《Paradise: Lost Cause》 Chapter 1: The God Emperor and Thebes They call me the God Emperor, ruler and greatest oppressor of the human race across the galaxy, but I also plan to be its greatest savior. Opening my eyes from a recent meditation I see the silk draped curtains that adorn my room. Instead of my room sitting in a grand castle or fortress as many emperors of old would have. Instead I possess a ship, the grandest everknown, a gold exoskeleton overlapping a planet''s corpse, the head of which is my grand seat. A ship named for my own power as to represent the secret that only my psychic powers allow this ship to function, Heavens Own, as it is a ship seen to be built by the heavens. It is being steered towards a moon experiencing heretical thinking that I will be forced to crush. Thebes, a moon of Jupiter in the system of our race''s founding planet. These events pulled me away from my ceremonial duties of the outer rim where I truly act as the fletch and blood version of a deity, spreading prophecies and hosting miracles. A presence stands at the door ready to call my attention. Before they can even try I order the door to open with my mind as Commander of the Royal Wind Guard Alec stands at attention waiting for me. Alec along with the Royal Wind Guard are some of the few individuals who know the full extent of my power due to leaving much of their abilities in hands of my psychic energy. Alec begins to hum in a high pitch that can only be heard to the specially trained ear. It is the language which I taught the Wind Guard to ensure secretive communication. ¡°Destination close¡± is what they said, signaling to me that with Thebes nearby I will be required in the Grand Hall to fulfill my role and usher my commands. The doors close in Alecs¡¯ face as I move to get changed, opal apparel from head to toe with a cape that stretches the size of two fully grown people. Opening the door to leave Alec stands with four other Royal Wind Guard to join an entourage and protect me on my way to the great hall. I already have decided what decision I am going to make in regard to Thebes. I will not enjoy it but it is the only way I can guarantee a bright future for humanity. The doors towards the great hall stand at the height of a mountain with the sound of them opening shuddering the golden walls it hangs on. The inside of the hall is pure gold with stands for the many courtiers covering the left and right walls like steps for giants. These stands have thousands of courters alone. The floor is made of a single ruby gem mined from an asteroid that acts as my red walkway to the throne. My steps echo a clank in the hall without a peep from anywhere else. The throne is a clear crystal seat with three prongs out the top. To keep a stoic aura I keep my eyes on the throne and I rise up the steps towards it. Turning to the crowd I see everything from this high vantage point. With the roar of thousands of voices the words ¡°Your holy eminence!¡± is shouted, rattling every crevice of this room to its core. The royal herald, a person who possesses one of the few voices that could fill this room, steps fourth and shouts. "Thebes is before us!" as the window that sits behind my throne opens revealing the rocky moon covered in lights. ¡°It has a city which in its entirety has committed the crime of heresy against the emperor and entrusting itself in the hands of Abraham. The emperor will decide its punishment by the end but is willing to hear from those who wish to advise. First we shall hear from Governor Heral who rules these moons on behalf of the emperor.¡± A man who dresses with nobility and is defined by the afro with emerald sparkles that sits above his head walks fourth from the crowd then kneels in the center of the room in front of me. ¡°I am Governor Heral your eminence. I offer no advice for how to deal with this situation as I entrust your judgment. I solely come to offer an apology for letting this issue fester and ask for forgiveness. I have already dispatched my heir to remedy any other issues that could possibly arise.¡± All my decisions are guided by visions my powers let me see as I search for a path that guarantees humanity a new hope. My visions present options for Governor Heral with mercy being the only one that shows me the light. ¡°Governor Heral I appreciate your candor and I do offer you forgiveness in this matter.¡± The crowds cheered the decision as a smile fills Heral¡¯s face as he slinks back into the stand. The herald steps fourth again shouting ¡°General Caroline of the 8th Drop Assault Legion wishes to offer advice next.¡± A tall armored woman steps forth with gray eyes and buzzed black hair. She provides a salute to myself then begins to speak, ¡°Your eminence, I wish to volunteer a strategy and my legion for dealing with this threat. Allow me and my legionaries to drop into the city and round up the population, kill the leaders and implement your rule once more.¡± She said succinctly. I can sense that her intention is to try to prevent me from using indiscriminate bombardments to destroy the city outright, it''s very moral of her to try. Unfortunately the fate of the entire moon has already been set in motion by me. ¡°I thank the general for her suggestion, but it is not needed as I have figured out a plan of my own to deal with this insubordination. Our entire ship''s battery will open fire on every part of the moon until it is completely inhabitable.¡± The halls rang silent but everyone''s minds ran wild. The only ones rejoicing at the decision were the truly fanatical, most the room commits thoughts crimes against the empire. A mass movement begins in the crowd as an entourage pushes to the front. It''s being led by a familiar jeweled emerald afro. As they emerge Governor Heral stands front and center without grace or poise but anger. Caroline looks back into the chaos and attempts to block the 20 or so nobles pushing forward. Heral slips past and takes the position in front of me. The Royal Wind Guard are trying to rush to my defense but I hold them still with psychic powers, Alec knowing to trust me didn¡¯t move an inch. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. "My Emperor, my God, my liege and my inspiration. Is destroying Thebes a necessity, it is one of the most prosperous moon in this region. There are only a few 100 million believers that stand in your defiance." Heral proclaimed loudly and proudly. In response I stood up from my throne using my powers to create an echo of a force pushing everyone slightly back. The room again remains still as some fall back. Heral received the bulk of my force and fell to the ground. Using my psychic powers I force the Governor to his knees. He attempted to resist but was no match for my power. "Are you attempting to defy my wishes? I hope that is not the case since I just offered you clemency from the responsibility." His mouth hangs open without a word escaping, his brain is completely empty of thought being only dominated by fear. Using telepathy I order him back into the crowd. Heral whose face is now green with fear slinks back into the crowd with his entourage following afterwards. Turning around to face the moon of Thebes I command, "Alert the moon of their fate, they have a right to know and come to terms with themselves and me. We shall adjourn in three hours." I slink back to my quarters so I can meditate and control the ship. Connected to the ship''s cameras I see the observation deck where the crew prepares the weapons for Thebes. From the window I can see a flood of ships departing the moon, the closest of which is a white ship adjourned with religious heraldry, "Preparing anti ship missiles to exterminate." an operator says after locking onto the religious ship. Suddenly my brain enters into a dream state as visions flashes before my eyes. All I see is blood rivers and soldiers clad in armor fighting up to their knees in blood¡­ I have never experienced the purity in such an image, a purity I have only experienced once before. When I was offered the imperial throne I saw a path to light and darkness. The person on that ship must be involved in my path to paradise. "Wait!" I shout in a complete and utter panic. The sound of my cry emanates into the mind of all the operating crew on the bridge. Silence falls unto the room as no one moves. Using telepathy I say ¡°Wait, bring all ships aboard as crew members, and bring that religious ship to the hall when we adjourn next. The crew without delay turns off the anti-ship missiles and starts using magnetic energy to absorb the ships. To carry the burden of our entire race I make sacrifices. I have sentenced billions to death over 3,657 years for the purpose of creating paradise, a heaven for all. Equality amongst people, the end of war and violence. A universe that can only be built by blood and force. This might be it, this will be the end of my suffering and that of the universe. I disconnect from my meditation chair and just sit pondering. The time before we destroy Thebes is coming up quickly but I can only focus on who this person might be. The possibilities are endless, but whatever form they take I just hope they are up for the task of destroying me and my empire. Alec stands at the door ready to summon me to the hall, it''s time. Walking through the grand hall the stands are full once again. Taking my throne I can barely stretch my senses to the end of the