Inside the throne room, Apogee stared at the luscious mountain range outside of the massive window behind his throne. As Mike entered the throne room, he was once again afflicted by an aura of overwhelming power. As he walked, he noticed how much more luxurious the throne room had gotten since his last visit. The shiny silver stairs were removed and replaced with steps made from pure gold. The statue of Atlas behind Apogee's throne was removed and replaced with a towering statue of Apogee himself dressed in a luxurious imperial robe. The inscription that used to be "pax est fortium" (peace is for the strong) on Apogee's throne was replaced with "imperium aeternum imperatori" (eternal power to the emperor).
Upon arriving in front of the staircase leading to the throne, Mike kneeled down and awaited Apogee's orders. Meanwhile, one detail he noticed bothered him like a sore thumb. Before Apogee, the chess pieces on the chessboard were placed randomly all over the board with seemingly no clear direction or objective. What was even the point of the game if there is no opponent or goal? Finally, as Apogee turned around, something about his expression felt different.
[Apogee] - "It's a resounding success, Mike. After 3 years of brutal conflict, we are finally wielding the key to greatness. The world shall see my vision of a greater humanity. "
Said Apogee as his voice echoed across the throne room.
[Mike] - "Indeed, uncle, our success is... "
[Apogee] - "That is 'my lord' to you, young man, but go on. "
Said Apogee as he returned to his throne.
[Mike] - "Of course, my lord. What I was saying was how quick our success was. "
[Apogee] - "Indeed, Grand Knight. We are about to bring an age of peace and prosperity never seen before to the world. You must realize how lucky you are to witness the birth of a utopia. "
[Mike] - "I do realize, my lord. "
Apogee signalled for Mike to rise up with a hand gesture.
[Apogee] - "So what brings you to visit me all of a sudden? "
Mike hesitated for a second before opening his mouth.
[Mike] - "Our empire, my lord. I happen to witness behaviours that soil the reputation of the imperial army go unpunished. I also saw the indecent and cowardly use of the godly power of the crystals by cyberknights. Unrestrained by the hands of the law or of nature, these cyberknights have brought dishonour and shame to the empire and you, yet they received no retribution for their actions. "
[Apogee] - "Hmm... I see. So what do you suggest, then? "
Said Apogee with a vexing stare aimed at Mike.
[Mike] - "That we punish these delinquents with the appropriate sentence that corresponds to their crimes. "
[Apogee] - "So you are suggesting we must punish the entirety of the imperial forces? That we should purge the empire of all of its knights and officers? "
[Mike] - "Only those who have abused their power. "
Apogee chuckled at Mike's serious expression.
[Apogee] - "You see, Mike, no one is innocent in a war. Those who overstep their boundary will be dealt with accordingly. I'm not blind, Mike, I see everything! You accuse your comrades of immorality, but how innocent are you? I know your little love affair, despite how I prohibited you from engaging in any relationship. Yet, you not only defied my orders, but you also tainted our family blood by engaging romantically with a laboratory experiment. Does this mean I should cut off your head too? "
Said Apogee with authority.
The answer shocked Mike, as he didn't expect Apogee to find out about his secrets. Mike kept his head down and remained silent while Apogee stared at him with a vexing look in his eyes. Although Apogee remained seated with no action on his part, Mike suddenly felt a crushing weight on his back. Soon, even as Mike tried to resist the pressure using his ability, he found himself completely crushed against the floor.
[Apogee] - "You seemed to forget who I am. I'm a God, meaning I only played according to the rules because I was feeling merciful in this game. "
[Mike] - "My lord! Wasn't this Empire built on a promise of reform? Wasn't... Wasn't our Empire made to destroy a world that favoured these behaviours? I may have gone against your words in my personal life, yet I have served loyally and have never forsaken your philosophy and ideas. "
Muttered Mike as he fought the crushing weight on his back.
[Apogee] - "Yet you dare suppose I do not know of these behaviours from my own subjects. We do not interfere with human affairs; that's the rule set for all cyberknights. If they wish to kill, to act like animals, it is their right to do so as long as they swear loyalty to me. "
Mike struggled to breathe as the echoes of Apogee's words pressed against his lungs like a massive boulder. The sheer power in his voice was enough to suffocate Mike's will to fight back.
