Norton regarded Ye Muo. He bent down and touched their foreheads together.
“I’ll tell you.”
His voice was soft with exhaustion.
Norton closed his eyes. Ye Muo blinked at the man before doing the same.
Norton opened his psychic domain completely. His psychic power began to guide Ye Muo’s inside.
Their psychic powers were also very close during soothing sessions, but this was the first time Ye Muo had entered Norton’s psychic domain.
It was like an arctic plane.
Norton guided Ye Muo’s psychic power into a state of resonance.
To Ye Muo, it felt like the heavy burden of his psychic power had been taken on entirely by Norton.
But he soon realized what Norton wanted to do. Memories transmitted through Norton’s psychic power appeared in front of Ye Muo.
A majestic, crowned individual sat high up on the throne. Norton stood before him, his presence even greater than that of the seated emperor. His cape billowed out as he raised his sword high with one hand. Then he stabbed down.
Nailing the other party to the throne.
Norton’s hand remained steady, and the stabbed party offered no resistance.
Ye Muo watched fresh blood flow down the throne, but the emperor was smiling. He reached out as if he wanted to stroke Norton’s hair, but the sight of his own blood made him abandon the gesture halfway.
“Your brothers had completely lost their minds. They were no longer human, but beasts driven by instinct. You did not kill your brothers, but beasts who lost their shackles. I once told you that.”
Norton had just killed two of his brothers with his father’s assistance.
He didn’t even blink. “Yes, I never regretted killing him.”
“But I do. Their cries plague me through the night. And your mother, she holds them tight and questions me furiously about why I would take the lives of my own sons.”
“I feel nothing but despair, for this is just the beginning. I will have to kill more of the children I had with her. I can’t do this to my wife. I’m sorry, Norton, for being a coward.”
Blood kept pouring out from the old emperor’s mouth.
“Forgive this coward, Norton, for escaping my fate. Forgive me for making one last request of you. At the right time, grant them their end and let this tragic bloodline be lost to the ravages of time. This bloodstained glory should have been forsaken long ago.”
Norton’s sword-wielding hand didn’t even twitch. He was like a lone, aloof wolf.
“Don’t worry, Father. I will bring an end to the Grantz bloodline. I will kill them with my own hands.”
The old emperor smiled faintly. He laboriously took the crown off his head and crowned the new monarch.
Norton waited until he breathed his last before straightening once more.
The crown on his head was stained with Father’s blood. So was his cheek.
The old king, unwilling to dirty his child with fresh blood, gave up on one last caress. Yet he bestowed this bloodstained crown upon Norton.
Norton released the sword handle. He turned and left without removing his sword. His footsteps echoed in the palace hall.
There were many people standing outside the doors he pushed open. They seemed to be arguing about something, but quietened as soon as the doors opened. They looked at Norton, at the bloodstained crown on his head and the blood splatter on his cheek.
Norton passed through the crowd like Moses parting the sea.
He paused just before leaving. “You should greet your emperor.”
A group of people emerged from the crowd. They got down on one knee and greeted Norton as an emperor.
“May imperial glory endure, and Grantz forever be immortalized!”
The scene shifted.
In the darkened room was a young Grantz under lock and key. Ye Muo had never seen him before, but he recognized their characteristic dark hair and eyes. The room was very dark. This Grantz was inside a cage, all four of his limbs shackled and his mouth muzzled behind cold metal bars.
Norton watched him through the bars. As they maintained eye contact, the person inside the cage began gradually calming down. Norton tried to move forward, but a twitch was all the person inside needed to lunge for him again. He didn’t even stop as he slammed into the bars like a true beast.
Norton slowly drew his sword from his waist.
The scene changed again. Now Norton was standing at the doorway.
It was the same room as before. The door was half ajar. The scent of fresh blood was thick in the air. Norton slowly pushed the door open. The inside of the room was unusually dark.
Ye Muo was behind Norton, but he could still clearly glimpse the situation inside.
Ano was down on one knee, holding someone with all four limbs shackled close. The other party was also embracing Ano. His head was buried against Ano’s neck, shifting from time to time. Chains clinked.
Ye Muo suddenly realized what he was doing. This was no embrace. He was tearing into Ano’s vitals with his teeth.
