Lord of Ascension: The Birth of Chaos-Chapter 45 Execution

The faces of the crowd contorted with anger, their fists held up in the air as they chanted, "KILL! KILL! KILL!"

Kaelith stared down at them with a blank face. On the other side of the arena was an elevated platform, a place for the royals.

He hastened his pace, walking around the arena. When he got to the platform, he sat beside Scarlet.

"Why did you come late? The Emperor was furious," Scarlet leaned closer to him, whispering in his ear. His shoulder-length brown-blonde hair cascaded down, half of it falling over the left side of his face.

"None of your business," Kaelith shoved his face back.

"You like touching my face, don’t you? I know it is not easy to be the number one prettiest boy in the whole realm," Scarlet snapped back, his blue eyes narrowing slightly.

Kaelith closed his eyes, muttering curses under his breath.

When he opened his eyes again, they locked with the Patriarch who sat beside the Emperor.

They sat in a row, with the Emperor in the middle. Agnes sat next to the Emperor, followed by the rest of his wives.

The princes sat in the back row.

Kaelith nodded his head as a form of greeting. The Patriarch smiled faintly at him before returning his gaze to the arena.

In the center of the arena was a wooden platform. A man and a woman knelt with their heads dropped low. Two huge men with axes in the shape of a half-moon stood behind them.

Dimitri rose from his seat, his red coat sweeping across the ground.

"My dear people of Eldenria. Today, we will bring justice to our land."

"Yeah!" The crowd responded with a loud, angry cheer.

Dimitri raised one hand, and the noise in the arena stopped at once. The chanting and shouting all fell quiet. Everyone looked up at him as he stepped forward.

He looked down at the crowd. His voice was deep and steady. "There is one crime in Eldenria that we will never forgive."

The wind blew softly, brushing against his cloak and his gaze hardened as it fell on the two people on the platform.

He paused, scanning the faces of the crowd below. He could see the fire burning in their eyes.

"Necromancy," he spat out.

A low murmur spread through the crowd.

"Raising the dead, stealing life from corpses... it is not only twisted, it is a curse that goes against the very magic our gods gave us. It rots our world from within." He pointed to the two prisoners in the center of the arena. "Today, we get rid of it."

The crowd exploded again. "KILL! KILL! KILL!"

Kaelith sat quietly on the royal platform, his arms resting over his knees. His face gave nothing away. He only wanted to be done with the execution so he could go back and explore his domain if he could access it again.

He looked down at the crowd. Hypocrites.

He believed the people were not cheering for justice. They were cheering for blood, to make themselves feel they were on the right path. His gaze moved to the two kneeling prisoners. They looked young. Their heads were bowed, their hair falling over their faces.

He leaned back slightly and mumbled, "Doesn’t this bother you?"

Scarlet turned to him. "What?"

Kaelith did not respond. He did not like repeating himself.

Dimitri raised his hand again, and the silence returned.

"I, Emperor Dimitri of Eldenria, order their execution. Let every person in this land remember, if you play with death, it will claim you."

Then he dropped his hand in a sharp movement.

The two executioners raised their heavy axes, which glinted in the sun. They dropped the axes, mirroring the Emperor’s hand movement.

Scarlet covered his face with his hand, peeking through the space between his fingers.

Meanwhile, Kaelith stared with a blank face, almost as if he were bored.

Two loud thuds echoed across the arena. The heads rolled to the side, blood pooling on the wooden platform.

Some people cheered. Others clapped. A few just stared, too shocked to speak.

"...Kaelith..."

A faint voice whispered.

"...Kaelith..."

Kaelith’s eyes narrowed. He sat up a little straighter.

"...Kaelith..." the voice came again.

He looked around, scanning the arena, the stands, the corners, and the guards. But there was nothing, and no one seemed suspicious. So who could be calling him?

The voice came again, softer this time, as if it came from everywhere at once.

"...Kaelith..."

He stood up. A frown settled on his face. He looked at Dimitri. He wondered if this was also part of his plan.

Scarlet frowned. "What’s wrong?"

Kaelith did not reply. He took a step forward, his eyes darting around, searching for the source. The voice seemed close, but at the same time nowhere to be seen.

He looked over the edge of the platform. But still, nothing.

And just like that, it stopped, as if it had gone with the wind.

"Interesting?" he whispered to himself.

Scarlet tugged on his sleeve. "Are you okay?"

Kaelith pulled his arm away. "It’s nothing."

But he knew it was not nothing.

....

After the execution, the royals began to leave the arena. The Emperor and his wives went through the private exit, but Kaelith, Scarlet, and the other princes were expected to walk through the streets. It was a tradition, meant to show the people that the royal sons were part of their world.

Outside the palace walls, the streets were loud and full of life. Children ran barefoot between market stalls. Merchants shouted over each other, trying to sell fruits, fabrics, and charms. The smell of roasted meat mixed with smoke and dust filled the air.

Scarlet grumbled and pulled his cloak tighter. "Ugh. Why does it always smell like burnt garlic out here?"

Kaelith did not reply. His thoughts were still on the voice. It had not felt like a dream. It felt like someone, or something was trying to reach him.

"Hey," Scarlet bumped his elbow, "you’re drifting again."

Kaelith’s eyes stayed on the ground. "I’m just thinking."

Scarlet rolled his eyes. "You always are. One day, your head’s going to explode, and I’ll have to carry your dead body home."

Kaelith glanced at him. "If I die, don’t touch me. I don’t want to be touched by your stinky hands."

Scarlet smirked. "You mean you cannot handle this beauty?" He wiggled his eyebrows at him.

Suddenly, a loud voice broke through the street noise.

"Stop him!"

A blur of movement rushed past a food stall. A small boy, around the age of twelve, ran barefoot through the crowd. His skin was covered in dirt, and his clothes were like rags. He pushed past shocked villagers, his eyes wide with fear.

Behind him, four soldiers chased after him.

"Thief!" one of them yelled. "Stop!"

Kaelith’s steps faltered. He watched the boy running straight toward them.

Scarlet blinked. "Is he... is he coming this way?"

The boy stumbled, looking around like a cornered animal. His eyes landed on Kaelith.

Without thinking, he ran straight to him.

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