As the guards escorted Prince Kenius into a cell, they apologized for their rudeness and seal the door.
Prince Kenius paced about the cell, and unleash a piercing scream of anger.
He expected to be made use of, but he did not expect his father to attack him.
Also, the dark magics within him responded to his father’s attack, not him.
He had no control of his own powers.
As the anger build up, Prince Kenius then tried knocking the door down.
With kicks, slashes from his sword, he even tried to summon his powers to aid him, but to no avail.
Eventually, he gave in and went to a corner to rest.
Throughout the night, he heard explosions, signs of a duel had taken place.
By the morning, Prince Kenius was roused from his sleep by one of the guards.
“Your Highness….
Your Highness…
Headmaster Mensarius is here to see you.” As he woke up slowly, Mensarius entered the cell, visibly weakened.
“Uncle, what happened to you!?
Are you alright?” “Your Highness, I am alright.
I had a bit of dispute with your father last night, regarding you.
We dueled a little, and though I am triumphant, I did take some damage after all.
Your father is now injured and most likely will be out of commission for a few days.
I expect the council to summon me for an inquiry soon.
An attack of one of the council members is tantamount to treason.
Nevertheless, I will be leaving soon.” “You’re…
leaving?
Then, what about me?” “Your Highness, I promise you that I will do whatever it takes to save you.
I need to go into hiding for a while.
Your father is planning to use his magic to dominate your will and you become his puppet.
He will then arrange training for you as both a statesman, and a warrior.
Then, you will be his sharpest weapon to slice the council.
He told me all these when I had the argument with him on your fate.
You need to be careful.” “Sir, your time is up.
You need to leave now.” A guard mentioned this to Mensarius.
“Ok, one last thing.
While I go into hiding, hone your talent.
Break out of the domination and reclaim your free will.
Do not just kill your father.
Use the council to oust him.
Although, he married into royalty, your mother, and is not of royal birth himself, he now wields the power as though he is the royalty for the human race of the dark faction.
The line of Ius cannot end.
Your name and mine bears that legacy, -ius, for we are the true royals.
Names have power, and I hope that one day, when you become king.” With that, Mensarius stood up.
“I love you, like my own son.
I wish you all the best and overrule this tyrant.” He then went off.
Prince Kenius remains conflicted by what his uncle has just said.
However, he remains determined to steel his mind and body for the upcoming trials.
Days gone by, with Prince Kenius stuck in his cell.
Occasionally, he heard rumors whispered by the guards.
About how Prince John is recovering after that epic battle he had with Mensarius, about the council sending envoys to look for Mensarius, about how Mensarius had disappeared.
There is even a new headmaster to Marshgrave School that is assigned by the Council, and it seems to be Prince Jyggawulf’s father.
One day, news finally broke.
Prince John is awake and attended his first council session after that battle.
Prince Kenius knew that his days are numbered.
His father is coming.
Late in the middle of the night, Prince Kenius was awaken by multiple sounds of steps.
Many people were approaching.
Flame torches were seen from a distance from the long corridor of his cell.
Then, figures of people appeared.
Spearheading them is Prince John, holding a walking stick, bandaged, and visibly weakened.
Behind, were humans draped into long dark robes, face hidden.
These belongs to the secret wing of his father, Mages in particular.
Finally, some guards to escort them.
They arrived at Prince Kenius’s cell and one of the guards opened the door.
“My son.
Even your uncle tried to get in my way for you.
However, he is banished from these lands now, never to return.
Its ok though, I will reforged you into a sword for the humans.
The dark faction will rule supreme again, just like the first human dark king.” His mages, 4 of them, then went and position themselves around the cell and each raised their hand, aiming it at the young prince.
They began chanting and magic seals appeared.
Each magic circle bind to each of the Prince Kenius’s limbs.
“What are you doing to me.
Release me at once.” Prince Kenius shouted.
“My team will train you in statecraft, in fighting, in developing your powers.
You will be a linchpin in my grand design.
All you need to do, is to surrender yourself, to me.” Prince John then raised his hand, and a greenish sickly blast of energy shot straight into Prince Kenius.
Prince Kenius, with his talent awakened, could now feel the sickly mana flow into his veins.
It felt like a program, a malware, threatening to rewrite the entire system.
Prince Kenius struggled with it, screamed in pain, while his father watched and corrupt his son.
The other mages reinforce the seals to ensure Prince Kenius could not escape.
The pain was excruciating.
In Prince Kenius’s mind, he did not know how long he will be able to hold out.
His physical body is about to give way.
Will his mind be shattered?
Will he still any semblance of himself left after all is done?
