"Captain Rosalind, what brings you to my house?" Helios asked, looking down from the stairs. All the servants gathered around to see what was happening.
"Do you think the Master has done something illegal?" one of the servants whispered.
"I wouldn't be surprised, with all those people who look like they belong to a criminal organization coming here lately," another servant pointed out, gesturing toward the entrance.
"The Royal Family is looking for you, Leader of Blackthorn," Rosalind said in a calm, steady voice.
"I don't have time to see that old man," Helios replied, beginning to descend the stairs.
"If you don't come with us, we will have to use force," Rosalind warned. At her signal, the royal police members drew their guns, pointing them directly at Helios.
Helios started laughing, his voice slowly turning cold and menacing. "Did you not learn the last time?" He narrowed his eyes. "It seems you need me to show you the consequences of pointing a weapon at me."
As he spoke, his ability, Tyrant's Pressure, activated. This time, Rosalind remained standing, though she stiffened, but the servants and royal police members immediately collapsed to the ground under the weight.
"Your little tricks won't work on me, Blackthorn Leader," Rosalind said, her voice laced with mockery.
"Oh? It seems I shouldn't hold back then," Helios countered. The pressure intensified sharply. Rosalind's legs began to tremble, and her smirk faded.
"You think you can adapt to my ability? You're mistaken," Helios said, his voice turning even colder.
"It's this feeling again..." one of the servants gasped from the floor, remembering the last time Helios had unleashed his power in anger.
"Stop, Helios!" a voice called out from the top of the stairs.
Helios looked back and saw three P.O.C. members. They held Luna and Sara, with knives pressed firmly against their throats.
"Who are you?" Helios demanded, his voice trembling with rage as his ability deactivated, the pressure vanishing instantly.
"People you will only see once in your life," the leader of the P.O.C. group replied.
"What do you want, then?" Helios asked, his voice thick with frustration.
"The same thing those people want," the P.O.C. member said calmly, nodding toward Rosalind.
"You're not with us!" Rosalind snapped, pushing herself up, but no one paid her any attention.
"What if I say no?" Helios challenged.
The P.O.C. leader raised his hand slightly, and the other two members pressed their blades closer to Luna and Sara's necks. "You can guess the outcome, can't you, Helios?"
"Why are they unconscious? What did you do to them?" Helios asked, his eyes beginning to glow with suppressed power.
"Don't get angry; it's just a bit of sleeping gas," the other P.O.C. member added dismissively.
A few minutes earlier, Sara had been packing Luna's bags.
"Sara, why are you packing my bags? Where are we going?" Luna asked, her head tilted in confusion.
"We are going on a trip with your brother," Sara lied. I can't tell her that a war is about to start. She would be too worried about her friends, Sara thought to herself, keeping her expression neutral.
"That sounds fun!" Luna said with a bright smile. Then, she rubbed her eyes. "I feel tired... you can wake me up when we're ready to go." Her eyes slowly closed.
"Strange... I feel tired, too..." Sara murmured. Her vision blurred, and she slumped to the ground beside the suitcases.
"So, are you coming with us?" the P.O.C. leader out front asked.
"Yes," Helios spat out.
"Good. And Rosalind? You're fired," the P.O.C. member added casually.
The scene shifted to the Imperial Family's dining room. Every member of the royalty was present except for Seer.
"It's been a while, Helios, hasn't it?" the King asked. He sat at the head of the long table while Helios sat at the far end.
"It hasn't been long enough," Helios retorted, looking around the room with disdain.
"Why don't you eat?" the King asked, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
"I would, if you didn't chain me up," Helios said. He tried to move his hands, causing the heavy metal chains to clatter loudly against the table.
"Please stop moving," one of the princesses said, her golden eyes fixed on Helios as she pointedly set her cutlery down. "The noise is grating."
"It seems my sister is still as sensitive to sound as ever," one of the princes remarked with a smirk.
"And it seems we still have a dog that doesn't know its place," the princess snapped back.
The table descended into chaos as the princes and princesses began to bicker.
"Shut up, all of you!" the Queen barked in frustration. "You wonder why we don't have a Crown Prince or Princess yet? You all act like children."
"What a great family relationship," Helios said mockingly.
"Every family has their flaws," the King said, offering a fake, polished smile. "Now, to business."
"So, why was I summoned here?" Helios asked.
"Because we can't have you running away before the war," the King replied.
"I can't be that important," Helios said dryly.
"Not important? Who in this kingdom, besides the Royal Family and the High Nobles, is more important than you?" one of the princes cut in.
"I don't understand. Why don't you explain?" Helios asked, a fake smile stretching across his own face.
"Well," a princess began, "you have one of the High Nobles working under you, Duke Riku. You are the Leader of the 12 Great Seeker Organizations Alliance. And you have a sterling reputation among the commoners because of your branch organizations."
"That still doesn't answer my question," Helios prompted.
"We need you to lead the army," the King stated firmly. "You will be the Supreme Commander."
"Why should I agree?" Helios asked, tugging again at his chains.
"You should agree because we have your sister and your girlfriend. Furthermore, if the war starts, we are the only ones who can guarantee your sister's protection," the King said.
They still have Luna and Sara. I can't say no, Helios thought, his jaw tightening. "Fine. I will join you. Tell me what my role is."
"It's simple. Your role is to motivate the army and lead them. We have four years to mould you into a perfect commander," the King said, standing up and walking to Helios's side. He placed his hands heavily on Helios's shoulders. "You will have to learn how to command aircrafts, tanks, and infantry. And, you also need to reach the Sovereign Realm."
"What's a Sovereign?" Helios asked, his interest finally piqued.
"A Sovereign is someone who has reached the highest rank a Seeker can achieve. They have the power to destroy entire Principalities," the King explained. "But... we don't have one anymore."
"Why don't we have a Sovereign anymore?" Helios asked, his voice filled with questions.
"Too many questions," the King said with a cheerful yet hollow voice. "You can ask your teachers over the next four years. After that, you can see your girlfriend and sister again. Don't worry, they will be safe in my hands."
The King leaned down, whispering close to Helios's ear, "Don't side with any of my children. They don't know where those two are being kept."
Straightening up, the King looked at the three P.O.C. members. "That's all. You can take him now."