Thrones

Rosen... this bastard was smart, maybe too smart.

I doubted he knew that it was me sitting on that throne, but even he must recognize that it wasn't just some coincidence. The offer I'd made was likely too grand for him to ever hope of refusing.

Rosen summoned his card and tapped it against mine. "Well now, you two seem to have ambition. What changed?"

I sat back down, crossed my legs, and rested my head on my hand, allowing a sly smile to cross my lips. "I have... seen something."

His eyes went blank for a moment, and in that instant, he smiled.

"Good. Now tell me, what do you wish to do once you live?" Rosen asked, fixing his gaze on me with a steady intensity.

"I wish for the entire world to live alongside me. I wish to bring life to this realm... in this world of death."

Rosen chuckled softly under his breath and stood up.

"I'll start with the formalities immediately, but know this, Caelum: you hold a seat of power that no one else does. I now don you... The King in the Dark."

***

I reached out and grabbed Aubrey's hand, helping her down as I released a breath.

Before us loomed a grand castle, its deep black bricks intertwined with vibrant blue tapestries fluttering in the wind.

This imposing fortress whispered of ancient power and ambition.

Against the twilight sky, the castle's spires reached upward like fingers grasping at the fading light.

The arched windows, framed by intricate stone carvings, glimmered with a warm golden hue, reflecting the torches' flickering flames lining the outer walls

As we approached the heavy wooden doors adorned with gilded accents, they creaked open, revealing a vast hall filled with flickering candlelight and the rich scent of polished wood mingling with aged tapestries.

Inside, our footsteps echoed against the polished marble floor, flanked by towering columns that stood like ancient sentinels.

A grand staircase spiraled upward at the far end, leading to chambers that promised secrets and power yet to be uncovered.

I led Aubrey deeper into the hall, her eyes wide with wonder. The air buzzed with anticipation.

"Where should we start?" she asked, glancing around.

I nodded toward a pair of doors on the left. "Let's see what lies beyond there."

After one last look at the hall, I made my way to my room. There, the familiar wooden chair and desk awaited me, just as I had requested upon arriving in this world.

I sat at the desk, my body folding into the chair as I leaned back.

Staring at the ceiling, its dark wooden beams looked back at me.

This was only the beginning; now that I had become someone capable of making a stand in the political world, I would start to cultivate those who would stand with me.

Gazing at my floating card, I focused on the rose-colored pupil and entered the King's Garden once more.

Inside, I walked over to the mirror and sat down, the surface gleaming blissfully.

Finally, I mustered the courage to ask the question that had haunted me since I realized the true nature of this card.

"Who will be the first to try and stop my plans of living?"

Runic text formed in the mirror.

[The first to stop you is Nucun, the King of Dankel.]

Dankel. That was a nation to the north, significantly larger and home to an impressive army.

Gladia could be dealt with, but if Nucun was the first to impede my progress, when would this confrontation take place?

Of course, I could ask the mirror that, but it would likely crack under the pressure of such a question. The last fracture had yet to heal completely.

I figured I should ask the next best question, even if it might risk the mirror's integrity.

"How do I grow in power—enough power to rival his kingdom... alone?"

[You seek power; lest the pain awaits. You grow into a bird and a father, yet you shall never bear the weight of which follows after—dead, lost, gone, forgotten, corrupt. You will perish and shatter, and in the end, once you gain the power to rival a nation, you will cry.]

The mirror shook violently, and the entire garden shattered. The last image I saw was a large fragment of the mirror flying away.

Was that truly such a terrifying question? Perhaps it was the strength of the beings in that kingdom that provoked such a response, but even that didn't make sense. What would warrant such a reaction?

Well, it didn't truly matter now; the message was almost clear as day.

I needed to rise above the confines that held me down. I must become both the father of power and a bird unbound by limitations.

And with that, I would become a painful stub in the world's grand arc.

Closing my eyes, I envisioned the place beyond, and suddenly I found myself back at the Chess Board.

Waving my hands over the countless thrones, I summoned them all.

Mist swirled around me and the others as each throne filled one after the other.

Assuming my pose, I crossed my legs and rested my head on my hand. Then I spoke.

