Children of Valrick (3)

"Are we really doing this?" Najamel asked, her voice trembling like a scared mouse on the lookout for predators. Her tail swayed slowly as she looked left and right.

"You're obviously a scaredy-cat," Jeru teased Naja, who retaliated by trying to slap him with a stone stick. Naja will never spare the rod.

They stealthily made their way past the Valerusian guards in the castle and eventually reached the massive pyramid at the city's center.

"Damn, that's huge," Jeru muttered in awe, his eyes fixed on the towering structure.

"It's said that Father built this massive pyramid together with the Leviathan in just 7 years," Najamel remarked, gazing up at the awe-inspiring sight.

Jeru carefully touched the pyramid's smooth, black walls, comparing the texture to jade.

"It's like the pyramid holds the universe within itself," Jeru said, marveling at its design resembling the night sky, adorned with glittering lights that looked like stars.

"Father was a great artist, truly the number one on Earth," Jeru said, his admiration for his father deepening. 'How can one person do this?'

Bryce led the way to an inconspicuous entrance. "Enough dilly-dallying, you two. Follow me."

They entered a large corridor illuminated by lanterns, passing through rooms without doors. Bryce started running, urging them to follow.

"The Leviathan is asleep. As long as we don't go underground, it should remain undisturbed. But if we walk too slowly, it'll take ages. We should run," Bryce explained, moving with confidence. Bryce started to pick up his pace.

Jeru and Najamel trusted him and followed closely behind.

*Hiss!, Hiss!*

Najamel tripped upon hearing loud hissing sounds from underground.

"Shit!" Najamel cursed, bracing herself.

Jeru caught her just in time, effortlessly carrying her like a sandbag.

Najamel let Jeru carry her. "Go on, now you're my mythical beast that I can command! Run faster!" Jeru ignored her playful comment. "Shush, quiet." Jeru reprimanded her.

Jeru's senses were heightened as he observed every detail of the corridor, listening closely to the echoing hisses.

They ascended the spiraling stairs, heartbeats racing with excitement and fear.

Finally, they reached the 96th floor, where live aquatic exotic animals gazed at them without reacting. Jeru found their presence fascinating, but he dropped Najamel to the floor with a thud.

"Jerk," Najamel whispered, rubbing her back.

With Bryce leading the way, they ascended to the 97th floor, which was filled with unique stones and rocks, each one captivating in its own right.

The 98th floor housed scrolls containing untold secrets.

"This is where I took the scroll," Bryce pointed out a specific room.

Jeru's eyes shifted upwards to the 99th floor, a mix of excitement and fear filling him.

However, upon reaching the threshold, Jeru stopped abruptly. His instincts warned him against taking another step. Something inexplicable awaited them there.

Najamel and Jeru also sensed the foreboding presence, and they exchanged glances, silently agreeing to turn back.

But then, a whistle broke the silence, a comforting melody from a distant past, echoing through their minds like a tune from another world.

The sound froze their bodies. Najamel trembled in fear, and Bryce looked shocked.

"What is this sound?," Bryce thought, forcing himself to ascend.

Although not the strongest, Valrick's family were the most powerful individuals in the Vale kingdom.

Jeru and Najamel remained frozen, their bodies paralyzed by an unexplainable fear deep in their minds.

Jeru raised his right hand to stop Bryce, but he couldn't reach him in time.

"Jeru..." Bryce continued ascending with difficulty, until he reached the end of the stairs and looked back.

"I'll... go... in... first..." Bryce managed to say, a strained smile on his face. Bryce's will is stronger than Jeru, forged by hardships and cruel training.

Najamel fell to her knees, breathing heavily, trying to convey her plea through her eyes.

"Bryce!" Jeru shouted with determination, slowly taking another step, but his progress was slow compared to Bryce's.

Bryce noticed a simple white door in front of him.

He walked toward it, his steps growing heavier, but he pushed the door open with determination.

As the door swung open, the pressure dissipated, allowing Bryce to walk normally again.

The room appeared simple, almost empty, except for a table with a single scroll resting on it.

Bryce entered the room, and though small, it didn't feel cramped. The scroll on the table seemed to hold the answers he sought, the hope for increasing his talents and matching his siblings' abilities.

