Royalty to Trash

Vulen sat, constrained by blood-stained, rusted contraptions strapped to his limbs in a room without the slightest bit of sunlight. The pungent smell of piss, shit, and puke permeated throughout the confined space with the only sound being the water leaks and the rats nibbling at his exposed flesh.

The torture was unbearable. His fingers were bent in every direction. All of his fingers and toenails were plucked out at the root. His face had become unrecognizable from the brass knuckles Noah loved to use on him. His body was full of lashes and scars. His once long, luscious, and shiny silver hair had become dull with large patches missing from his scalp due to the sheer amount of poison injected into his body. His once handsome cheekbones and eyes were sunken. He'd lost all of the gains that he worked so far and it only looked worse as he grew during his time caught.

Vulen was abandoned three weeks ago. His pulse had become so faint that Noah had freaked out. He thought that he'd killed him! Maurice had strictly forbidden it and they knew the consequences of their mistakes were something worse than death. The pair skipped town immediately, ceasing all communication with Maurice.

Vulen had thought he had died too. It was weeks ago when he'd finally given up. The various poisons Noah used destroyed his core and infected his mana veins. He had so many heart attacks. He could feel his organs burning and dying on him, one by one and he let go, hoping death was better than the pain he'd suffered so far. To him, his prayers were answered.

Vulen thought he was reincarnated. In his vision, he could see two red elves, just like himself. The man looked like an older version of him, but both the man and woman were a lot taller than the average elf, only being a few inches shorter than the average orc. They were built bulkier also. The male elf Callon had compact inflexible abdominal muscles, his chest muscle was like bricks and his shoulder stretched his tunic to its limits. The woman, slender and elegant. Her silver cut into a bob that went well with her round face and button nose. Eowyn's physique was riddled with tone muscle, but it didn't take away from her feminine curvature.

Vulen was a baby in these visions by the name of Naralis. His parents were the strongest in the continent until he came. An old elven seer had a premonition about Naralis after he was born.

' Born from some of the strongest beings on the planet of Adoni, the fourth born son, Naralis, god of death. The next Inheritor of the throne.'

He'd heard his parents say that hundreds of times since that day and, the continent of Yuqen was plunged into complete chaos soon after. Enemies in the shadows, strong enemies from other countries, and even their own children decided Callon's rule had to come to an end. Callon and his son Callum never saw eye to eye. He knew his son was a traitorous bastard under the influence of the daughter from a supposed neutral royal family who wanted Callum to be the next ruler. Callon ruled with an oppressive iron fist. His strength was unparalleled on the battlefield and his ability to control blood had made him a foe no one wanted to face or oppose. But everyone knew he wasn't even the strongest in his family.

Eowyn's powers were rooted in the sun and moon. She could control the light and heat that came from the sun while the moon granted her the ability to control gravity. Together, they were enough to topple whole countries with ease, but all of their enemies banding together was something they weren't going to survive. In fact, they knew they had been poisoned by their servants. The same poison that killed Callon's father decades ago after thousands of years of living. The only reason why his father survived so long was that his power was rooted in death, extending his life and delaying his death. They had a choice to make.

" Are the preparations done?" Eowyn held Naralis deep in her bosom. Inhaling his scent as much as she could.

Callom grabbed his long sword off the wall and unsheathe the blade. The sword was surrounded by a dark red aura. The blade's runes flashed red as if it was alive. Almost like it had a heartbeat. He sheathed his blade and turned to his wife.

" I cleared the rift and only left one monster so it wouldn't close. Planet Agrar isn't nearly as dangerous as ours. There's an elven tribe in the woods far away from the rift. I shifted into a woman of their tribe and they couldn't tell the difference so we can send him there, but there are no celestial elves from what I've seen. Our family is the only celestial elves on this planet and our son will suffer the same fate. We need to place a seal on his magic that'll only break with training, with time, or if the time calls for it. If they don't kill him for being different, they will definitely kill him for being stronger than their chief at one year old."

He approached his baby boy and looked at him with love. " My son. I love you so dearly. You are destined to be a ruler. Don't let others clip your wings. Your mother and I tried our best to protect you, but our karma has finally caught up to us. In your new home, you'll be the king of elves in due time. "

Callom placed his thumb on the center of Naralis' forehead and a warmth spread through the baby's body. The markings on his body retracted from covering and connecting through his entire body to small markings, spotted in different parts. No longer whole.

Eowyn turned the baby towards her. Tears fell on Naralis's face, causing him to wail.

" Mommy loves you, baby." She tried to say more but choked on her words. " Please stay safe, mommy and daddy will always watch over you."

The crying face of Eowyn is the last thing Vulen saw before the vision started over again.

The school was in a frenzy.No one understood why everyone was up in arms over a commoner ending up missing. Edward used his family name, which he rarely used unless it was important. The school had no choice, but to answer his request. He'd begged his brother to tell where Vulen was, but Maurice had insinuated that he was too late. Edward was surprised to see the regret on his brother's face. Something had to happen that wasn't meant to, but he had faith in Vulen. The boy strong enough to face a nine-core mana user with no hesitation wouldn't die easily.

Eburhardt knew exactly where Vulen was. He had sensed Vulen being watched very early on. If Vulen survived this, it would make him stronger, but what he witnessed made his stomach turn a little. Eburhardt gave the school a tip and they arrived at the abandoned building.

The smell of rotten flesh and death was suffocating. Edward could tell this was Vulen's blood. As they searched the building, they finally came across the gut-wrenching scene. Vulen looked like a corpse. Edward tried his best to keep his emotions in check and his hope high.

" Healers! We need you in here!" someone yelled. People entered the room, barely holding back the urge to puke. Blood. So much blood and no one could hear a heartbeat. Edward could no longer bear it. Tears stained the floor below his feet. The female human healer cleared the rats, rodents, and parasites from Vulen's flesh. Her hand made its way to his heart, where it stayed, awaiting a heartbeat. Her face turned to Edwards and shook her head.

Rage. Anger. Pain. Sadness. These emotions washed over him. He'd just gotten an innocent person killed, but he couldn't believe Vulen was dead. And a thought popped up in his mind.

' You said that they can't kill me which means the worst they can do is torture me. I'll be fine Edward. If things get too bad, just leave me in the sun.'

" Bring him outside!" Everyone's attention diverted to the sound of the outburst. Edward was almost out of breath at the thought. A slither of hope that his friend would come back. The green-haired healer cocked her brow. " I'm not sure if bringing him outside will do anything. He's dea-"

And she felt it. So weak. So soft. A heartbeat.

" He's.. he is alive." Gasps echoed off the moldy walls. " Bring him outside now before it's too late! He heals better in the sun. This is an order from the Sullivan family. Do it now!"

Slowly, the party delicately removed Vulen's body from the straps and then the seat. They lifted him as if he weighed nothing. His body looked malnutrition.

They made their way outside and placed Vulen's body on the cleanest part of the ground. Edward paced back and forth, biting his nails. Eburhardt stood off to the side, waiting to see everyone surprised faces.

" Look, Edward, your friend is gone. I suggest we prepare his body for his people before we disrespect the dead any further." An elf teacher stood in front of Edward with both hands on his shoulders.

" I suggest you two stop kissing a look at the bullshit that's happening." Eburhardt stood tall, arms folded with his eyes never leaving Vulen. And then everyone could feel it. A large amount of warm mana making its way toward them. Their eyes widen in disbelief. Golden light bathed Vulen's body in mana. His bones cracked and creaked back in place. His cuts and bruises began to close gradually and his sunken face began to fill.