Chapter 64: Your Hell, my sister.
One day later. Imperial Hall.
The Portal in the Hall opened up and all the members of the Supreme Council were there.
The Emperor came in and behind him, caped silhouettes kept coming one after another.
The members of the Zoldyck Family were the only ones without hoods one. The evil and malicious aura they emanated only grew wilder! They were all surprised the younger looking Zeno.
Killua and Karuto gave a livelier, yet still ominous aura around them.
Then the Hooded ones.
They all exuded extreme confidence and power, yet the mysterious and fleeting feeling of those of the Brotherhood was still there.
Around them, one had the feeling that it's life is like an apple suspended from a tree, ready to be taken at any given moment. Silhouettes of two men and women where still detectable.
They all bowed respectfully to the Council.
They knew those people are the ones the Emperor trusted with his Empire.
The Emperor happy to show off his Kids was laughing loudly:
"Ezio!"
One of the men came and took off his hood!
They could see the vehemently handsome face of the young man as he bowed again in respect. He had the same harmless and refined bearing of Schneizel, but one could feel less evil coming from him. The First and the Third Vizir instinctively knew he was 'their' kind of people.
"As the leader of the Brotherhood, Ezio will be a 'phantom' member of the Supreme Council."
Lelouch nodded in approval:
'The Brotherhood is a way to establish dominance over the Continent before the conquest. It can't be traced back to the Empire, not yet…'
He then proceeded to present each member of the Named ones.
And they kept getting surprised each time.
Eivor who gave the feeling of a War Goddess, Kassandra who somehow captured the essence of nobility and the evil of a witch.
And finally Altair….
The man gave an even more mysterious sensation, he felt like he was untethered from the laws of the world, like a mighty eagle looking down on everything from below.
Slowly the mood turned solemn as they knew the sensitive topics were coming. Marek had a deep gaze, he looked at all the members of the Brotherhood:
"Ezio, you go immediately to the Headquarters to lead the Brotherhood. Tell Yoruichi to come back."
"Yes, your majesty!"
Before disappearing like an illusion. He then smiled warmly at Kassandra and Karuto:
"Follow him and make sure he doesn't make any mistake"
Kassandra seemed to be pouting a little before disappearing. Karuto nodded before disappearing too. He then looked over at Eivor:
"Eivor, you stay in the Imperial Capital for now. You will be leading the part of the Bortherhood in charge of the missions outside of the Primordial Realm."
She seriously nodded before disappearing too. He then grinned looking at Altair and Killua:
"I already have a mission in mind for you, but for now stay by my side."
"Killua go spend time with your Family, they must have missed you."
Altair seemed elated as he nodded and disappeared in the Shadows of the Imperial Hall.
Killua seemed annoyed but he still executed the order. The Zoldyck Family disappearing with him.
His face then turned a little solemn:
"I will discuss with you my decisions concerning the Fifth Sentence. But more importantly."
He smirked:
"Prepare yourselves, for we are finally starting our plans on the Shinobi World!"
Lelouch, Schneizel and the rest of the council nodded an intriguing light on their eyes.
And finally, all his face became stern :
"Summon, Princess Linaella. Alone."
The Imperial Hall, a man was standing silently, contemplating a throne, his throne, deep thoughts appearing on his mind.
His New dark ottoman caftan bringing out the Imperial majesty in each of his movement. His pensive face had more mature aura, unfitting of his age. His new enlightened state added some weights to his demeanor.
Behind him the door opened up.
He heard her little steps as she got closer to him.
Contemplating his broad back, he felt like an ancient beast about to pounce on the world. Each time she sees him, the threat he exudes exponentially grows.
'Now, that he got used to power, he became even more unfathomable.'
Linaella gulped up and down. The Emperor didn't even turn around to face her. He took a violin from his robe and slowly started playing.
The sound invaded the whole Imperial Castle. He shut his eyes, and only…
…He played.
She had heard of how some powerful expert of the Primordial Realm often played music. She even had the chance to hear the Heavenly Lotus's music.