hall due to the excitement filling my body. My court herald stood forward and gave the usual introductions but I cannot understand them as I look toward the door for the savior of humanity. The doors open as a 50 person procession descends into the hall. All of the holy people are covered in a ceremonial gold silk with shaved heads and barefooted, they hold banners with my heraldry high while chanting a hymn. At the head of the procession is a green eyed woman, taller than most by a foot and older then most looking as if she was 70 or 80. Once the procession finishes the green eyed priestess steps forward and bows followed by the other holy people. "Your holiness, I wish not to command you or even protest your decision, but I wish to represent the people of Thebes, there are 6 billion people there who did not betray you and will continue to serve." She says standing to her feet and holding our hands out wide. The pressure inside of me that despises this decision is growing, it feels like stomach acid rising up my esophagus. Maybe I should now change my decision about Thebes? I think for a moment but then I experience another flash of visions like before. The green eyed priestess stands by my side while a river of blood flows through my feet as I sit on a throne, but I feel happier than I ever have before. I then see another vision after, that being the familiar one with a path towards paradise but instead with a knife sitting in my chest as the priestess steps away with bloody hands. The path is clear: she must hate me to destroy me. I swallow the feeling that is developing as I am ready to proclaim. "Disobedience is an infection that cannot be cured and the moon must be exterminated to preserve the sanctity of humanity." My thundering declaration emanates through the hall. ¡°Now let us watch my work be done!¡± I say turning to face the moon. A barrage of missiles fly from the ship heading towards a giant rock. Each explosion propels smaller rocks around with debris, natural and human made floating. I usually can suppress the cries of distress from people in these scenarios but something is pushing up sadness in me. I turn back to my throne only to see the green eyed priestess cry. Like a damn holding back an ocean my emotions burst out as depression covers me like a blanket. The sound of debris hitting the ships offers a distraction but I cannot hold out emotionally much longer. I use my hidden undetectable language to order Alec to take me to my quarters. They step fourth beginning the usual process moving many of the religious people from Thebes out the way. I step off my throne and walk to the door and intend to hide my face. Due to temptation though I lock eyes with the priestess leading to a tear to drop out of my eye. I immediately looked away hoping the priestess never saw. The door closes behind me with immediately a scuffled sound emanating from the hall. In my condition I cannot restore order and continue my way to my room. The depressive feeling slowly fades the further I get until eventually at my room where my tears stop. If I want to get away from it I will need to completely remove myself from this consciousness through meditation. Sitting on my bed I begin to drift off as my depression completely fades. Chapter 2: Emperors Conscious As I enter my state of meditative mind the room transforms into a stream of water with multiple paths I am floating on. Intensifying the meditation I am then pushed off the stream and slowly grass forms beneath me as I fall. My sorrow from before has completely faded as the rest of the realm is being built in front of me, with trees and mountains slowly rising. The process is taking longer due to me not visiting this place for a few 100 years. People begin to come visible filling this landscape in abundance. The first face I can truly make out, luckily is my greatest friend of all time, Rye. A revolutionary hero who was instrumental in helping me destroy the empire that preceded me, he was my training companion in the arts of wars and fought every battle by my side. He died by my side in the final battle, sacrificing himself to protect me. Once my power grew I made sure to absorb his consciousness and save him by giving him this realm. "Nice of you to join us!" Rye said while lifting me up in an embrace. "How long has it been since you were last here?" "Hundreds of years." I said Taking a moment Rye exclaims with a shocked breath in... then out... "It''s only been hours for me, you truly made heaven here." Rye says while chuckling. "Are you here because of that horde of new arrivals?" Rye said while pointing towards the never ending group of people emerging from a gap in the mountain. "My newest victims of the greater good." I said locking my eyes onto the mountain gap. "What did you do, destroy a planet!?" Rye recoiled, dismayed by the quantity of the tragedy. Not giving an emotional inch I responded "It was actually a moon, it was the only way my visions saw paradise." Rye sitting down next to me squints his lips and avoids his eyes meeting any point of me at all. "I never understand these visions and the brutality they make you commit, but I trust you know what you are doing." He then lays a hand on my shoulder as we both watch the crowds pour into the grassy plains. "How much longer until it''s all over anyway?" Rye asks while reconnecting contact with me through a hand on my shoulder. "Well it''s why I am here, I met a girl..." Before I could finish my sentence Rye chirped up as excited as the child I knew him as. "A girl you say? Has our great God fallen in love?" "No, I don''t even know here." "So she must be pretty?" Like a teenage boy once more Rye talked with full enthusiasm. This is why I kept his consciousness amongst my victims even though he is not one of my victims. I may have even altered him to be a bright flame of a personality to enlighten the darkness of my life. "No Rye, she is an old woman, and its not about that." I say while chuckling Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!"I suppose as a thousand year old being you would prefer someone who is a little more mature, but you still look amazing considering your age." I immediately stood up and accepted the challenge Rye posed. I shed my false body and allow my true image to come through, a gray malnourished figure with pure black eyes, a grand departure of what Rye has seen. His face drops, completely frozen, I do believe this might be the first he has understood the toll my powers have cost me. "I see why you are not picking on looks." "I told you its not about that... She will be the one to destroy me." "Oh" Rye responds as his joyous nature slowly is enveloped by sorrow. "Yes, see what I mean it isn''t like that?" I say while laughing, "Don''t worry Rye, I want this death." Rye expression beams up a little at the sound of my own laughter. "So what makes her the one to destroy you?" "I don''t know yet, all I know is if she doesn''t, I might have a chance at real happiness." "Well how does this ''happiness'' occur?" "I don''t know that yet either, the visions are not clear." "So what are these visions even for then if you can''t see your complete future? What do you even know?" "They only show me paths but I do know something. This woman is very powerful psychically. I could sense every ounce of her despair to the point of my own tears." "Her powers are probably what will kill you then." "Exactly, but her gift might manipulate me away from the plan." "Aurel, you are the most powerful being in the universe. Before even all these powers you fought a war against the greatest empire of humanity that had existed at that point. What can break you? I mean look at this realm we are in now, you created a real heaven for the dead. Not to mention, if you fail now your years of suffering will be for nothing. This makes me trust you will not fail under any circumstance." Rye''s words are true, my deeds are many and my power is grand, but it does not make me fear for the outcomes that stand before me any less. The sadness I have felt has gone, Rye has always been the torch that lead the way through the dark caverns that is my path. "Thank you Rye, your words have given me solace." I said while embracing Rye intensely. "You will visit me again before your destruction." "I will try my hardest too." Both of us know everything is soon about to come to an end and could very much be the last time we see each other. "Before you go Aurel, you should talk to Lauri." "I will try." I say as the land around me swirls out of existence being replaced by the opulence of my room. Chapter 3: Blood on the Palace Entering my deep consciousness is one of the most power draining abilities I could use. This meant upon waking up I struggled to grasp my surroundings, in particular I couldn¡¯t detect who stood at my door. Reason would assume Alec stands there or any of the other Royal Wind Guards. The door zips open and as I guessed Alec stands with complete posture and the quartz like armor they possess. "Thebes is dead. Dead in Hall. Rumors spread about the emperor''s weakness." They said in our secret language only we can even hear. This is a concerning report, must have something to do with the commotion I heard when I left. The rumors I do not know what that could mean though, very interesting. My head begins to hurt as my ear begins to feel wet, putting my finger on it I see blood. Before I could comprehend anything Alec had rushed over and started taking my vitals. They then hologrammed them into my face showing how my brain''s stress levels were beyond comprehension and causing strain. ¡°Wipe it¡± I say to Alec, nothing presented to me was cause for any alarm. I am almost a living God, my vitals are bound to be different. Alec holding a cloth begins to clean my ear of all the blood, slowly dabbing it softly. Even with the bulking armor these trained guards have pristine precision. Once Alec stepped away I ordered at them ¡°Control scene, I arrive shortly.