[Apogee] - "All that was needed from me was one punch for 10,000 years of human civilization to end, and yet, I chose to restrain. I, a man afflicted with divine power, chose to sacrifice my time and effort for an ungrateful humanity. My subjects enacted wrath upon them because they chose to stand against me. Where's the fault in that? "
Yelled Apogee as he swiped his hand while the crystals on his arms shone with a blinding white glow. With this simple gesture, the entire world received a microscopic earthquake. Though barely anyone was affected by the slight shaking of the ground, Mike knew just how terrifyingly wrong everything could go if Apogee had decided to throw a real fit of rage. Yet, even in his fear, he couldn't help but feel a lingering disgust and contempt at Apogee's words.
[Apogee] - "Those who serve the right God will be given the right to slay those who deny my divinity. As simple as that, Grand Knight. "
Said Apogee with a hint of madness in his eyes.
Mike struggled to speak his heart, to express his pain at the betrayal of his ideas; all he could do was to submit before the cruel Emperor's might. Like a broken kid facing the wrath of his abusive father, Mike just couldn't find the strength to resist.
[Mike] - "No, my lord... But it means... You allowed these massacres, my lord... "
Said Mike as dread appeared in his eyes.
Slowly, Apogee deposited his helmet on the side of his throne and revealed his real face beneath the mask. As he did so, he breathed a sigh of relief as if he had been holding his breath. Then, with one abrupt fling of his hand, Mike's face was forced against the ground, causing his nose to bleed.
[Apogee] - "Yes, I did. I do not need to hide behind a facade anymore. Because at a certain point, I forgot that I'm a God and allowed these mortals to dance on my head. Your naivety, your weakness, is what allowed the Luciferian Sundering to occur! Purge this naivety from your mind, and stop being a child! "
Said Apogee as he splattered the chess pieces before him across the floor.
[Mike] - "These are civilians, my lord. They have done nothing against the Empire. "
Whimpered Mike in one desperate plea.
[Apogee] - "Silence! You will not humiliate our lineage any longer with those pitiful pleas for lives not even worth our consideration. We stand above those who squirm below. You either stand with me, or you will join the dead in the ashes of Hell. "
Deep down, Mike was disturbed by Apogee's words, yet there's a part of him that didn't dare oppose him. Even as his blood dripped onto the carpet below, Mike was simply too afraid to stop the bleeding before Apogee dismisses him.
[Apogee] - "Who do you serve, Grand Knight? "
Yelled Apogee with a raised chin as he pointed his finger at Mike from the height of his throne.
[Mike] - "You, Lord, the Emperor, the God of humanity. "
Said Mike reluctantly.
With a smile, Apogee relished the pride he felt in reducing his underling to the position of a dog. Mike more or less shared the same Godhood as Apogee, yet he didn't dare even look up at him, choosing instead to cower like an abused child.
[Apogee] - "Remember who your allegiance lies with. A knife does not discriminate between blood if it's forged in the fire of betrayal. "
Mike's hands started to tremble uncontrollably as Apogee's words echoed inside his mind. As soon as the throne room doors closed behind him, Mike breathed a heavy sigh of relief. The oppressive atmosphere around Apogee forced every single fibre of his body to lose the will to resist. He was nothing but a stone statue back there, devoid of freedom or movement.
[Mike] - "God fucking damn it... Why am I trembling so much? "
Whispered Mike in frustration while his fingers kept shaking.
After banging his fists repetitively against the wall, Mike finally managed to regain control over his body. It was a fear he couldn't understand, but a fear so powerful that its source was beyond the confines of this reality. Somewhere along the line, Apogee must have had a change of mind during the Crusade. Maybe it was paranoia, maybe it was insanity, but the Emperor Mike spoke to was no longer the man Mike knew him as.
Maybe there is a rationale in his decision... There must be one he just couldn't understand. Could there be something he was too naive to understand in Apogee's reasoning? Maybe allowing the fleets to vent their frustrations will benefit the Empire in the long term... Maybe, just maybe, after the war, all will head toward the right direction...
Mike struggled with his thoughts, unsure if he should convince himself to accept Apogee's words like he was always meant to, or reason against them. But just as he fiddled with the idea of Apogee being a bad person to begin with, in a flash, the abuse Apogee put him through appeared in his mind, causing Mike, the Grand Knight, Regent of all Imperial Forces, to flinch in fear.
