Volume 17 Chapter 30 The Day The Kingdoms Fell 2️⃣
As the evening sun dipped lower in the sky, Deeta strolled through the palace gardens, Cyril walking quietly beside her. It was a brief respite from her royal duties—a moment carved out for both relaxation and private conversation.
"The excitement from the royal joust still lingers," Deeta murmured.
"It was quite the spectacle," Cyril replied with a calm nod.
Deeta glanced at her companion, recalling the recent joust. Thanks to the efforts of Cyril, the other knights, and the court Magicians, Clishe had shown its strength against powerful challengers from abroad. The event had gone better than expected, even boosting the kingdom's economy.
"It's a good sign... but I want this country to grow stronger still."
Clishe, her homeland, had a long history of invasions. Its lands were modest, the population not particularly large, and the terrain offered no natural protection. For generations, borders had been redrawn, territories lost and reclaimed in an endless cycle.
"I want our people to live without fear. To know they're safe, no matter who comes."
Deeta let out a quiet sigh.
"I'm here, Your Majesty," Cyril said with a small smile, the same words she'd always said since childhood.
"You've always said that..." Deeta smiled softly. "Thanks, Cyril. I can manage being queen because of you."
"You're giving me too much credit," Cyril laughed. "You're the one who's admired by everyone. Smart too, unlike me."
"I act before I think too often."
"If that were true, I wouldn't have trusted you with command of the Imperial Guards," Deeta replied, grinning playfully.
It was a rare expression, full of youthful mischief—one she showed to no one but Cyril. With her, Deeta could drop the title, forget the crown, and simply be herself.
They left the garden behind and stepped out onto a wide balcony overlooking the city.
"It's a beautiful country, don't you think, Cyril?"
The capital spread out beneath them, streets and buildings arranged in precise, geometric order. Deeta had always found beauty in that symmetry.
"I especially love how the city glows orange just before sunset..."
"You've always liked the twilight view," Cyril said, her voice gentle.
"It vanishes so quickly, swallowed by night," Deeta mused. "Maybe that's what draws me to it—how fleeting it is."
"We can't stay the same forever, can we?" she added. "Nothing can."
Cyril chuckled. "You sound like a poet, Your Majesty."
"'Sound like'?" Deeta raised an eyebrow.
"I'm the practical one. I think a ruler with your kind of heart is something rare."
"...But I still feel like I'm not suited for the throne."
Cyril looked serious. "You've led this kingdom for three years. You've done more than anyone else could."
Deeta lowered her gaze. "Maybe... I was just feeling a little weak. Forget it."
She looked up again with a small, wry smile.
But then—
A dark sea appeared on the horizon.
"...What is that?"
Deeta's breath caught. Her mind blanked. The sight was too strange to make sense of. Something pitch black was spreading across the city—a thick mist, rolling in like a wave.
"Your Majesty!" Cyril shouted, grabbing her hand.
A deafening crash followed.
The balcony rail and floor beneath them were carved away in an instant, as though sliced clean by invisible blades.
Deeta froze. Whatever that black thing touched, it vanished. Stone, wood—everything disappeared.
"We have to run!"
"Right!"
Without hesitation, they dashed toward the stables. They leapt onto their horses and rode hard, aiming for the magic division barracks. This wasn't something they could fight with steel. If there was any hope, it would lie with magic.
The black haze began to consume the royal capital.
The streets Deeta loved were erased the moment the darkness touched them. Buildings crumbled into nothing, the ground hollowed out as though scraped from existence. All that remained was a gaping void.
It spread fast.
Screams rang out across the city.
"Damn it..."
Deeta looked back again and again as they rode.
"Help me..."
"What is this...?"
"I don't want to die..."
The voices faded one by one, devoured by the darkness.
She wanted to save them. But she couldn't. Slowing down meant death—for her, and for Cyril.
"I will find a way to stop this..."
Her voice trembled. Guilt burned in her chest, but she forced herself forward.
They finally reached the barracks.
Or rather, what used to be the barracks.
"...No..."
Deeta's horse skidded to a stop. Cyril pulled up beside her. The building was gone. Nothing remained but scorched earth.
"Your Majesty, run!" a voice cried out.
Magicians—some still alive—were being consumed by the black haze.
"It wasn't just one direction," Deeta whispered.
The haze was approaching from the opposite side too. The barracks had already been hit from both ends. Only a few had survived.
"Magic doesn't work! It's useless!"
"We can't stop it! Please escape!"
"Then you should run too!"
Deeta shouted back.
"We'll find a way to stop this!" one magician yelled. "Your Majesty must survive—for the sake of the people!"
"Captain of the Imperial Guard—protect her!"
And then—
"...Ah..."
Deeta collapsed to her knees on a nearby hilltop.
Where the capital once stood, there was now a perfect bowl-shaped crater.
Everything... was gone.
"...I can't forgive this... Whoever did this... I swear..."
Her whole body trembled.
"I will never forgive you!"
For the first time in her life, Deeta felt something overwhelming.
Rage.
Pure, blinding hatred.
The kind, gentle girl she once was—gone.
Something inside her broke.
And something else took its place.
From this moment on... she would be a warrior.
She would fight.
She would destroy her enemies.
With resolve.
With fury.
With steel in her heart.
"I swear... I will destroy you."
Gaaahhhhn!!
Suddenly, a portion of the black mist exploded, bursting apart.
"...What...?"
A strange sensation surged through her body—like strength awakening from deep within.
Notes:
• Deeta - She was once the Queen of the Clishe Kingdom, a position she held before her kingdom was destroyed by the [Invaders] five years ago. This event led to her losing everything and becoming a Relic Holder of 'Destruction'. She offers their assistance to the Light Dragon King in a battle against a 'Relic (Heaven's Legacy)' holder before. escribed as a beautiful woman wearing a black bondage outfit, exuding a powerful and intimidating allure. Her beauty is striking, and she emanates an overwhelming aura that even intimidates the Light Dragon King. A faint light forms a crown-like symbol on her forehead, marking her as a 'Relic Holder'.
• Cyril - The holder of [Movement], which grants her extraordinary agility and speed. She is described as a beautiful girl in a white dress. She is belonging to a warrior clan that lives far away. She is is a close ally and companion of Deeta Clishe, sharing a history of loss and trauma from the destruction of their kingdom by the [Invaders] five years ago.
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