The once-majestic throne room of the Sun King lay in ruins, its grand pillars shattered and its golden tapestries torn to tatters. The sunlight, which had once danced proudly across the opulent halls, now filtered through the smoke and debris, casting long, mournful shadows over the broken marble floors.

Slogan stood at the center of the devastation, his demonic form towering above the wreckage. His black armor was scorched and battered from the fierce battle. The four enormous white bat wings on his back were folded in a tired, defeated manner, and his pointed demon tail twitched restlessly. His face, a dark, ominous expression, was partially hidden by the long, sharp black teeth that glinted with gold specks as he exhaled. The air around him crackled with residual magic, a testament to the intensity of the confrontation.

The room, now eerily silent save for the occasional drip of water from the damaged ceiling, bore witness to the aftermath of his confrontation with the Sun King. Slogan's heart pounded with a strange mix of satisfaction and unease. He had claimed victory, but the cost of this triumph weighed heavily on him. His eyes, usually so fiery with determination, were now clouded with a grim introspection.

The Sun King, Azaziel, lay motionless among the debris, his regal attire now soiled and torn. Slogan's gaze lingered on the fallen monarch, and he could not escape the weight of the decisions he had made. His thoughts turned inward, haunted by the sight of the broken man he had once sought to overthrow.

From behind him, a rustling sound caught his attention. Slogan's sharp senses detected the presence of his remaining loyalists. They emerged from the shadows, their expressions a mixture of awe and trepidation. Among them were high-ranking officers and advisors, their loyalty to Slogan evident in their solemn eyes.

The leader of the group, a stern-faced general, approached cautiously. "My Lord," he began, his voice reverberating with both respect and uncertainty. "The Sun King is defeated. What are your orders?"

Slogan stood, his posture rigid and commanding. "The Sun King's reign is over," he declared, his voice carrying an edge of finality. "But our work is far from finished. The kingdom must be stabilized, and the people must be told and reassured."

The general nodded, but there was a flicker of hesitation in his eyes. "And what of the unrest among the people? They are still loyal to the Sun King."

Slogan's gaze hardened as he addressed his loyalists. "Our immediate priority is to stabilize the kingdom, but we must not lose sight of our other objectives. All efforts are to be focused on locating Princess Luna. Anyone who provides credible information on her whereabouts will receive a substantial reward. Additionally, the Sun Queen must be brought to me—alive and unharmed. She cannot have strayed far."

—————-

The carriage rocked gently as it traveled over the rough terrain, but inside, Queen Tera's world felt like it was crumbling. The rhythmic clatter of the wheels did nothing to soothe the storm of emotions raging within her. She clutched her infant twins close, their small bodies offering little comfort against the heavy grief that overwhelmed her.

The cries of the babies were a faint echo compared to the loud, aching silence that filled the carriage. Tera's breath came in shuddering gasps, tears streaming down her cheeks as she struggled to hold herself together. The weight of the loss she had just endured, the kingdom she had been forced to leave, and the uncertainty of the future was almost too much to bear.

Elara, her daughter's handmaiden, did her best to calm the twins, but her own anxiety was palpable. She glanced nervously at Tera, who sat with her head bowed, her shoulders shaking with silent sobs. Yadnus, seated beside the Queen, looked on with a mixture of concern and sadness.

After a few moments, Yadnus took out his phone, his fingers trembling slightly as he navigated through the latest updates from the palace. He had been receiving fragmented reports throughout their journey, but now he needed confirmation. His face was set in a hard line as he scanned the screen.

A new message appeared, a breaking news update from a trusted source within the kingdom. The headline confirmed what Yadnus had feared but hoped was false: Slogan had emerged victorious and had seized control of the throne.

Yadnus's heart sank as he read the details. He glanced up, his eyes meeting Tera's tear-streaked face. "Your Majesty," he began softly, "I have just received confirmation. Slogan....has defeated our beloved Sun King and has taken control of the kingdom. I'm...so sorry, your Majesty."

Tera's breath hitched, her body trembling with the weight of the news as the tears flowed freely now, her sobs echoing within the confined space. The pain of her husband's defeat, the loss of her home, and the fear for her children's future became too much for her to bear.

Yadnus approached cautiously, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. "We must stay strong, Your Majesty. Our priority now is to find safety for you and the children. We cannot afford to let despair overcome us."

Tera looked up, her eyes red and swollen. "How can I remain strong when everything we fought for is lost? My husband... my kingdom... everything is gone."

Yadnus's voice was gentle but firm. "We still have hope. There are allies to be found, and we must seek them out. Your strength and leadership are needed now more than ever. The future of the kingdom may still depend on what we do next."

As the carriage rumbled steadily toward the east border, Queen Tera endeavored to regain her composure, dabbing at her tears with a delicate handkerchief. Her gaze fell upon the covered window beside her, and a pang of concern tightened in her chest. She hoped fervently that Luna was safe and well, her daughter's wellbeing ever in her thoughts. The journey ahead was fraught with peril, and Tera knew that the resilience and strength her daughter had always displayed would be needed now more than ever.

—————-

In the dimly lit strategy room of the newly claimed palace, Slogan sat at a grand table strewn with maps and documents. His loyalists, including his most trusted advisors, gathered around him, awaiting updates.

A young messenger, breathless from his urgent ride, burst into the room, clutching a scroll. "My Lord, we have word from our scouts stationed at the border," he said, bowing deeply. "Queen Tera and her entourage are heading towards the East border."

Slogan's eyes narrowed as he took the scroll, breaking the seal with a swift motion. The report detailed the Queen's carriage , her route, and the presence of her infant twins. It also noted the small escort she had assembled for her escape.

