Niklas II

In the meantime, Jezebel awoke to a familiar ceiling and an even more familiar scent teasing her nostrils. Following it, she bent her neck to the right. And there, Kilian sat across the bed, eying her with an inscrutable pair of hazel eyes.

Dozens of red, vein-like marks marred Jezebel's body, wrecking her previously divine figure with an unholy countenance. But knowing that her new appearance triggered no change in Kilian's gaze, she heaved in relief, and a wave of comfort cooled her aching chest.

"You look so ugly. This ought to be the reflection of your soul," Kilian stated in such a serious tone that, for a second, Jezebel failed to process the words—blinking in disbelief.

"Ever the player. How did I fall for you?" She countered upon regaining her composure and struggled to rise from the bed. But with no strength in her arms or legs, the task soon proved impossible.

"Because you're stupid, of course. So stupid that you almost managed to cripple your arms and legs, and wasted a week of my time. Women can be such eyesores," Kilian sighed and pulled Jezebel onto his lap.

"Make no mistake, let this be the first and the last. From now on, stop doing unnecessary things. While I don't mind spending a few decades caring for you, if there is one thing I do not want, it's to see—this—ruined by the three words—I know better," Kilian whispered in Jezebel's ear, reached for a comb, and untangled her hair.

At first, the words made her heart pound in the type of unease she'd never experienced beforehand.

But when the comb drew through her hair, for the first time in two centuries, Jezebel's heart relaxed, and she experienced a high of unmatched proportions. Shutting her eyes, she collapsed into her mind to experience the rush at its best, and her lips curled into a contented smirk.

Thus, Jezebel discovered a new, more practical source of fehl high, and in less than two hours, recovered enough that she could at least stand on her own, or use some minor tricks.

"Don't you want to know where I went?"

"I am not silly."

"Aren't you curious about what I learned?"

"Because if I don't ask, you won't tell?"

"Touché."

The playfulness in Jezebel's tone died down, and as she rose to face Kilian, utmost seriousness replaced them.

"The truth might be hard to digest, and I suppose it's one of the reasons why mother chose me, out of all people, to assist you. Do you know Niklas II?" Jezebel asked. Gravity laced her words, and hearing that name, Kilian arched his eyebrows in consternation.

"Reinhold von Skoll, the eldest prince. Former Crown Prince of Arcadia. It's said that on the day of his birth, 36 red clouds filled Arcadia's sky, the highest number since the empire's establishment. Beside himself with joy, Emperor Niklas immediately named him crown prince—breaking 3,000 years of tradition," Kilian replied, not seeing the link between the two.

While the Arcadian Empire enforced primogeniture succession, the imperial throne didn't automatically pass to the eldest. Instead, the Crown Prince was jointly selected by the grand masters, the conclave of elders, and the emperor in a competition broadcast to the entire empire. The current crown prince, Ayden, was Niklas' fourth son and selected from that competition.

However, he only got the opportunity because the eldest prince, Reinhold, died early.

"It can be said that Niklas' love for Reinhold knew no rival. Even his adoration for his posthumous empress couldn't compare. For the first time in decades, the emperor was smiling again. And although the grand masters and the conclave wished to challenge the summary appointment, when faced with Reinhold's unparalleled aptitudes, they could only swallow their discontent." The von Skolls could dominate the Arcadian Empire while maintaining the crowns of their vassal kings for 3,000 years because of one thing only: their Arcane Bloodline.

The strongest Arcane Bloodline of humanity, besides enhanced strength, speed, and regeneration abilities, von Skoll blood enabled its bearers to control nuclear reactions—to various extents. At birth, all von Skon scions triggered a celestial phenomenon with multiple numbers of red clouds.

The more red clouds they triggered, the stronger their bloodline, and the higher their future prospects. The average von Skoll triggered three to five clouds. Niklas himself "only" triggered 18. A record unbeaten by any one of his predecessors. For Prince Reinhold to trigger 36 showed that for him, becoming an Exarch would only be the beginning. Many believed that he'd be the first to break the long-standing myth that the human race could not go beyond the Exarch limit.

"So great was Niklas' love for that son, that on the day he turned three, Niklas broke the naming taboo, and changed Reinhold's name to Niklas II, thereby telling the world that only he could inherit his crown. Alas, fate makes a joke of prodigies.

At the age of seven, the most outstanding arcane talent in the history of Arcadia...perished from magical corruption." Magical corruption was a form of backlash common among dark magi, but atypical in traditional practitioners.

A result of wild, uncontrolled dra, it wreaked havoc in the magus' body and destroyed their internal organs. For Reinhold to perish overnight in such a wretched manner threw many Arcadians in confusion. Some even believed that this was nothing more than a cover story for the true cause of death.

"And nine months later…" Jezebel particularly stressed the "nine months," making Kilian's eyes narrow in confusion.

"Klaus was b..." The word died in Kilian's throat, disbelief filled his widening eyes, and he shook his head in disapproval.

"How can this be?" He countered. Kilian wasn't so conceited as to think himself the only one able to live multiple lives—granted that a reasonable explanation followed.

It did.

"This is nothing but an educated guess, but there is no other valid explanation. Klaus possesses two Arcane Bloodlines, the one he created, and an incomparably more dreadful one: a von Skoll bloodline.

As you know, none can have two Arcane Bloodlines. Even my mother is no exception. The Arcane Bloodline isn't merely a matter of DNA, just like the fehl taint, it engrains itself in the soul. The soul only holds one spot for Arcane Bloodlines. Having two active would trigger extreme conflicts. And even if inactive, the owner can't possibly go beyond the Archon level.

The only way to hold two is to die with one, escape the proper reincarnation cycle, and merge with another body and soul to expand the allocated space. The magus can then create a second one and alternate between the two," Jezebel explained to the incredulous Kilian.

"Klaus is unkillable. His body ages, but can't be destroyed by external forces. And if his words are to be taken at face value, he automatically escapes the proper reincarnation cycle upon death.

On the outside, it seems like a boon. However, it's actually the result of an ancient Karmic Hex requiring the blood sacrifice of 100,000 souls driven by the same need for vengeance—the Cycle of Reckoning.

The hex skips one generation to make the target's offspring answer for the father's sins. The rules are determined by both the casters and the magnitude of the sins, but until they are fulfilled, the victim will go through daily agony, perish at the age of 16, and start over.

My guess is that the hex triggered when Niklas II turned seven, and to save his life, Niklas split his soul to enfeeble the hex, then used Soul Transference, to transfer the main soul to a fresh embryo. Where the others currently are, I can't say. However, this is but a temporary delay.

Even if you don't do anything, at best, Klaus, as you know him—will not live beyond 51. Worse, he's been tapping in powers far beyond his station. I wager that he doesn't have more than three years left."

The words hit Kilian like a 10,000 kg heavy sledgehammer, and, for a second, he failed to process them.