“The ships were destroyed and deported, all of them. What nonsense have you come to tell me!" Xirus yells, storming back and forth at the highest point of the gold and white tower, lit with bright floating lights magnificently decorating the ceiling. 

The neatly dressed men and women, clothed in luxurious garments and attires, stand at the side according to their respective rank. All of them were higher elites of the universe. The aristocrats of all aristocrats, you could say.

Fear overwhelms the hearts of these nobles, as a shadow of the High King's wrath casts over them.

Anyone who said or did the wrong thing now, could lose their entire bloodline with a single word.

The Nobles weren't the only ones trapped in anxiety. The commanders and Generals stand silently, heads low, in order not to anger the fuming Gathark any further. The king of the high world. 

“I have never lost a realm, even the Outerland did not take half the time and resources I invested into this invasion. What the hell happened down there!” The high king shouts. The black fabric, which flows from his head down to his lower back as a sign of cultural royalty, dances in the air as he storms around in misfit. A thin yet intricate gold crown adorns his forehead, holding the headpiece in place. 

Everyone bows their heads in silence, making Xirus search for a scapegoat himself. He stares down at the Commander General of his army. “Veros, what do you have to say?”

Veros swallow as he falls on one knee slowly and places a hand on his chest in pure shame. “I take all responsibility. Have me punished as you will.”

Vero had served at the king's side for as long as the High King battled. And each time he witnessed how the High King led the legions to victory. He didn't waste time in his conquers too. It was true what he said, his highness had never lost before. Not a world, not a realm. Until Earth, a tiny, insignificant realm previously used as a hunting ground for spirit essence.

A few years ago, the High King set his mind to officially take total control of Earth. Something even his great forefathers couldn't find a way to make feasible, but somehow the High King did. By influencing portals to grow large enough to accommodate a hundred of battleships, weapons and soldiers, at a time. With the Empire's weapons and magical strength, the Earth realm was expected to be an easy sweep. All Vero had to do was settle in every Earth world, kingdom, country, continent, and take over.

It went well at first…. But then, Shapeshifters began to rebel, then the Mages. The last to rebel were Elves. The day the Elves rebelled was the day Qiras learned that the three Earth worlds had found a sovereign leader for themselves, years before. Something never seen before, as Earthmen were very selfish creature who fought for the most useless things. After the first Elf rebellion, Vero found himself fighting to take over earth, extending the invasion for five years. 

And just yesterday, he failed. Veros failed to capture earth. The very first time, the High King trusted him to lead an invasion. He failed.

“You will be getting punished undoubtedly. For now, turn back and send sky ships in legions, triple,” Xirus commands.

"Your highness… ships cannot be sent to earth, anymore.”

Xirus dark red eyes intensifies dangerously.

“The gates… It appears not to be responding to earth.”

“It appears?” Xirus questions coldly.

“It, doesn't,” Veros corrects, deep voice shaking.

Xirus glares down at him in silence.

The nobles and generals hold their breaths. Silence was never a good thing.

“So I really have been bested,” Xirus chuckles. Never has this happened before. No creature, deity or so called 'god' had ever been able to surpass him. In wisdom or might. He had a deeply rooted hatred for messes. Failing was a mess. Whatever he desired, he had. The fact that he had never failed was why he reigned over more worlds than ever before in history, creating the largest inter-world empire.

To the surprise of everyone, the High King did not burst out in anger. He simply went back to settle in his seat, hand covering his forehead, thinking.

The tension in the entire citadel heightened hauntingly as the knowing scent of death hung in the air. The High King was a cold ruler, unforgiven and merciless. Him being relaxed was already a sign of an impending bloodbath.

Appearing before the High King himself was like a dance with fortune and danger. Please him and you'll receive many riches and power, anger him, and you'll find yourself in the worst torture. Everyone who had ambition battled to get close to him, but also feared the thin line they were on. It was common knowledge that Qiras were absolute perfectionist. The High King especially nitpicked anything below perfection. His standard was very high in the court of the high throne, heads would be rolling for even the slightest mistake. Corruption, mishandling, he detested it. Unlike the former kings, he didn't turn a blind eye to it.

“However your highness…" A curly blonde-haired man with tan skin and blue eyes, named Cilo, says, breaking the suffocating silence. 

His Voice came from behind the Commander General, Vero. Who was still on his knee.

Everyone's eyes turn to that one man, including the High King. 

“Yes?” Says Xirus with an impatient voice. What the man has to say better be worth his time.

“I and the Commander General discovered something from the Northern gate after It closed.” Cilo states, and Vero gives him a discreet questioning glance, turning his head back slightly.

Xirus doesn't move his powerful gaze. Meaning, they have gotten his attention.

Confusion lingers in the air as guards begin to drag in what looked like a large rock covered with a white, silk-like cloth. Xirus eyes follow the covered object as it levitates with the magic of three guards, until it reaches his front.

Xirus doesn't even bother saying a word as others look towards the object in curiosity. What could it be?

“Take it off,” Cilo orders in a confident tone.

The guards slowly drag the cloth away, revealing a strangely shaped ice sculpture with spikes at the sides. However, there is something else that draws their attention. A loud sound, difficult to ignore by creatures with advanced senses. 

It is a heartbeat, slow and steady, coming from the ice.

Xirus's eyes doesn't seem to show much interest for the spectacle.

"I present to you, the man who led our enemies in the war. In this ice lies the king of Earth, living." 

Eyebrows in the hall shoot up.

"The king of Earth?"

"Impossible?"

"What is he saying?"

"Whose subordinate is that?"

The entire hall breaks out in gossip and gasps. All except the High King.

