Chapter 104
Chapter 104
In a dazed, dreamlike state, Alex felt his entire body remold itself, each cell painstakingly perfected.
It was like being reborn.
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A flicker of awe sparked within him–this, he understood, was the true gift of reaching level 100: a piece of immortality embedded into his very being.
But with that rush of power came a flood of memories he had long forgotten.
Images of a childhood scene drifted back to him, hazy at first.
He saw himself, small and wide–eyed, walking alongside his mother.
Her face remained blurred, as though time had smudged the details.
They were on a gleaming, futuristic aircraft–its metal corridors polished to a mirror shine, reflecting lights that felt too bright, too sterile.
Suddenly, the entire vessel lurched.
The doors slammed open, and Imperial soldiers poured in, weapons raised–messengers of looming chaos.
About ten of his mother’s guards surged into action, forming a protective ring around them, their faces set with grim determination.
“General Maxmilian,” his mother demanded, voice cutting through the clamor like a blade, “what is the meaning of this?” The general offered a polite smile that never reached her eyes. “For your safety, Princess. I strongly advise you to surrender. It’ll save everyone unnecessary pain–especially you and the little prince.”
His mother’s gaze turned lethal, burning with betrayal. “Of all people…” she whispered, disbelief underscoring her fury.
“Don’t blame me,” The general laughed. “For some, loyalty is a bond stronger than steel. For others, it is a coin tossed in the air, easily spent.”
One of the royal guards, Keaton–an older man in Alex’s resurfaced memory–stepped forward, anger etched into his features.
“You, General Maxmilian? The Crown Prince entrusted you to protect us.”
A cold smirk twisted Maxmilian’s lips. He raised a hand in a silent command. “Ideals can’t outweigh coin. His mistake not paying me enough. Seize them.”
“Don’t you dare!” roared Keaton.
In a heartbeat, weapons were drawn, and all hell broke loose. Flashes of violent energy collided in the confined space, bathing the hall in strobing lights.
Even through memory, Alex felt a jolt of fear–everyone fighting was at least level 100, and the raw force of their power rattled the entire ship.
Amid the frenzied battle, Maxmilian unleashed a colossal punch. yet Keaton lunged to intercept, steel blade colliding with his fist in a thunderous impact.
Elsewhere, Maxmilian’s lieutenant, Paolo, slipped through the chaos like a shark in dark waters.
With a swift, brutal strike, he cut down a female guard who was too busy fending off another soldier.
Her shriek tore through Alex’s heart.
He barely registered the little girl beside him–Kelly—screaming rushed to the corpse, “Mother!”
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“Alexander,” his mother’s voice rang out, taut with urgency.
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She unclasped a medal from around her neck and slipped it over his head, her hands trembling “Follow Uncle Keaton. I’ll find you soon.”
Before he could protest, she drove her heel into the floor.
A divine aura flared to life around her, pushing back every soldier as if they were leaves caught in a violent gust.
Keaton reached for Kelly and Alex, his features contorted with grim resolve.
“Your mother told me to get you out of here,” he said, his voice thick with dread.
He pulled them close and broke into a sprint.
Through the haze of memory, Alex caught a final glimpse of his mother’s determined face–love and resignation tangled into one heartbreaking expression.
Then her telepathic voice echoed in his mind, gentle yet firm: “Live, my son.”
The fighting closed in from all sides.
Loyal guards sacrificed themselves, one after another, under General Maxmilian’s relentless assault.
In a desperate gambit, one of them blasted open a section of the ship’s hull and yelled, “Keaton this way!”
Wind screamed through the breach, revealing a vast, boundless sky.
Without hesitation, Keaton leapt, clutching Alex and Kelly as the chaotic scene shrank behind them.
They plummeted through the open air, the roar of turbulence in their ears, the thunder of battle fading above.
Some of the guards protected the ship’s hull to prevent the enemy from following them. “Protect this with our lives!” they shouted.
But they were quickly killed, and Paolo pursued, his eyes sharp as a hawk’s, leaping after the enemy in a single, deadly arc.
“Don’t even think you can escape from me!”
When they finally crashed to solid ground, Keaton shoved Kelly forward, urgency pouring from every motion.
“Take Alex and run!” he shouted over the howling wind. “Protect him!”
Kelly, her tears still fresh on her cheeks, set her jaw.
She grabbed Alex’s hand.
“Mother!” he cried out, raw grief ripping through him.
“Don’t!” Kelly snapped, forcing herself to sound strong. “Your mother’s not gone. My father will handle this. Right now, we have to hide.”
The pair sprinted across hostile terrain until Alex could hardly stand, collapsing in a panting heap.
Kelly stopped, turning on him with exhausted irritation.
“You’re the prince–why are you so weak?” she demanded, but her own breath came in ragged gasps. She turned her back on him, dropping to one knee. “Hurry. Climb on.”
Shaken, Alex placed his hands on her shoulders, and she rose with a shudder.
Step by determined step, she pressed onward, carrying him through the wilds.
The days passed in a blur of survival–Kelly foraging, building makeshift shelters, and tending the campfire at night while Alex
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wept in despair.
Then one evening, with the flames dancing across her tear–stricken face, she finally broke.
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“Stop crying!” she shouted, voice fracturing under the weight of her own sorrow. “Your mother’s not dead! It is my mother that already dead!”
Kelly’s composure cracked.
All at once, every walled–up emotion crashed down. She choked on her sobs, tears pouring endlessly.
She wept for nearly an hour her cries raw and lonely, echoing in the quiet darkness.
Alex watched her–helpless, guilty.
At last, he moved closer and wrapped his small arms around her. “I won’t cry anymore,” he whispered, heart pounding with the promise. “Please don’t cry either.”
Kelly pulled away, her eyes fierce with a pain that had no easy cure. “But my mother is already dead!” she burst out, the words a terrible confession.
Stunned, Alex floundered, searching for any scrap of comfort to give her. “My mother always said that if someone masters the art of medicine, they can even bring the dead back. I’ll learn it,” he promised, voice trembling. “I’ll bring your mother back.”
Her sobs subsided just enough for a spark of hope to flicker behind the tears. “You swear?”
“I promise,” Alex replied, steady as he could manage.
A fresh wave of grief tightened Kelly’s face. “But who–who’s going to love me now?” Her voice trembled on the edge of a sob. She was the only one who cared about me…”
Alex’s young features tensed with determination. “I will. I’ll love and care for you.”
Kelly shook her head so violently it looked painful.
“No! My family’s served yours for ages. I’m supposed to protect you, not the other way around. You can’t just love me.” “My mother said that when I grow up, I can love anyone I want,” Alex countered, refusing to yield. “And I choose you.” “You’re a prince!” Kelly snapped through her tears. “You’ll marry some princess, not a guard like me.”
“I’ll love you,” he repeated with the stubbornness only a child could manage. “I’ll marry you.”
Her cheeks burned red, her trembling fists clenched tight. “No, you won’t!”
“Yes, I will!” Alex’s voice rose, conviction blazing.
“You won’t!”
“I swear it!”
At last, Kelly bit her lip, her eyes darting with uncertainty. Slowly, she extended a pinky finger, her voice a trembling thread. Pinky promise?”
Alex linked his pinky with hers, resolve shining through his young eyes. “Pinky promise.”
LL
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