Ashen stood frozen in the throne room, the weight of his father’s confession crushing him like an iron mountain. King Aden, the man he had called Father his entire life, watched him with cold, calculating eyes, utterly unmoved by the horror on his son’s face.

"You want the truth?" King Aden said, his voice low and steady. "Then listen. This is how it all began."

The air in the throne room shimmered.

FLASH BACK

The ancient council chamber deep beneath the Drakonis Citadel thrummed with lingering power. Torchlight flickered across walls etched with glowing celestial runes, casting long, dancing shadows that seemed to whisper of secrets and betrayals.

The air was thick with the scent of aged stone, burning resin, and the faint metallic tang of residual power from the brutal war that had nearly torn the four realms apart.

Four figures stood at the center of the chamber. The three sisters, who are Seraphina, Elena, and Sephora radiated an otherworldly presence. Elena, the eldest, stood tallest, her silver hair cascading like liquid starlight.

A soft, commanding glow emanated from her skin, illuminating the entire room. Flanking her were Seraphina and Sephora, equally stunning yet distinct in their dangerous beauty. These were no ordinary women.

They were enchantresses of the four realms and terrifying bloodlines, beings who had just turned the tide of a devastating war that would have otherwise consumed kingdoms and erased bloodlines.

Elena stepped forward, her voice calm yet carrying the weight of absolute authority.

"We have fulfilled our promise. The four realms stand today because of our intervention. The enemy lies broken. Now tell us... what will Drakonis and Celestial give us in return to believe that you wouldn’t turn you back on us?"

King Adens smiled, smooth and calculated. His sharp eyes gleamed with carefully veiled ambition as he spread his hands in a gesture of goodwill.

"We seek no enmity between our peoples. On the contrary, I propose something far greater." He turned his gaze to Sephora. "I will take Sephora as my wife, after all we care for one another and also the union will forge an unbreakable bond between Drakonis and your line."

Sephora’s eyes widened with a spark of genuine hope. A soft, almost shy smile touched her lips as she glanced at her sisters, clearly moved by the offer.

But Seraphina’s expression remained stone-cold. "No."

The single word sliced through the chamber like a blade. Sephora turned to her eldest sister, hurt flashing openly across her face. "Seraphina... please. This could be..." 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

Elena gently placed a hand on Sephora’s arm, then stepped closer to King Ryker of the Celestial Realm. Her silver eyes softened with open affection as she looked at him.

"I have already given my heart to the Celestial King," she said quietly. "I will stand by his side, if he will have me."

King Ryker met her gaze, but conflict twisted his features. He lowered his eyes, voice heavy with regret.

"I cannot, Lady Elena. I already have a woman I love deeply. I will not betray her."

Elena’s face fell at once as pain flickered sharply in her luminous eyes, but she swallowed it with graceful dignity and offered a small, sorrowful nod. "If that is your true wish... then so be it."

A heavy silence settled over the chamber. The three sisters exchanged meaningful glances. Though Ryker’s proposals had been quietly rejected, one quiet alliance had already been accepted in the shadows.

With nothing more to say, the sisters turned as one, their flowing robes whispering like secrets against the cold stone floor as they began to depart.

As they left, King Aden swiftly pulled King Ryker into a shadowed alcove away from prying eyes and ears.

Ryker spoke first, his voice low and firm. "We cannot do this, Aden. They saved us when no one else could. They bled for our realms. It would be vile to repay their sacrifice with deception."

King Aden placed a firm hand on his brother-king’s shoulder, his voice dropping to a dangerous, intimate whisper.

"Think clearly. These are not ordinary women. They are enchantresses of immense power. If they bear our heirs... our children who carry both royal blood and enchantress powers those children will be unstoppable. Godlike rulers. Unrivaled in strength and authority."

Ryker’s jaw tightened. Disgust flickered across his face. "You speak of using them like breeding stock."

Aden’s expression hardened into something cold, ruthless, and utterly pragmatic. "Once the children are born and old enough to stand on their own... we simply remove the mothers. No loose ends and threats to our thrones. Soft, foolish love will be their undoing and we will use it against them."

He leaned closer, eyes burning with ambition.

"Elena already loves you. She is yours for the taking. Sephora craves power and affection. We will give them what they desire. Love them. Bed them. Let them bear powerful children for us. Then, when the time is right, we end them. This is how true kings secure their legacy. This is how Drakonis and Celestial will reign above all realms for eternity."

Ryker remained silent for a long, agonizing moment. Conflict raged across his face, honor battling against ruthless ambition. Finally, he exhaled slowly, shoulders slumping as darker desires won.

"...Very well."

PRESENT

Ashen stumbled backward with a violent gasp, nearly losing his balance. His heart hammered wildly against his ribs as the present rushed back in. Nausea twisted in his stomach. Cold sweat beaded across his forehead. The images, voices, and emotions clung to him like smoke, refusing to fade.

King Aden watched his son with a satisfied, almost proud expression. The older king leaned back in his throne, swirling a goblet of dark wine between his fingers.

"Now you understand the truth," Aden said calmly. "Your real mother was an enchantress of terrifying power. I married her. I used her. She gave me the strongest heir this realm has ever seen. Then, when she became too dangerous and began questioning my plans, I removed her. Just as I always intended. Sephora was brought in later as your stepmother to maintain the illusion of a stable family."

Ashen stared at his father, chest heaving. His fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white. The weight of the revelation pressed down on him like the entire realm itself.

"All this time..." Ashen whispered hoarsely, voice cracking with betrayal and rage, "you saw her only as a tool. A vessel. You planned her death from the very beginning."