It was hauntingly beautiful, a beautiful melody, where one could see all the love a knight has for its people, the protective feelings, the care and love for all citizen.
Her Zinther held so much meaning.
She never thought she could be this entranced again. Yet today she was proven wrong.
This music…It was calm, extremely calm…But it wasn't a soothing melody, or a calming lullaby.
No, it held one meaning:
"Desolation"
The desolation, that comes after destruction. Like it was mourning the end of the world, the song kept going as Linaella could practically see the flames of destruction behind the Emperor's back.
She could see him playing this piece someday, standing in the fire when all the continent turns into ashes.
He continued to play, and the song only got more and more entrancing.
As if finding beauty in the end of all things…
As if searching for peace in annihilation.
As if creation would only find salvation in its end.
Then slowly, the sound started to dim out, as if delivering its meaning clearly.
He dropped the violin on the Throne and slowly turned around.
After so many weeks, the two finally had their first eye contact. Linaella was shook by his pupil-less jet black eyes. He smiled lightly as he spoke:
"My Sister, I believe our discussion is long overdue."
"I think we both heard enough of you. So I will be the one doing the talking"
He approached her slowly:
"From what I can see…There is three goals in your mind for doing what you did, two days ago."
He kept his wide smile:
"The first is to fuel even more hate between me and the Saharos Empire."
"Causing me to kill the Fifth Sentence, so that war could be declared, much sooner than expected."
"Forcing the Saharos Empire to attack us before we grow."
He made another step:
"The second is to force me to hate you, by committing the sin of colluding with our most hated enemies."
He narrowed his eyes:
"The third is to get me to kill you or more precisely to get me to allow others to do so. That's why you made that fuss at the Supreme Council."
"You must really be attached to 'that' organization…"
"For you to die, just so that I can't trace them."
Linaella's face for the first time, distorted. Frustration and unwillingness could be seen appearing on her eyes:
"And so what if you know all that? All the words I said are true. Only one of us could survive."
Marek only kept his smile:
"Let's not dwell on this, shall we? Let's talk about more important things like 'the things' you said about me…"
Linaella immediately responded:
"Are 'those things' more important, than the stakes of what was mentioned previously?"
Hearing her, Marek laughed with a little derision in his eyes:
"My sister, you seem to hold a huge misconception."
"Nothing in this Astaroth Continent, is 'high Stakes' for me. Nothing in it could even make me feel a little threat."
"This Continent you hold so dear, for me is nothing more than a practice ground."
"It's a place for me to test my Empire's power and my leadership."
"It's merely a drill, it doesn't even scratch my worry."
"Your organization, the Saharos Empire, doesn't even scratch my worry."
Linealla who felt the weight behind each mockery he made felt compelled to respond:
"You seem quite confident in yourself."
Marek tilted his head in negation:
"Confidence only comes in play when there is a challenge."
He then turned around again:
"What I wanted to say, earlier, my dear sister… Is that all of what you said about me is true."
Linaella narrowed her eyes
"I am indeed as you said 'insane'."
He then turned his head a vicious smile on, his body slowly followed, as his face got closer and closer to the Princess's:
"Let me tell you, about a little secret of mine, a little perverted habit, a guilty pleasure…I have."
He breathed deeply as if relishing in the moment, as he whispered in her ear:
"Every night…"
"When I shut my eyes…Just before I fall asleep"
"A beautiful image appears in my mind."
"A mesmerizing image that I can't seem to get out of my head."
"For weeks it's been haunting my every thought"
He again inspired deeply, as his whispers got a little louder:
"Do you know what I see in it?"
He smiled creepily:
" I see this whole continent on fire, burning…"
"Blazing, lifeless and lawless…."
He made a pause as Lina felt her heart turn cold.
This feeling, it's interaction with evil.
"And this image, it entices me…"
"It entices me to the point…"
"That in every step I take,"
In every recruit I make,
In every little decision I do,
In every drop of blood, I bleed, "
"I feel mysterious and irresistible delight, a cavernous ecstasy"
He inspired deeply:
"Because every time I shut my eyes again"
"This vision becomes more and more real,
"More and more enthralling…."