As Bryce looked back at Jeru and Najamel, he smiled with mixed emotions, then picked up the scroll.

"Hello, children of Valrick," a voice echoed from above, a light floating in the air, a light that Bryce could never forget.

Bryce's mouth agape, with his hand on the scroll that fell through the table again, but he let go of the scroll, the light was gone.

"What?" Bryce then searched for that light, and then he realized he saw the light when he grabbed the scroll so he tried to grab it again.

And then the light showed itself once again.

"I see that you are Bryce." The light spoke in a calm, deep voice.

Bryce couldn't help but shiver when he heard the light call out his name.

Bryce kneeled without any words as he grabbed the scroll and raised the scroll above his head while putting his face down directly to the ground.

"God!" Bryce then said with such devotion and piety, and fear gripped Bryce's heart when he realized he stole a scroll in the pyramid. What a blasphemous thing he did.

And then silence ensued, Emilio nor Bryce didn't talk. Emilio for some reason grew accustomed to people kneeling towards him, and at the same time, he is more interested in looking into Bryce's face, which reminded him of Valentina.

---

"If this story gets popular, and the money comes in, I will take you to Paris," Valentina said with a mischievous smile while shaking Emilio's head.

"I wonder how many times you have said that and then dropped it?" Emilio broke free from Valentina's deathly grip, took his school bag, and stood up.

"Let's go home, I want to eat some burgers." Emilio then walked away while Valentina followed suit.

Walking together from school to home was a common occurrence for these two, as they were childhood friends and neighbors. Passing through the familiar trees and streets they used to play, Emilio couldn't help but feel nostalgic. He knew that as time went by, he and Valentina would drift apart; they're graduating high school next month and have already applied to different universities and different courses.

"Emilio!" Valentina patted Emilio's shoulder, causing him to break from his trance.

Emilio looked back, gazing at Valentina. Her brown eyes shined with her bright smile, her elegant angled arched eyebrows raised, and showed an annoyed yet amused expression.

"I bet you are daydreaming." Valentina muttered under her breath. "I guess you are sad because we are separating away?"

Valentina then poked him on his side, but Emilio

didn't react, just looked at her straight into her eyes.

"Life is like that, Emilio. People come and go, just like you and me." Valentina then smiled softly yet sadly. The wind fluttered her smooth black hair. She is truly mesmerizing. Emilio thought.

***

Emilio couldn't help but remember these words as he looked into the son of Valrick, Bryce.

"You remind me of someone." Emilio's voice and tone didn't change, calm and serene.

Bryce couldn't help but wonder what Emilio meant, but Emilio didn't elaborate further.

Another silence ensued, a light and a kneeling figure in sight.

Back to the stairs, Jeru couldn't help but be exhausted; he then kneeled before he could even see what happened to Bryce.

"God!" Bryce then shouted, and was about to apologize for stealing when Emilio cut him off.

"I am not God as you people claim me to be." Emilio softly said while the light flickered in Bryce's vision.

"I am nothing more but a prisoner, trapped in a cage called time or perhaps in another plane of existence." Bryce couldn't help but be shocked by the words uttered by Emilio; it went completely against his father's teachings.

"But..." Bryce wanted to tell him that's not what his father said, and then he realized that his father sang the praise of Elion for bestowing wisdom and life in this land but never told what's the current state of Elion or God, or what he looks like or what he even is. He once told his children that Elion is an existence beyond this universe and incomprehensible.

"Then if you are a prisoner, who has imprisoned you and why?" Bryce boldly asked. He knew this existence is something unimaginable, and the light in front of him is just a fraction of this existence that allows his mortal mind to perceive his existence without going mad or dying.

Because Elion is a being beyond this universe, just like his father said. The words "I am not God" were even filtered or not processed into his mind.

"I don't know why someone or something has put me into this place just because they can or perhaps this universe itself doesn't accept me and thus rejected my very presence. Now I exist outside of this universe, looking through the cracks, looking through my anchors." Emilio said, amused by his thoughts and the reason for his "imprisonment." Emilio thought it was a while since he had a conversation with someone; Valrick rarely visits him these days, busy leading his people.

