Silent Crown

In just an instant, heavy rain started to pour. What fell were not water droplets, but the charred remains of eagle-bodied demons roasted by thunder.

In the vacuum, all the blood of the demons had spewed out of their bodies. After becoming dehydrated, the bodies shriveled, shrunk, and were burnt into unidentifiable masses by the thunder. In a flash, a carbon-like substance covered the entire battlefield.

Countless demons had fallen. It was just an overture, a prologue to the war…

The clouds, which had resembled an iron curtain, dissipated, and the huge shadow also shook in front of the figure slowly rising on the battlefield.

The night was torn.

Because the hot sun had descended.

The frenzied, terrifying aether waves suppressed all the other noises completely. It was as if Charles was sitting on the throne of the gods, shrouded in a strong light, dignified and blinding… Even the so-called king of the sky couldn’t look straight at him!

The half-human, half-eagle old woman screamed sharply, spreading out her wings, dyeing the whole sky black again. The sky was an extension of its wings. Shrouded by the shadow of the wings was death.

After losing most of her descendants in an instant, the catastrophe, Eagle Wing Mother, was enraged. Sensing the familiar and repulsive aura of the 1812 Overture, she hesitated no longer and pounced at Charles fiercely. Unfortunately for her, this time, she was no longer fighting against a saint.

Symphony no.6—Pathétique!

So, the sad and desolate melody swept, covering the entire sky. The bleakness contained in the deepest part of one’s heart flowed like water, sauntering gently and deftly. It embraced everything in its arms, narrating whispers about the world, dreams, and pain. Soon, grief was surpassed, and everything was no longer important.

Great bliss descended. It descended in the embrace.

But between the heavens and the earth, screams of extreme pain rang out, like sorrowful weeping.

Black rainwater fell from the sky like a waterfall. It consisted of countless withered feathers. The wings that had merged with the sky into one shattered together with the sky.

In the blissful embrace, ‘Decomposition’ cruelly and mercilessly turned everything within into nothingness, without hesitation. It was the power of ‘Dissociation’ which overrode everything else.

In the vast domain covered by the movement, where the light from the sun-like scepter shone, the terrifying aether waves showed their cold nature as the music theory evolved.

It was the essence forged by the great power that combined the music theories of the school of abstinence and the school of modifications, bridging the huge gap between the two schools. At the moment, the power contained within even surpassed that of saints and was beyond that of the catastrophe!

The dark night had left and light appeared.

Under the shine of the sun, all matter, all aether, and all beings, tangible or intangible, dissociated and disintegrated, unable to remain intact any longer.

Even catastrophes.

Even the Eagle Wing Mother.

A cold and cruel miracle had descended here.

In the melody of Pathétique, it gave all disasters their end.

It gave all grieves a peaceful slumber.

It gave all despairs salvation.

Death saved everything.

In the most agonized scream ever, the dark wings wrestled with the hot sun, sending the heavens and the earth into turmoil.

The earth was torn and cracked to reveal huge gaps, giving birth to canyons.

The wilderness shook, crumbled, then rose once more, forming hills.

The sky shattered, exposing the darkness of the universe behind it nakedly. The glow of the stars swayed, being caught in the crossfire of the strong powers, and broke into pieces. The hurricane swept between the heavens and the earth, its wretched howl blended with the melody of the movement, like a sad song that God would play when destroying the world.

“Charles…” Gaius stood on the city walls and raised his head with difficulty. He held his hair and looked up at the light battling with the darkness.

His bodyguard rushed in front of Gaius, disregarding his own safety, and blocked the huge rocks smashing towards them and the sharp, knife-like gale from Gaius. The bodyguard shouted hoarsely, “Lord Gaius, it’s dangerous here! Please leave quickly…”

In the chaos, Gaius did not move but stood where he was like a nail. He simply stared fanatically at the sun, despite the light scorching his pupils. Finally, the last of the wretched screams sounded, and the darkness was torn apart.

The bright radiance of the sun descended upon the earth once more.

The sun was glorious.

In the terrifying glow, half of Charles’ body was torn, burning blood dripping from the wounds, but he still looked majestic. In his hands was the catastrophe that had been damaged beyond recognition.

After losing its wings, the king of the sky could no longer fly.

Half of the Eagle Wing Mother’s body had disintegrated completely, leaving only its incomplete face and what remained of its shriveled body. Charles gripped it by the throat, and it struggled difficultly, but could not break free from the hands that resembled the embodiment of judgment.

Charles stared at its face, but he had an empty look in his eyes. His empty gaze seemed to penetrate its body and fell on the earth.

At the torn corner of his eye, blood dripped, like tears.

“Mr. Gaius, it’s true that heaven doesn’t exist?” he whispered softly like he was asking a question.

Gaius was silent for a long time and nodded. “Yes.”