¡± The doors close behind them as I am left alone with this still agonizing headache. Thebes is dead, the deed must be done then. The windows of my room open upon my psychic command. All I see is Thebes, instead of lights weaved like webs shining across the surface, it is instead a broken cluster of rocks revolving around an even smaller core. The cries from the surface have completely ended with all the inhabitable air faded due to the precision strikes of important zones that would purposefully end all life on the moon without direct shots. If I search close enough I can see human made debris of housing and farms, the worst are the bodies, almost 6 billion people''s corpses floating. Some are fully intact while others are split into untold amounts of pieces. For the greater good, I think as the windows shut, disconnecting me from the situation. Now it''s time for me to address the business Alec brought to my attention. I prepare my clothing as I head out the room ready to make my way back to the hall. Guards away to join my entourage with the exemption of Alec. As we walk the echoes of Alec¡¯s report ring in my head as I try to piece together what might have happened. With my ability to sense I am restricted in my analysis of the situation. Reaching the great doors I struggle to open them mentally and am forced to request the guards open it manually. Walking into the great hall I am using all my strength just holding myself up. It is much less crowded than before, the echoes are louder and reciprocating longer. The end of the hall there are two divided groups, on the left a giant crowd full of bruises and cuts, but it''s nothing as compared to the right side. Blood covers the lowest level stand with some 20 bodies covering the area with wounds and slices all over. Some knives lay next to them or around them with all of them covered in blood. Those that are alive are pushed into a crowd being watched over by Alec themself. Amongst them is the religious procession from Thebes, some now followed by a bloody robe instead of a golden one. The center window above my throne is also covered in blood, but not from the inside? A single hand is scraping along it solitary, this must be the initiator of all this chaos. Closer to my throne I continue to walk straight even as blood intersects onto my ruby path. The steps and throne itself are clear of blood and filled now with royal guards. Ascending the throne I now have a grand view of this treacherous crime scene. As I finally sat down I quickly let out a secret command to the Royal Guard, ¡°Follow lead, situation will solve.¡± The royal guards responded merely with acknowledgment all while keeping everyone else in the dark. ¡°Who wishes to inform me of the mess that occurred here?¡± I sat commanding my voice to carry through the hall with the echo bouncing back on the people under me. On the previous left and now my right a little squeal is released like a pinched balloon. Slowly I move my eyes to meet the sound and see a sobbing young man. Instinctually the guards sort through the crowd grabbing him and shoving him in front of me on his knees. He is a kid who probably just earned his nobility through inheritance, the first time also being in my direct presence I assume. If my head recovers I could confirm this information but my visions show me nothing until I rest. My gaze alone forces the young boy to start raining sweat. He keeps his eyes down while his mouth shutters, trying to speak but no words escape. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.¡°Speak boy!¡± I command with my voice again carrying and echoing back. This pushes the boy from his knees to now his hands and knees with his eyes raining tears and drool dripping out of his mouth. A guard walks over and picks him up back to his knees and forcing his eyes onto me. Instantly words begin to spill out of his mouth like the missile barrage that hit Thebes. ¡°Speak boy!" He lets out a stuttered cry as he shakes to his feet "You left, then a pile of blood smashed against the window. Someone shouted tyrant behind me and then a brawl broke out as nobles near me began to fight. That all I know your holiness!¡± "What happened here?" I ask with a booming voice that shutters the hall. The man on the floor is now trembling with tears now falling down. His fear as prevented him from talking as he trembles so I ask "Speak boy!" He lets out a stuttered cry as he shakes to his feet ¡°You left, then a pile of blood smashed against the window. Someone shouted tyrant behind me and then a brawl broke out as nobles near me began to fight. I couldn¡¯t see the other side but they had screams. That''s all I know your holiness!" My head is now clearing up, I can¡¯t see much but I can see how much fear has filled this boy and believe what he tells me is honest. Looking to the crowd for signs, a prouder loyal noble I recognise intercedes, ¡°The traitors never stood a chance!¡± followed by the cheers of the crowds. "Well then, once the traitors are found they shall be punished and the patriots that protected the sanctity of this empire will be rewarded!" The cheer is louder than before but I can notice a distinctive lack of voices, I can¡¯t confirm but these might be the so called traitors. While the cheers occur I command Alec to those whose voices I failed to hear. After I finish communicating the Wind Guard sorts through the crowd pulling out the individuals I mentioned. The cheers got louder and more rowdy as the nobles pushed, shoved and spit on those being dragged out of the room. After the prisoners are escorted out the rest of the crowd are given the right to leave out of the hall as they cheer and shout out the room, as soon as the door closes the sound of cheers stops returning silence. Without the full strength of my powers I don¡¯t receive the visions of paradise so now I am trying to make choices without an effect. It''s difficult especially now that I shall next have to deal with the Thebian¡¯s, and the green eyed priestess. With only a handful of people remaining in the room I focus my attention on the left of the room where blood covers the area. As my mind tumbles with ideas and thoughts trying to summon the strength for guidance the old priestess steps fourth. "Before you ask your holiness I have your answers." She says kneeling to the floor. Suddenly fear starts to grip me, a fear that makes me feel mortal once more. "Please enlighten me, priestess." I said. "When the brawl as before occurred some shoving began when one of the nobles began to harass Governor Heral, something to do with breeding traitors. In response he pulled out a blade and began to cut into the aggravators along with other associates. They then disappeared into the crowd during the chaos and ran out with everyone else." The priestess says while kneeling with impeccable poise. I can¡¯t read her or anyone else and I don¡¯t know what action might damage the future, all I can do is offer a non-response. "Thank you priestess, I appreciate your candor." I responded hoping it was the right decision. She gives a bow and starts to turn away. All the fear attacking me suddenly subsides. "Before you leave, priestess, what is your name?" I ask, forcing her to correct her turn back to me with her bare feet screeching against the blood. "I am High Priestess Vera of Thebes to your holy order." She suddenly turns back to her group while pulling her ear as they clear the hall. I turn to the window as time quickly passes with servants cleaning and records being taken. My head was feeling a little better but I still needed to rest so after everyone except my guards had left I traveled back to my quarters ready to enter a relaxing meditation that should knock me out for almost a week. It feels like the best sleep, especially when I lay down properly, my ears then suddenly spill out with blood, is this why Vera pulled her ear? Chapter 4: Vera I feel the roar of the engines and all the stabilizers activating around the ship. The power generated now increasing to compensate the new demand. Our destination is the home of this ship where the planet this ship was built on use to be. Its going to be a short journey as this home is in this solar system. The metal creaks and rattles everywhere as the grand Heavens Own ship moves forward. With the ship now propelled I have time to figure out about who Vera is. Before my charge imperial databases were disorganized and completely out of date, population counts were off by billions per planet, I found this unacceptable and spent the formative years of my rule fixing the methods used. Now the databases are almost perfect with many people having profiles, especially a High Priestess. To search this database I developed a spot in my room so I can directly connect my brain to the network to search the information like pathways in my