The next day.

With his arms clasped behind his back, Leonard gazed down at the forest his father had nearly decimated. He slowly began to extend his right hand, but a hard knock interrupted him, followed by a voice.

“Young master.”

“Come in.”

Bailey opened the door to Leonard’s room and found him staring out of the window with his back turned.

“I’ve come to report.”

“...”

“Elri– I mean, your toy has indeed left Vailee.”

“Is that all?”

“...Yes.”

Leonard sighed, finally turning away from the window.

“What do you think, Bailey? Should I burn down his village due to his impertinence?”

Bailey hesitated, well aware of Leonard’s penchant for unpredictability. “I doubt such action would yield any significant benefits, young master.”

Leonard frowned. What a boring reaction. He then approached his desk, casting a cold glance at Bailey. “It was a joke.”

“Forgive this ignorant servant!” 

“...”

“Just leave,” Leonard dismissed with a scoff.

With a slight bow, Bailey exited the room.

“Everything’s so boring. When will you return, Elric? A week? A month?”

Leonard picked up a deck of cards from his desk and shuffled them in his hands.

“A toy’s job is to be entertaining.”

“Don’t disappoint me.”

* * *

In the dusky confines of the underground royal prison of Selis, a battered figure stood with their head hung down and their arms tied to a suspended wooden beam. 

The dim light cast eerie shadows across the cramped cell, revealing the forms of three other individuals. Two of them were mere soldiers, their expressions hard as they stood guard over their captive. But the one whose presence alone seemed to suffuse the air with an aura of authority was none other than the second-most powerful man in Selis. Cedric Gauvain Rolfe. Selis’ only Grand Duke.

“What a dutiful husband you are. Seeing that you’re willing to endure your wife’s suffering on top of your own,” Cedric remarked.

The battered figure slowly raised their head, allowing their black hair to shift and reveal their murky brown eyes. 

It was Maurim Sinclair.

“Let me see my wife.” 

Cedric approached Maurim, tweezers in hand. “You’re hardly in a position to make demands,” he retorted, tracing the back of Maurim’s hand. “I’ll ask one last time. Who’s backing you?”

Maurim angrily stared into Cedric’s light blue eyes. “I told you already… We’ve been framed. We would never try to harm his majesty and her highness.”

Cedric released a sigh filled with disappointment before lifting the tweezers. “What a shame,” he muttered. The tweezers painfully dug underneath Maurim’s pinky fingernail.

“AAAHHHHHHHHH!” 

Maurim’s scream pierced the air as his body convulsed from the excruciating pain. Cedric remained impassive, looking down at him without any hint of emotion as he added the removed nail to the pile of other discarded nails.

“What should we do with him, your grace?” asked one of the soldiers.

“What else? Let him meet his wife.”

The soldier began to untie Maurim’s arms, and simultaneously, a royal knight arrived at the small cell. “Your grace, the king requests an audience with you.”

Cedric cast one final glance at Maurim before departing with the knight, leaving Maurim to be carried away in the opposite direction.

*

“Ugh…”

Flung onto the chilly floor of yet another cell in a distant part of the prison, Maurim let out a groan.

“Maurim…”

Maurim’s gaze shot up at the sound of his wife’s voice, only to erupt with anger as he observed the torture marks that covered her body. “Elia!” His glare shifted to the soldiers. “You bastards! I told you not to touch her! She’s–”

Thwack!

“Maurim!” 

Elia scrambled to embrace her husband who had been knocked to the ground. 

“Filthy neric! You’re lucky we’re ending it with just this much!” one soldier barked. “Yeah!” yelled the other. “An execution is much too merciful for your kind!” 

With harsh laughter, the two aggressively locked the cell and walked away.

Maurim struggled to sit up, his anger boiling at the injustice of it all. But as Elia wrapped her arms around him, he felt the tension melt away, replaced by a profound sadness. “Elia,” he whispered, “I’m sorry. I should’ve been able to protect you.”

Elia shook her head softly, tears streaming down her bruised face. “It’s not your fault.”

Burying his face in her shoulder, Maurim wept alongside his wife. In that bleak moment, they continued to cling to each other, their only source of solace being the knowledge that their beloved son was unable to witness their plight.

* * *

Royal Execution. 

A damning event reserved for those who dare challenge the sanctity of Selis’ established royal code.

Over the years, Elric’s mother brought him numerous books to peruse, including works detailing Selisian law. From these texts, Elric learned that the practice of royal execution necessitated the unanimous approval of the five members comprising the royal court. After obtaining the signature of each royal court member, the king finalizes the proceedings with the authority vested in the Selisian royal seal.

As a result, once you’re sentenced, there’s no escape.

“Hey. Get some rest, will you? We’ll reach the capital in just a day.”

Perched against a tree trunk in their makeshift camp, Fenril spoke to Elric in a concerned voice as he observed the dark circles under his eyes. The kid had barely slept or eaten since they set out on their journey.

Elric halted his thoughts about the kingdom’s justice system and glanced at Fenril, who sat across from him. “Don’t worry… I’m fine,” he said calmly. 

The worried look in Fenril’s eyes didn’t go away after hearing such a response. It was clear that Elric was hiding something. Fenril sighed, realizing that chastising him further wouldn’t lead to anything productive. 

“You know, once we’re in the capital, there’s this tavern I used to frequent back in the day,” Fenril said, a faint smile tugging at the corners of his lips. “Best ale you’ll ever taste, mark my words. I’d love to introduce it to you and your parents.”

Elric looked at Fenril with a knowing gaze. I should put him at ease, at least a little bit. He turned around and laid his head on the ground. “Suggesting underage drinking, are we now?”

