Lord of Ascension: The Birth of Chaos-Chapter 55 The Grogth

The breakfast had ended. One by one, the royals filtered out of the hall, their footsteps echoing faintly against the marble floor. The excitement of the dragon eggs still echoed through the walls.

Only the Emperor and the Patriarch remained in the hall.

They stood across from each other, silence stretching long between them.

"You planned this," Dimitri said finally, his voice low but sharp. "You don’t just show up with dragon eggs unless you have an agenda."

A smirk formed on Magnar’s lips. He stepped down from the platform and faced him calmly. "So now you’re afraid of gifts?"

"I’m not afraid," Dimitri said coldly. "I see through you. You want the throne. You want to use those dragons to control the empire."

A faint smile tugged at the corner of Magnar’s mouth. "If I wanted the throne, I would have taken it a long time ago. You sit on it only because I let you."

Dimitri’s eyes narrowed. "You gave my sons rare dragon eggs, ancient creatures the world believed had gone extinct. And you expect me to believe you did it out of generosity?"

"No," Magnar said. "I expect you to admit the truth."

"And what truth is that?"

"That you’re bitter," Magnar said, his hands behind his back. "Bitter that you didn’t find those eggs yourself, Bitter that even after all your efforts, you remain an archmage while I have stepped into the sage stage."

The Emperor’s hands clenched at his sides.

Magnar’s voice dropped, but the power in it remained. "You chase shadows, Dimitri. While I’ve walked through storms. You cling to control, while I shape fate."

"You’re calling me weak?" Dimitri hissed.

"I’m calling you lost."

The words landed like a blow.

Dimitri took a step forward, his magic crackling faintly at his fingertips. But Magnar didn’t move. He simply watched him, unshaken by his outburst.

"You think giving those children dragons will win them loyalty?" Dimitri asked. "They’re not yours, they are my sons."

"No," Magnar replied. "They’re the empire’s and of course, my grandchildren, and dragons don’t care about bloodlines. They follow strength."

Dimitri turned away, pacing. "You knew Kaelith would get the black one. Didn’t you?"

Magnar said nothing.

"You planned it. From the beginning."

"I didn’t need to plan anything," the Patriarch answered. "Some things are simply meant to happen."

Dimitri looked over his shoulder, scoffing. If he didn’t know his father he would have believed his words. "And Scarlet?"

Magnar’s silence deepened.

"You left him out on purpose," Dimitri said, his voice lower now. "Why?"

"He can’t control dragons without magic," Magnar said quietly. "And not everyone was born to command fire. Some... were born to survive it."

There was a strange weight behind those words. Dimitri felt it. But he didn’t understand it.

Magnar turned away first.

He stepped toward the doors, his cloak trailing behind him like a shadow.

"The real test has only just begun," he said without looking back. "Let’s see which of your children is truly worthy of a crown."

Magnar was just steps from the great hall doors when they swung open with a loud creak.

A young servant burst inside, breathless and pale. His eyes darted around until they landed on the Patriarch. He stopped abruptly, then bowed deeply toward him.

But instead of going to Magnar, he turned and sprinted toward the Emperor.

"Your Majesty!" the servant cried, dropping to his knees. He clutched his chest, struggling to catch his breath. "There’s trouble."

Dimitri’s brow lifted. "Speak."

"The Grogth..." the servant said, his voice shaking. "They’re back."

The entire hall went still for a moment.

Magnar slowly turned around.

"What did you just say?" His voice was cold and steady, but something sharp crept beneath it.

The servant looked up at him with wide, terrified eyes. "A village in the west, near the outer forests. Two bodies were found. A man and a woman. Their..." He swallowed hard. "Their brains were gone."

Silence fell again. The tension grew so thick that a knife could slice through it.

Dimitri stared at the servant. His expression was unreadable, but his jaw tightened. "The Grogth were sealed," he said. "They cannot return. The seal is intact."

"Then explain the bodies," Magnar said, stepping forward. His boots echoed with each step. "You know their patterns as well as I do. Missing brains, with no scent left behind."

The servant bowed even lower, forehead touching the floor. "The elder in the village said the bodies were untouched. No claw marks. No signs of struggle. Just... hollowed skulls."

Magnar stood unmoving in his spot. Then he looked at Dimitri.

"You said I had an agenda," he muttered. "Now, do you see that I came at the right time?"

Dimitri looked back at him, anger and unease battling behind his eyes.

"You came with dragon eggs," he said. "And now you’re saying the sealed horrors are returning. Do you expect me to believe the timing is a coincidence?"

"I never said it was a coincidence," Magnar replied. "I said it was fate." ƒreewebɳovel.com

Dimitri scoffed. "You knew."

"I suspected it, ever since the rebirth of the demon child. I knew things would get messy." Magnar paused. "And now I’m certain. The Grogth are waking. Which means... something far worse is stirring beneath the seals."

He turned to the servant. "No one must speak of this."

The servant nodded quickly. "Yes, Patriarch. I understand."

Magnar looked back at Dimitri. "If word spreads, the Empire will panic. Your court will crumble under fear and fear attracts the wrong kind of power."

Dimitri stared at him, unsure if he should believe him or not. Then finally, he gave a slow nod. "Fine, we will keep it quiet for now."

"I will go myself," Magnar said. "If it truly is the Grogth, I’ll see the signs with my own eyes."

Dimitri gave him a curt nod.

The Patriarch turned to leave again, but paused at the threshold. His voice was low, but it carried weight.

"Prepare your sons, Dimitri. The dragons were never the end. They were just the beginning."

And with that, he stepped out into the shadows. Dimitri’s gaze lingered on the door where his father had disappeared. "Always acting as if you are a hero," he muttered under his breath.

"I’ll see if you can remain a hero forever. I know what you are after... You are after power and my throne, and now you think you can use my sons against me? I know you are favouring Kaelith, because he is Agnes’ son... this is more reason for me to eliminate him since I can’t use him.’ he clenched his fist so tight, his bones cracked.

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