Helios and Sara walked down the long hallway of the Imperial Palace.
"That bastard..." Helios muttered through gritted teeth, a scowl forming on his face as he remembered his talk with the King.
"It seems the King really doesn't want to tell us where Luna is," Sara said with a sigh, shaking her head in frustration.
Just then, a servant approached them and bowed respectfully. "Greetings, Supreme Commander. the second prince, wishes to see you."
"I don't want to see any members of the Imperial Family right now," Helios thought, his frown deepening. He kept his tone calm and formal. "What is the second prince's name?"
"Prince Edmund," the servant replied.
"How can I say no without sounding rude or disrespectful?" Helios wondered, looking troubled.
Sara noticed the hesitation and stepped forward. "I apologize, but Helios and I have urgent matters to attend to at the Blackthorn Base," she said firmly, grabbing Helios's arm and pulling him gently away.
"I shall inform the Second Prince," the servant said, bowing again before turning and walking away.
"Thank you. Now I don't have to pretend to be polite to the Royal Family," Helios said, letting out a breath of relief as he looked at Sara.
"No problem. But seriously, we do need to get to the organisation immediately," Sara reminded him. "Oh, and don't forget—Seer is technically part of the Royal Family. She might already be there waiting for us."
They walked out of the palace and toward the car.
Meanwhile, Prince Edmund sat near a large window in his chamber, reading a thick book. He wore thin-rimmed glasses, and the sunlight streamed in, catching his blonde hair.
A knock echoed at the door. Two guards stood motionless on either side of the entrance.
"Come in," Edmund said, marking his page and looking up from his book.
When the servant entered, Edmund asked, "Where is the Commander?"
"He said he has important business to handle at his organisation, Your Highness," the servant replied, keeping his head low.
"I thought he might have forgotten he had a Seeker organisation to run," Edmund said, a small amused smile appearing on his face. His expression suddenly turned sharp. "But... are you sure you aren't lying to me?" He stood up and walked slowly toward the servant.
"I would never lie to you, Prince," the servant said, shifting nervously as Edmund approached.
"Then tell me... who are you loyal to?" Edmund asked, stopping right in front of him.
"Only you, Your Highness. And no one else," the servant stammered, beads of sweat forming on his forehead.
"You can't even lie properly," Edmund sighed, his tone cold. He nodded slightly at one of the guards.
The guard instantly unleashed his spiral energy, appearing right in front of the servant in a flash. With a swift motion, he struck the servant down.
"My siblings are getting worse at sending spies," Edmund said, wiping a speck of blood from his cheek with a handkerchief, his expression bored.
Helios drove the car swiftly toward the Blackthorn Base.
"It's been a long time since I last came here," Helios said, glancing out the window.
"Me too. It's been four years," Sara replied, looking nostalgic.
"I wonder if they still remember me... or if they have already replaced me as the Leader," Helios said quietly, thinks about Seer, Riku, Rio, and Ray.
"I doubt that. Besides, Nova probably told them that the Royal Family basically kidnapped you," Sara reassured him.
"I still need to confront Nova about that," Helios said, his voice laced with frustration. "About how he is actually a high-ranking member of the P.O.C."
The scene shifted to a dimly lit room inside the palace. A guard was kneeling on one knee in front of a woman with sleek black hair and striking golden eyes.
"Princess Svetlana, your brother, Prince Edmund, caught one of our spies," the guard reported.
"It seems Edmund has been getting bolder ever since that 'accident'," Svetlana said, her voice dripping with mockery as she played with the ring on her finger.
"Yes. Even the King seems worried about the changes in his behaviour and is keeping a very close eye on him," the guard added.
"It's almost as if he matured overnight," Svetlana mused, looking interested. She straightened up and commanded, "Send more experienced spies next time. And while you are at it, make sure to stir up some trouble and start a few fights between my other siblings. I want them distracted."
"Understood," the guard said, standing up and leaving the room.
Svetlana walked over to the large window and looked out over the kingdom. "As Father always said, the fight for the throne is always bloody," she whispered, a sad look crossing her face. Her expression hardened. "Don't blame me for being cruel... since you were the ones who refused to step aside."