consciousness. Its a chair that if anyone else used would fall into seizure. Sitting in it the blue lights flash as its rough metallic edges push on my skin. The vision in my room changes as I see the entire breadth of imperial reach in the galaxy. Finding Thebes I select it and search through the highest positions on the planet until I enter the religious category, but the head of The Holy Order is not Vera, its an extremely old man who is almost 170 years old. Checking the chain of command I do see that Vera is the next in command. Possibly due to the harshness travel has on smaller ships they decided to send the younger leader in his place. Vera Vival is her full name, she believes in a certain sect in the Aurel religion that believes me a reverent god who talks to my followers to push them to orchestrate my real will, they commonly are referred to as Reverents because of this. Reverents also believe the Empire is a captive state because of the nobility and ruling class that if I had full control I would take us to Nirvana. Her beliefs might be an aspect of how her destruction of me will save humanity from violence and demise. She could knock down the noble classes to avoid the power grabs that would most likely emerge. Now what gives her this psychic power that I can sense? Her history provides me with nothing, she was raised by a large family of academics, at a young age she studied religious ideology and was one of the top of her class. She worked her way though the ranks until she was second in command on Thebes, a moon which she rarely left. Their is nothing in her file to hint at a path of psychic powers. My powers came from my birth when a cult created me for the purpose of being their messiah. If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Their maybe a hint in her behavior as to how she is able to project emotions. While in this machine I am able to access cameras with her near, with Thebes destroyed their is no copies of them remaining or at least not until my operators sift through the information. Due to already being on Veras'' profile I can quickly access cameras that have scanned her on the ship though. One has picked her up near the inner core of the ship, this is where the billions of workers around the ship live. Due to the ship being built on a derelict planet the core operates like a society of the poorest people in the empire. As the cameras screen fades into my view I see Vera''s gold robe flow down the tight streets, the sound has not connected yet but I can tell she is communicating with the many beggars, offering them something. As she finished speaking to one particular of these beggars the sound kicks in and I hear her say "In the Emperors name I leave you." as she plants a wooden ring polish and colored opulently, a cheap religious symbol of my heraldry. Passing the next beggar Vera says the part of her message I missed last. "You have lost your home like I have, you might blame the Emperor for this. I am here to tell you instead that the Emperor is not at fault. I was there and could see he did not want it so I believe he is forced to act in ways due to the restrictions of the nobility, a tear even feel from his face when the moon was being destroyed. In the Emperors name I leave you." As she passes the wooden ring. Vera still shows me loyalty and believes me innocent of sins. Maybe she has the ability to sense of me but not enough to gather the full picture. I also now know she saw my tear. These beggars must also be the refugees from Thebes. Next another younger bald priest slips through the streets with a shorter golden cloak trying to catch up to Vera. "Priestess!" they yell as they catch up. "Everything is in place, are you sure you still want to carry through with the plan?" "Yes I am certain, its the only way to save the Empire." Does she have dreams of paradise like me? "Wait until we have arrived to act on anything, I shall return to the rooms soon." Vera continued to say. Maybe this is the plan to overthrow me and I will not be able to answer my questions. Vera continued to talk to beggars providing me with nothing new. So I leave the machine. Feeling the ship I can sense the metal slowing. Opening the window the I check to see the perfect grey circle we call Luna with the bright purple flashes from the gravity well holding things in place until the ship returns to its position. I suppose this is to be my death, before I can learn how humanity will be on the path to paradise. I hope everything I have committed is worth what I have done because I now leave everything in fates hand. Chapter 5: Solar Arrival Ritual The gravity well pulsates a sizeable purple beam as the golden ship enters the system. Hovering above it, the bottom of the ship opens up and slowly begins to envelop the gravity well. The pulsations grow weaker and fewer as the golden doors suck in the black and purple ball. Each step of the way, I control the ship, pushing my telekinetic powers to the test. This feat would be extremely taxing to my body if it wasn''t for my chair. The ship''s docking process finishes as we are now safely next to the moon. Now that I am no longer needed to control the ship I disconnect myself from the chair ready so I can go complete the religious ritual. *BANG* The lights in the ship were completely cut out along with the rest of the electrical works. I am trying to sense around but without power it''s hard to stretch my reach further than my immediate vicinity. This cannot be an attack, it''s almost impossible for the entire ship to be deactivated by a single EMP missile, and scans never indicated hostiles. I continue to think of every conceivable possibility that could lead to this situation but none are matching up with all the data I had. In my distracted mind I accidentally released the Royal Wind Guard from their positions, including the ones outside. Smashing and banging rings from the door as they attempt to bash down the door. Using my telekinetic powers I manually force the down open but without electricity I have to carry the weight instead of triggering a switch. Alec instantly rushes in with four other guards, completely and totally ready for battle. Knives and pistols at the ready to not just kill but destroy threats to my life. With a single wave of my hand the sound of clicks can be heard as the weapons are immediately holstered. Alec turns to the guards as they run outside the room instantly, their boots smashing against the floor. Before I can even think up a plan to solve the situation a bright flash hits my eyes. It is then followed by another bang, shuddering the room with noise. The full extent of my senses on the ship have returned, the power is fully back. This must be a part of Vera¡¯s plan, my visions should be able to guide me to the path that should be taken. My vision contorts as a light guides me through the original plan of my day, I perform the solar rituals in the main hall. If I try to address this power outage then all I see is darkness. I suppose my decision is made. ¡°Continue with the original plans, we shall deal with this issue later.¡± I say to Alec as they sheathe their weapon while slowly scoping the room. ¡°Organize the Solar arrival ritual.¡± Alec bows then leaves. This is one of the few of my obligations that does not require me to be in the Great Hall. It instead takes place on the sun deck at the very top of the ship. It''s been a few years since I have performed this ritual unfortunately. I truly enjoy doing it since I get to use my powers to provide joy to the people who I have basically stripped of happiness. This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. The path to the Sun Deck is longer walk, but we built a private elevator system for myself to make my personal travel easier. To access it we tap into the wall just outside my room. I can only access it with my mental connection to the ship through triggering inaccessible electric mechanisms. A humming screech can be heard slowly getting louder. Echoing in the walls all until it ends with a small distinct thud. The wall zips open as I and two guards board this private speed elevator. I then trigger the mechanisms psychically as we rapidly take off. The elevator''s stability is perfect so we never have issues of trying to stay standing. The Solar Arrival Ritual begins as soon as I arrive and it begins with my floating trick which takes a large amount of mental power so I spend this trip trying to get ready. I start practicing with little lifts at a time. My feet slowly hover as my brain begins to strain. Lowering myself back to the floor the strain instantly dissipates. I sense the elevator is almost at its destination and taking a final breath before this presentation. The elevator begins to hum as it slows down going up towards the top. As quickly as we departed the elevator parks thudding against the door to the Sun Deck. The door zips open on the roof, revealing the blinding light of the sun. Using my focus I hurl myself into the air, hovering higher and higher. My hands stretch out wide as my opal cape slowly follows. I look around to see the majority of people on this ship cheering in the arena surrounding my panopticon platform. The hatch closes as I clear it and go higher. The cheers are deafening with it almost being impossible to hear my thoughts. The platform itself is built from a tree, the tallest to ever exist standing as tall as some of the largest asteroids. At the top are all of the highest ranking religious officials who are on the ship, this includes Vera. After basking in the applause for almost half an hour I finally landed, relieving my brain of all the strain floating causes. The jingle of the opals is barely noticeable with the sheer volume of the cheers. My next trick is to speak to everyone telepathically to make sure my message is heard, but also to add a wow factor. ¡°People, I now request silence.