"It seems she intends to seek refuge beyond our reach," Slogan said, his voice cold and calculating. "Our spies have been vigilant, and our informants within the palace have confirmed this."

One of his advisors, a seasoned strategist with a furrowed brow, spoke up. "We must act swiftly. If she reaches the East border, she could potentially regroup with forces loyal to her or even seek refuge with neighboring kingdoms. More alarmingly, she might encounter the Emperor himself."

A murmur of fear swept through the room, the Emperor's name evoking a deep, respectful dread. Known for his god-like status and formidable power, he was a figure of immense authority and fear. Slogan's eyes hardened with resolve. "Deploy a contingent of our elite troops to intercept her before she crosses into the Eastern territories. We cannot afford to let her slip away."

As the orders were swiftly carried out, Slogan scrutinized the details of the planned interception. The Eastern territories, notorious for their treacherous terrain and proximity to the Emperor's domain, represented the most challenging and perilous region to cross. Allowing the Queen to traverse this border would not only signify a personal defeat but also a severe strategic setback.

Slogan's mind raced through complex calculations and potential strategies, preparing for the impending confrontation. With a final, steely glance at the map highlighting the Queen's potential route, he braced himself for the looming challenge. Preventing her escape and capturing her would be pivotal in consolidating his power and securing his reign. However, Queen Tera would not be easy to catch and would not go down without a fight. She was known as the Queen of Nature before marrying Azaziel; the terrain and forestry would be on her side, along with any animal or life-form within her radius.

Slogan sighed, contemplating the enormity of the task. Was he over his head in capturing her? His thoughts were abruptly interrupted as another messenger entered the council room. "Your Majesty, I bring news about Princess Luna." 

At the mention of Luna's name, Slogan's demeanor shifted. His hardened expression softened, a flicker of longing and desperation evident in his golden eyes. The thought of his mate, the one he yearned to retrieve above all else, consumed him.

"Speak," he growled, his voice tinged with both urgency and vulnerability. His gaze bore into the young lad's brown eyes, demanding answers.

The boy quivered under Slogan's intense gaze. "Your Majesty, I regret to inform you that we have no concrete information about Princess Luna's whereabouts. All tracks, if there were any, have long gone cold. It's as if she vanished without a trace."

A heavy silence fell over the room. The council members exchanged uneasy glances, sensing the brewing storm within their king. Slogan's fists clenched, his knuckles whitening as his temper began to boil over.

"What do you mean there's no information?" he snarled, his voice echoing through the chamber. "How can an entire network of spies and informants come up empty-handed?"

The messenger trembled, his voice barely a whisper. "We've searched every possible lead, Your Majesty. She's...she's simply disappeared."

Slogan's eyes blazed with fury. He overturned the table in a fit of rage, sending maps and documents scattering across the floor. The council members recoiled, fear evident in their eyes.

"Find her!" Slogan roared, his voice thundering with an almost primal desperation. "I want every resource, every man, every bit of magic at our disposal used to track her down! I will not rest until my mate is back by my side!"

The room quaked with his anger, his demonic presence overwhelming. The council members scrambled to their feet, bowing quickly before exiting the chamber to carry out his orders. The room fell silent again, leaving Slogan alone with his turmoil.

His mind raced with frantic thoughts. Luna was out there somewhere, and he would move heaven and earth to find her. The thought of her in danger, or worse, sent a shiver down his spine. With a deep, calming breath, he steeled his resolve.

He closed his eyes, drawing on the remnants of his solar power. The sun was setting, but he would make use of every last ray of light.

Golden light enveloped Slogan as he activated his Solar Sight, the warmth of his power intensifying with every passing second. His golden eyes shifted to a menacing crimson red, the sclera darkening to an inky black. Black, web-like veins began to spread from the corners of his eyes, crawling across his temples and down his cheeks, giving him an almost otherworldly appearance.

Above the palace, a colossal eye materialized in the sky, vast and intimidating like a second sun. It mirrored the transformation in Slogan's gaze—a blood-red iris surrounded by an abyssal black sclera, with dark veins radiating outward. The eye hovered ominously, casting its gaze over the kingdom as though the sun itself had been replaced by this malevolent, all-seeing orb.

Countless smaller eyes began to emerge beneath it, identical in form but much smaller in scale. These replicas fanned out across the sky, spreading like a web of light over the kingdom. They appeared wherever the sun’s rays touched—gliding over fields, threading through forests, and sweeping across mountains. Each eye moved independently, darting in every direction, tirelessly searching.

But their vision was limited. The eyes could only see where the light reached. Shadows remained impenetrable, offering sanctuary from Slogan’s relentless gaze. No matter how many eyes he summoned, they could not pierce the darkness, unable to see into the shadowed alleys or the dense, unlit forests.

Slogan poured his energy into this immense display of power, his mind linked to each eye as they scoured every sunlit corner of the kingdom. Desperation tightened his chest as he searched, the light-bathed land below failing to reveal any sign of Luna. With every passing moment, his frustration grew, knowing that Luna might be just out of reach, hidden in the shadows where his sight could not penetrate.

But as the sun dipped below the horizon, the light faded, and his vision began to blur. Frustration gnawed at him as he strained to see further, but it was no use. The darkness swallowed the last of his power, leaving him with nothing.

Slogan let out a roar of frustration, his fury echoing through the chamber. He slammed his fist onto the wall, the sound reverberating through the room. His now golden eyes glowed with fierce determination, even in the dim light.

"Where are you, my love?" he whispered softly, his voice a stark contrast to the fury that had just filled the room.