All the things he did, all the people he liberated, saved or helped must mean something. The Empire must not be as bad as he imagined it, he thought to himself. All the people with hearts who fought willingly beside him, all the cyberknights who believed the same virtue and justice as he and all the sacrifices made are real, and not an illusion. How could he betray the Empire of the people forged through untold bloodshed? Maybe it was his duty to serve after all, and not question.
Later that day, as Mike returned to his quarters, he saw Kadyn deep in prayer in front of a set of pictures that all looked like clones of her with different haircuts. Though his mood was soured by his meeting with Apogee, the mere sight of Kadyn suddenly brought a ray of sunshine back onto his grim face.
[Kadyn] - "Oh, you're back! "
Said Kadyn as she got up from the ground.
[Mike] - "May your sisters rest in peace. "
Said Mike respectfully.
With an acknowledging nod, Kadyn finished the last of her prayers. Throwing the mat she used to pray to the side, Kadyn immediately approached Mike and kissed him on the cheek.
[Kadyn] - "Someone finally decided to come home early for once. "
Said Kadyn as she helped Mike take off his coat.
[Mike] - "I miss you, that's all. "
[Kadyn] - "So, would you like to cook me dinner, help me take a shower, or let me have you? "
Said Kadyn playfully.
[Mike] - "That's not how that phrase was pronounced. "
Said Mike as he stared quizzically at Kadyn.
[Kadyn] - "In this relationship, it is. I'm just a weak girl waiting for my knight to take care of me. "
Said Kadyn in a cute voice.
Mike grinned at Kadyn's little act before sweeping her off her feet without effort.
[Mike] - "Let's start with a good bath and shower, then. "
Later, in the room's bathroom, Kadyn relaxed with a warm bath while resting against Mike. The room was quiet as the couple simply enjoyed their moment together in silence. Suddenly, the calm was broken by a bubble that burst through the water's surface.
[Mike] - "You're seriously disgusting. "
Said Mike while burying his nose into Kadyn's perfumed hair to escape the smell.
[Kadyn] - "Hahaha! It wasn't that bad. What are you talking about? "
Said Kadyn in a burst of laughter.
Using his ability, Mike abruptly trapped the fart in a bubble before sending it straight into Kadyn's face. With a disgusted gasp, Kadyn quickly flapped her arms wildly in the air to get the smell away from her face.
[Kadyn] - "God, you're an asshole sometimes, Mike. "
Said Kadyn angrily as she crossed her arms.
[Mike] - "Haha! Now you know what it feels like to be assaulted by your chemical warfare. "
With their little banter quickly evaporating in the air, the environment soon resumed its initial serenity.
[Kadyn] - "Seriously, it's the first time you've come back home so early during a supposedly busy day. I saw you had that long face when you entered. What the hell happened? "
[Mike] - "It's nothing much. I was just a bit... conflicted. "
[Kadyn] - "Elaborate? "
[Mike] - "It's hard to explain. It feels like... my whole life, I was just turning in circles. I started asking questions that had never crossed my mind, while being afraid to look for answers. "
Said Mike nervously.
[Kadyn] - "Ugh, you need to drop the vague metaphors. Seriously, it's not like you need to hide anything from me. Here, this will help you find some peace. I heard that playing with something helps people relax. "
Said Kadyn as she placed Mike's hands around her breasts.
[Mike] - "Bloody hell, it doesn't help me relax at all. I just feel aroused instead. "
Said Mike, frustratingly.
[Kadyn] - "Good, arousal will distract you from your anxiety. "
Said Kadyn with a smirk.
[Mike] - "Sigh... I felt lost today. I didn't know if I truly am where I belong, in a place where my heart should be. I wonder if I did the right thing to serve without question. "
Suddenly, upon hearing Mike's statement, Kadyn began to take him more seriously. After all, Kadyn also used to serve without question until Mike broke her free from her cage.
[Kadyn] - "Are you wondering if... We are wrong for serving the Empire? "
Said Kadyn as she turned to stare at Mike.
Looking away, Mike tried his best not to continue indulging in Kadyn's reasoning.
[Mike] - "Anyways, that's why I came home early. When I'm here with you, I just feel no doubt about it. I just know that here is one of those places I should be, where nothing is up for questioning. For the first time in my life, I felt like a stranger in the Empire I grew up in. "
Said Mike in a sincere voice.
