True Alpha's Chosen Mate-Chapter 275: Final Act I: The prophecy of the seven sins II

"Even if you execute me right this moment, you... vampires and witches will always have to look over your shoulders. So, will you lend me your ears before I face my people’s judgments?"

There was a prolonged silence that everyone could hear the crackle of the fire and the sound of metals clashing, people screaming for what they were fighting for, and smoke ascending to the sky.

Taking their silence as consent, Niall rocked his head. "The child of evil and I... had a blood contract. His blood and mine hatched two seeds. In the distant future, they will reproduce." He paused as he slowly stood up while the others took another step back whilst raising their weapons at him.

"Seven seeds; a result of seven sins that will endanger our kind to extinction." He faced them squarely, glossing his eyes over them. "You can try to kill the source prematurely, but I’m telling you, harming them will result in destruction."

Niall’s eyes settled on the man, who was very familiar to him. A pureblooded vampire who had openly opposed Niall in the past and often took the empire and its people’s interest before anything else.

He smiled at him. "I entrust them in your care, Theodore. Show them the light, and they will shine just as bright as the sun. Show them darkness, and they will show you the void. Expose them to bloodshed and they... will create an ocean of red. My people, our kind, rely on your judgment tonight, Theo."

Niall pressed his lips as he breathed out, feeling this weight in his heart was being lifted off of his chest. He trusted this man; this man who deserved to rule all vampires with his compassionate heart and openness to other races. So, he didn’t fear leaving everyone’s lives in his hands, knowing he would choose his people over his personal desire or grudges.

"Now that the child of evil is being dealt with... I, Niall Grimsbanne, will leave you a gift for the peace we all seek." His smile remained and suddenly, a dark veil enveloped the entire Hendrik empire.

Theodore and everyone around Niall looked around cautiously. Before they could react, the ground shook, and some nearly lost their balance.

"Niall!" Theodore shouted with a shaking voice, pointing a Lancelot at the crown prince as if the shaking ground wasn’t his problem. However, just as he did, his eyes dilated as his pupils constricted, seeing markings crawl around Niall’s body up to his face.

Niall was chanting a forbidden spell, causing his skin to ooze with blood. Theodore, a person for the people of Hendrik, wasn’t new to witchcraft. Hence, he knew that this... that Niall was using himself as a sacrifice for a spell to hide the Hendrik from the rest of the world.

"Your Highness..." whispered Theodore as he couldn’t help but feel his heart sink. "... what are you...?"

"Theo! Get away!" someone from behind him yelled before he felt someone drag him away from the increasing power, sucking Niall’s life force, power, and soul.

Everyone who came to take down Niall fled to the nearest towers and roof, knowing staying within the crown prince’s proximity would cost them their lives. All they could do was stare at him with a mix of shock, puzzlement, and fear.

As the entire continent shook, the chaos around came to a momentary pause. All their attention was in the dark sky while being grounded without falling. It was as if the entire land was getting taken out, only to float away — away from the world. 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

When the ground stopped shaking, Theodore and everyone who came to subdue Niall held their breaths, wide-eyed. Their complexion was paler than originally were, seeing blood splatter all over the rooftop.

Niall, the crown prince, was nowhere to be seen. The only thing that was left was the crown prince’s ring; the ring that gave him the authority of the sovereign of the Hendrik Empire.

He disappeared... or rather; he sacrificed himself just so he could hide Hendrik from the world.

For what reason? Theodore didn’t know.

Niall had been the cruel and selfish crown prince until this point, but why did it feel like they made the wrong assumption?

Why did he sound like all this time, he was doing everything for the sake of their land and his people?

There were just myriads of questions that hovered over everyone’s head who witnessed this from happening. And yet, they were also aware that these questions... would never be answered since the culprit who left this riddle to them was already dead.

"Your Grace!" Theodore snapped his eyes when he heard a voice from below the castle towers he fled to. When he gazed down, he saw some of his people waving at them.

"We found something!" said the knight, watching the leader of the rebellion jump from the tower and land safely on the ground. "Your Grace, are you alright? Have you seized the emperor?"

The mention of Niall’s name left a bitter taste in his mouth as he frowned. "The emperor died and faced judgment. How about Raphael? Have you found him?"

"That..." Theodore furrowed his brows as the knight seemed to hesitate to report. "Your Grace, it’s really hard to explain. Why don’t you follow us and see what we found in the underground basement of the imperial palace?"

For some reason, the knight’s words caused Theodore’s heart to pound against his chest. This sudden uneasiness was justified when he followed the knights to the large underground expanse of the imperial palace.

His eyes widened, eyes at Raphael’s dead body, sitting in front of a large door as if he died guarding it. There was no blood anywhere; it was more like he died of natural death. If not for the fact that Raphael, Niall’s aide, was left with nothing but skin and bones, it would leave a mystery to them.

It seemed Raphael died alongside Niall as well. He probably sacrificed his life to make the spell even more effective since Raphael was also a powerful pureblood.

"Has anyone checked what he was guarding?" asked Theodore, shifting his eyes to the door behind Raphael.

"No, Your Grace. We reported it first since we don’t know what’s inside."

"Move Raphael. We’ll see what sort of thing he is guarding with his life."

As ordered, knights approached Raphael’s body. However, just as they touched him to move him away, his body shattered into ash as if he was made of sand. Taken aback, the knights leaped back and gazed at the ashes cautiously. When they were certain Raphael simply turned into ash and it was safe, Theodore embraced his racing heart as he marched towards the large doors.

With enough strength, he pushed the door open, and it creaked loudly. Everyone was cautious, holding their breaths, expecting a monster inside.

But nothing.

It was just darkness.

"Bring in the light," ordered Theodore, watching a knight cautiously step inside with a torch in his hand. The latter waved the torch forward, going further inside. The rest soon followed the knight, bringing torches to bring light into this vast darkness.

To their surprise, there was no monster or anything of the sort inside. It was almost an empty space with only two opened coffins in the middle.

"Two seeds..." Theodore whispered as he approached the coffins cautiously. His breath hitched upon taking a peek at what was in the coffin.

A child.

"Your Grace." He raised his head to the knight who called him, standing next to the other coffin. "There’s also a child in here."

And at that second, everything that Niall said flashed back in his head, causing his blood to run cold.