Lucian's chest tightened as Asher's serious gaze held him in place.
For a mont, the world narrowed, leaving only the echo of his pulse in his ears. His mind reeled with too many questions.
However, his desire to live far outweighed those doubts.
He took a breath—slow, deliberate—as though steadying himself for what was already set in motion.
"I know soone."
A brief silence settled between them.
"Just to be clear," Asher paused for a beat, "it has to be a first-degree relative. Distant ones won't do."
The others stiffened, eyes flicking nervously to their father.
Would he trade their lives for his own?
Lucian rubbed his temple, frustrated. His offspring were too judgntal.
"Don't worry. I an your uncle, Leno," he clarified.
They all sighed in relief, not a single protest in sight. Even Lucy's face twisted in distaste—it was clear they all hated their uncle.
It was good news because another drama was avoided.
"Can you get him here now?" Asher asked, his fingers drumming on the table.
"Yes. He's imprisoned in our tower for committing an unforgivable cri. I'll have my servant bring him, but it'll take so ti. We've got to seal him in a special coffin first:"
"No need," Asher stood up. "We'll go there ourselves."
Lucian nodded, and the others moved to follow, but Asher waved them off.
"Stay here with Lucy," Asher ordered, his tone firr this ti.
He wasn't about to waste ti on distractions—especially from Lariel, who would pounce on any chance to spark a conversation.
They all nodded and sank back into their seats.
Minutes later, the two arrived at the tower.
The servants dropped to their knees without a second thought, their heads bowed in submission.
Lucian raised a hand, signaling them to stand.
With a slight tilt of his head, he gestured toward Asher.
"He's the one you'll answer to now."
No one questioned those commands. They saw his power firsthand—his strength, his authority—and the last thing they wanted was to earn his wrath.
Instead, they practically danced with joy inside, thrilled to serve such a powerful benefactor.
The rise of the Morningstar family would send shockwaves through the demon world—an era of dominance was about to begin.
Asher gave them a simple nod, before going down to the lower floors.
The air got cooler as they went deeper, and the scent of stone and earth filled the space.
This one was different from the others—larger, more personal.
They passed several rooms, the silence broken only by the soft shuffle of footsteps on stone.
Finally, they stopped at a heavy prison cell, its bars dark and foreboding.
Lucian turned to his servants.
"Leave us," he commanded. "From this mont on, it'll be more dangerous."
The servants nodded quickly, and retreated.
Asher's eyes flicked over the place, taking in every detail.
The ceiling stretched high above them, creating an eerie kind of openness. Find exclusive stories on My Virtual Library Empire
He stepped forward. His fingers brushed against the cold wall, tracing the hidden runes.
The symbols etched into the walls faintly glowed, their light soft but ominous. They were designed to activate at the slightest hint of an escape.
"Does it bother you?" Lucian asked.
"These?" He tapped one of the glowing symbols, and it dimd under his touch. "They're too weak."
Lucian could only force a wry smile.
They'd spent a fortune creating this to seal his brother, pouring ti, effort, and resources into its construction.
And yet, here it was—being casually ignored, as if it were nothing more than a decoration.
If it was anyone else, Lucian would've thought they were bragging way too much.
But with Asher, it was different. He wasn't boasting; he was just stating cold facts.
As they got closer to the end of the chamber, the atmosphere began to change . The scent of tallic blood beca more obvious.
"Is that him? " Asher questioned.
A man was pinned to the wall, his body barely clinging to life. His skin, pale and stretched tight over the jagged lines of his bones, looked almost too fragile to hold him together.
Black tal poles, driven through his palms, legs, shoulders, chest, and stomach, kept him suspended like a broken marionette.
Blood, long dried and dark, stained the stone beneath him, a testant to his suffering.
"Yes, that's my brother Leno," Lucian muttered, his voice trembling, barely keeping his emotions in check.
Asher's eyes narrowed. Despite looking like a corpse, there were traces of power still radiating from the demon.
"Is he a demon king?" Asher asked.
Lucian reluctantly nodded, his expression twisting with disgust that he couldn't hide.
Leno tilted his head slowly. "Little brother, so you decided to visit ?"
His smile widened, but it wasn't the kind of smile anyone would expect from soone in his condition.
His eyes, though red, were devoid of any life or glow. It was like staring at a man already dead—an empty vessel, barely clinging to existence.
"I'm not here for a talk, Leno!" Lucian snapped, his frustration finally breaking through
He rarely ca to this place, avoiding it as much as possible. The sight of his older brother was sothing he couldn't stomach after everything Leno had done.
"Don't be like that, little brother. It's been decades.. Almost a century. It's not like I succeeded. No harm done."
"Bastard! If not for my son stopping you..." Lucian's voice broke off, and he averted his eyes, unable to finish the sentence.
Asher was curious about why they hated each other, but he decided to stay out of their family issue.
"You said it yourself," Leno chuckled. "I was stopped...and look at .Don't you feel pity? I've suffered more than enough. How about you free for all ti sake ?"
He didn't sound the least bit regretful.
Lucian clenched his fists, struggling to contain his hatred.
He held onto a faint hope that his brother might show so remorse.
Instead, all he saw was a man consud by madness. A complete lunatic.
"Leno... You're irredeemable"
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