Ano also raised his head. He hugged the prisoner close and struggled to explain to Norton, “Adrian…isn’t doing this on purpose…”
Ye Muo’s end of the connection unsealed at this moment. Memories poured out. Mourning his adoptive mother as a tot. Ye Zhiyuan shielding him from the cold wind in his arms as he walked to the front entrance of the Ye manor.
Then it was Lady Ye extending a hand towards him with Ye Yun and Ye He present.
Then it was Norton’s sword resting against his neck. Ano putting himself between them, grabbing the blade with his bare hand.
The final scene was from a quiet, sunny afternoon. Ye Muo was taking a nap, resting his head on Norton’s knee. Norton looked down and gently stroked his hair.
Ano was here too. Ye Muo heard Norton’s words, even though they were so light they almost dissipated immediately. “It’s because I love him, Ano, that I wanted to give him a painless end…”
Ye Muo opened his eyes. Tears poured down his cheeks uncontrollably. What he had been searching for all this time, the place where he belonged…
He finally found somewhere that could accept him.
Children whose birth was eagerly awaited by both parents were born with a correct place, but Ye Muo wasn’t. He spent so long despicably seizing the place that belonged to Ye He and Ye Yun.
But when he was all alone, uncertainty and loneliness would send him adrift once more.
The resonance ended there.
Norton opened his eyes first. He straightened and reached to wipe away Ye Muo’s tears. He comforted somewhat stiffly, “There’s no need to be afraid…”
Ye Muo opened his eyes and looked at Norton. “Father.”
Norton’s hand paused. He looked at Ye Muo for a few seconds before withdrawing his hand. “You remembered.”
It was a statement, not a question.
“I’m not afraid. In fact, I’m so very happy.”
Ye Muo straightened and shuffled forward a bit. Norton was right in front of him. A little bit was all he needed to lean into the man’s embrace.
Norton stiffened for a second. Instinct soon had him supporting the back of Ye Muo’s head.
He heard Ye Muo continue, “I’m so glad my existence isn’t superfluous. That someone loves me.”
“I’m not afraid because I’m not alone. I was often afraid because I wondered if anyone was glad I was born. Does my existence trouble you? What do you expect from me? Will I disappoint you? I’m not a good Grantz by any means. I try my best, but I’m never as good as my older brothers.”
Norton tightened his arms. He wanted nothing more than to tell Ye Muo that he was more than good enough. Norton was glad he was born, that he existed.
But in the end, Norton only said, “My only hope for you is that you can be spared that fated torment and die a painless death.”
“If that’s the case, then just embrace me the moment you take my life. That is all I need to leave with no regrets.”
Ye Muo’s voice trembled a little as he wept with joy, “I’m so very happy, Father, that you wanted to kill me the first time we met.”
This meant that Norton already intended to shoulder Ye Muo’s fate the moment they met.
Ye Muo always longed to be loved, almost to the point of obsession.
Lady Ye loved Ye Muo, and he responded to her affections with a mixture of sincerity and fear. But that was because she was such a good person. Ye Muo was sure she would grow to accept any child in his position with time and love them unconditionally.
But Ye Muo considered himself an outsider to the Ye family from the beginning.
He would constantly test and test again, searching for a place he belonged. The Ye family was not that place from the start.
“If you want to kill me now, I’ll gladly welcome death.”
Norton did not speak. He noticed Ye Muo’s strangeness.
He knew that although Ye Muo sometimes appeared particularly brave, he was actually very timid. He had trembled under Norton’s sword and would carefully avoid the carcasses of king insects.
Norton suddenly remembered something Adlet once told him: children love their parents far more than parents love their children, for they were born filled with unconditional love.
……
Ye Muo sat down against the door. Ano’s door had been reinforced with a metallic material. He knocked on the door a few times.
“Adlet said he would have your window swapped with a bigger one today, Ano. I wonder if you’ll be able to see the tree I planted for you now.”
“I’m sorry I forgot about you for so long, Ano. And for not going to find you after you were gone all these days.”
“Ano, Dad said that I can’t open the door to see you until the research results are finalized or use psychic power here. How strange. What are they researching? There’s nothing remarkable about me. And Dad goes in to check on you everyday…”
“If I move in here one day, I want Adlet to put soft carpet in my room and a thick blanket. Oh, and my doll! Ano–”
Do you want anything?
