"This is my proof"
Austin said with a smirk as the brutally beaten man was forced to kneel, placing him on the ground as the guard left, Austin's eyes twinkled with mischief as he gazed at the people in the room, he could see the hardened expression on Claus, especially when a person was brought inside the palace without his knowledge,
"What is the meaning of this Grace?"
Claus asked with narrowed eyes but Grace didn't say anything as she just pointed at her son, giving him the control over the situation,
"You know, Olivia saved my life and I won't let her sacrifice go in vain, today everyone involved will pay the price, right aunt Lora?"
Austin said, his gaze focused on Lora who nodded her head, letting the situation continue, Austin walked as he reached to the one-hand man lifting his head roughly as he pulled his hair, the man's eyes were bloodshot but deep within a primal fear filled him,
"Now Mr.Gaurd, tell me why did you try to kill us or more precisely Olivia?"
Austin asked, his voice cold, the man in question looked at the people in the room as he began to speak but just before he did his eyes became red his body started to shake and he fell to the ground dead, the power of death covered his body, taking away his life,
"So where is your proof?"
Ashton asked as he walked up to Austin his eyes now contained a hint of playfulness, the other princes and queens too were looking at Austin and Grace with pride within them, Austin hearing these questions just shook his head,
"So, what now?'
He asked in a calm tone surprising them all, looking at each and everyone he asked in a simple voice,
"Olivia is dead, the last lead just died, you can't memory search me, the Empire is shaken, so what now? who becomes the new crown ruler?"
His question silenced them all as they looked at Austin with a weird gaze, just now he was all loaded up and now he became silent? such a change was too hard to easily accept,
"Sigh.....What are you planning?"
Claus asked, as he alternated his gaze between Austin and Grace, who held on to their calm look but nothing came out, a few seconds ticked by before which a smile took Austin's face, soon he started to crack his neck as his e spoke with a smile,
"It's already done"
Austin said causing everyone to focus on him, he took out an orb and he threw it towards Claus who caught it, soon images and information that only he could see started to flow through them seeing it his eyes widened but even before he could react the door to the throne room was opened as a guard came running in,
"Emperor there is a huge issue! the duke Emanuel is dead! all his hidden deeds are in the light, there is chaos in the Limelight dukedom!"
"What!"
Several astonishing words were broken out, especially the first queen whose face turned pale, while sadness engulfed her but this was just the beginning as another messenger arrived his face too filled with panic,
"Emperor the prime dealer of the wealth if found dead! the entire fortune flow has been disrupted!"
"NO!"
This time the second queen shouted out in despair but soon their eyes narrowed as they focused on Austin, who was looking at them with a smile but even before they could speak, another voice which they thought was lost was heard,
"Is it finally time?"
Olivia asked as she escaped from her mother's gasp, standing up, her face lost its paleness as a rosy look came over her, she looked alive and well!
"W-What?"
The group of princes and queens were surprised, while Claus's eyes dimmed, his gaze turned to the orb before he looked at the smiling Austin, he knew that it was a checkmate,
"YOU! DIE!"
A grief-filled voice was heard as the first queen moved her hands itching to kill but she couldn't make it even close to Austin before which she was blasted away by Grace,
"Emperor, aren't you going to do anything?"
Zeek shouted, his question valid before them stood murderers of a duke and a prime dealer of wealth, moreover, Olivia was trying to play dead, helping these traitors to harm the Empire, she lacked any qualification to become the next Empress,
"Where is the proof?"
Surprisingly Claus asked this question to his son and upon doing so he threw the orb in his hand to the group, within seconds the images within them passed through their eyes making them pale, and a hint of dread filled their eyes as they turned towards Austin who was smiling at them, the same goes for Olivia who was standing beside him,
"No, I won't let it end like this"
Ashton roared as his eyes trend bloody, a dark crimson aura started to rise from him and before the rest could even react he caught Zeek, his crimson aura starting to cover the rest, eveyrone who saw this understood what it was, it was.....corruption,
"NO!"
Zeek screamed in panic but it was of no use, he too was soon corrupted but before they could act both of them froze as an old looking man appeared, it was Bruce,
"Sigh...you have lost a chunk of your foresight son"
"Father"
Both Claus and Grace spoke, Bruce nodded to them as his eyes turned towards Austin who was watching all this with a calm gaze, back then Bruce knew that the boy would grow up to be amazing but he had underestimated what kind of monster he had let loose, turning to his grandsons which were clearly turning red with craze he sighed once more as he asked Austin a question,
"Are you capable of healing them?"
"Yes"
Austin spoke, then Bruce asked again,
"Are you willing to let everything end in this room?"
"Depends"
Austin answered again to which Bruce nodded his head, this time he asked a question that caused everyone to freeze,
"Are you interested in becoming the Emperor?"
There was an eerie silence after this question was asked but Austin didn't flinch as he answered,
"Never"
"I see..."
Bruce didn't ask anything else as he waved his hands and soon two of his grandsons, Ahston and Zeek just disappeared,
"NOOO, MY SON!"
A grief-filled voice was heard as the first queen screamed in hysteria, her eyes red as she lost the bits of her sanity, she lost her father and her children back to back on the same day,
"Ploys are good but make sure that they are never caught"
Bruce said as he turned towards Claus his eyes filled with disappointment,
"Clean up the mess, Claus"
Saying so Bruce disappeared leaving behind a very broken situation,
"Looks like everything is over?"
Austin asked, the ones that were left were a broken woman, a prince that was laying on the ground fainted from Ashton's outburst, while the second queen her face filled the dread was looking after her son, Lora stood beside Olivia who had a complicated gaze as she watched her family fall apart,
"It is"
Claus said with a calm tone as he gazed at everything, his eyes turned to Austin, deep within them a great murderous desire was brewing but it was held back,
"Then shall we leave Emperor?"
Grace asked her gaze cold, to which Claus just waved his hand but before leaving Austin gave a wink to the mother and daughter pair of Olivia and Lora, each with a different meaning.