"It seems everyone made it. Wonderful. Now that you've all had time to process the situation, I shall give you a chance to answer."

The Crying Boy raised his hand, his expression a blend of trepidation and hope. I nodded at him.

"You must mean the answer to the riddle you gave us, right? Well, I think it's—"

"Not that answer; it shall remain a whispered secret in your hearts. I mean an answer to my words. Do you think I possess the power to cultivate you all?"

He fell silent, but not for long. Another voice broke through the tension—a voice high yet commanding, like a soldier who had only just learned to wield his blade.

"You must be a Saint-class being or higher, correct?"

The Tainted Knowledge leaned forward, his throne wrought from countless blades, each one gleaming with the blood of countless battles.

It was a chilling sight, one that sent a shiver through the assembly.

"He who bears a Throne of Blades, I give you the name: Blade Kid."

"To answer your most humble question...no." I said calmly.

The murmurs rippled through the gathered souls. Power classifications loomed over us like dark clouds.

My own title, bestowed by the card that marked my existence, whispered its truth to me.

"No, I am not a Saint. I am Regenesis."

My words hung in the air, laden with an unsettling gravity. Titles could be anything, yet most were variations of Saint or God.

When I asked the mirror, it merely spoke of me as Regenesis—a name both profound and foreboding.

"Tell me, Blade Kid," I continued, a smile curling on my lips, "do you wish for me to cultivate your potential?"

He tilted his head, confusion clouding his features. Before he could form a response, a voice from my right cut through the thickening mist.

"Mr. Seeker, what do you mean by cultivate?"

She regarded me with a curious gaze, the flames of her throne casting flickering shadows across her delicate features.

Her seat was a stunning concoction of glass and sand, yet even beauty bore its dangers.

"You who sit upon the Throne of Glass, are given the name Shattered Heart."

"To answer your question, I wish for you all to grow into beings unrivaled in power and status. No others who sit atop thrones should ever dare to challenge you."

From beside her, another voice emerged, distorted by the chaotic energy of his throne—a tempest of lightning and shadow that revealed flickering visions of this very place, like a fleeting oracle.

"I do not wish to be a pawn in your pitiful games."

I fixed him with a measured gaze, my smile deepening, the mist swirling just enough to reveal my teeth.

"A pawn...yes. But you who sits on a Throne of Possibilities, I bestow upon you the name: The Pawn of Fate."

"But I am not Fate; I merely seek to shatter it."

His voice trembled slightly, the weight of my words unsettling him. "And what do you gain from cultivating us...from allowing this world to persist alongside you?"

"Hmm, do all of you share the same ignorance?"

As I scanned the thrones, a collective nod rippled through the assembly.

"I wish to cultivate this group into beings who rule. And in their rule, I wish to leave... I want to live, and live I shall. But in my life, I do not wish to let this world end. I do not wish for this world to die."

Tainted Knowledge's voice rang out, beautiful yet haunting, almost making me forget she was Aubrey. "And what do you mean by live?"

A hard question, one I grappled with even in my own mind. Could I express it? No, I doubted it.

So instead, I chose to envelop my words in an air of knowing, to mask the uncertainty that brewed beneath the surface.

"Live... I wish to live. But saying that makes it hard to grasp."

I unfolded my legs and lifted my head, then stepped forward, my movement deliberate.

The force of the room nearly pushed me back down, but I managed to appear graceful and confident, standing tall.

Approaching Tainted Knowledge, I lifted her chin with my hand.

"All of you desire to understand what it means to live, correct? Then tell me—if each and every one of you can stand at this very moment, I will share my truth."

I held her chin, her eyes meeting mine, yet she hesitated before slamming back into her throne. I returned to my place, tilting my head in contemplation.

"No takers?"

I watched, a faint smirk creeping onto my lips, as each figure made a valiant effort to rise yet fell short, shackled by the weight of their own thrones.

That is the one perk I enjoy about this place. Although I created it, I was still bound by its rules—yet not as tightly as they were.

"Good. Now let us get down to business. I'm going to tell you all what to do next, starting with you, Crying Boy."