Kadyn blinked her eyes a few times before a look of concern appeared in her expression.
[Kadyn] - "I know how you feel. The Empire birthed me, yet my only true home is here, between the arms of the man I love. You served so loyally, yet they never rewarded you with anything. They won't even allow you to love or have your own life, so much so that I had to ask you why you came home early. "
Said Kadyn as she comfortingly held Mike's hand.
Though Mike didn't want to admit it, Kadyn's words truly touched him where it hurt the most. If not for her in his life, he would've still been the inanimate piece on Apogee's chessboard, being told to move by the player to move or act without his own will. As he felt Kadyn's heartbeat through his palm, Mike also felt a second pulse he had never noticed: The sound of his own heartbeat.
Slowly, Mike pulled Kadyn closer to him and smiled as he felt her warmth against his chest.
[Kadyn] - "Mike, don't beat yourself over it. They might not deserve your loyalty, but just know that I will always be here with you. This home is ours. "
Said Kadyn with a cute and comforting smile.
As the night came, Kadyn jumped on Mike's bed, only to grimace in pain as the hard mattress impacted her butt.
[Kadyn] - "Owwww... Why can't you just change the bloody bed? "
Said Kadyn as she fell to her side in agony.
[Mike] - "Or I can just do this instead. "
Said Mike as he activated his crystals.
Suddenly, the mattress became several times more comfortable than before as Mike turned its molecular structure into a rubber-like consistency. With a playful smile, Kadyn jumped up and pulled Mike down onto the bed with her. As Kadyn fell against the wall with her back, Mike steadied himself by supporting himself with his arms around her. Soon after having an intense, passionate kiss, the couple began to engage in their intimate activity. After doing it for a while, Kadyn slowed down the pace as she and Mike faced each other while enjoying each other's movements.
[Kadyn] - "Hehe! Maybe tonight you can spoil me just a little more by giving me a ba- "
Said Kadyn in a playful voice while placing her finger against her lips.
[Mike] - "No! Don't even think about it. "
Interjected Mike before Kadyn could finish her sentence.
With a lustful expression on her face, Kadyn pressed her hip harder down on Mike, causing him to flinch in reaction.
[Kadyn] - "But I want iittttt... "
Said Kadyn with a bratty expression.
[Mike] - "Not a chance. Not until our situation improves. "
Said Mike firmly.
[Kadyn] - "When is it going to improve? You've been saying this for years, yet I don't see it improving anytime soon. "
Said Kadyn as sweat trickled down from her forehead.
[Mike] - "Someday, it's hard to say. "
Mike focused his mind on making Kadyn squirm in his grasp.
[Kadyn] - "Even if none of my other– Mphm– dreams can be accomplished, this is the one I will insist on– Since– "
Said Kadyn while letting out a series of muffled moans.
Slowly, Kadyn pressed her hand against Mike's chest and stopped him from moving.
[Kadyn] - "... Since you know how much it matters to me. Giving life a chance would be the apex of my tainted existence so far. "
Mike gently grabbed Kadyn's hand and moved it out of his way.
[Mike] - "Shhh... I promise to realize every single element on your bucket list. Whatever it may be, I'll make it a reality eventually. "
Said Mike with a confident grin.
[Kadyn] - "Don't make me wait too long, or else I'll become impatient and make some decision you might regret. "
Whispered Kadyn with a mischievous grin.
[Mike] - "It will be a reality before you become impatient. "
Said Mike in a gentle voice while caressing Kadyn's cheek.
[Kadyn] - "I trust you. "
Finally, after a few hours, the pair lay exhausted on the bed with Kadyn rolling on top of Mike's chest.
[Kadyn] - "Say, Mike, can you call me something other than 'Little fox'? "
Whispered Kadyn while she tapped her finger against Mike's torso.
[Mike] - "Sure, what do you want me to call you? "
[Kadyn] - "Well, call me 'Lemon. ' "
[Mike] - "Because of your blonde hair? "
[Kadyn] - "No, because when life gave you a bitter lemon, you took care of her and turned her into a sweet lemon. "
Said Kadyn with a joyful smile.
Mike smiled back accordingly upon understanding the meaning behind Kadyn's words.
To be continued...