from inspecting one of the elixirs, carefully holding the vial up to the light, his fingers trembling slightly.
A voice broke through the hum of wonder.
"Brother, can we talk?" Aurora called, her gaze fixed on Aurelian.
He didn't need to ask what she wanted to discuss. He already knew. Still, he nodded and followed her to the veranda. When they were both outside, he closed the glass door behind them, muting the clamor within.
"You're hesitating because of her," Aurora said without preamble, cutting straight to the point. "If I may be honest… this is the time to stop pretending you're still a knight. You're Duke Aurelian of Aquilonis. You need to marry, choose a proper wife and make her the Empress."
Aurelian's jaw clenched, but he said nothing.
"If Ceres remains in that position, you'll only keep suffering," Aurora continued. "As the rightful heir to the Aquilonis throne, you have a duty to protect this kingdom. We can't afford to offend the Demon Lord, not now. If we lose his favor, Aquilonis might not survive the consequences."
Aurelian said nothing at first. His gaze lifted, following the silhouette of the Black Tower against the horizon.
He turned to his sister.
"I swore to her," he said, voice low but resolute. "I swore I would never acknowledge anyone else as Empress but her. Rally the nobles if you want. Replace her if you must. But I won't."
Aurora's expression hardened. "Stop being selfish, Aurelian. I don't know how she's connected to the Demon Lord, but you've seen how Tuf calls her Mother. Do you really think the Demon Lord would ever allow her to share her bed with you again?"
"Have you forgotten what Tuf did to you the last time you tried?" she added coldly.
"Enough, Aurora." Aurelian's voice was sharper now. "I know what I'm doing. And what if I am selfish? I'm not letting her go. Even if it kills me."
He turned and walked away, leaving her on the balcony.
Aurora could only stare at his retreating back. There was nothing more she could say, nothing he would listen to.
"You're brother is crazy." came a voice that made her blood run cold.
She spun around, startled, and found herself face to face with Tuf, leaning casually against the far wall of the veranda as if he had been there the entire time.
"Y-You're here…" she stammered. "Master Tuf, I didn't know…"
Her voice faltered. She hadn't forgotten the last time she faced him, how he bit her in battle, how his venom nearly killed her. Her body remembered even if her mind tried to be brave. Her limbs trembled slightly on instinct.
"And please, don't misunderstand my brother," she added quickly. "He's a good man."
"Relax," Tuf said smoothly, smirking. "I didn't say your brother wasn't a good man. Though… I do doubt it."
He tilted his head, the smirk deepening. "What I said was, he's crazy."
Aurora swallowed hard.
"Do I scare you, Princess?" Tuf asked, flashing her one of his most dangerously charming smiles.
Despite herself, Aurora blushed.
"I… I think it's only reasonable to be afraid of you, Master Tuf," she said, trying to keep her voice steady.
"True," Tuf agreed, stepping closer.
Too close.
Their noses were nearly touching now, and Aurora's cheeks turned crimson. She froze, not knowing if she should move, or even if she could.
"I have a proposal for you," Tuf said, his voice low, nearly a whisper.
"For… for me?" Aurora blinked in disbelief.
"Yes." His gaze didn't waver. "We're going to abolish noble titles. Only royal family titles will remain. But they won't hold real power anymore."
Aurora blinked in disbelief.
"What do you mean…?"
"I mean," Tuf continued, "the royal families will become ceremonial. The power to decide the laws will no longer lie with bloodlines. You will exist only to hold the seal of approval. Nothing more. A constitutional monarchy."
He smiled again, as if he hadn't just offered to completely upend centuries of royal tradition.
"And what good does that do for the kingdom?" Aurora asked, arms crossed but eyes sharp with curiosity.
Tuf smiled.
"You're already asking about the benefit not just for yourself. That's the mark of a good ruler," he said as he conjured two elegant chairs with a flick of his fingers. He gestured for Aurora to sit, then took the other seat casually. "You should be the next Empress once my mother takes her rightful place beside my father."
Aurora narrowed her eyes at him, but didn't refuse the seat.
"A constitutional monarchy offers long-term political stability," Tuf began. "Because the monarch stands above daily politics, they act as a neutral safeguard. They ensure the democratic process flows without interference, and more importantly, they prevent power-hungry officials from abusing their positions."
He leaned forward, voice low and persuasive. "And most importantly, no one will try to kill you to take the throne. That's... a pleasant bonus, don't you think?"
Aurora raised a brow. "The nobles will never agree to this. You're stripping them of everything."
Tuf chuckled darkly, shaking his head.
"Now that my father has revealed Velrathis to the humans, princess, titles are about as valuable as a rotten tomato. Because if you're poor and all you have is a title?" His lips curled. "You might as well shove it up your ass."
Aurora flinched slightly, stunned by the vulgarity.
Aurora blinked. "Is Velrathis a constitutional monarchy, then?"
"Of course not," Tuf replied. "My father holds absolute power. But he's delegated most responsibilities to us, his children. Each of us rules our own cities however we see fit, so long as it aligns with his vision. And we delegate further from there."
"Then why are you offering something different for Aquilonis?" Aurora asked, lips tight.
"Because humans are greedy," Tuf said, blunt and unapologetic. "And they break promises like snapping twigs. But if you give them power with limits, and bind their authority to the will of the people, they'll fight harder to keep it. Appointed power is different from inherited power. It demands performance."
He folded his arms and continued, "Every citizen of age in Aquilonis will vote. Majority rules. The leaders will be chosen by the people, and to keep their seats, they'll have to prove they can deliver. If not, they're replaced."
"And the monarch?"
"The monarch only needs to review the laws and stamp approval. You, " he pointed at her lightly, ", won't have to fight to be heard. They'll want to stay on your good side. Because you hold the final seal. Your seal of approval will determine everything. All power, with no blame. Less headache."
Aurora stared at him. "That sounds… convenient. But how do you plan to convince the nobles?"
Tuf's grin widened. "Oh, don't worry about that, Princess. There won't be any convincing."
He stood from his chair.
"After my father's banquet, they'll hand over their titles like hot potatoes if they want a good starting position in the new race. That's how humans work. First to bow wins the biggest prize."
He began to vanish into shadows but left one final whisper hanging in the air.
"Think about it, Princess. Share the idea with the ones you trust. But remember, first to surrender gets the better deal."
Then he was gone.
Aurora sat in silence, staring out into the distance where the Black Tower stood like a silent god watching them all.
A kingdom where nobles no longer fought over what they deserved but were forced to prove their worth to the people? It was… ideal.
But it also meant the royal family would become nothing more than ceremonial figures, adorned with crowns and robes, but with no real power.
Hi readers! 💌
It makes me a little sad to announce that starting today, I will no longer be updating my stories every day. 😢 Instead, I'll be uploading multiple chapters every Saturday. 📚✨
I had to make this change because I've been losing sleep and getting constant headaches, especially now that I have a new work schedule. 💤💼 My health has to come first, and I really need to take better care of myself. 🧘♀️
Thank you so much for all your love and support, it truly means the world to me. 💖🙏 See you every Saturday! 💫