“As unfriendly as ever.” Princess Kipassalju smiled as she snapped her fan shut. “What discovery have you made from that monster boy? The precious monster that you traded your seat for.”

Senjahari’s eyebrow twitched but he didn’t respond to the taunt.

“Rather you should accept the countless marriage proposals sent your way. You may be the powerless youngest child, but you still have a pretty face.” Princess Kipassalju smirked. “You ought to be a beautiful flower vase for an aristocrat.”

“I have no interest in relationships, let alone marriage.” He kept his stride towards the courtroom, aware of his sister’s calculating eyes on his back.

The majestic double doors opened wide to allow Senjahari entry to the courtroom where King Massayap and Queen Birambat were seated on the thrones. Decked in royal blue attires, the Queen glared down at the youngest prince who took to his knee.

“Senjahari Cahaya greets the King and Queen.”

“What have you found in regards to the sudden attack of the Sunrise Boundary?” The Queen began the questions without any formalities. A cold voice that could match Princess Kipassalju’s ice elements.

“There were no unusual activities or provocations from explorers. Every scout group has followed the procedures of staying away from the fallen kingdom and they have returned with extensive surveillance reports. The attack is a behaviour that we have not seen before. We suspect there could be unrest from within the nest which triggered this attack.”

At the mention of the fallen kingdom, the Queen’s lips twitched. “The fallen kingdom… that’s right. You were in charge of clearing it three years ago. Everyone had put their hopes onto your shoulders, providing you with the best soldiers and weapons to destroy the hudoqs’ main nest, only for you to return with a thousand deaths and the monster who killed them.”

Senjahari kept silent.

“If you hadn’t exchanged your succession seat, and if you weren’t of the Royal Cendrawasih Bloodline, I would have your head rolling on the floor by then.”

Queen Birambat was the mother of the entire Cahayaranga Kingdom. Which made her the mother of no one. For the prosperity and safety of the Kingdom and its people, she would do anything, even punish her flesh and blood. To an outsider, it would look absurd. But the Royal Cendrawasih Bloodline had enemies on all sides and the only way to stand on top was to assert their unforgiving strength.

“Stay out of this. Keep the defence of the boundary.” The Queen instructed, “Princess Kipassalju will lead the attack.”

The decision was expected but it didn’t quell the anger bubbling inside him. “Yes, Your Majesty.”

Senjahari excused himself back to the hallway where Princess Kipassalju was once again waiting for him.

“You heard it, little brother.” Princess Kipassalju chuckled, “Stay out of this. You are no longer of any use to Mother. Fortunately, brother Wiracaya is out in the Western region, so I get the golden chance to destroy the nest and return a hero. And unlike you, I don’t have a soft spot for monsters.”

Senjahari shook off Princess Kipassalju. His steps resounded in the long hallway. He remembered the grand expeditions he was tasked to. The celebration, expectations. The venture out of the gates leading the Bustard Royal Troop into the desert with Setia and Captain Taring by his side. Although the journey was long, it was filled with energy and anticipation and Prince Senjahari was sure that they would win the battle. They would destroy the nest and eradicate all the hudoqs so that they could live without the fear of these monsters roaming around.

But then, they reached the village where it all ended.

An abandoned village. The aftermath of the hudoqs. It was a small unmarked village at the edge of the Lekasi Kingdom. If they could get through the village, through the dark mountains, they would reach the fallen Kingdom and destroy the source of all these hudoqs. Then he would return as a hero of the Cahayaranga Kingdom, a hero of the people. And be on his path as the future King.

Prince Senjahari held up a hand to halt the troop. Ahead of them, a figure crouched atop the ruins of a watchtower. Intense black energy wrapped around a large body. Unruly long hair. A posture more akin to a beast than a human. Not a human, not a hudoq. An abomination they had never encountered before.

“What’s that? A stray hudoq?” Captain Taring scoffed. “Defeat it quickly, we’re heading for the main source.”

“Yes, sir!”

They thought it was just a small variation of a hudoq. They thought it was just a beast they could take down and move on. But they were wrong.

Rampage. Massacre. Violence.

The Bustard Royal Troop who were deployed to invade and win. The Bustard Royal Troop who were supposed to be heroes. Ripped apart like papers. The monster dove straight into the centre of the army, cutting through their bodies with its black claws. A roar filled with hatred and fury shook the air and the energy around the monster’s body danced in waves, creeping over the corpses and melting them just like the hudoq’s black matter.

