Cyrus POV
Leaving the continent of Zarathia played out differently in my mind. I thought it was going to be a liberating experience. I thought I was going to feel relief as our transport ripped through the roaring waves of the sea. I thought being reunited with Grandpa was going to be a special moment. It wasn't at all. I regained a piece of my past that was taken from me, but I lost two more pieces in the process.
Over the past two months on this boat, I had to sit and watch over my father's body, which was resting in an incubator. My uncle's last attack did irreparable damage to my father's body and celestial core. If it weren't for my grandpa's quick thinking and the help of Solmane, I'm sure I would have lost him for good. He has yet to wake up, and the medics don't know when he will—or if he ever will. We can only hope at this point.
Grandpa has tried his best to be supportive, but I'm sure he feels the same as me. He was devastated when I explained to him who the assailant was. He couldn't believe it. He was silent for almost a week, leaving me alone with my thoughts. After his isolation, we had a deep heart-to-heart—a conversation we never had as a grandpa and grandson. He talked about his shortcomings as a father and how, if he had been better, maybe things would have been different. At the time, I didn't know how to respond to his attempt at consolation. All I could tell him was, "It's going to be okay," something I shouldn't have had to say as the younger one in this situation.
My grandfather was a smart man, so he quickly picked up on it as he saw my emotions become mute over time while we were at sea. The pain, the suffering, the betrayal—it drained me. I was numb now. I didn't feel much. Nothing really got me excited. Nothing interested me. I was only focused on one thing now: my strength. I needed to get stronger if I was going to kill my uncle and get revenge for what he did to us. But my loving grandfather pushed through the barrier I put up, no matter how much I deterred him.
When our ship finally reached our destination, I was in the room checking up on my father, hoping that he had finally woken up. But that moment had still yet to come. "Father, we made it. Our journey is complete. When you wake up, things are gonna be different—but hopefully different in a good way. A life of peace, something we deserve after all of this. I'll keep up my training, and I'll keep up my studies. So hopefully when you wake up, I can have something to show that was worth the journey," I said with my hand and forehead pressed against the incubator glass.
"Getting you here safely was all that he wanted," my grandfather said, standing in the doorway of my father's room. "He would have gone through it a million times over if it meant you were safe, my dear grandson," he continued as he came to give me a slight embrace.
"I know... I know he would, Grandpa."
"Good. Now let's go see our new home then. The Prime Minister is waiting for us outside."
"Thank God. I don't know what was worse—living in the woods for the past few years or this boat."
"Couldn't have been that bad."
"It was that bad, Grandpa."
"Wait... did I just see a smile come out from my brooding teenage grandson? Who are you, and what have you done with Cyrus?"
"Haha, funny. Now help me push Dad out of here then."
When we finally made it off the ship, there were several large trucks waiting out front, but my attention was drawn to the immense beauty of the landscape before me. There were lush palm trees, buildings painted with vibrant colors, and not a single sign of emissions from the vehicles. In many ways, it reminded me of my home in Arthenos.
"So you must be Cyrus," a bald man with electric blue eyes said as he waved to my grandpa.
"Yes, I am. Who are you?"
"He's the man that helped us and allowed us into the city of Xhatal. Sorry for that, old friend."
"No worries, Zaire. But now that Ezra is secure in the transport, how about I take you to your new home?" the Prime Minister said as he gestured for my grandpa and me to enter the vehicle.
The trip took us along a trail up the large mountainscape near the seaside of the city. "I figured you might want a home secluded from others, especially after recent events," the Prime Minister said as he pointed out of the window towards a building emerging on the horizon.
As we pulled through the gates of our new home, I saw one thing that brought a slight smile to my face. It was our clan symbol etched into the front door: the rising sun. Shortly after, the Prime Minister's men helped get my father's incubator into the house and situated in a room catered to his needs.
I took the time to wander my new home. For the most part, everything seemed standard—until I got to the back of the house. In the backyard, there was an arena fashioned with everything a person could need for training. A drastic improvement from the circle my dad would draw in the dirt. "I figured a kid like you could use a place to blow off steam. Well, my grandkids do at least," the Prime Minister said as he came out to accompany me.
"Thank you so much. I don't really know what to say."
"You don't have to say anything at all. It was a pleasure, really. Your grandpa has saved my butt more times than I can count. It's the least I could do."
"It was really only a few times. Don't flatter me too much, my good friend," my grandpa said as he came out the screen door.
"I also figured it would help you out in preparation for the entrance exams in a few months."
"Entrance exams?" I said as I looked at the Prime Minister and Grandpa with confusion.
"Yes—to Xhatal's Astral Academy," the Prime Minister continued as he handed me an envelope. "It's your acceptance letter. I pulled some strings, but nonetheless, you deserve to be a normal kid. I'm looking forward to seeing what you become."
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Melena POV
"Lady Melena, it appears the young prince has made it across the sea in the physical realm." a soft voice cried out to me distracting me from gazing upon the numerous galaxies in the universe.
"Thank you, Rava. And what of his father?"
"Not good, my lady. His soul and body have sustained a great deal of damage. It's uncertain when he will wake up. Are there any instructions you wish to give me before I leave for my next task, my lady?" my trusted assistant said as she pulled up a seat next to me in my throne room.
"For now, continue as you are. We can't reveal ourselves yet. We were lucky to go unnoticed in the rift. I thought having Ezra by his side would be enough to protect him until he was ready, but it seems I was wrong. Theron was stronger than I thought."
"The Eclipsed Serpent has been a thorn in our backside for quite a while. It appears it has the upper hand now in the physical realm."
"They do for now, but that doesn't mean we can't still try and sway things in our favor."
"I agree... but do I have to pretend to be a Rift Merger again? I hated that experience."
"No, Rava. You can assume your true form now. It will be of greater service to the prince going forward.
End of volume 1