“So, everyone is unhappy?” Charles murmured again.

“Yes.” Gaius kept his eyes low.

“But it can be changed, right?” Charles asked.

“Definitely,” Gaius replied softly but firmly.

So, Charles laughed. “That’s great.”

The hands of judgment slowly closed, crushing the bones and causing the Eagle Wing Mother to scream hoarsely and struggle madly.

As if it had understood its ending, the ugly face of the old woman twisted into a writhing mass and screamed wildly. It spoke, hoarsely and difficulty, in a vaguely human tongue.

“I will return again.” It said, “You can’t kill me.”

“You’re wrong.” Charles shook his head. “I can.”

In his palms, flames rose. As if it was a living thing, the fire wormed its way into the catastrophe’s face and filled its body. Charles took over its consciousness, extending and spreading its perception towards the far distance. It only took a brief moment before the vast source of the catastrophe, which was slumbering in the desert and the ruins were detected by the pair of golden eyes.

At that very moment, an iciness colder than ever arose in the consciousness of the Eagle Wing Mother. It was an emotion that the catastrophe had never experienced since birth, what humans named as ‘fear’.

Aether, music theory, consciousness, life…and everything else was all robbed away!

The distorted face of the Eagle Wing Mother stiffened. It couldn’t move, and even the strength to scream was taken away from it. The last remains of its body were rapidly petrified and shattered.

In the end, between the closed palms, it turned into flying dust.

No trace of its existence was left. It had no more so-called ‘future.’

But in the sky, Charles roared painfully.

The sun shook. In the terrifying light, he bent over and screamed. Behind him, a horrifying scar emerged suddenly. Aether gathered and turned into slender bones that proliferated, unfolding painfully in the cold air. The scorching light covered the bones like flesh and skin. In the end, flames were ignited and evolved into scarlet red feathers.

It was a wing! A lonely wing grew from Charles’ back. It seemed to cover the entire sky simply by waving!

On the city walls, the surviving soldiers looked up at the terrifying radiance and slumped on the ground. They raised their hands to block their eyes, not dare to look directly at the frightening magnificence.

After witnessing the entire process, the believers, whose abilities to reason had completely been defeated, wailed plaintively. “What on earth is this?”

“This is God.” Gaius looked up at the sky, spread his arms, and laughed wildly. “This is the god that belongs to us, the god of the mortal realm!”

…

The sorrowful wails of war and the bangs from the earth shaking had stopped.

The sharp screams had come to an abrupt end.

Everything returned to silence.

A faint cheer sounded in the distance.

In the basement deep under the palace, the girls had left a long time ago. No more singing and dancing took place. Only the king, who had exhausted his energy in joy, was lying on the sofa, sipping the last of his wine, drunk and drowsy.

The door was pushed open.

Someone sat opposite him.

The king raised his eyes groggily and looked at the person. “Have you won?”

“Yes, we won,” came the reply.

So, the king laughed. “From now on, it will be a new era, right? Gaius.”

“Yep.” Gaius nodded.

The king looked at him, full of curiosity. “What kind of country will you build?”

“Yes, I wonder as well, what kind of country will it be?” Gaius took off his hat, revealing mottled white hair and a confused gaze. “I haven’t made up my mind yet, Your Majesty, do you have any suggestions?”

“You’re asking me?” The king laughed. “What do I know?

“No country has appeared out of thin air before, with no roots and origins. If you want a new world, the only option you have is to use the old corpses to nurture it. Listen to the cheering voices, Gaius, you hear it? There lies your country.”

Gaius kept quiet for a long time, then shook his head. “Your Majesty, they are your people, the ones you have saved by sacrificing yourself and giving up all you had.”

“My people?” Upon hearing the phrase, the king’s smile turned stranger and stranger, like it was full of mockery. “Gaius, they are all monsters… Don’t you understand?

“When I was young, my father told me that the king’s duty was to lead the people. He only told me before his death to fear them, imprison them, and make them fear you…

“Only by doing so, will you be a king, a living king.

“You must make them see your power, your glory, your greatness, bestow upon them peace, food, and jobs, like a god. Then only will they be tame, forget their claws and teeth, and obey your rule…

“If the day comes when you can’t do all these, when you’re tired, hurt, and have fallen down… Your people perceive pain in the cold wind, so they will grow dissatisfied. They will unite together and riot, they will become a huge monster, holding up the banner accusing the king of misconduct, and swallow you up.

“I’m sure you are very clear about this as well?”

Gaius said nothing.

“How can what I’ve done be considered giving up everything to save them? I have merely chosen to die before such matters take their course.” The king drank more wine. The spirit leaked from the corners of his mouth, splattering on his chest like a burning flame. It made his voice hoarse and his gaze one of madness. “I can already see the day coming, the end for people like us. The nobles will be brought to account, the manors ignited, and the old Caucasus buried in the fire of revolution that you have brought along with you. Such a spectacle, simply awesome!”

