Elsewhere inside a sealed chamber, Ulric stared at Greyson’s figure in a far more frail state than he was a few minutes ago.
"Father?" he called out. Behind him stood Lyra and the rest of the elders.
"Ulric?" Greyson rasped dryly, his eyes sparkling faintly at the sight of the youth before him.
"If you can hold out a little longer..." Ulric muttered, his thoughts churning rapidly, trying to figure out ways to save him. He could amass more corruption points, or maybe even corrupt health potions to increase their potency. That would fix things for a while.
Before he could voice out the rest, Greyson breathed out heavily. "There’s no need."
"But..."
Ulric muttered, about to protest again.
"I enter death joyful, knowing the fate of House Greyson is secured in the shadow of your unending greatness."
Taking a mont to process the words, Ulric nodded faintly before breathing slowly.
So be it. If that was to be his will, he knew better than to try to convince him. Once his mind was set on sothing, there was no changing it. After all, he had gotten his stubbornness from sowhere.
Seeing the look of acceptance on Ulric’s face, Greyson smiled faintly before sighing.
"Good, but I did not call you here to watch die. I have an important ssage for you."
Seeing his expression fall grave, Ulric’s brows arched slightly. An important ssage? His thoughts raced with multiple scenarios, but as Greyson’s mouth opened to speak, he suddenly froze as he took in a cold breath of air.
"Your... mother... is alive."
"But," Ulric muttered in between, "she was a concubine who died while giving birth to ... I don’t understand."
"A lie I told you to protect you."
Given the ti he had lived with all this, it had co to beco part of his identity. When Greyson entered seclusion, his status had tanked. He had to fight for everything he had.
Nothing was ever handed to him, to a point his life had been a hell of a lot worse if he hadn’t been a noble in the first place.
But all that was part of what pushed him to be tough and who he was today.
And as all that was currently challenged, multiple emotions flooded his face.
Sensing the confusion in his eyes, Greyson sighed quietly as the smile on his face widened, sinking back into old mories.
"Back when I was young and hot-blooded, I travelled across the realm, forging my body and fists in blood and battle. My heart was unbound and free. That is... until I t her."
As he muttered the last part, his eyes sparkled, looking into the sky. So distant, yet so close at the sa ti.
"A girl from one of the great houses in the royal city?" Ulric murmured, having a feeling of where this was going.
Hearing his question, Greyson smiled before smirking.
"Close enough. She was a princess from the royal family."
Eliciting gasps from so of the elders present.
"I wasn’t even a noble. Yet what we had was undeniable. Our love was forbidden."
"She was soone I was destined to only look up to... until one night... we escaped. She abandoned everything she had to co live with . And for a while, life was great. I had everything I could ever dream of... until the royal family eventually found us."
Pausing for a mont, he coughed out a mouthful of blood before continuing, the dreamy look on his face fading.
"My life was only spared after she begged for it. But you... you were only recently born and had to be kept as a secret. If they found out she had a child with a commoner, they would have considered you a stain in their bloodline and killed you."
"So I ca back to Tempest City and settled to raise you."
Taking a mont to process everything, multiple questions circled at the back of his mind, but he only asked one.
"What...what is her na?"
"Selene," Greyson muttered, the na rekindling fond mories. A grin ford across his face before snapping out of it.
Turning to Ulric, he continued, "Your mother loved you so much. Even if it ant never seeing you again, just to keep you safe. But now that you’ve grown and awakened, you deserve to know the truth."
As he spoke, Greyson moved his frail hand, taking off the Lord’s signet ring from his finger before slipping it into Ulric’s hand.
Before, Ulric had refused it. But now, it was ti.
Not done yet, he reached to his neck, pulling out a pendant glowing with a faint green hue as he placed it into his hand as well.
"This will lead you to her," he muttered, before the distant look resurfaced.
"If you are to ever cross paths with her again... tell her... I finally did it. She’ll know what it ans."
Even after all these years, the fla burning in his chest still burned as bright as ever as the day he first saw her.
Nodding slightly, Ulric looked at the figure before him in a new light. To have carried such a great burden for all this while must have placed a huge strain on him.
And for this, he felt thankful. He couldn’t imagine living never knowing part of his life was a lie.
Just as he was about to open his mouth to promise him, Greyson’s grip over his palm tightened as his face grew grave.
"But not until you’re ready. Though you are considered strong, you’ve barely begun the true path to power. On the grand scale, Tempest City is inconsequential."
Reminded of his weakness once more, Ulric’s fists clenched tightly. If after everything Greyson had seen in him he still thought he was weak, he couldn’t help but wonder how strong he had to beco to be a powerhouse in massive human bases and royal cities.
But that didn’t matter now, as it only fueled his ambition for strength. Relieved of the weight in his chest, Greyson groaned. He could feel his body breaking apart as weakness overtook him. He didn’t have much ti now.
Turning to Ulric, he muttered one last thing before the light in his eyes faded.
"Rember, son... whatever you do... always stay true to your heart."
In all his life, he had faced multiple tribulations and had joyful mories. But even then, he never once found peace in strength. Maybe he would in death.
He mused as he drew his last breath.
Feeling his hand grow limp in his grasp, Ulric exhaled as a deathly silence descended.
A few seconds passed before thudding sounds echoed of knees falling to the ground.
Through his spiritual field, he watched the elders bow, chanting his title as lord.
He sensed Lyra about to join in, but stopped her, pulling her gently by the waist until she stood beside him, slightly flustered.
Slowly rising to his feet, Rysten pulled out a horn from his storage pouch before blowing with all his might as the sound echoed across the entire Greyson Residence.
All those who heard it recognized it instantly. It could only an one thing as they heeded the call, rushing forward to stand below the lord’s residence.
Looking down at the crowd, Rysten yelled out, "Behold, a new lord has risen!"
As his voice echoed, their heads looked up to watch Ulric’s approaching figure, with Lyra standing beside him, as their eyes lit up with reverence and awe.
Holding out his hand, a screeching sound echoed, followed by a crimson sheen, before a blood-red scythe landed in his arms.
Raising it into the air, the crowd suddenly erupted in cheers as chants filled the air.
Looking down at everything, Ulric breathed.
This was the beginning of a new era.
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