¡± I say. An audible gasp consumes the hall but instantly disappears bringing the total silence I just ordered. ¡°I now offer you a gift for all the work you have done for me!¡± I hold for a moment as applause re-erupts filling the hall like a bursting volcano. ¡°Here! The water of my Sun Tree!¡± I unlocked a piping system at the bottom of the tree with the intention to fill pathways all along the arena giving the poor workers water. First came the cheers like another eruption but they are clearly beaten out by the noise of gasp and screams. Looking over the edge I see that the water instead of being a clear sparkle is instead dark and red. Is that blood? A chant slowly begins to echo ¡®A gift¡¯ I believe. Scanning the arena I see these workers fall to their knees with hands up towards me. ¡°Your holiness I believe they offer it to you.¡± Vera says, walking up behind me. ¡°It must be from the hall massacre since they cleaned it.¡± I am now consumed by a proud emotion, bubbling over with an ecstatic feeling of achievement. Just like when I destroyed Thebes, I can¡¯t hold it back. My lip begins to twitch as I try to stop the smile forming on my face. It¡¯s Vera¡¯s emotion, she must have done this. Maybe this is why the power cut out, the workers, they listen to her. I almost forgot this could be my downfall. ¡°This is heresy! You are all foul beasts in the emperor''s eyes!¡± High Lord Carlan screamed and continued to scream as my brain rattled with emotion. My pride was now being filled with pure anger. ¡°Guards, whip the insolent traitors!¡± Is all I heard next. Before I knew it I was consumed with Vera¡¯s emotions. ¡°Arrrrrgh!¡± Carlan screamed. I was holding him with psychic energy until eventually being crushed into a tiny ball all in a single instant. The cries of gift had ended with cheers occurring as the Lord''s body fell into the blood river. What have I done¡­ I feel accomplished but now I am seeing visions of darkness and violence. Without thinking I just acted against my plan. The flashing is firing in my head like a machine gun all until darkness remains. I feel numb without feeling. I open my eyes, I am back in my room? What just happened? Chapter 6: The New Path My head feels freshly squeezed, both tired and relieved. I see five figures huddled around a table near the door. Alec stands right above my bed, hands holding holstered weapons. Among the five figures, I see the four primary members of my court: Tya Holy Castellan, Farly of whispers, Lila, Grand Commander of Naval forces, and Merl, the voice of the Empire. The fifth in this group is the bald, golden-cloaked, and green-eyed Vera. I sit up and try to stand slowly. Alec instantly reaches down to assist me. Through the blur of fluttering eyes, I see the five figures slowly turn around, bursting to their feet. This is followed by the cries of "Your holiness!" I only have one thought for these noble people. "Tell me everything." Tya immediately steps forth and opens up my dashboard. "This should explain everything." Tya says while playing with the buttons. I see myself standing there, gray and gaunt, with the colorful opals adorning my cape. My hand is up high in the air, and the High Lord Carlan is rapidly being squished into a tiny flesh ball. Slowly, I collapse to the floor as my eyes flutter, and I enter a state of seizure. My hands begin to shake as the leaves of the trees slowly close around the podium. The camera we watch suddenly cracks. My power is out of control. The sound is now completely gone as crowds begin screaming in a way as such death awaited them. Vera, on the podium, rushes to my side and starts to stroke my head. The shaking and violent use of my powers slowly ends. The hatch on the podium opens up, and Alec and other Wind Guard members hurriedly drag me into the hatch. At least that explains what happened to me. The video suddenly stops as the camera detaches from its position and falls briefly until the image turns to darkness. Tya fixes her posture as she closes the dashboard. "This is the only footage that survived." "I suggested maybe bringing a doctor, but Farly suggested otherwise," Alec says in common speak. Farly is a unique member of my court. I created its brain during the early days of my Empire. It possesses mild psychic energy over its body and has always acted as my Spymaster. Farly can change appearance on command and control a network of bugged people with chips injected into them. It might be the only being who can sit in my chair and not instantly experience a hemorrhage. Farly also sees visions but cannot completely understand to what extent my plans travel. Alec listened to Farly because they knew it was a creation from my image. "Thank you, that was for the best probably." "So what happened exactly, Emperor?" Lila says, sitting back in the chair at the table. "That is no place for you to ask now is it?" Vera says confidently, spinning around to face her. Lila is a pure-breed noble who is a fine admiral. If it wasn''t for her heritage, she would not have this esteemed rank. This nobility makes her more defiant than most of the court, as she believes she holds power against me. The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. The room stands silent as Vera and Lila vitriolically stare each other down. "What happened after Alec took me away?" I said, breaking the awkward silence. "The crowds became restless; some became rapid and tried to storm the lord''s seating. One did get breached; we are still calculating their casualties as we speak." Merl says stoic and calculated. He begins to get ready to continue talking, but during the breathing gap, Vera slips in her own words. "Not to mention the stampede on the lowest level that killed thousands of more commoners then nobles." Her words gravelling with her age but stabbing with their delivery. "Of course and the workers." Merl adds. "Basically, it was complete chaos, as commoners thought this was a sign of some divine message. Anyway, it''s all basically under control now... well, as much as it can be. Caroline surrounded the exits with her drop troops, giving Vera time to take the podium and speak to the people. She assured them you were okay and that you were just drained from punishing the High Lord for insulting the gift." Farly says while casually waving his hands around. "It is fair enough to say that Caroline and Vera solved this whole affair." Tya says. "If you require a moment to rest, you should take it now because we will need to get you in the great hall in front of everyone as soon as possible. We need to show you are strong and alive." My mind begins to race as I start comprehending the actual cost of what might have occurred. Have I just accidentally ended the possibility of creating a utopian universe? The courtiers continue to blabber, asking questions and making statements, but I can''t focus. I need to find out. I need to know. Searching the vision plain, all I can find is darkness and blood. Each possibility I previously had is now gone. Wait, it''s bright at the end of this path; one path is still open. The road to it, though, is covered in blood. More blood than the path I initially tried to follow. After taking a moment of relief, I hear a voice. It''s not that of the courtiers; it''s too clear, and I have completely muted them mentally. It''s saying, "Aurel, do you want me to give you some space?" It''s Farly; it connected to me psychically. "Not yet, I will come back." I respond. Leaving my mind, I slowly tune back to the conversation at hand. "How are we going to deal with Heral?" Lila sternly says. "It isn''t essential right now. We need to figure out how the water was replaced with blood. Internal matters on this ship are of higher concern." Tya says. "I agree. The commoners need to be put back in line, "Merl says, stroking his chin. "Stop!" I yell, attracting the courtiers'' attention. "You will all listen to me carefully. We need to deal with all the threats in front of us. Farly will investigate the cause of the blackout and the blood. Merl, you will organise an emergency meeting for the nobles in the Great Hall so I can address them. Tya will focus on cleaning up and working with me to maintain balance. Vera, you shall replace High Lord Carlan; you have proven your connection to the commoners and shall use that to prevent more violence. Lila sent a battleship to Heral and ordered him back. We need to talk." Most courtiers offer an approving nod, Merl just rubs his chin, but Lila is preparing to argue. To scare her into submission, I force my eyes to emanate light, piercing her soul. She jumps back quickly, nodding back. "You can now all leave." I add. The room quickly empties except for Alec and Vera. Alec follows them, ushering out the courtiers, but Vera moves slowly, occasionally looking back with her mouth drooped. Shock holds her face like a mould. This has caused an escalation. I will need to find a way to resist