KILL STEAL

The special occasion has finally come. The most awaited day has arrived. A one day event where people unite and celebrate the festival together. The loud bang of music can be heard on every corner and street outside the palace. Fantastic performances putting on a play. The waves of laughter and children's noises playing echoing the air. While inside the palace wall, families are busy preparing palatable cuisine to their tables. At night, the sky is illuminated with a parade of lights. The people of North Le Frère welcomed the festival with spectacular sky lanterns and fireworks displays.

In The Great Hall of the palace, where the largest part of the palace was embellished with extraordinaire ornaments, diamonds, and gold by the exclusive palace interior designers. The black and crimson red designs are blended harmoniously which were the only two hues that compliment the Great Hall oozing the aura of power and authority. The marble and glossy dark floor that looks like an abyss perfectly matches the crimson headless human sculptures around.

Nobody knows except for the first King and the artist who made the sculpture, those perfectly molded human statues were the corpses of great leaders around the world. This is one of the bizarre things preserved in the place which serve as trophies for every war they win.

Those people who were not pure Davenfords and leaders were turned into human statues who attempted and committed a coup d'état. The heads of the human sculptures are hidden in the underground part of the palace where they were buried along with the first King.

The obsidian ceiling appeared as dark as the night sky and the crimson red ruby chandelier compliments each other. The palace walls painted in raven black were oddly designed with abstract dripping blood art. It is the ballroom place where the royals will dance later at midnight.

While everyone was busy with their respective tasks, Chadwick and Mort entered the Great Hall where they were exposed to the dark design of the palace. Instead of being bothered or feeling creepy by the sight, they found comfort in the place. The deafening silence flooded the room, no one tried to enter. The two of them decided to stay and talk there.

Striding inside, Chadwick was amused by the human sculptures around struck with different poses. Mort studied them through his gaze. Both of them are Doctors. The moment they touch one of the sculptures, they know right away it was a human corpse which they just ignore and traverse into the heart of the room.

"What did you call me here for?" Mort asked, breaking the silence reigning for several minutes.

Chadwick stopped walking and look at the female human sculpture in front of him. Just like the rest of the statues, the woman is headless. Her breast and sex organ were cleanly removed. One of her hands is amputated and her left leg exposed her bone. Maggots were crawling the flesh out and falling under her feet. It seems to indicate that the executioner used the maggots to torture the woman to death.

"Although I don't seem to care, I am aware that you are planning to kill Dreygur here in North Le Frère. And I am telling you, you will only put Sumire in danger with what you wished to do."

Chadwick replied. Mort didn't really have a plan before because Blanche had already said what would happen if he did that, but the moment he saw Dreygur's face at the airport, he wanted to torture him the way he wanted until that man died. His lust to kill Dreygur got stronger every single damn second of the day after what he saw on the flash drive. That scene was forever engraved in his mind which gives him more reason to kill Dreygur.

"Will it really harm Sumire or ruin your plan and the chance to succeed to the throne?" Mort directly asked in a monotonous tone.

He understood everything, especially since he read a book about the power and rules of the Davenfords last night, as well as the history of its throne, and how they choose their leader who will sit on the throne. Mort understood Chadwick's actions, the reason why he made Dreygur's twisted lust with Sumire even longer. It used Dreygur's strong desire for Sumire for the throne. The only thing the hunk couldn't fathom in mind was how certain Chadwick was that the maiden would find a man who could be equal to Dreygur.

Chadwick never revealed what is the truth behind the accident of Sumire years ago when she was a teenager. He knew they will only ban Dreygur, not sentence him to death. Killing their kin is strictly forbidden. Chadwick did was to erase the maiden's memory so that Dreygur could still come back and do it again but this time Dreygur will be killed by her future boyfriend or husband. Chadwick no longer needs to kill Dreygur or have Dreygur killed without getting his name involved. These were just assumptions but this is the only possibility that Chadwick sees.

Mort asked himself if Chadwick also had something to do with his meeting with Sumire and the trouble stirred in the Brethren. 'That shouldn't have been asked, I'm sure he had something to do with it.' said Mort in his mind and coldly eyed him.

"It can be both." Chadwick playfully replied.

"But it's just my suggestion. It's better if you end him outside the country. Because even if you're the most powerful person in the world, you're not the judge and the word here in North Le Frère." Chadwick added in a serious tone which stopped Mort.

"If you kill Dreygur here, no one can stop even the god and saint from sentencing you to death. And Sumire? It will devastate and die her or she will be forced to marry Dreygur's corpse. You've read the Davenfords' book, you know what will happen." Chadwick continued that even though Mort already knew it, Chadwick still reminded him that.

"You are smart. You know what to do unless if you are not sure about your feelings for my niece." Hands thrust on both pockets, Chadwick finished the conversation as he left the great hall.

Inside the looking abyss hall, Mort was left there alone. Thinking. Though he doesn't need to think anymore, especially since he already knows what he's going to do. He is inclined to solve problems through murder. 'Kill him outside the country.' Hands clenched, Mort turn around and was about to stride out when the door widely opened and there appeared Dreygur and Cataleia, which surprised him.

"Did you like the place? You can stay here and be one of those human sculptures." Dreygur greeted him sarcastically.

The man no longer conceals his contempt for Mort. Dreygur's anger was directed at the hunk and not bothered to hide it anymore. Cataleia, walking beside him wasn't clinging to Dreygur's arm. The two of them had a little distance but Cataleia's clingy nature still visibly came out, especially in the way she looked at Dreygur. She was there, silent and prepared.

