Somewhere far away, deep within the heart of the Terra Empire, in its core and most heavily guarded star system, lay Veltrion-A.
This system was a symbol of power and dominance, known across the empire and beyond. At its center revolved Thalorian Prime, the capital world and the most important planet of the Terra Empire — the throne of emperors, the nexus of politics, commerce, and military might.
Thalorian Prime resembled Earth's majesty and beauty, but on a scale that defied imagination. It was nearly ten times larger than Earth, a colossal world of towering continents and vast, sprawling oceans that glittered like sapphires under its golden sun.
Its mountains pierced the skies, their peaks lost in endless layers of clouds. Encircling the planet like a gleaming crown were countless rings of orbital stations, fortresses, and shipyards — a testament to the Terra Empire's power and ambition.
From afar, Thalorian Prime radiated both awe and intimidation, a world where the pulse of the empire beat the loudest.
At the center of this mighty world stood the split centers of power: the Imperial Family on one side, the Terra Council on the other.
And within one of the most secretive chambers buried deep within the Imperial Palace was a particular room—grand but hidden from all eyes.
Inside, three figures stood beneath vaulted ceilings and shadowed pillars.
On the throne—no, not a throne, a monstrosity of jagged blackstone that seemed designed more for intimidation than comfort—sat the old Emperor, Caleus Invictu Valcaryn. Why every inch of the palace had to be covered in thorns, no one could say. Intimidation? Tradition? Madness? Maybe all three.
Standing to his right was the First Princess, calm and composed : Virelia Valcaryn. Regal, unreadable.
The third figure paced restlessly across the floor: Crown Prince Kaelion Valcaryn.
He moved like a storm barely held in check, straining against invisible chains, waiting—impatiently—for word for news of the plan's success. Word of the mission's success. Word of the death of Archduke William—chief general of the Terra Navy, the youngest yet most formidable military mind in the empire.
Their plan had been simple: eliminate William, secure the throne from any challenge, and ensure absolute control of the military under Imperial rule. Once again.
Now they waited for confirmation. And with each passing second, Kaelion looked more like a man on the edge of breaking. For if the plan failed, he would most likely become the prime target of suspicion—not only by Archduke William's own family, but also by the Terra Cousins who had appointed him as the leader and supreme commander of the Terra Navy.
Why? Well, of course, because Kaelion, the Crown Prince himself, had a score to settle with William. A year ago, after being appointed Chief of the Terra Navy, Kaelion approached William, expecting him to pledge loyalty and join his camp.
It was meant to solidify Kaelion's position, to make his future ascension uncontested.
But William had refused, bluntly and without ceremony. He had no interest in politics, nor in playing the prince's games. From that day onward, Kaelion saw him as an obstacle—an insult to his authority, a stain on his pride.
And since then, the prince had gone out of his way to make life difficult for William, using every trick in the book. And not all of them were clean.
And Kaelion knew—objectively, logically—that William's death was all but certain. The plan was airtight. Failure was unlikely. But still... he couldn't calm down. Not when it was William.
Because with William, things never went as they should. The man had a habit—no, a curse—of surviving the impossible. Call it luck, call it brilliance, whatever it was, William always clawed his way out of death's jaws.
And if he did it again—if by some cruel twist of fate he lived—Kaelion knew things would only spiral further beyond his control. It was irrational, paranoid even. But Kaelion couldn't stop the fear from festering, gnawing at him, whispering that with William, nothing was ever truly certain.
"Stop it, brother. You're making me dizzy," snapped the First Princess, Virelia Valcaryn, a frown carved deep into her face. She stood stiffly, arms crossed, clearly irritated and annoyed by Kaelion's relentless pacing.
Kaelion stopped for a second, and with him being almost already on edge, nearly lashed out at her—almost. He clenched his fists, forcing down the urge.
"You don't understand, First Sister..." His voice was tight, almost strangled. "This is eating me alive. If he survives... do you have any idea what will happen to me?"
"Oh, please," the princess scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Survive an ambush by over a hundred ships? And with his pathetic fleet of six? That's impossible. He's as good as dead."
"Then you don't know him well enough, my daughter," came the voice of the old Emperor, heavy and tired. "Even though he's your age, William has a talent for surviving the impossible. And not for nothing, William is loved. It is this capability, along with his strategic brilliance, that made him admired and liked by both the Navy and the people of Terra."
"Oh, come on, Imperial Father, not you too?" the princess groaned. "Yes, Duke William has survived more death traps than I can count, but this... this isn't like that. There's no way he walks out of this one."