Vera''s energy. Brutality is now going to be the order of the day, and I am now going to have to sacrifice many more. This is why I must persist to prevent the chaos of the Sun Deck. Chapter 7: The Bloody Path It has been a week since I left my chamber. I have dealt with all matters of the Empire through mental correspondence. I can not leave, or I will risk the future. I have also been training. I have tested my cognitive powers, growing the fortitude so I can resist Vera''s power. All I can do now is hope and work. Today is my great return. Merl has organised a meeting with all the nobility in the Great Hall. I never usually have a mirror in my room, but today is a special day, so I had one brought in. My appearance has changed rapidly with the work I have done. Blood has increased flow along my body as colour has returned. My eyes... my eyes are turning a slight red. I should change my wardrobe. The only other outfit I own is from my revolutionary days, battle armour. Black-clad and skin-tight, it is not up to today''s standards, but it will send a message. I am not as big as I used to be, but lucky the armour automatically adjusts for size. The door zips open, and now I am ready to go. The Wind Guards, who were waiting at the door to escort me, are frozen. They all immediately salute as I continue to walk forward. Alec snaps them out of this trance as they almost forget to follow. The doors to the hall stand in front of me again. This will be the test of my training. My feet slowly lift from the ground, but I feel no strain this time. I push my hand forward, smashing them open with a booming clash. I continue to float towards the throne. Instead of a profound silence, the hall fills with gasps. Uncontrollable spits of air cover my ascension to the throne. I slowly floated my way back down and perfectly sat on the throne. Unprompted, the hall suddenly explodes with applause as all in attendance join the booming sound. The court herald steps forth, allowing for the applause to slowly die. "Our Holy Emperor has returned to us and is now ready to attend to your business and reassure you of any questions you all have!" The herald booms through the hall. A short, well-dressed woman is the first to step forth. "This is Regi..." The herald tries to say but is immediately interrupted by the woman. "No need for introductions. I want to ask my question and go. Why did you kill High Lord Carlan my father? Are you siding with the commoners and accepting the gift they offered you?" She said with complete and utter confidence. I can sense she truly has no fear. I can sense more than I could about her with my stronger mind."No, Regina, I am not siding with the commoners. Your father died because, as the religious head of this Empire, he should have known better than to speak out of turn and proclaim heresy before God itself. "Silence hangs in the hall as everyone awaits Regina''s response. "I can accept that; he was an arrogant lord," she said in her confident manner, immediately turning back to the stands. An emotion of disappointment bubbles inside of me. Vera is here, and she disapproves. While scanning the hall, I see her standing on the right with illuminating green eyes. Her feelings are no longer overwhelming. I can control this. I see it now. She put the blood in that tree, and it was her idea. Interesting... "Next we have Lord Yarlon." The herald proclaims."My Emperor, what have we learnt about the blood being placed in the tree?" "At the moment, we only have rumours. Farly has been tasked with using his networks to investigate the situation. I plan to harshly repress those responsible for such an action." I say, followed by a short, approving applause and cheer. Disappointment attempts to attack me again from Vera, but I again resist. Before the herald calls upon the next person, I interrupt. "Vera? Do you have something to say? Would you like to take the floor first?" Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. With a passion-filled stride, she storms the ruby floor. "Your Holy Emperor, the blood was noble blood, and it was offered as a gift. They believe the nobles try to control you. I don''t think you should punish them!" Vera loudly says. "Is this something you believe?" I respond. "I- I-" Vera stutters. "I hope you don''t. How can a God be controlled by nobles? They have absolutely zero sway over my actions or that of this Empire without my say-so. As the new leader of religious matters, I am sure you know this. "Vera stands shocked and sad. I didn''t need to feel the emotions to know that, though, as her eyes welt with a tear. I hate being dismissive, but it''s all part of the plan. "I believe the lady needs some help; she has lost her words among my divinity!" I say, followed by the quiet laughter of the hall. Vera immediately changes to anger and storms out of the hall. Even without shoes, her fury booms against the floor. I had to make her leave; it was the only way I could remain controlled over what would happen next. Time passed as many unimportant nobles asked unimportant questions. I used each answer as an excuse to show off my new power. Eventually, a relatively young man took the ruby floor, escorted by two marines from Lila''s fleet, as evident from their insignia. "This is the Herald of Governor Heral, here to answer your call!" "Your Holy Emperor, I send the apologies of Governor Heral for the commotion he caused. In this spirit, he sent you a gift you will see Lila''s battleship hauling shortly." He said, pointing his hand to the window. A giant battleship flies by with a massive diamond bust of my head attached. The sunlight is reflecting every cut beaming to me. It is gorgeous. The hall gasps with astonishment. Suddenly, the bust explodes, tiny pieces flying everywhere as they separate, revealing a single asteroid. It''s from Thebes. The gasp turns to screams, and I go to turn around. All I see is Alec stepping in front of me. A cling follows as Alec ragdolls to the floor. Knife directly in their chest. The so-called herald starts running with the marines, completely frozen next to him. Emerging from the crowd, Caroline jumps out with her own knife in hand and throws it just before he can grab the door and escape. The assassin immediately falls to the floor as the knife impacts him right in the middle of his back as he lets out a yelp. Alec lies at my feet with blood flooding all around them. No final cry or last words... Just death. This is the first of many sacrifices I will need to make. Caroline immediately seized the assassin while he was on the floor. The two Marines immediately begin to shake and quiver as they fall to the floor, begging and crying. I look out to the battleship, which starts to try to leave. Lila was helping Heral. I telepathically link to Lila, saying only a few words: "You failed." Just before it can fold space and leave, I sling the ship with my energy, pulling it in. Slowly, the vessel begins to crush itself. Tya runs to my side. "Lila is on the line, your holiness," she says while holding a communicator. "I did nothing! I never didn''t know this was his plan." I can sense the lie through the panicked screams she offers. I hand the communicator back to Tya. "Connect it to the speakers." I say.Tya taps away at the device as Lila''s begging fills the hall. Holding the ship with my mind, I slowly turn it towards the sun while intentionally squashing the engines. Once it is in position, I throw it in the sun. It will take an hour before the ship reaches it, and I have guaranteed they can do nothing to save themselves. The screams will remind the rest of the nobles who are in charge. I descend from the throne, walking past the marines as they beg. I place a hand on each of their heads. *Boom* I explode their heads, leaving them to drop on the floor. Continuing my walk, I reach Caroline, who holds the assassin. I offer her my hand, lifting her up as I say. "My lady, I thank you for your efforts. You have proven yourself. You shall be my new Wind Guard Commander." The rest of the Wind Guard begin to follow as Caroline jumps at the role, leading us out the door. Blood now dripping from my hands. This played out exactly as how I envisioned it, now to finish the rest of my repression. Chapter 8: Of My Creation "Your Holiness, you really need to address this." Caroline says with increasing frustration. "Governor Heral just tried to have you killed, and you have not even made a single move against him in the past three days. Its worse then him being in open rebellion." With her new position as Commander of the Wind Guard, Caroline has been imbued with a rapidly growing sense of confidence. She is now open with her opinions instead of trying to work with the system to make slight changes. "With Lila gone, your Holiness, the admiralty is in disarray. Appoint a Grand Commander of the Navy and send them to destroy Heral." Merl adds with his calculated robotic voice. "I have made a list of 12 candidates that tick all the boxes for the role." Tya says, sliding over her dashboard. Gazing my eyes over to Farly. He merely sits, twiddling his thumbs. Vera, on the other hand, doesn''t move at all. Her face is locked on the empty chair across from her, and prickles of hair hang on her head. She seems to have forgotten to shave as per her order requirements. Issues among the commoners seem to have broken her. All my courtiers are sitting at this table attempting