Making a breezy exit from the dining hall, the Holy Blood Sect group descended the narrow stairs and reached the sprawling garden. When they looked up, they were met with a stunning view; six towers showing off different colors greeted them.
Lined up right across from the tower they had just descended from its upper floors, the structures had an aura that drew you in. At one end ice blue, at the other end blazing fire, marked the beginning and end of the six towers. While the blood-red one rose right next to the clay-colored tower, the purple tower stood to the right of the milk-white one.
The towers seemed to have been built keeping the relationships of the sects with each other in mind. Fire and ice could not be side by side no matter what. Between the eternal and everlasting enemies was the tower of the Holy Blood Sect, and the Holy Eye was located in the part close to the ice.
"While there was a huge garden, you went and opened a portal to the dining hall!"
The Second Elder opened his mouth for the first time since arriving at the Hell Palace, and the tone in his voice made it clear he was not pleased at all.
"You too? Like I said, it was an accident!"
When the group, walking and talking at the same time, reached the rundown door of the blood-red colored tower, they encountered two guards. Sitting on the pedestals of half-broken statues with their legs crossed, the duo was watching the Sheikh and his team.
It was impossible for them not to know who they were; their attitude was specifically aimed at getting under their skin. Atractivo paid them no mind; pushing open the single panel of the broken door, he walked in. Then came the Third Sheikh's power animal, Jashua, Lareina, and the others. The Second Elder was on high alert in front of the door; while his eyes scanned the area, he patiently waited for the last person to enter as well.
Then, carefully closing the two panels of the broken door, he joined the others; meanwhile, one of the guards spat on the ground accompanied by curses.
"Bringers of disaster! May the devil take you!"
"Kin of the whore, your end has come!"
It was impossible for the team that had just entered the tower not to hear these; every stone of the Hell Palace seemed to be cursing them. The inside of the tower was falling apart just like its door; even though there were many rooms on each floor, the only one fit to stay in was the spacious hall on the top floor.
Settling into the hall Eyshan used as a dining hall in her own tower, the team was trying to calm down, but someone who had been silent until that moment couldn't hold back from speaking.
"Will I be able to see my father?"
Lareina knew who the person who battered Eyshan's tower was. Having the only surviving person from her family, whom she hadn't remembered for years, so close to her was making her heart ache with longing.
"Unfortunately, no!"
The young girl's pitiful state had saddened everyone; only Sheikh Atractivo answered as if it was a perfectly normal thing.
"Why, why can't I see my father?"
Lareina, unable to hold back her tearing eyes and crying, repeated between sobs. While Jashua tried to calm the young girl down by holding her close, his gaze locked onto Atractivo.
"Are you pissed at me, Blood Prince? I'm just stating the facts; if you want, you can ask the Second Elder, a living witness of that day, for the reason!"
The Sheikh, turning his back to the group and starting to watch the outside from the wide stone window, masterfully took himself out of the equation. Eyes turned to the Second Elder; everyone was expecting an explanation from him.
"Since it's come to this, I will tell you what happened a hundred years ago!"
The people gathered around the table, many of whose legs were rotted, were about to learn the truth hidden behind the curtain of the past. The Second Elder looked at their faces one by one; it was obvious he was hesitating about whether to tell or not.
"When I first came here with my master, I was a tiny kid. The tower was dazzling, the servants would bow down to the floor, and the King of Hell himself would even come to welcome us. The Royalty belonged to the descendants of the Holy Fire Sect, but our sect carried a lot of weight.
How could it not? We had a powerful Sheikh, the most famous artisan on the continent, and a genius who broke new ground with the elixirs she created. Then Abarran and Isabel had a daughter; coincidentally, the Royal Family also had their princess the same year.
Abarran and Isabel's daughter Mora, and the new princess was called by the name Eyshan. The two girls practically grew up together. Here, Mora was filling the void of her mother who died during her birth and her father who dedicated himself to his work from that day on.
The King of Hell and his wife had also embraced her. Despite her sorrowful past, Mora was displaying extraordinary talents. When the girls turned ten, what had been awaited for years happened, and the King of Hell had a son. The heir to the throne had arrived; it's impossible for me to forget the celebration held that day.
Once the Second Elder decided to tell, he talked non-stop; he kept going until his mouth went dry.
"Drink some of this, Second; you're getting to the best parts!"
There was nothing in the grand hall, but the Sheikh was prepared. He handed the glass materializing out of nowhere to his right arm. The majestic man, not turning down the offer, downed whatever was in it in one go; he was in a hurry to continue his words.
"Even though Abarran didn't pay attention to his daughter, he didn't stop making weapons for her. With weapons that could only be used by people with compatible bloodlines, he was making Mora superior to the others. Gradually, some rumors started spreading over the Hell Realm. People popped up saying that Mora should be the new ruler, not Eyshan or her brother.
Our sect denied these, but thanks to Mora gaining superiority over the others day by day, the rumors didn't die down. Eyshan was talented, she possessed the bloodline of the Hell Royal Family. If Mora wasn't an extraordinary person, she could have easily been the new heir.
You're asking why they would choose her as the heir when they had a brother, right? The little boy had not the slightest interest in either fighting or ruling over other people. His talent leaned towards art and science; what he did at a young age was dazzling.
Nafız was practically acting like a big sister to little Rojo in the Royal Palace where she satisfied her longing for a family. Both of them had red hair, and truth be told, the kid looked more like her than Eyshan.
It's unknown who took the lead or how they got wind of it, but one day the King of Hell came to my master with a very interesting proposition. He wanted Mora to apply a technique coming from her bloodline on his son, and he was insistent on this matter. The man, who had swallowed the fact that his son was useless for all those years, had caught a glimmer of hope.
Mora was a completely different girl; she was so wonderful that she had the ability to grant others powers they couldn't even dream of. The technique coming from her bloodline had only one drawback; the person it was going to be applied to had to not carry another bloodline in their body.
That day everyone was ready in the main hall; we were waiting for the Hell Royal Family, the Six Fiends, Abarran, and what would happen along with my master who was the sect Sheikh of that time. The elite soldiers of the Royal Palace were all around; the atmosphere had gotten heavy enough to make breathing difficult.
Mora and Rojo walked in holding hands; a storm of applause broke out in the hall. When the two children, advancing under the King's expectant gazes, reached the ceremonial altar, Mora pleaded one more time.
This time the King of Hell's reaction was harsh; perhaps it was the first time he was raising his voice against her. Rojo stepped in front of the young girl and silenced his father; he had resigned himself to what was going to happen.
While Mora battered the little boy's body with the whips she took off her bracelets, he didn't make a single sound. His mouth, locked by clenching his teeth, was sealed shut like his fate.
When everything was over, the waiting began. Rojo, lying covered in blood, was writhing. Mora took a step to approach him but stopped right after. The little boy raised his head slightly; a single gasp rose from his mouth which had been closed throughout the ceremony.
I remember my master pulling me behind him; everywhere turned pitch red. I was scared; I confess, I was experiencing the most terrifying moment of my entire life. Not long, when I raised my head a few hundred breaths later, I saw that the hall had turned into ruins.
The Six Fiends had died around the altar. The Queen of Hell's head was not on her body. Her husband had slumped over his throne, and a large part of his body was ruined. When the crying of a young girl caught my ear, I saw Eyshan coming out from under her father.
More than half of the warriors had perished; my master and his close friend Abarran were standing in front of me. While the warriors flooding into the hall through the doors surrounded us, a hand patted my head.
"Everything is going to be okay!"