Helios and Sara finally arrived at the Blackthorn Base. They entered the secret location and activated the security measures. Stepping through the rune-covered portal door, the scenery shifted instantly. They found themselves inside the main headquarters, where Blackthorn members were busy going about their duties, and some were stepping out of floating doors that led to different sectors.
"It really has been a while," Helios said, looking around at the familiar yet changed surroundings.
"Look, it's the Leader! He's back! But... why is he wearing an Imperial Military uniform?" one member whispered to another, looking confused.
"You haven't been keeping up with the news, have you? The Royal Family appointed him as the Supreme Commander," another member answered.
Suddenly, Riku emerged from the shadows, appearing right in front of Helios and Sara.
"Leader, you are finally back. We were starting to think we had to storm the Royal Palace just to get you out," Riku said, crossing his arms.
Helios looked at him and smirked. "What? Did you miss me or something?" he asked in a teasing tone.
"No," Riku replied flatly.
"And why is it that every time we see you after a meeting with the Royal Family, you look completely different?" Riku asked, eyeing Helios's white hair and uniform.
"That's a story for another day. Go call the others," Helios said, walking past him toward his office, leaving Sara and Riku behind.
"Hello, Sara. It seems you are still alive," Riku said, turning to her.
"What? Were you hoping I was dead?" Sara shot back, walking away quickly.
Riku shrugged and melted back into the shadows.
A few minutes later, everyone gathered in Helios's office—everyone except Nova.
"You're back... I feel like you're going to work me to death now," Rio complained, floating in the air while lying lazily on his pillow artifact.
"Is that the only way you know how to say hello?" Helios asked, rolling his eyes sarcastically.
"Shut up. And why do you have white hair now?" Ray asked, staring at Helios.
"Story for another day," Helios repeated.
"Right now, we need to discuss how much I absolutely hate every member of the Royal Family," Helios said, slamming his hand on the desk, his voice filled with frustration.
"Is it because of the war?" Ray asked.
"No. It's because they kidnapped my sister," Helios growled.
"The last time someone kidnapped your sister, we completely destroyed the Principle of Eclipse's base right here in our kingdom," Rio said, sounding surprised. "It's honestly shocking that you haven't blown up the palace yet."
"Um... I'm kind of part of the Royal Family," Seer said, raising her hand slightly with a nervous smile.
"And technically, so am I," Riku added. "Since I'm engaged to Seer, and if you are engaged to royalty, you basically become part of the family too."
"You two are fine. When I start my rebellion, I promise I won't kill you," Helios said, suddenly breaking into a wide smile.
"You are the only person I know who can smile while talking about killing people," Seer commented, shaking her head.
"Does this mean we are finally rebelling?" Rio asked, his voice suddenly sounding much more energetic and excited.
"Not yet," Helios said firmly. "And... finding my sister is now your top priority. That's your new mission," he said, looking directly at Rio.
"Before you start that," Helios added, "find out everything you can about the members of the Royal Family. Specifically, who is currently the most likely to take the throne after the King dies."
"Well..." Rio started, floating upright. "Since you disappeared for four years, some interesting things happened. Prince Edmund—the one everyone used to call 'the useless Prince'—suddenly became the strongest candidate for the throne."
"Prince Edmund? That's the guy who wanted to see me. Is he like me? Did he transmigrate here? Or is he a regressor who went back in time?" Helios thought, his mind racing.
"Who was the first candidate before Prince Edmund rose to power?" Helios asked aloud.
"It was Princess Svetlana," Rio answered.
As he heard the name, Helios suddenly clutched his head, letting out a gasp. Sharp, vivid memories from his past life flooded into his mind. He saw himself—or rather, his past self, Orion—leaning against a wall with a bleeding gunshot wound on his leg, pointing a gun at someone. He heard a voice speaking clearly: "We will never let your bloodline survive. You can run, but you can never escape us." He saw Orion pull the trigger, shooting the man in the head. Then he saw Orion limping away, clutching a strange glowing stone tightly in his hands.
"Helios! Are you okay?" Sara asked, rushing to his side, her face filled with worry.