to advise, but Farly is the only one with the right idea. That''s because he can sense that I already know what I will do. There is no way they can convince me of anything. Thousands of Admirals stand at complete attention in perfect formation in the hanger below this room. They each have been waiting hours as the conversation of revenge against Heral and promotion has raged. Each admiral struggles to maintain posture under the constant stress of waiting. "I have decided. Let''s go address the admirals," I said while floating up from the chair. Farly instantly jumped out of his chair while the others stumbled, shocked and confused. Vera didn''t move. I move to the lookout room, which grants full access to the hangar with all the admirals. They are all wearing black shirts and pants with red lines. They are all accomplished leaders of ship formations. The lookout folds out slowly, creating a speaking platform with all courtiers, excluding Vera, by my side. "Admirals, thank you for being patient. We have come to a conclusion regarding who will be the next Grand Commander." A silent relief fills the floor as the admirals relieve their tension upon my words. "The admiral who brings me Heral''s head shall receive the role. Achieve this by any means nessisary." The room stands silent; I can sense my courtiers'' desire to grab me and scream but can''t due to fear. A tense staredown continues as the admirals hold positions only broken when one begins to move, slowly inching to the door. Opening it and then slipping past to get to their ship. Others break rank, dashing towards the door to get to their ships. The commotion becomes violent as admirals attack each other to get to their ships faster. Caroline shouts at soldiers to break it up as they run over, separating the admirals. I float towards the meeting room before leaving the courtiers on the out folded lookout speaking platform. Looking into the room, the first thing I notice is that Vera is gone. Eventually, Tya, Farly, Caroline, and Merl burst into the room. Tya and Merl simply give me a nod and leave the room to resume their duties. Caroline strolls while rubbing her head in complete shock. Farly, on the other hand, was talking over his intercom. "Aurel, the bottom level is experiencing a worker''s strike. Thousands of people are now refusing to work and protesting in the alleyways." Farly said, putting down the intercom. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. "Emperor! Are you serious? How are we going to contain that now? You just gave permission for our armies to leave this ship and kill one man. Not just a single fleet group but the entire armed forces. How do you expect us to control this ship without soldiers? The Royal Wind Guard are only 500-strong." Caroline says, slamming her hand against the desk, punching a hole right through the corner. "Caroline, don''t forget yourself. Our emperor is wise and all-knowing," Farly responds smugly. "You might have been, but your recent actions have started to make me question your leadership. Ever since you destroyed Thebes, you have not been the same. If you do not plan to solve this issue, I will call back my old legion to reinforce us." Says Caroline while pacing up and down. "Caroline, I am going to handle it. Do not speak out of line again, or I will not be able to promise you will keep this position," I said sternly. Caroline then walked out of the room, breathing heavily. "She''s got a point, you know? You know I will trust you indefinitely, but you have been acting weird." With Farly''s casual reassurance, I am able to release myself from my new imperial persona. My shoulders and legs drop into a chair like water in a flower pot. "Please tell me you have a greater plan here, and this isn''t the start of your crazy downfall?" "No, things have just been changing rapidly. It''s hard. I have to be evil to do good." "Look, Aurel, technically, you are my only parent. Since you crafted me in a lab with your blood and psychic energy, You can talk to me about this and share your burdens a little." "I suppose you are right," I say as we giggle together. "Look, as you know, I can see the future. I use this power to perfectly direct humanity towards a utopian life." "By being a tyrant?" "I know, the future is a weird concept. I can see what actions will lead to specific outcomes, but I cannot see how." "So do you plan out everything you do?" "No, because my plan is so grand, it doesn''t have issues with most things I do. It''s just the stuff that affects the sway of all humanity." "I mean that kind of makes sense. So what caused the sudden change?" "Caroline had it, Thebes. It turns out Vera has strong psychic energy, and it will help create a utopia." "I thought I had weird emotional spills with her? Is that what happened during the Solar Arrival Ritual?" "Yes, her anger and delight consumed me. I have been training to resist it." "That explains why she is not on the court, but what''s up with Caroline? When a Wind Guard Commander dies, you appoint within the Wing Guard, but she is a random choice. "The visions told me." "The visions told you?" Farly says while leaning up from his chair. "Yup!" I respond as we both begin to laugh hysterically, almost losing our breath. "Did you know that in the past thousand years of being around, this is probably the first time we have chatted like this? You know, with complete and utter honesty. We talk mentally and all occasionally, but that is mostly about all this work and stuff. All I am saying is that I am just sad it took us this long to speak properly without all the senses. As my creator, you really are the only one who knows what''s going on for me mentally and can relate." "You are completely right, I am sorry. You just have to understand, my upbringing was similar to yours. I was lab grown with psychic energy by a cult who wanted to use me as a messiah. Honestly the only difference between us is that your psychic energy is more diluted then mine since its just a chunk of me. I just don''t know how to actually be with people is all." "Me neither..." Farly said, followed by only the sound of air leaking through the vents. With everything I know that will happen, there is only one thing I can do to make this right. I stand up, and Farly knows precisely what I want due to our mental connection. We walk up to each other and embrace, holding each other tightly as tears slip from our eyes. I wish I could tell them everything. I wish I could say to them how they are going to have to die before all of this is over. Chapter 9: Rebellion The room begins to rattle and cling as the elevator reaches further into the core of the derelict planet. The riots have slowly been escalating, and with all the armies gone hunting a rogue governor, they have grown uncontrollable. Strikes are now full-blown resistance. Caroline has attempted to contain it to a single sector after she withdrew the 8th Drop Legion without my permission. I now need to include the situation myself, without empathy and remorse. An unexpected screech emanates above me as I slowly lose control of the ship''s controls. The lights flicker until they completely cut out, creating darkness that fills the room. They must have cut the power again, and I wish I could figure out how. I know this isn''t how I am meant to die; my visions never showed me this, and I have to escape. With my hands raised, I can feel the elevator''s electrical operating systems and metallic chassis surrounding me. Each inch of steel breathes to me as I slowly begin to apply pressure. Cracks slowly form, allowing light to creep in from the outside. An explosive energy bursts from inside me, throwing each of the walls away and smashing them outwards. An empty floor lies below as I fall slowly until I eventually catch myself. A yellow and orange hue glows underneath me. Without lights, that could only be one thing. I slowly descend as the hue turns into fire. Thousands of little flames shine bright, illuminating the millions of people underneath. These people are interlocked among the tight street blocks moving along these tiny grids. Around the edges of these crowds, a bright blue light flashes directly into the crowd, revealing the 8th Drop Legion in the darkness. They must have set up some backup batteries. It''s time to find Caroline. Psychically, I connect to all the Legionnaires, sensing their fear, emotions, thoughts, and much more. Mainly, I search their minds for where the forward base will be. I believe I have found it. There are many Wind Guards on a particular corner, which Carlonie probably surrounded herself with. Descending down suddenly behind the lines, I land among the shadows to not have been seen. Standing from behind, I can witness Caroline''s leadership''s organization; everybody is moving, and no one is standing still. Everyone wears a full uniform, but I can see many modifications and customizations, such as moving weapon holsters from hips to chest. Another factor in Caroline''s Legion is how active all the officers are. Squeezing through some debris, I approach the camp slowly. Ahead, I can see a small cover created by debris with Caroline underneath. Using my psychic powers, I push the guards away from noticing me as I approach the tent. Before I reached it, the Wind Guards around her suddenly turned around and saluted; they must have sensed me. "Emperor Aurel!" Caroline shouts, catching the attention of all the soldiers like a hook to a fish. Every duty was immediately stopped as the entire 8th Drop Legion froze and fell to their knees. "My power has seemed to have cut out." I smugly say. