CHAPTER#8

After repeated lives, both I and lucifer learned many things. We can't die unless the story is completed, nor can we kill the original protagonists of this world who are my parents, my sibling, and her future husband. But we can change the ending by changing things little by little. Like saving someone who's about to die, some from their suffering, and letting them have another option.

While lost in thought on how to go on about the future. Lucifer turns towards Sebastian and tells him to prepare for the ritual.

"Grand prince, you know that My Lord's body isn't ready for it."

That's where you are wrong the sooner the ritual is done the better it's wrong to wait till adulthood to do the ritual.

But My Lord, not a single person survived the ritual at your age. 

Don't worry we have our way to make it succeed. Tell the ruler I want to do the ritual as soon as possible. And also tell him I wish to take charge of Grand Prince from now on so he doesn't have to bother.

Remove all the maids from the grand prince's palace and move his stuff to my palace. He shall live with me from now.

"Yes, My Lord."

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Whispers travels and the ruler turns his head. 

"Quite!!"

The whole conference room goes quite and a man steps out of the shadows. "Sire the heir wishes to go through the ritual. Also he took the grand prince under his wings."

Taps, taps, fingers taping could be heard while the ruler thought and taped at the arm set.

"Okay!" Do as he says.

He should know the price of making my child cry. The ritual will be held in public. Invite all of nobles from the empire to witness his ritual. If he fails then let it be a lesson. 

A calm voice rings through the hall. Nobels sitting there witness the indifference of the king to the heir. But they don't do a thing. Most of them wish he was dead. But if he died everyone will die. As told by the prophecy from long ago.

"Yes My Lord! I shall convey the message and prepare for the ritual." 

"Also call in the pope. He should be present on such joyous occasion."

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My Lord! The king has ordered a public ritual. And ordered for the pope to be present.

Hahahahah!!

Hollow laughter rings in the room. He never changes. Its good he made it public. According to laws of this empire an Heir has the same authority as the ruler. So after the ritual is done I will the official heir. Correct! Sebastian.

"That is true. But there has never been such a young heir. My lord."

Don't worry Lucifer would take care of it. You just have to prepare for the ritual. Make it grand so no one is left out. Also prepare for the journey we have to go on as soon as the ritual is done. We shall leave this place in a day or two at most.

After consulting with the pope a day was decided on the day of full moon. A day if the ritual done its most excruciating then any.

Shakes head.

He really is cruel yet his cruelty is only directed at me and never tends to change.

Day of ritual. My Lord you have to get up. 

"What time is it? Just an hour before dawn." Sire.

"Bring in the cloths. I will get ready. Also bring in some food that could last me for the day."

"But sire its against custom to eat before ritual."

"Don't ask just bring it. I need the energy I can get to survive this day."

The alter is beautifully decorated, the place where the ritual will take place. An alter consisting of one large circle, sunken deep where the person whose performing the ritual will stand. Concentrated with 12 middle size circles, consisting of royals and highest nobles of the empire plus the pope. then circles for the lower nobles. and finally the outer ring for the civilians. All connecting to the center circle with thin line interwind with ancient letters and ruins, whose meaning no one knows except for those who study it. But still little is known about this magic.

Except for me since I know that its the language of another world. 

For you who shall rule this land. Prove your worth. Prove your faith and judgment.

Are you worthy of wearing the weight of this world, your choices and the consequences.

Prove to them your worth there allegiance.

Wearing a thin silken robe. Stepped into the central circle. And start to chant the rhymes and hymens needed for the ritual. This ritual I am going to do will be different from the one you do. It will be the true ritual that got lost in time.

Bells start ringing, with end blowing away and the weather shifts from sunny to cloudy, cloudy to sunny.

I shall prove my worth, and you know it better then anyone else how I would do so. Since it has been a promise made between you and me.

Agreed. A heavenly voice was heard you can never distinguish where it came from. More like it came from everywhere and no where. 

Stick your palms out. Shouts for everyone to do so. As soon as everyone palms are out. a cut is made from golden winds as they are told by the heavenly voice to chant. Blood drips down from everyone hands and starts pooling in the center, submerging until nothing is left of to be seen. 

After a while the temperature drops to freezing, solidifying the blood. The the temperature turns high as if to melt everything and burns the solid blood, which in turn is swallowed by the ground. 