Bursts of Bloodrush took over and the soldiers hurried to attack the monster. It was far too fast and powerful, each swing of its claw heavy as the weight of the countless lives it had taken. Blood dribbled from its fangs, red trickling from its eyes.

The belated moment Prince Senjahari realised how grave the situation was, half of the troop was annihilated.

He was too compliant, too careless. Just because he led the largest expedition group to eradicate the plague and take over Lekasi, he didn’t account for mutation and the possibilities that he would fail.

Prince Senjahari drew out his sword, blasting his Cendrawasih Bloodline, forcing himself into a rare state of Bloodrush. It was a picture that Setia and Captain Taring had only seen once on the battlefield. Bright royal blue feathers flared around his eyes. The waves of energy surrounding his body cascaded like auroras in the darkest night of winter as he unleashed the full blast of his Bloodline.

Aura enveloped his blade. He jumped into the air and launched towards the monster, colliding with a loud crackle of blue and black energy. The shockwave pushed the soldiers backwards. With his Royal Cendrawasih Bloodline, Prince Senjahari overpowered the monster and slashed its body. Instead of blood, black matter spewed out.

The monster snapped its jaws. Orange stripes appeared across its face, a warning snarl between gurgles of blood as it struggled to stand.

“A mere hudoq…” Disdain was unhidden in Prince Senjahari’s cold voice. “You dare ruin our plan.” He swung his blade again, cutting the monster multiple times until it collapsed onto the ground.

Prince Senjahari glared at the monster.

His biggest mistake.

Simply for being too proud of his abilities and achievement, he was blinded by one mutated hudoq.

“Your Highness…” Setia hurried over.

Behind him, the Bustard Royal Troop was in shambles. Soldiers who prepared to invade and claim new lands now lay screaming in agony.

The fallen Kingdom of Lekasi was just beyond the village. They had all the necessary people, armaments, and support from Cahayaranga, and yet they stopped short because of the sudden one-sided massacre.

Prince Senjahari squeezed his eyes shut. Despair slowly settled into him. Must they return? The youngest prince walking back carrying the dead bodies of the people who had sworn under him.

Just then, the atmosphere shifted. The black energy from the monster whirled and retreated into its body, revealing the person underneath.

Shock was an understatement. A mixture of emotions rumbled inside the prince and he brandished his aura-infused sword at the person. He could sense the weakened Bloodline grasping onto life. It wasn’t a hudoq, wasn’t a human. It was this abomination between the two beings that killed his troop and future.

Prince Senjahari gritted his teeth.

Kill him.

The grip on his sword tightened.

But will it bring back all the people I’ve lost?

He breathed out and sheathed his sword.

“Captain,” Prince Senjahari commanded, “Take this monster captive. We’ll make it pay for everything it has done.”

Captain Taring hesitated, bewildered by the outrageous decision, but unsettled by the agitated expression on the prince’s face.

-

For the price of the Bustard Royal Troop’s life, Prince Senjahari took the monster captive. It was an absurd decision to many. The Royal Palace was in an uproar.

“Thousands of lives gone just before their fateful invasion of the hudoqs’ nest and for what? A survivor of the Lekasi Kingdom?!”

“Is it even human?! What if it’s a monster you’re bringing back into the Capital!”

“Kill it immediately!”

“How dare you do such an absurd thing!”

“Your Majesty, this is unforgivable!”

Prince Senjahari took the brunt of the hatred and anger of the nobles and commoners. A prince who led soldiers to meaningless death. A prince unworthy of the throne.

“Prince Senjahari, what do you have to say for yourself?” The Queen commanded.

“All the reports are correct, Your Majesty.” Prince Senjahari remained kneeling in front of the King and Queen. “I am responsible for the deaths of our soldiers and have personally captured the monster who killed them.”

A wave of gasps resounded from the court.

“I believe that the monster’s Blood withholds some answers to the plagues. Our research team will study and experiment on the monster to find its worth.”

“And what if it results in nothing?”

“...”

The Queen didn’t falter in her words, “How will you, a rightful heir to the throne, take on the burdens of the many lives you have sent to hell?”