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. "Yes, the rebels did that, and we know how." "Care to share?" "Lets maybe go somewhere else." Caroline and I walk to an isolated tower along with the few Wind Guards by her. "Why are you even here, Aurel? Why did you even appoint me as head of your personal guard if you don''t even listen to my commands?" Caroline said with a determined anger expressed through her stern hand motions. The other Wind Guard wished to draw swords, but I held them mentally in place. "Your prowess was enough for me." I said while thinking of the real reason she is here and what she will soon achieve. "Now tell me what you intended to, Caroline." "The power is out because of Vera. She is working with these rebels, and apparently, she has been using her power and influence." It is revealed and begun. "Why have we not destroyed them yet?" I ask, knowing Caroline would never order mass violence. "I want to try non-lethal means first." "We have waited too long, Caroline, and you even ordered the 8th Legion here against my orders. Things will now be in my hands." Caroline nods in defeat. "All forces, engage." Caroline says on her radio. Immediately, the cackles of gunfire and death can be heard. I leave the room and immediately start to fly once more. Flashes let off as the crowds descend on the soldiers'' lines. Wind Guards are cutting through with blades in hand, tearing a hole into the middle of the crowd. The battle rages until the people are surrounded in the middle of a capital building. Caroline, in the front of the building, signals me down. Floating down, I land right next to her, seeing Vera cuffed. None of the soldiers looked pleased, and some were also put into cuffs. Vera''s hair was now longer, and the boldness was gone. Her face has aged rapidly since I last saw her. "Here comes the false God Aurel." "So you turned traitor?" "No, you turned traitor from your people!" "You think so do you?" Vera''s eyes fill with anger as fire takes her over. I look towards the house that hosts the rest of the rebels. Putting my hand out, I grab it psychically. Vera and Caroline screamed for me to stop as the building began to crack, shudder, and eventually crushed. Thousands of screams let out, then suddenly ended as quickly as they started. All faces are filled with grief from the tragedy that occurred. "Take her away, I will deal with her later." The guards carry off Vera as I look around at the total destruction this battle caused. Bodies lay across the floor as blood flowed in the streets like a river. It''s time for me to leave. At least I know everything is about to end. I float away back to my room, it is probably time to talk to Rye once more. Chapter 10: Second Conscious The lights keep flickering on and off as Caroline tries to fix the power. I try to focus on meditating, but the flickering distracts me. The tension along my body feels like a rope being twisted further inward. Looking inward, I slowly unwrap it by forcing this tension down my body. Turning my stomach when it passes and then instantly offering relief, my legs become squished and then relieved when it passes all until it oozes out of my toes. My body is now ready, but a fog still covers my mind. This fog is my fear; I am scared to die and let go. I hate what actions have led me here. Farly made me think when they said we never truly had a life. The thing is, did I have a choice? I probably did. I had seen paths where Vera and I became friends as she used her emotional and psychic powers to temper my powers as we ruled over humanity more justly and equally. Well, at least we tried; humanity was stuck in a cycle of oppression and inequality. I don''t have a choice; this is the only way, and I must continue down it, or all those I have killed, all those who suffered will be for nothing. The fog of my mind empties and fades, and I can finally accept my fate. Even the flickering lights don''t distract me anymore as my room begins to fall away. Trees and mountains rise in their place, filling the area once more. Standing up, I see the entrance to this area being filled with people once again. "Aurel, you grace us with your presence once again," I hear being said from behind me. Flicking around, I see Rye standing there looking the same as ever. "I was worried I would never see you again after our last meeting," He added. "You got lucky plans changed," I said, happier than ever. "So, why are the new people here?" "Long story," "I bet, what is that a million people?" "I had to destroy a rebellion to make people hate me." "So that you can make the universe a paradise?" "Exactly!" Rye and I begin to laugh at our little exchange, but slowly, it fades as we realize the dark trauma behind what is happening. "So, how is this mystical woman going?" Rye ask. "Her name is Vera; she currently hates me and will likely kill me in the next few days." "That sounds like your relationship with Lauri honestly." Lauri was from before I was an emperor and just a revolutionary. We were in love. Fighting side by side and seeing our friends die brought us together. Once my prescient power expanded, our passion became distant as I focussed more on grander ideas humans couldn''t understand. Eventually, during the last battle right after Rye''s death, I ascended the throne, causing Lauri to hate me and continue the rebellion against me. Later, she died in a battle with one of my legions. I tried inviting her to my realm, but she has resisted for all these years. Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. "Difference is I didn''t want her to hate me." "Once she kills you, what''s going to happen here, is my existence going to be over again?" "I will be honest, Rye, I have no idea. I am hoping that you guys will stay here forever." "But I might also die?" "Yeah..." We looked at each other silently as the magnitude weighed on us. Rye''s famous smile was gone, and his eyes looked down towards his feet. "Do you know what it feels like to die?" Rye says while bringing his eyes up to me. "I sensed the pain people have felt and the fear before it... but I have never felt what death is exactly." "Well, obviously, I have. Do you want me to tell you?" I didn''t respond; I stared at Rye and his blank, blinkless eyes. "There isn''t a specific feeling. It is mainly fear and pain, as you saw for yourself, but you never feel the finality. I am sure if you did, you couldn''t have killed this many people, even if your dream was terrific. In fact, come with me. I want to show you something." Rye turns around, leading me toward a mountain. In the mountain, there is a staircase that leads between the gaps. It''s made from the mountain''s stone. Up, up, and up it goes until at the top is a flat surface that looks directly over the entire valley where all my victims lay. "Imagine killing people, killing this many people if you could feel the finality they felt. Even you wouldn''t be able to do it." I look over the edge to see almost a trillion people in my valley, a valley I have not seen from this angle to see the sheer size it has grown. "If you really are going to die, you will feel that finality, and you are going to have to know you made that feeling for all these people. I honestly just wanted to let you know, you will have to be ready for it." "Why are you telling me this, Rye? Are you worried I am not ready for this?" "I think you have prepared yourself. I know you, and I couldn''t see you not being prepared, but I hope you understand your paradise''s cost. Can you guarantee that this is all going to be worth it?" "I don''t see specifics; I don''t know how this will happen and what paradise is. I just know this will be some sort of utopia where all humans are equal." "I trust you Aurel, make it worth it please." Rye says while we both look over the edge. We leave the mountaintop and slowly head down the steps. Moving down one by one. "To brighten the mood before your potential death," Rye says as his smile slowly clammers back onto his face. "What would you have done if you didn''t become emperor?" "Well, I would have probably lived in the real version of this valley. My visions showed me a future before I became emperor, where I live here off the land using my powers. It''s where I got the idea from to make it. "What were you doing here? Farming!" Rye said while chuckling. "Yes, actually, it''s me and a few people. Picking wheat and growing fruit is my happy place, I suppose." "That will be the day! The serious and melancholic Aurel becomes a farmer and not an intergalactic deity." Rye replies as we both chuckle at the bottom of the stairs. We continued to talk about this future I once saw. I showed him where things were, such as my house and the plants, which greatly amused Rye. We finished the tour when I started to feel my mind strain. "Rye, I have to go now," I say, Rye''s smile slowly turning back to sadness. He didn''t say a word and just leaned in, embracing me. We held each other for what felt like an eternity. Pulling away, my consciousness begins to fade as I hear Rye''s final words: "I love you, brother." My room is now fully back as I am once again feeling lethargic and drained but now with confidence in my oncoming death.