THE AGELESS I One Crown

Chapter 1. One Ruler

Year 537 [Present]
April 4th
Brimmington Manor

In the charcoal-colored sky above, dark storm clouds began to form outside the windows of the Brimmington Manor. The wind swirled brown leaves and white dandelion seeds around the estate.

Inside Brimmington Manor, a man slowly approached Earl Brimmington, his steps filled with an air of relaxation and ease. This man wore a black waistcoat over a dark shirt, the sleeves of which were rolled up to his elbows. Golden buttons lined the front, shining in the dim light of the Earl's bedside lamp. Around his pale neck was an ebony-black, circular pendant with a small, white star in the middle.

This man was the only one who could see the gray clouds outside, for they did not exist to anyone else. For him, they followed wherever he went. In reality, it hadn't rained for over a week and the skies outside were clear with a sprinkling of stars.

As the man approached the Earl, the Earl could do nothing but cower in the corner of his room at the sight of this stranger who had entered his home without invitation.

"Please! I'm begging you, let me go!" shouted the earl, as he raised his hands above his head to shield himself, his natural human instinct. The Earl knew his shaky and thick-fingered hands could do nothing against the gleamingly sharp sword clutched in the man's right hand, but he still held them up nonetheless.

The man brought his blade down to the Earl's neck, stopping it against his pale skin and letting out a trickle of scarlet blood. There was no hesitation in the man's actions, like they had been carried out a hundred times before in a hundred lifetimes already.

"Tell me their names... Nine years ago, tell me who gave the orders." He commanded in a low voice. The Earl was unresponsive.

The stranger's golden eyes narrowed with irritation when the Earl said nothing.

"Answer me!" The man seethed. Again the Earl was silent, making the man let out an exasperated sigh as the last bit of his patience slipped away. He thought he might just kill the Earl then and there. Without another thought, he raised his sword up to slice but paused when someone pounded on the door all of a sudden. The knocking reminded him that the Earl was more useful alive, for if he did not answer now, he would answer when death became more of a mercy than life.

"Victor! We need to leave before more guards show up!" Another man said as he rushed through the door.

The dark-haired man holding the sword, who was named Victor, then walked away to converse with the person who just entered. The Earl's mind was racing far too fast for him to focus on their words. It was the name that struck him.

"V-Victor?" The Earl blurted out, making the two men glance over at him. "Y-you mean... Victor Constance? Is that who you are? T-the Head of House Constance?" he sputtered out.

A grin stretched across Victor Constance's face the moment he heard his name.

Year 537 [Present]
April 5th
Carvina Castle

The sun shone brightly like it did every day in spring — like every day was normal. Yet today was not one of those normal days. It seemed as if it was since the birds still flew above the enormous white palace. A black and red flag fluttered in the gentle breeze from the highest point of the castle. Even the roses in the royal garden bloomed like they did this time of year.

The part that was not normal, however, was in the front courtyard of the castle, where people of all statuses and ages stood with bated breaths. The majority of them were commoners, while the nobles stood at a distance in the back. Everyone was silent as if they were waiting for something, for the moment when something would change. They knew this was an important day, as it was rare for the citizens to be called to the palace like this. Whispers of questions passed around the crowd.