Dreygur felt even more irritated when Mort didn't respond, ignoring their presence in the place. Mort wasn't looking at him. The hunk was holding himself back from killing Dreygur.

"I don't like you a bit. You are an eyesore. I don't even know why you still stick yourself to Sumire. You two came from different worlds. You and my niece don't belong to each other. She is not suited to any man like you. Sumire is mine and belongs to me! You should have stayed in hell and rotted in there! Why do you have to stain Sumire, you filthy peasant?" Dreygur shouted, hands shaking and flushed with anger.

"Maybe because the light in your world is rare. You see only destruction, death, darkness, and twisted deeds. You need a fucking light. And it happens that Sumire is the brightest light your eyes have ever landed on. You are attracted to it. That light pulled you closer, blinded you, making you unable to think better for the safety in that light. That's why we are here now, you are making everything hard for Sumire. If you truly love her then let her go. I love her too like you do." Dreygur sardonically added that it tingled in Mort's ear. Dreygur had ticked his bomb of patience.

"You are right she is the light I needed and I fucking want her so bad. I chased her. She didn't blind me, she made me see things differently and painfully pretty... and don't tell me again that you love her like I do or I will fucking lose it." The cold wind enters the place and stirred his dark hair, revealing his emerald orbs glint murderously. Mort emphatically responded with a threatening tone.

The tension and heavy auras merge in the air and Cataleia just listened to the men in silence. She felt wasted to the hunk because Mort was going to die today with her. Even if she wanted Sumire and Mort to be together forever if Dreygur wouldn't be happy with that, there was nothing she could do but prevent that from happening. Even though Dreygur had completely forgotten and doesn't remember anything about her during their childhood, Cataleia just accepted it and she will bury that memory in her grave just like her mother buried the truth to her death.

'Mort, just make it up to her in the next life. Sumire is not for you in this life.' said Cataleia to herself.

"Keep that to yourself. Congratulations." Dreygur meaningfully ended his conversation and decided to leave the Great Hall with Cataleia.

And before they could turn their back on Mort, Narco appeared to them. Imperceptibly fast and in just a blink of an eye, Dreygur and Cataleia were both holding their slitted throat.

"Drey...gur...I...i..." with slurred speeches, Cataleia tried to reach him. Eyes dilated, Dreygur recalls seeing his life flash before his eyes. Blood splashed around and dripped abundantly from their neck.

Narco uses two golden stiletto-type weapons. They have a handle with a thin, circular loop at the butt and a long, conical point designed for stabbing and thrusting. Narco finished them by ruthlessly stabbing their chest, piercing their skull and hearts out.

It was a quick and clean death. Dreygur and Cataleia's lifeless bodies fell to the cold floor bathing in their blood where Mort slightly froze. Mort saw Narco enter the place earlier but he didn't sense the young man's bloodlust, so the hunk didn't do anything but now he really has nothing else to do except to look at his adopted son who has an unnamed weapon with its pointed needle-like edge was dripping with blood from Dreygur and Cataleia.

Narco's eyes were more lifeless than the two corpses on the floor and his smug smirk was cold as ice while looking at Mort who has no expression on his face. Out of many questions that lingered on Mort's mind, only one word came out of his lips.

"Narco," Mort called his adopted son's name.

"I killed them," Narco responded and met his dad's dead gaze.

Mort's brows came down into a barely perceptible frown. He is not blind to not see what he just did. The hunk didn't understand why Narco murder them.

"Do you remember how I tried to kill you with the slipper?" Narco asked with a creepy smile curved on his lips. Unbothered, Mort had a stoic expression on his face looking at him.

"And that damn clean freak Klauss cleaning upstairs made me think it was raining. I fucking remember everything." Narco continued. Mort just listens. He doesn't think about what will happen after what Narco did but he already knows what he will do.

"When you took me in and made me your son, I am not happy at all. Well, at first, but later I saw everything you did for me and I appreciate that. I am not that heartless. I enjoyed the role of being your son. I did see that you are serious about your role as my dad..."

Narco deliberately stopped speaking. Both of them sensed the horde of knights in the hallway who were about to enter the Great Hall. Narco stride forward and handed the stiletto dagger to Mort while asking him at the same time.

"How far can you sacrifice as my adoptive father?" Narco asked and in a heartbeat, Mort accepted the dagger without a second doubt.

The knights arrived at the place and opened the massive door. Narco was gone. They were greeted by two dead bodies lying on the floor and Mort carrying a bloody stilleto-like dagger who was quickly surrounded by knights and their weapons were aimed at him.

"Don't move!" The Knight Commander said in a warning tone while waiting for the Butler who went right away to the Queen and Archduke to report the horrible scene.

Mort's mind was blank though he could kill the knights in just a matter of seconds who were currently in the Great Hall. He just chose not to act and remained dangerously calm. Trembling with anger, the knights are alert and on guard, ready to pierce him with their swords. They cannot accept the death of the next in line to the throne.

"Boss!" Klauss shouted when he forced to enter the Great Hall and the knights were also aiming their weapons at him.

Klauss was about to end them when he felt Mort's cold stare at him. Stopped in his place, Klauss flushed red with intense anger. As soon as he saw the scene, he immediately knew who did it.

"I'm gonna kill that brat."