From start to end we have seen all elements present themselves. Is the heir going to be an all rounder. This has never happened since the founding of empire. Even the earliest emperor had 3 elements. The hardened earth is stuck by lightening. As the sky darkens, rains falls on the scorched mass in the center. At one point the sky blacks out to emphasis they arrival of night and then clears up as beams of golden lights fall down on the blacked mass. Healing it at unbelievable speed. Till the original figure of the child of 6 years old could be seen.

Everyone watched in anticipation if the child was alive or he passed away. If alive then he would lead them to greatness as he was the child that summoned such a phenomenon. If dead then it would be a loss for the empire.

Scornful gazes shifted from the center towards the king, blaming him for letting such a precious genius to die. Before today most of them haven't even seen the heir nor heard of him. Only knew that the empire had an heir. Yet none knew he was the same age as princess or even her twin. 

The ruler had even erased his wife memory so she only knew that the heir was a bastard child and that she only gave birth to a baby girl. Whom is now adored. Hence she never sought that child whom she thought of as the proof of her her husband unfaithfulness.

He really is cruel. ( Sebastian thinks to himself.)

The child in the center moves and gets ups. Yawing. Now that was a wonderful sleep.

The once noisy place goes dead silent at hearing the heirs voice. Entranced by it. It something they never heard before but more similar to the heavenly voice yet bewitching.

The child that had been standing Infront of them without showing them there face. Finally turns towards the crowd and shows them what he looks like.

Gasps.

As everyone sucks in a deep breath. After realizing that the child was wearing a mask. Every single person in the audience knows what the masks represents.

A chain, a cage, and life of misery.

Some women shed tears, while few men scowls, some rejoice at knowing that he would be a puppet and nothing more.

Since he won't be able to leave this empire without razing it to the ground.

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The pain of ritual is always excruciating to go through. First it breaks your bones, then cuts into flesh till it tears and bleeds, freezes your blood, melts the muscles, digs into the ground to take the breath away. strikes with lightening to burn every single cell, drowns the souls in darkness and locks it in till it on edge of breaking before finally healing it all with light.

At first it was simple pain, but with each passing life the ritual became more and more painfull. First was only physical pain then it added mental. And this time it added pain to the soul.

It was a nice sleep. 

Gets up and stretches the muscle so as not to show how much pain. I'm going through. Turns my head towards my father the ruler. 

So now that I have passed and finished the ritual that means I have the same authority as you and I don't need to bow to you.

*Giggles and claps hand.* Sweet. 

After saying that I shift my gaze to my mother. Now let me introduce myself. I'm your child that you gave birth too. Your first born. That your so called dear husband thought was good idea to remove from your memory and let you believe that I was a child of some affair.

The shock and betrayal that I see on her face gives me some satisfaction and relief. Very glad I did that.

Then I shift my gaze towards my sister. So I am your brother, twin to be exact. Was born on the same day just some time earlier then you. 

So why don't you ask your dearest father why? Hasn't he named me till Now.

Oh! yes. You don't have to. I will tell you. Because he decided that he would scarafice one of his child for the empire while he raise the other. 

Looking at the feat and disbeilf forming in the eyes of both my lil sis and mother. *claps excitdly*.

Yay!! Isn't he such a great dad.(note the sarcasm that drips from the lips).

SHUT UP!!. My father in this life shouts. Looking at his furious face filled with dread.(shivers in excitment).

OH!! You can't shut me up. Since as of today I am your equal in every way and form.

Let me tell you all since he didn't give me a name. I have given a name to myself. Plus I won't tell anyone of you that name. Because the name has more importance then anyone of you guys can imagine. Isn't that right ruler.

The color drains from his face as he looks at me with horrified gaze.

Yes its nice meeting you all. We shall see each other from time to time. For now I have to go back and gets some rest. 

Turns around and starts making way to the exit. 

Oh ! I remembered. I'm leaving the palace to do my role after the ritual and shall visit every region of the empire before coming back to fulfil my duties. I'm taking the grand prince with me. And don't expect me to return before adulthood or except me to do any work for you.

Leaving those words behind I leave the place.

Crash! The sounds of shouts and glass been broken is been heard.

Sebastian make sure all the preparations are done. We are leaving tonight.

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