Prologue: Inconceivable death

The orangish yellow glow of the setting sun reflected in his amber eyes. An uneasy scowl dominated his kind features. He let out a heavy sigh as he paced around in the huge hall, his footsteps booming against the marble floor. The walls were gold and sill length bright red drapes covered the large windows. Gold chandeliers hung from the high ceiling of the Hall. Everything around him screamed royalty. He was the king after all and the pressure of being one was slowly weighing on him like a phantom weight on his chest that he couldn't shake off. It was eating away at his heart.

The crown on his head felt heavier. His kingdom was in a chaos, his people distressed. He didn't know the answers to questions people asked him. He didn't know the answers he was supposed to know. He was the king. He rubbed his jaw, once, twice. His eyelids were slightly raised, worried eyes. Anxiety was obvious in his features.

Another pair of footsteps resounded in the hall. The King halted. He raised his bowed head to glance at the comer. A middle aged woman in a ivory silk gown walked towards him, with rushed steps, on the long red carpet. She stopped a few steps away from him and bowed. Her strawberry blonde hair were tied up in a tight bun and decorated with various shiny gemstones.

"Cynthia Lavender."

She raised her eyes to look at him when the king acknowledged her. Two almond shaped, penetrating bright blue eyes met the king's amber ones. Her eyebrows were knitted together and pink lips down turned.

"My king, I have come to inform you with important information." Said Cynthia, huffing as if she'd been running a marathon. Her voice quavered which caused the king's chest to tighten. Things were already messy enough and Cynthia's expression indicated that she hadn't arrived with any happy news. The king pressed his lips together, gulped, then spoke.

"Yes, Cynthia?" He asked, trying to keep his voice sound patient but there was a edge to it that Cynthia never failed to notice.

"I know you are already stressed enough, my king. I would never want to add more worries to your mind but you need to know this, it's important." Said Cynthia while staring at the ground as if she was guilty for bringing bad news.

"I am perfectly fine, Cynthia. What news have you brought me?" The king asked, trying his best to keep up the strong facade.

"Really, really bad news, my lord." Cynthia's voice was shaky and she looked like she would burst into tears at any moment. The king inhaled a sharp breath. His heart pounded against his ribcage.

"What is the matter?" He urged her, his eyes focussed on Cynthia's watery ones.

"Heaven forbid me to speak, my lord. Austin White, he's dead."

A silence like the one that follows after telling a bad joke that nobody laughs at surrounded the room. The room was silent but all the king could hear was how loud the voices in his head were. He felt a throbbing pain behind his eyes. Austin White was dead? He stared at the woman before him as if she'd gone bonkers. He furrowed his eyebrows when Cynthia started sobbing.

"Austin White is dead? Rubbish!" He boomed.

"It is the truth, my lord." Cynthia stammered out, shaking her head a little.

"How did this happen? Tell me the details." He asked, his eyes wide in disbelief.

"There was an accident. Some arsonist set a building on fire. The firefighters couldn't reach them in time. Not just them, hundreds of humans died, my lord." Cynthia explained with her eyes squeezed shut as if it was too painful for her to speak.

"So you're telling me that the great Austin White died in a fire? The legacy hero died in a simple fire? Do not talk such eyewash before me, Cynthia. That's impossible!" The king bellowed, furious eyes glaring at the sky outside. He was facing the window now, his back turned to Cynthia.

She wanted to say something but closed her mouth as soon as she opened it. She stayed silent for a moment, thinking and giving the king the time to process the tragedy. She heard him sigh loudly then rub his temples. He turned his head to glance at Cynthia whose eyes seemed disappointed.

"It's only possible that he died in a fire because..." Cynthia started, hesitancy lacing her quiet voice but she didn't finish the sentence.

"Because?" The King questioned but the look in his eyes told Cynthia that he already knew what she was about to say. She decided to say it anyway.

"He didn't use his powers." She whispered, looking away.

"I see, he chose to stay stubborn till death. How shameful." Snickered the king with clinkered eyes and shaking his head.

"He chose death over using the Izzeckian powers, my lord. I think there's nothing more shameful than that for us."

She bowed shortly after and left, leaving the king alone to drown in the madness of his unforgivable mistakes.

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A/N: IT HAS BEGUN EVERYONE! :>

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Take care everyone! Xoxo.

- Miracle ♡