Soon, the body adapts and aims to fight back.
It does not simply allow itself to be corrupted.
If it was a normal human, it would have been done in 10 minutes.
However, this is the heir of the dark faction’s human race, with a talent that is possessed by Kings.
Its been 3 hours and daybreak is about to arrive soon.
Prince John commanded a few more mages to pour their mana into him, so that he will have enough power to commandeer his son.
The power output began to drop and Prince Kenius, awoke for a moment to resist.
Green veins bulged all over his body, filled with his father’s sickly green mana.
Then, Prince Kenius mouth began to move and speak, but what came out was not the Prince’s voice.
“You dare claim this vessel as your own?!
It is destined to be King.” Prince John knew.
It was the root of all dark magic, the great phantasm, the dark bat.
The progenitor itself is speaking to him.
“Give me more mana.
And you, you will serve the dark faction, the humans and bring us to the height of domination once again!” With that, two hands blasted out even more corruption magic and it began to twist and warp even the magic circles holding the prince itself.
“So, be it.
You will pay the price for this, Prince John.” Then, the prince slumped back, unconscious again.
Deep in his subconsciousness, Prince Kenius awakened in the darkness again.
Only now, its not completely dark, he can see spots being bombarded and illuminated by green energy blasts.
He turn his head and look around, the place is not purely darkness as before, but dimly lit by the green mana.
There, he saw it, the giant bat, in the center of it all.
The source of his power.
Dark magic itself taken form.
The giant bat unfurled its wings and spoke.
“It seems your father wants to control you.
To corrupt you.
While I will not be corrupted, the same could not be said for you.
In a few moments, you will be fully corrupted and under his domination.
In other words, you will become his puppet.” Prince Kenius stormed forward.
“Couldn’t you did what you did previously?!
Take my father’s energies and reflect it back at him?!
Save us both?” The great bat looked up at the dome, green bolts striking every few seconds like lighting out of the sky, and turned to Prince Kenius.
“I can do it, I can convert all this mana and blast it back at him.” “So, do it then.
Let us fight our way out.” Prince Kenius remarked.
“Us?
You mean me?
You do not even know how to harness your own power.
Also, why should I?” Prince Kenius was shocked.
“I am a vessel containing your power no?
Shouldn’t you ensure I survive at all cost?!” The Bat grinned and said:” The trial of the world is upon you all.
If the dark faction chose to give it up, that is their issue.
For ages, each king has fought for the sake of progress for the dark faction.
Who knows, your father has a plan and may progress the dark faction, to salvation or to ruin.
Also, you are not dying.
You will merely become a puppet.
It will be a new experience for me, sure.” “So, you are going to do nothing?!” The phantasm flew up and stayed there.
“Indeed, at most I will let you keep a sliver of your consciousness here, just in case you do wake up one day.
The rest, will be corrupted by your father’s magic and you can go on to be his perfect son.
Gyahahahahahaha.” With that, cracks formed on the sky above him, and a torrent of greenish dark energies cascaded down, crushing him into its roaring depths.
In the material plane, as Prince John poured the last of his energies into his son, Prince Kenius awoke.
Eyes emitting a green aura.
“Now, you are mine.
Mages, tomorrow, begin training him.
Statecraft, fightcraft, spellcraft and more.
He is to be the perfect king.” Prince John commanded as the guards carried him out, especially after going through such a tribulation.
The four mages released the magic seal and chanted another seal.
There, a magic seal formed around Prince Kenius’s neck.
“Your Highness, time to go.” said one of the mages.
Prince Kenius complied.
He began walking out of his cell.
The 4 mages followed him, but they are the ones who controlled him.
The puppeteers and their puppet.
As Prince Kenius walked out of the dungeons and back into the palace, servants who saw him greeted him, but no reply was given.
They knew it was their young prince, the young lord himself, yet he is not quite himself.
As Prince Kenius reached his room’s door.
He told the guards nearby to not bother him and he did not require any servants today.
The guards responded with a “Yes, Your Highness” and Prince Kenius went into the room with his 4 mages.
Meanwhile, through the windows that it is his eyes, Prince Kenius’s spirit lingered inside the dome, with the great bat.
The Phantasm sees what is going on as well, as the 4 mages formed a ritual circle in his room and began reinforcing seals to give more command over the Prince’s body.
“Fascinating eh, lets see what happens as others use your body for their own good.
Gyahahahahahaha.” Prince Kenius, staring at what is going on, filled with anger.
A single thought filled his head.
One day, I will break out of this and slaughter all of you.
He watched on, as the mages continue to assert their dominance over him.