Bryce couldn't help but look up and gaze at this figure of light. Bryce didn't take Emilio's words that he wasn't God.

For someone to imprison him was unacceptable and completely nonsense to Bryce, but for the other theory Emilio proposed, which Bryce accepted as the truth, where the universe doesn't accept Emilio's existence due to his essence as God. Perhaps the very fabric of this universe will break if Emilio did descend. Like a man who created a sandcastle but could barely touch it because with a slightest touch, the sand would fall.

Bryce's thoughts ran as the assumptions became the truths; he couldn't help but feel his heart pounding and his organs shaking with trepidation.

"You are very similar to that person, a very talented mind." Emilio couldn't help but laugh as he looked at Bryce's face. Bryce looked like Valentina when she was thinking of very ridiculous plots and stories. Such an eccentric woman yet an exciting person. Perhaps Bryce is just the same as her. Unlike Valrick and Lala, Emilio can't see through Bryce's emotions or thoughts. Only through his anchors can he do that.

Bryce couldn't help but be flustered by his praise. This was the first time he was praised. That he was "talented." Bryce couldn't help but shiver and tears of joy flowed, the first time he was praised. No one praised or even acknowledged his existence; the people called him only the "4th Prince."

No one knew, or perhaps only the closest people to him, that compared to all the siblings, he was the most hardworking individual. He was the one with the strongest will and drive to improve, to be equal with his siblings.

His mother comforted and encouraged him, but she never praised him, gazing at him only with pity and guilt. His father acknowledged his presence but didn't expect anything out of him. Rico? Tragaz? Naja? or Jeru? No one ever praised him, no one ever did. The people only knew there was a prince called Bryce, the 4th prince. Nothing more, nothing less. Hardworking? Everyone in the family was hardworking, even Jeru if he set his mind to something.

Rico was called the crowned prince with his extreme charisma, and his similar personality to his father. He was even considered the right hand of the King; all the King's orders would be executed perfectly according to the King's will.

Tragaz was called the beastly prince due to his combat abilities and his unbridled attitude, together with his achievements of defeating in combat one of the 9 beasts of Gods, the Moonlight Fox. No other prince had done that, even Rico. Although Jeru had defeated him, he was defeated in an extremely close battle, and it didn't diminish the brilliance of his achievement. Not even Jeru attempted to combat the 9 beasts of God.

Najamel? She was called the maiden of Art by the people, due to her extreme talent in music, sculpting, dancing, and many more. Perhaps the weakest individual but loved still by the people with her talent and contributions to the people.

And Jeru? There was not even a discussion to be had. Art? Talented as Naja. Combat ability? In equal terms with his brothers or perhaps even higher. Intelligence? A genius.

And what about him? The smiling prince. The 4th prince who just liked to smile.

"My Eternal Star," Bryce kneeled. Emilio didn't know that just with praise, he would push Bryce onto a path that no one expected or foresaw.

"Elion, eternal star, glorious light of the universe, and the warm darkness of the cosmos, listen to my humble oath. See me as I will show the world your greatness. I pledge this to you as your humble servant, o almighty God. Sustain me with your eternal light."

"I solemnly swear upon me by the divine gift of wisdom you have bestowed upon us. I pledge my heart, my blood, my soul, and my unwavering devotion to the fulfillment of a noble duty. That I will create a Kingdom worthy of your presence, with everything in my power, I will let you descend into this world." Bryce didn't notice, but the scroll in his hand had lit up, with new text engraved into it, with the words he had uttered.

Emilio couldn't help but laugh at him; he was greatly amused that he was just like his father, ridiculous and "devout." Like father, like son.

"Whatever pleases you." Emilio didn't take Bryce's words to heart as he gazed at him. He was just reminded of Valentina's absurd words and ideas; he thought Bryce would never do it or would be able to do it.

"You are just like your father." Emilio then looked behind Bryce, seeing Jeru finally managed to walk up the stairs and currently gazing at Bryce with a shocked expression.

Emilio couldn't help but be amused, yet he grew bored with this discussion, so he bade farewell.

"Good luck in your endeavor." Emilio then faded away, leaving Bryce in the room with the scroll in hand.

Bryce may not have found what he wanted, but he found what he truly needed.