Chapter 15: Secrets in the Blood
The morning air in the Phillipe palace felt strange. Though the sky was clear and birds chirped as usual, a faint scent of metal and burnt charcoal crept through every stone corridor. Xebec walked slowly along the eastern hall, where paintings of the Phillipe ancestors hung in silence. But today, his thoughts weren't on his forebears—they were on his younger brother.
Bastian.
For several days, the young prince had been avoiding family gatherings. He claimed to be busy organizing northern defenses. But this morning, Xebec sensed something unusual from his brother's room.
A crackling magical sound.
A demonic aura.
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In his private chamber, Bastian sat slumped in front of a mirror. His upper body was bare, revealing a demonic seal etched on his left chest—black circular markings with a glowing red eye at the center. His breath came in gasps. Cold sweat dampened his neck. And every time he touched the seal, it felt like burning coals gnawed at his skin.
> "Is this part of the power I was promised?" he muttered, eyes vacant.
He remembered Duke Malefic's whispers…
> "With that seal, you'll no longer fall behind your brother. The world will see you as more than just the younger sibling of a crippled prince."
But now, his body was beginning to resist. There were nights he dreamt of standing atop piles of corpses, black eyes glowing. And the voice in his head—the voice of Baal—was whispering more and more frequently.
> "Your time is near, noble blood. Open the gate…"
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Elsewhere, Nanea was making her way through the underground library. She had stolen a copy of a forbidden book from her father—King Phillipe's—hidden chamber. Her eyes scanned every page about the "Legacy Seal of Baal," until one fact made her blood run cold:
> "Demonic seals cannot be embedded into ordinary humans… unless they possess chosen blood."
> "Noble blood," Nanea whispered, her face pale.
She clutched the scroll tightly and slipped away, heading to the only person who might help her investigate—General Arvec, the former royal commander who had once fought against Baal's forces in the Eastern War two decades ago.
> "Lord Arvec... I suspect there's a traitor in the royal family," she said urgently. "And I believe… Bastian is involved."
The old general raised an eyebrow. "That's a heavy accusation, Nanea."
> "I'm not accusing. I just… need to know the truth about our blood. About… the demon seal."
Arvec's expression hardened. "If the seal has truly taken root… then Baal is not merely returning. He has already passed on his blood."
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In the training yard, Xebec faced a practice dummy. But his thoughts wandered. He remembered Bastian's downcast eyes. His increasingly sharp tone. And the faint black aura that sometimes surrounded him.
> "Have I been too busy fighting… to truly see my brother?" he murmured.
> "You're not the only one who's noticed," said a voice behind him.
Astrid stood at the edge of the shadows beneath a tree, holding a scroll from her secret scouts.
> "Malefic's forces are moving from the south. But that's not what's important."
She handed him the scroll. Inside—a drawing of the demon seal. And beneath it, a single name was etched:
> Bastian von Phillipe.
Xebec stared at it in silence. For the first time since becoming a Swordmaster, he felt his heart tremble—not because of an enemy… but because of family.
> "I need to speak to him," he said quietly.
"Alone."
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End of Chapter 15:
Night fell.
In his dark chamber, Bastian stood facing the mirror. The seal on his chest now glowed and pulsed like a second heart.
> "I will no longer live in Xebec's shadow…"
Elsewhere, Nanea studied an ancient will that spoke of Baal's dark heir.
> "If Bastian truly inherited demon blood… then it's not the throne he deserves… but judgment."
The skies above the Phillipe palace began to redden, as if reflecting the turmoil burning beneath the royal roof. At one of the highest towers, Xebec stood still, gazing at the horizon. The wind carried the scent of metal and ash—a sign that ancient magic was awakening from its long slumber.
> "Bastian…" he whispered softly, his hand tightening on the hilt of his mithril-forged sword. "What have they planted inside you?"
Behind him, light footsteps echoed. Nanea approached, her face filled with doubt, but her eyes burning with resolve.
> "We need to be ready. This isn't just a family conflict anymore. This is a war… between light and darkness."
Xebec slowly turned. "If that's true, then we must choose—not just who we fight… but who we protect."
Elsewhere in the kingdom, Duke Malefic watched a small flame in a magic bowl, reflecting Bastian's trembling, sleeping figure. A thin smile formed on his lips.
> "The seal has grown. The demon's blood has awakened. Soon… Baal's true heir will rise."
And in Bastian's sleep, nightmares surrounded him.
He stood amid a field of corpses—faces he recognized: his father, Nanea, Xebec… all frozen, burned, or decayed beneath his feet. Behind him, a massive figure with curved horns and glowing red eyes whispered:
> "Embrace your fate, Bastian. I… am you."
Bastian's eyes snapped open.
The seal on his chest pulsed once—violently—releasing a burst of black fire that scorched the floor around his bed.
That night, a passing guard saw a strange, charred circle on the floor of the Second Prince's room.
A demonic symbol.
Silence enveloped the stone corridors leading to the royal library's underground vault. Nanea walked alone, her footsteps echoing. In her hand was an old document she had found hidden behind a secret shelf—written in an ancient language that only a few in the kingdom could read.
> "The blood seal… only appears if there is a direct link to a high-level demonic entity," she whispered.
Bastian's face clearly surfaced in her mind. She remembered the way his hand once clutched her shoulder tightly, shielding her from danger. But now, behind her brother's gentle smile, something darker lurked.
Suddenly, the creak of a door made her instinctively hide the document beneath her cloak. An old servant entered, his eyes wide with fear.
> "Princess Nanea… there's something you must see. In Prince Bastian's room… the floor is scorched. There was no fire, but the mark… it's a circle filled with strange symbols."
Nanea's face tensed. Her mind began piecing together the truth.
> "Thank you. Don't tell anyone. For now… this is just a nightmare."
Meanwhile, far on the eastern side of the palace, Xebec trained alone in a quiet courtyard surrounded by autumn flowers. His sword aura pulsed softly, echoing the unrest inside him. He stared at the scar on his left palm—from the previous day's training—then closed his eyes.
> "If he truly bears the mark of demon power… I must be ready… even if it means fighting my own brother."
In the distance, Astrid watched him silently from behind the garden wall. Her smile was faint, but her eyes held unspoken concern.
Night fell.
And as the full moon rose above the palace, the seal on Bastian's body glowed once more.
Three red eyes slowly opened in his shadow.
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To be Continued…