She crossed her arms, clearly leaning more toward believing the plan would work than not.
Kaelion said nothing. He stared at the floor, fists still clenched, as the weight of possibility pressed down on him like gravity.
Just then, a sudden chime echoed through the chamber.
The First Princess perked up, She spoke her voice brimming with icy confidence."It's here..."
The old Emperor nodded, his gaze shifting toward Kaelion, the Crown Prince."Looks like our wait is over, my son. We'll see if your plans were flawless... or fatally flawed, son."
Kaelion gave a stiff, the weight on his shoulders heavier than before. He opened his mouth to speak and reply, but the First Princess virelia cut him off with a smirk."You worry too much, Imperial Father. There's no way a plan I personally oversaw would fail. Not when I calculated every possible outcome."
The Emperor raised an eyebrow and grunted.
"Very well, daughter. Open the message. Let's see if your words hold truth... or are just empty bravado."
Virelia turned with a soft yet annoyed hum, her fingers dancing over the console. A hologram shimmered to life, revealing the same black-robed figure. This time, he stood tall and unmasked, his posture firm and unwavering. He offered a slight bow to the three nobles and powerful figures gathered before him.
All three acknowledged him with nods, though the First Princess was visibly impatient."Skip the pleasantries. Get to the point."
"Of course, Princess," the robed man said, voice low and clipped."The mission was a success."
Virelia smiled, triumphant. She turned to her father and brother, eyes glinting. Kaelion's posture straightened, his confidence surging back.
"See?" she said. "Told you. He wouldn't escape—"
But the robed man raised a hand, cutting her off.
"However… there were complications."
The room chilled.
The smiles faded. Frowns replaced them. Even the Emperor's expression darkened.
"What kind of complications?" they demanded almost in unison.
Then again, they spoke in unison, "Is he dead?"
"That he is, Your Majesty—the Emperor," the black-robed man replied.
They all let out a sigh of relief, now visibly more relaxed than before. Yet, they heard there might still be complications. The Crown Prince even added coldly, "All is good if William is dead."
But the old Emperor, wanting to hear more, spoke firmly, "Speak. What complications were you talking about?"
The man hesitated."It's better if I show you. You wouldn't believe me otherwise."
The transmission shifted. The hologram flickered into a shaky combat recording—blurry at first, then horrifyingly clear.
The attack fleet descended on its target like vultures.
Then—white light. Blinding. A sphere of pure, searing energy erupted from the heart of the chaos.
A phantom of heat and power, it blasted through the fleet. One by one, ships were swallowed whole, crushed by the force.
The black-robed man was the only one who barely escaped. Out of a hundred warships, only he and his flagship made it out alive. The rest were consumed in the aftermath of William's desperate self-destruction. His fleet... his crew... all gone in an instant, he and the crew of his flagship managed to escape the chaos.
The chamber fell deathly silent.
The Emperor.The Crown Prince.The First Princess.All three stared in stunned horror, their faces pale as if the blood had been drained from their bodies.
"That... that madman," the Crown Prince finally whispered, his voice cracking.
The First Princess clenched her fists, her face twisted in disbelief."He activated the supercharged protocol of the Star Engine... even in death... he retaliated like that..."
"That's William for you..." the Emperor muttered darkly upon hearing his daughter's words. His gaze lingered on the flickering holographic figure of the black-robed man, as if the image itself carried the lingering echo of the battle."He had the resolve to pull such a desperate act... and if he'd had even a sliver more choice, he would have dragged more of our men into the grave with him."
He shook his head slowly—not in sorrow over the fleet they lost, nor the assassins—but at the death of a man who, despite everything, could have been a hope for the Terra Empire to reach new heights. A man of rare genius... wasted.
But to the Emperor, it was worth it.Better to lose such a talent than to risk his family meeting the same fate as the previous royal dynasty.William's popularity... his dangerous charisma... that was what the Emperor feared most. And now, that fear was finally gone.
The Crown Prince nodded, mirroring his father's sentiment."Indeed, what matters is that he's gone," Kaelion said quietly, though inside he felt a wave of profound relief. The threat was eliminated. The nightmare finally over.
The First Princess, now recovered from the horrifying sight, exhaled deeply, brushing back her hair with a theatrical flourish."This calls for celebration," she declared, trying to wash away the unease with forced cheer.
Her words lifted Kaelion's spirits slightly, and he, too, forced a grin."Yes... you're right. Let's not dwell on shadows. Tonight, we toast to the future of the Empire."
....
A/N: There will be chapters soon!!