“Then?” Gaius asked.

“Then?” The drunken king snickered. “The resources of production will be redistributed, social classes re-established. After a long, long time, a new country, no, a new monster will be born. Exactly as your wish, isn’t it? ”

“Such words are too much, no? Your Majesty.” Gaius seemed amused by the king’s drunken babble and chuckled as if he had heard a joke.

But the king did not laugh. Instead, he reached out and grabbed Gaius’ collar, pulling Gaius towards him. The king stared straight at Gaius with eyes burnt red by alcohol, not taking his eyes away. “Compared to what you are doing to the world, my words are disgustingly gentle, aren’t they?”

The king hoarsely whispered, “You used so-called freedom and democracy to overthrow the monarchy system which has been in place since ancient times. You want to lead them forward with the promise of a glorious future, lead them through the canyon of darkness. But the canyon of darkness is too long, and they can’t wait long! They will only succumb to desires, they don’t even know how to protect themselves…”

He paused and continued, “If no one has ever reminded you of it, then I’ll take it upon myself. Gaius, you are playing with fire!”

“So what?” Gaius’ smile dissipated, and his expression became as cold as iron.

But the king laughed hard, clutching his stomach as if he couldn’t help himself. “Just look at yourself, Gaius! You have gone mad, yet you still pride yourself on being rational. Your eyes are blinded by the so-called future, but you can’t see the price it will take to arrive at the future! Is everything that you have been through all along still not a good enough lesson for you?!

“Your revolution and nothing else is the worst thing in the world! You released it from the cage, now you are trying to free it from the shackles of religion, and let it spread its poison in the world!

“You have promised them what they should not have, letting them manage their country by themselves, giving them false hopes that seem close at hand… Maybe what you’re doing is right, but this is a sick world, and nothing right should remain!

“The day shall come when your revolution goes out of control. Your army and your country will become a deformed child under your sick ideals. Regardless of whether it can swallow the world up, the day shall come when it destroys itself because of nonstop demands for more and more!”

The king laughed wildly. The mad laughter was harsh and piercing, as if the world was coldly mocking Gaius through the king’s body. Full of delight, the king tilted his head back and finished the last drops of wine. So, final darkness rose in his vision, hugging him, greeting him, and accompanied him in his brief journey towards death.

At the very last moment, he spat out a mouthful of stinking dark blood and looked at Gaius. With a smile of pleasure, he softly bid farewell, “Gaius, I will witness the day with my eyes, in hell…”

Everything returned to silence.

Gaius sat in his chair and watched the ugly face that had turned grotesque due to the lethal poison, like he was waiting for something.

But a long time passed.

His Majesty spoke no more.

The king had died.

…

The door to the basement was closed.

“Seal it.” Gaius said to the craftsman, “After all, His Majesty was the king, let his palace be his coffin.”

The craftsman bowed in acknowledgment. He put on his hat, walked up the steps, and returned to the wide courtyard on the ground level.

On the bench, Wolf Flute, who was smoking a cigarette, raised his eyes. “What did His Majesty our king say as his last words? You don’t seem very happy.”

“It’s just drunken nonsense.” Gaius replied coldly, “What about your job? Is it done?”

On the bench, Wolf Flute whistled and spread his hands out. “Rest assured. After witnessing Charles’ power, the old priests are already going crazy.

“Soon, the Sofia Fraternity in charge of the Caucasus Church will throw themselves at your feet, endorse the miracles that have occurred today, and re-advocate the orthodoxy abandoned by the Church of the Sacred City. They are also saying something along the lines of how divinity and humanity are not in opposition with each other but in communion.

“I don’t really understand the quacks’ words. One way or another, they promised that they would break ties with the Sacred City and establish a new sect with the other fraternities in the Near East. Soon, a sect that suits your wants will serve you and shepherd believers for you. However, out of respect for their ruler, they want to ask you regarding what to name the new church.”

Gaius pondered for a moment, and soon replied, “Since they advocate orthodoxy, name it the ‘Orthodox Church’.”

“As you command.” Wolf Flute bowed exaggeratedly, removed the cigarette from the corner of his mouth, and stepped on it to extinguish the fire. He turned and prepared to leave, then his footsteps paused. He turned back and asked. “Oh, right, one more question. About Charles.”

“Yes?” Gaius looked at Wolf Flute and saw his mirthful expression.

Wolf Flute looked at Gaius and asked curiously, “You personally lifted him onto the altar and made him a god. But what if he wishes to come down from the altar one day, what are you going to do then?”

Gaius said nothing.

Wolf Flute got his answer. He turned and left.

In the sky, endless snow fell again, sweeping across the wilderness and the city. It swallowed everything up, covering the old corpses of the country.

Under the frozen soil, some seeds were sprouting.