Vero looks at Cilo confused and bites his tongue to hold back some words.

“What makes you sure that it holds my enemy?" Xirus finally speaks through the chatter. And the noise dies down.

Cilo steps forward and looks up at the High king with confident eyes.

"I saw it myself and I have proof." Cilo stretches his hand and a green light shines out of his palm. In that green light is an illusion of skyships hovering above Earth's clouds dropping bombs and dodging flamed breaths of fires from dragons. However on a larger, grander, sky vessel in particular, is a person in a reddish-copper armor standing and gazing over the scene below unaffected by the smoke. Like a small dot on a large mountain, the armored person is unnoticed by any Qira soldier, except one.

“I was looking through my lenses to aim better at the enemy when I caught him accidentally. The moment I saw him I tried to warn the Commander, but before I could, it was already too late.” Cilo explains. As he plays the illusion from where it stopped. In the last scene, Everyone watches the armor man turns his head to look directly at the one recording, Cilo, and places a finger on his lower helmet, where his mouth would be, almost mockingly. The next second a white light flash and just from that little illusion the entire halls lights up.

Vero tightens his fist, breathing out a low growl, already recognizing the armored person from the illusion. Xirus catches Vero's expression from the corner of his eyes, but refrains from speaking what's on his mind.

  

Cilo notices that the High King is still uninterested. 

"There is more, your Highness." Another illusion spell Is cast and in the next scene, the background changes from a white desert of snow, to a desolate dry reddish landscape where a sea of soldiers looks around in complete astonishment of the situation. They were previously on earth fighting against Earthmen, now they are in front of the portal gate where it all started; a white triangle high as a tower. The recording shifts from the portals to a reddish object falling from the red sky. As it comes closer, it becomes clearer that it's the same copper-colored armored man from earth who caused the catastrophe. Ice begins forming around him as he drops until he crashes on the red ground.

“Your majesty, you can tell that this isn't fake.”

“That doesn't mean he is the King of Earth,” Xirus says sounding unimpressed.

Cilo begins to sweat. Things didn't turn out as he thought.

If his Majesty wasn't convinced by the end of this, he could end up being fed to the birds.

"Permit me, your majesty. I believe the soldier. That armor, I recognize it. Four years ago, the Earthmen seemed to throw their lives at us to protect someone with this exact type of armor. That night, I learned from a captive that they had a leader. I couldn't get any more information because the captives would rather bite their tongues and die than give up something…" Vero says, recalling the night of the attack. One of the first times he tasted defeat from the Earthmen. He lost countless soldiers that night.

“That's not all. I have the Earth King's sword,” Cilo blurts out as a guard passes him a golden weapon case.

“Isn't that the item the oracle, Jaqah, testified to have the blood of Earth's enemy" whispers began to erupt from the crowd.

“Yes it is.”

Vero's eyes widen at the sight of the silver colored sword.

“Remember when we gave reports about the sword. We used it to track the enemy base, hoping to end the king."

Xirus grunts, remembering that whole waste of an Era. What's surprising is that that little object had more use than his so-called commander general. 

“We weakened them, but the Earth king managed to escape that night.” Cilo brought out the gold sword from a golden case, and instantly it went straight for the ice, slapping on to the surface like a magnet.

Xirus doesn't take the man's verdict seriously, but what he does sense from the ice statue is very strange. Nothing. No trace of magic, no trace of life, nothing.

If his ears weren't sharp enough to hear the heartbeat, he would have falsely believed it was just an ordinary ice. The High King could detect even the life force of a flea if he wanted to, he could even sense the lingering spirit of those that had died for thousands of years. But this he couldn't sense?

That was concerning. Too concerning to be ignored. 

“If that is true. Get him out so I may torture him,” Xirus says finally. 

“We have tried everything to break the spell containing him,” Cilo responds sheepishly. “I believe it requires magic greater than my squad's capability.”

“I see.” Xirus replies as he sits upright, giving the man his full attention. “What is your name?”

"Cilo from the house of Avstu and Jihra, commander of the 18th."

“Cilo, from today henceforth, If what you say Is true and this being you have brought to me is really the regent that defeated me at war. Then you shall become the next commander general, in place of Vero." Xirus declares.

Cilo's eyes brightens with pride as Vero shuts his eyes, drowning in emotions and fear. 

“I honor you for granting me such a position. I accept the position, for I am sure that he is king.” Cilo says confidently.

"Not a word of the sealed portal shall leave this room. It dies here.” Xirus commands and everyone understands. The last thing the empire need is people panicking. “Lock it up in the lowest dungeon and call for my Magicians. Have them break whatever spell holds him.” Xirus points to the ice, ending the meeting.

The entire court bows their heads in unison to the High King, grateful for one person in their hearts. Cilo. Cilo's name quickly spread as the man who suppressed the High King's wrath. Only heavens know how many worlds had been saved from this very act of boldness.

Immediately, the ice statue of spike gets carried away, while Xirus watches it move keenly. If truly that is the king of earth, no being in this life will no suffering and torment as he.

"Are you aware, Cilo. If you are mistaken, your entire clan will be wiped out, from the oldest to the youngest,” Xirus reveals in a dark tone.

“I…am.” Cilo swallows.

Roma, a tall, broad shouldered man who had been standing beside the king's throne observing the scene silently, bows his head in front of Xirus.

“You called, In'er?” Roma says with a devilish smirk. Others wouldn't dare to make such and expression in front of the High King, especially when he was angry. However, Roma was a different case. He was much closer to him than any official.

“Send a letter to Anne. She will testify if she recognizes her leader," Xirus whispers into the man's ears.