Chapter 77: Breaking Chains: Forging Chaos [I]
"Patriarch! Patriarch!" A shriek echoed out in the Graeogor family residence as a guard wearing basic armour engraved with the family’s crest rushed up to a white-haired man. A furrow stretched across the man’s face as he was deeply engrossed in reading a scripture. His face turned up, the furrow morphing into a frown before he cursed.
"Argh, dammit! How many times must I tell you not to yell when reporting news? I can hear you just fine when you speak normally!" Artorias groaned, his fingers curling into fists as he suppressed the rage stirring inside.
"Forgive me, my lord!" the guard sputtered, bowing low under the weight of his irritation before blurting, "It’s just that...the young master...Aurelian...he’s back!"
"About damned time," Artorias muttered, his face lighting up, the scowl fading.
"Where was he again?" Artorias growled, regaining composure, then snapped his fingers mid-thought. "Never mind. Where is he now?"
"He’s...back in his chambers," the guard stammered, twirling his fingers nervously, sweat rolling down his face as he prepared to deliver the rest of the news, only to be cut off.
"Well, what are you still standing here for?! Out of my way, I have a family to run," the patriarch snapped, eyes blazing.
"Uh...there’s more, Patriarch," the guard croaked, freezing Artorias in place. A bad feeling clawing at his gut.
"What is it? Spit it out already!"
Caving under the pressure, the guard braced himself before muttering, "The young master is packing up his belongings...he wants to leave the Graeogor residence. For good."
"Huh?" Artorias blinked, the words sinking in slow. Then he snapped. "Why in the Arcadian hell didn’t you start with that?!" His aura burst out, slamming into the guard, crushing him to the ground.
A moment later, Artorias’ figure blinked out of the chamber, leaving the guard trembling behind, drenched in sweat, a single thought cycling at the back of his mind:
He had to stop this. He couldn’t let it happen. Not now. Not ever.
***
Elsewhere, in another chamber of the Graeogor family residence, two figures came to light: one draped in the family elder’s garb, the other a young girl in an intricately woven white robe.
The elderly figure finally broke the silence, his gruff voice radiating across the room.
"Is it done?"
"It’s more than done," the white-robed girl snickered, her eyes snapping open. The dark void burning within them faded, replaced with an icy-cold blue hue as she murmured under her breath. "I have fully acclimated with my power!" As the words slipped out, a whiff of her breath scattered, freezing the room around her. Flakes of frost spread in a beautiful display of power.
"I have finally ascended to the peak of F-rank!" Aurora breathed, her voice laced with pride as she felt the raw power humming deep within her. This... this was just the beginning!
"Great timing," Elder Varn sputtered, a crooked grin hanging across his lips. "I just thought I should let you know Aurelian has returned."
"Good, good," Aurora said, her face scrunching up as a whisper escaped her lips. The blue hue colouring her eyes deepened.
"Today, he will have a taste of the humiliation he once made me endure," she snapped, an evil smirk across her face as she made her way out of the room. It was time to repay old debts.
***
"Hmm, that’s about it," Aurelian hummed in thought, tossing all his robes into his interdimensional storage ring before casting one last look at the room, a sigh escaping his lips.
"You really didn’t have a hidden treasure trove?" Sure, he had a bit of gold stocked in his ring, but having more never hurt. Damned shame the concept of saving didn’t exist in the mind of the previous host.
Snapping out of his thoughts, he made his way forward. It was about time he lived up to the vow he made once he awakened that stupid F-rank talent. Power before family. It was time to forge his own legacy.
Just as he was spiraling deeper into thought, a soft voice cut through. "Aurelian?"
Yanked back to reality, he lifted his head, a smile stretching across his face as he saw the figure.
"Amber! Just the girl I was looking for," Aurelian breathed, his eyes resting on the brightly coloured-haired girl before him. She was draped in a simple grey robe that softly highlighted the curves beneath. Her dark eyes locked with his swirling vortex of crimson and abyssal light before she froze in place.
Finding her voice a few seconds later, she instinctively muttered, "Your eyes... your face... they’ve changed... you’ve grown more handsome." She blurted it out before a crimson shade ignited across her face as she caught her words.
Still shy? Aurelian mused, his smirk deepening. He also noted, oddly, her friends from back in the dungeon were standing behind her, following as if she were their leader or something.
"Huh? Wait, you were—?" Amber blurted, clarity settling back in her eyes. Her gaze darted nervously to the side, her heart thudding softly in her chest.
The fact that he had even remembered her name was already touching, but now that he was looking for her... that was beyond her wildest imagination.
Streams of questions flooded her mind, her face tinging redder with each one.
"Cute," Aurelian nodded before continuing. "I want you to follow me, out of the Graeogor family residence, and start a new life—one ingrained in chaos and domination. In return... I’ll grant you power. Power far beyond your imagination."
"Huh?" Amber blinked rapidly, her ears twitching. "No... this... can’t be right... I must be hearing things." This was just too good to be true. Just staying by his side was a dream come true, as for power? His presence alone reeked of it.
Shifting her head, her eyes once more locked into his, hope welling deep inside her, before she uttered, "Really?" Her eyes widened.
"Yes," Aurelian breathed, reassuring her. "Of course, you might want to think long and hard—"
"Yes... I want to be with you!!!" she squealed excitedly, springing at him. Her hands clutched him tightly, holding him in her embrace. "I want to be by your side. Don’t leave me..." she murmured, her feelings overwhelming her.
Then, suddenly letting go, embarrassment colouring her face. "Uh, I didn’t mean—" she stammered.
"You silly little girl," Aurelian breathed, holding her close again before whispering, "it’s okay."
A few moments passed before she let go, flicking her forehead before sputtering excitedly. "These are my friends. They’ll be coming with us..." she muttered spiritedly, gesturing to the girls who had been standing awkwardly at the side.
"What about you?" Aurelian asked, shifting his gaze to them.
"When you said leave the Graeogor family... did you mean sever our bonds with them?" one of the girls, sporting short black hair framing a pair of clear brown eyes, squeaked.
"Pretty much, yes," Aurelian nodded, amusedly.
"Huh?" A few gasps of shock rippled out as they turned to him, looking at him in a new light.
And he could understand a part of their thought process. Talents were undeniably a huge influence in the path to power—but so were resources. One might even say that without adequate resources, talent was useless. But for an anomaly such as him, that was an entirely different case.
Hence, when they uttered their answers, he wasn’t exactly surprised.
"I... I don’t want to leave."
"Me too."
The Graeogor family offered a layer of protection, and leaving everything behind to risk it all on one figure wasn’t exactly enticing.
"But... we... promised," Amber muttered, disappointment clouding her eyes.
"We’re sorry."
"Hmm. What about you? Do you still want to stay now?" Aurelian asked, eyeing Amber curiously.
"No... I want to stay by your side," Amber blurted, closing the distance as if afraid he would leave her behind.
"Good, let’s go then," Aurelian breathed, just about to savour the moment before a sudden yell in the distance drew his attention.
***
"AURELIAN, YOU COWARDLY BASTARD, GET OUT HERE THIS INSTANT! YOU THINK YOU CAN DISHONOR THE SILVERMOON FAMILY AND GET AWAY WITH IT???"
***
"Argh...fuck, what is it this time?" Aurelian muttered, his figure flickering toward the commotion, Amber trailing behind.