He then moved his mouth from her ear, as she could now see, the extremely elated smile he had on his face:
"I could even feel the hot fire of war against my face…"
" The cries of the people who looked down on our dynasty was played like the most beautiful music to my ears…."
He grazed her cheek, as the cold sensation she kept feeling kept getting stronger and stronger.
When she heard his words, she felt like she was there already, she felt like nothing in this world could stop him from realizing his fantasy!
"Oh, Sister… How I elate at their laugh turning into wails,
at their happiness turning into horror,
at their pride turning into despair."
It felt like he was playing a horror sonata to her, a sonata where he exposed the darkest side of himself.
This wasn't an objective…But a Fantasy, a pleasure he will absolutely fulfill!!
"How I await the day, the blood of this continent who refused to submit to our dynasty again, again…and Again, will finally be shed."
He continued to graze her trembling cheek as if he was playing with her very soul:
"You see, my sister, I never took offense in you calling me 'Bloodthirsty'."
His elated smile continued to haunt her vision:
"Oh, indeed, Bloodthirsty, I am."
His eyes were like a deep abyss, sometime they would seem emotionless, sometime they would reek of deep affection:
"I never took offense in you calling me 'Monster."
"Because indeed, that's what I am."
His doubled voice sounded like a low destructive hymn:
"I never took offense in you calling me Calamity."
"Because indeed, that's what I dearly hope to be."
He then took the lower part of her face between his hands as he smiled demonically:
"This continent is doomed. Your hopes for peace are pointless. Your fight is a losing one. And your cause is meaningless."
His eyes had sadness in them:
"Yet, we both know, you are nowhere near giving up."
His face turned apologetic, like he was deeply remorseful for something:
"But, my sister…"
" No matter how much love you know I hold for you.
"My heart is, sadly, only big enough to spare your life."
He narrowed his eyes, extreme pity in them:
"So you are going to spend your time scheming, warring, and resisting me."
"Only to find, one step at a time, that my schemes run deeper than yours"
"That my strength outclasses your wildest imagination.
"And that my love for you will never falter."
The pity took over all his face:
"Time after time, you are going to lose everything you prided yourself in."
"And finally…"
"… As you watch every member of those 'Vega' people who claim to share our Great character, die in the most horrible way possible, one after another."
"As you watch the peace you've been fighting for, crumble slowly before your eyes."
"And as you see every power you believed wither before my might."
He advanced
"Only, when your little crusade is over…"
"When you find yourself alone, in the middle of the fire I created in this continent"
"When despair becomes your sole companion."
His pitying face turned into a bright and warm one
"Only then, will I welcome you back, with a happy smile on my face"
The smile turned slowly into a cruel one:
"You will be happy then to sheepishly retake your place by my side." "
"For you will finally realize…"
…That what this Emperor wants, he will always get."
Her whole body was trembling as she cursed herself for not being able to even respond to his words!
"So no, my dear Sister.
I will clean the filth of the Saharos Empire, when I please.
I will not kill you, as you so dearly want me to.
And I will always love you, no matter how much little plays you do."
Marek sighed:
"Fight the wars you need to fight, join the sides you need to join"
"I won't punish you, my sister. Because…"
"Hell is already waiting for you."
"Enjoy it, when it lasts…"
"I will watch over your meaningless struggle."
He turned around and said:
"You can go now."
Marek heard the sound of the door shutting.
That night…All the people in the Imperial Capital heard heart-wrenching wails coming from the Imperial Chambers accompanied by a hauntingly beautiful piece of violin.
The Emperor who was playing, his eyes looking faraway, different faces appearing in his vision one after the other…
The faces he took from Lina's Memories using his Human Path.
'To think there are so much descendants of our Dynasty…'
'Who should I kill first?'
He looked down, seeing his once proud sister, trembling from fear, her eyes aimless… Her hair disheveled from thinking. Trying to find a way to resist the impossible.
He sighed, genuine sadness in his heart:
'So it begins…Your Hell, my sister.'