Ye Muo didn’t voice the last part.
Ano’s voice came from somewhere close on the other side, “Don’t talk nonsense.”
Ano spoke to Ye Muo through a door, “You’re still so young. Don’t think about stuff like that.”
Although he couldn’t see Ye Muo, Ano still tilted his head and cut Ye Muo off, “Big Brother can come to see me because he’s so strong. You’re still too little. When you’re all grown up and learn how to control yourself, you can come see me.”
Ano anxiously added, “You can stay here, but leave right away if you feel sick or dizzy.”
Ye Muo obediently made a sound of acknowledgement. His psychic power spontaneously left his psychic domain, slipping inside through the gaps between the door and walls filled with crystals that were supposed to stop them and quietly wrapping around Ano.
……
A video from an unknown source went viral on the galactic network.
Augustus saw this video pop up across various groups he was in, whether at school or at home.
The atmosphere in the groups was very strange. They all seemed intent to be as cryptic as possible.
[Are there any signs it’s faked?]
[No. I can’t find the time it was first uploaded either. It’s been shared too many times.]
[If it’s true, then…]
Augustus never opened the link.
Bored, he set his terminal aside and fell back onto the sofa. He had no interest in things like this.
He still hadn’t been informed if he could go to the Grantz palace today.
Turning his head, he saw his father, Kevin Clinton, walking downstairs dressed in formal clothing.
Augustus casually asked, “Where are you going, old man?”
Clinton Sr. also went out all dressed up early this morning.
Kevin Clinton gave Augustus a look. Instead of answering, he said, “Go check on His Little Highness more when you can lately.”
“I don’t need you to tell me that.”
Augustus clawed at his blonde hair as Mr. Kevin left. After a while, his sister also came downstairs, dressed just as formally.
Augustus couldn’t help but ask, “What in the world happened?”
“What, you don’t know yet? Go watch that video on the galactic network! I’m going to go crazy with all these meetings day in and day out, I swear…”
She didn’t specify which video, as if she was sure that Augustus would know right away.
Augustus finally couldn’t help but get up and retrieve his terminal. He tapped on the video.
It started out in a prison-like building. The camera was a little shaky.
The camera person was walking down a corridor lined with cells on both sides. The prisoners all looked like the worst of the worst, but they were silent and only dared to glare at the person filming.
The bullet chat was bustling.
[Which prison is this? It’s nothing like the ones I saw in movies. Shouldn’t they be hollering and harassing people walking by?]
[The equipment seems more than decent. Those locks on the doors are using the latest technology.]
Finally, the camera person passed through several gates and arrived at a room where all four walls were made of silver metal, one of which was darker than the rest.
[What crime would you have to commit to be locked up here? I counted a total of five doors. And aren’t the walls made from the most impact-resistant metal currently available? Ordinary people would barely be able to leave a scratch no matter how hard they tried. It’s super expensive too, so it’s mainly restricted to military use. Isn’t it excessive to use this in a prison? I’m curious which place has enough money to do this.]
[This room seems completely closed off. There isn’t even a window…]
The cameraman unhurriedly opened a small flap. How small you ask? Probably only a single arm could fit through it. But even this small flap was lined with bars and electrified.
He pointed the camera at the small flap. Immediately, something inside slammed hard in this direction. It was apparent even on camera how much force the bars endured. Even the walls trembled slightly.
The cameraman subconsciously backed off. The picture shook violently before moving forward and stabilizing again.
During this time, the wall was struck again.
But the camera still stabilized. The first thing they saw was the sheer emptiness of the room. The metal walls were covered in deep gouges, the cause of which almost beggared the imagination.
Then the camera located the prisoner held here. All four of his limbs were shackled. His arms were even secured behind his back. The chains were too short to allow any reasonably free movements. He was even muzzled, the metal buckles wrapping behind his head.
But despite the bars and the muzzle, everyone was still able to get a clear look at the prisoner’s features.
…Adrian Grantz.
No one in the Grantz Empire would misidentify him. It was undoubtedly Adrian Grantz.
He slowly stood up again. Bending his legs, he shot forward like a diving eagle or a pouncing lion, kicking the barred flap hard with both legs.