“Y-you!”

Elric let out a low chuckle. It took a lot out of him to laugh. But still, the cool ground never felt so comforting.

Fenril grinned and shook his head at the playful banter. He didn’t know what lay ahead for Elric, but he hoped that, at least for now, tomorrow would be the least of his worries.

* * *

“Woah…”

Elric couldn’t help but express his astonishment.

The closer Fenril’s carriage approached Calith, the more Elric realized just how fitting it was to declare it the nation’s capital. What had started as rough, dirt tracks soon gave way to smooth, cobblestone paths, and the ivory royal palace gleamed brightly in the distance. 

“Hey, Fenril, what time is it?”

Fenril raised a brow and looked down at his dingy watch. “It’s half past eleven.”

Elric gave a sigh of relief. Good, there’s still thirty more minutes before the execution.

Fenril eased the horse’s pace as they arrived at the entrance of the large city. The streets seemed to pulse with life in a way Vailee never had. 

“I guess this is where we part ways,” Fenril said as the carriage came to a stop.

Elric smiled. “Thank you, Fenril. For everything.”

Fenril placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. “I hope you accomplish what you came here for, Elric. I wish you success. I really do.”

Elric respectfully bowed his head and said his goodbyes to Fenril before setting off to the center of the city. As he walked, he thought about how passionately he planned out for this day. It was obvious that a weak neric like him could never overpower royal soldiers or knights. So what was his plan? He concluded that his parents could only run away amidst the chaos of a diversion. It wasn’t a perfect plan by any means, but, truly, what other choice did he have?

Arriving at the city’s center, Elric was met with a stark realization. 

The entire area was filled with people! 

The crowd was far larger and denser than he had anticipated; there was no way to go around.

Shit! This is impossible!

Elric looked ahead, his heart sinking at the sight of a raised wooden stage adorned with two guillotines. On the stage, two shackled figures stood—his parents. Mom! Dad! Elric turned away. For me to accomplish anything, I should at least get close to them. Determined, he began to struggle through the crowd. By the time he reached the center, he didn't know how many minutes had passed.

Okay, now I just have to think of a distract-

He froze in place, taking a closer look at his parents. Their bodies were horribly riddled with fresh wounds. 

I endured so much… thinking only I would be covered in scars. But it was all in vain. Elric hung his head low in anger. 

His parents were then positioned under the guillotines, jolting him out of his momentary paralysis. He had let Serena slip away because he didn’t try hard enough. He couldn’t lose his parents in the same way. Elric continued to push, ferociously clawing his way through the crowd. 

The more he struggled, the more time passed.

The executioner, a royal knight clad in the finest of armor, raised a decree and began to read out Elia and Maurim’s crimes:

“By order of the crown and royal court, these members of the neric class stand accused of treason against his majesty, King Anselm Geoffrey Selis II, and her highness, Princess Lucina Evadne Selis! Maurim Sinclair stands convicted of concocting a meal laced with poison intended for the consumption of his majesty and her highness! Elia Sinclair is charged with presenting said tainted meal to the royal family!”

“WOAHHH!!!”

“Kill the traitors!”

“Destroy the nerics!”

Elric could feel his face grow hotter in anger as he heard the ridiculous accusations. He knew his father would never disrespect food in such a way, and his mother adored the princess. They’ve been framed… he thought bitterly.

The executioner continued to list out the technicalities of the execution process, and the shouts of the crowd rang louder. 

Maurim and Elia obediently bowed their heads as they absorbed the harsh cries from the crowd. The guillotines were adjacent to each other, allowing the couple to hold each other’s hands tightly.

Maurim shut his eyes, feeling the weight of his aspirations crumble. His vision of opening a new restaurant in the countryside with his family now felt like a bitter illusion.

Elia’s eyes were opened. She longed to caress her belly once more. I’m sorry, little one. I wished to one day introduce you to your older brother, but unfortunately, fate has other plans. An incredulous chuckle escaped her lips, prompting Maurim to gently squeeze her hand in response.

“I love you, Elia,” he said softly.

“I love you too, Maurim,” Elia choked out. 

Then, as if the heavens were playing a cruel joke on her, Elia noticed Elric in the crowd.

“Look Maurim! It’s Elric! We didn’t want him to come, but he still came. I’m both happy and sad…”

Maurim’s eyes immediately welled up at the sight of his son; he didn’t want him to see him like this.

How strange, Elia thought with tears dripping down her face. Elric should be sixteen now, but why does he look six? She yearned to reach out and rub the beauty mark beneath his eye.

The voice of the executioner began to ring with finality. “For these crimes against the crown and the realm, Maurim and Elia Sinclair have been duly judged and sentenced! May their punishment serve as a warning to all who dare to betray the trust of their sovereign!”

The executioner stepped back and looked up at King Anselm, who observed the event from a balcony above. 

Following the executioner’s gaze, Elric glanced up in a frenzy and spotted a man with long silver hair slowly raise his right hand. 

What?! Already?!

The silver-haired man lowered his hand.

“Nooo!!!”

Elric raced to his parents. He was close! So close!

Splat.

The guillotine blades fell quicker than Elric could blink, and he watched as his parents’ heads rolled right in front of him. 

“Gross, I got neric blood on me!” 

“Good riddance!” 

The rigid crowd that Elric had fought so hard to get through slowly began to disperse.

“N-No…” 

Elric stood, stunned by what he had just witnessed.

I was never gonna make it...

The effects of lack of sleep, hunger, and overwhelming emotions finally caught up to him, and without warning, his body gave way, collapsing to the ground as his vision faded to black.

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