"hahh… so exhausting"
Midas was exhausted; responding to those three people had required a great deal of effort on his part. Still, he patted his face with both hands. This was nothing; his father had to do this every single day. Deep in his mind, he knew he had to be strong so that he could be proud of him.
He rose from the throne and timidly approached his father as they walked toward the royal dining hall.
Midas walked in silence, without saying a single word; however, deep down, he wanted to know what his father thought of his answers.
"Father, did I do well?"
The Hegemon did not stop. His feet did not halt, even as his son wished to speak with him.
"You managed to answer the first two questions satisfactorily; however, the fact that you became so agitated during the third is disappointing… Midas, how do you think you did?"
Midas clenched his fists.
"I didn't do well."
"That's right. Do you know why I say you didn't do well?"
His voice carried neither annoyance nor anger; there was only coldness.
"Because I made a mistake?"
Midas understood: he had gotten carried away and made a statement he should not have. As the ruler of humanity, every one of his words carried weight, which meant he could not say whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted.
"You understand, at least… You cannot make mistakes. Others might be able to, but you cannot. Now tell me, why did you do something so foolish?"
"Because I wanted to impress the administrators…"
"Midas, you must understand that there is no one you need to impress. You simply have to fulfill your role as it is expected of you, nothing more. That is the burden you must carry for the rest of your life."
Midas stopped. Occasionally, in moments like this, he truly felt as though the weight of the world was crashing down upon him. He had no time for anything; ever since he could remember, it had all been training or studying. The only moment he could relax even a little was when he could see his mother.
The Hegemon finally turned to look at his son. Tears were slowly falling down his face.
"Why are you crying? What are you trying to achieve?"
Midas, through sobs, let out the only answer his sadness allowed him.
"Nothing, Dad… for nothing. I'm just sad. I… I also wanted to impress you and for you to see that… I did a good job."
The Hegemon looked at him for a few moments, only to turn around and resume his path.
"What nonsense. Wash your face; don't let anyone see you cry. You know very well that you can't."
Midas knew he would never find comfort in his father, that this was the kind of man he was and that nothing he did could change that. But even so, it hurt that his only wish was to hear a "You did a good job, son."
Suddenly, a faint ominous sensation struck him. Every pore in his skin seemed to react to something.
Midas quickly moved toward one of the palace windows; however, he could barely see anything. After all, most of the windows were stained glass with countless designs, colors, and images of all kinds, which meant Midas was unable to see anything outside.
"Fire."
"Activate the electric towers."
Midas pressed his ear closer to listen better; he thought he could hear the palace soldiers shouting.
An attack on the capital? How was something like that possible? He must have been hearing things wrong.
"Dra…"
Midas thought he heard a very familiar word; however, he still didn't know what it was.
"DRAGOOOON!"
Midas's eyes widened in shock. Did he hear correctly? A dragon? What was a dragon doing in the capital?
His siblings!
Midas quickly ran toward the dining hall. He had to make sure his little siblings were safe.
"RRRROOOOAAAHHHHH"
A thunderous roar echoed, and the world seemed to tremble. The palace's beautiful stained glass shattered in an instant.
His legs moved with all their strength, but the closer he got to the royal dining hall, the stranger the sounds became: screams and the crack of thunder. It also sounded like swords striking something hard; however, he could not recognize it. It was not the typical sound of metal clashing against metal.
Finally, he caught sight of one of the massive dining hall doors. He had no time, so he simply charged through it, shattering it to pieces with his force.
A little girl startled; however, upon seeing who it was, she immediately cried out in joy.
"Midas!"
"Sofía!"
Midas could not have been happier: his little sister was safe.
Little Alexandros, his younger brother, was hugging Sofía, while a group of guards protected them with their bodies.
"The Hegemon's heir! Quickly, protect him!"
Half of the men protecting his siblings stood up to go assist him.
Midas felt horrified. His siblings needed them right now; they were just small children, yet these men were willing to risk them to safeguard his life.
"I order you to protect my siblings!"
The men froze immediately, yet they still moved toward Midas. His command was supposed to be law, but his father had likely already told them what to do in situations like this: preserve the heir's life.
Damn it.
Midas was angry.
Suddenly, another powerful bolt shot down, and the dining hall's ceiling collapsed. A fierce explosion sent Midas's body flying.
When he looked up, a dragon appeared in the sky. Midas had never seen one before. It was the size of a massive cloud; blood dripped from its scales as lightning struck its body endlessly.
The lightning from the city's defensive towers, the fire from the mages, and the slashes his father sent from the palace roof did not cease to tear into its body; however, the dragon, despite being so damaged, still looked imposing and powerful, like a king in the skies. Its skin was as red as fire itself.
Suddenly, something happened. The dragon's gaze ignored all the attacks thrown at it and fixed on Midas. For a moment, their eyes met.
The dragon bared its teeth, and a deep, powerful voice echoed.
"I found you, treasure of humanity."
The dragon lunged swiftly and relentlessly. Midas immediately tried to escape, but the dragon suddenly became much faster, moving in a way that was inhuman for a creature of its size.
The soldiers shouted:
"It's going for the Hegemon's heir, stop it!"
However, it was already too late. The dragon's claw caught Midas, lifting him from the rubble and rising into the sky.
Midas watched as he slowly drifted away from the palace. In the distance, he could see his little siblings safe, which at least calmed him a bit, and a figure clad in armor as black as night: it was his father.
He could not see his face, but he was certain nothing had changed. Even in this situation, he would maintain his usual coldness. Suddenly, in his hand, a powerful bolt of lightning formed. Midas was surprised: an attack like that, with him here, could easily kill him.
The lightning shot forth with overwhelming power. It was the power of a channeler. The attack struck the dragon's body, tearing apart one of its wings. The dragon roared in pain, yet it did not stop; it continued its escape—successful.