Secrets of the Universe

Chapter 59: Lower Stages(2) - The crack in the picture

Cheyenne's fight against Dean Forst managed to raise some buried memories in the King's head.

He wondered when everything fell apart.

Was it before that event or was it after?

If he was to guess, then perhaps it all started at the beginning.

Everything led to the Crack in the Aztecs' family picture.

King Caspian's eyes dulled as he tried to remember exactly why?

.......

Eighteen(18) years ago, Prince Caspian, currently the King, enjoyed fame from all parts of the southern continent.

He was the most brilliant of that generation and it was only right he had class!

Women flocked around him like bees, and the prince did not reject at all.

He became the most loved by even men. It got to the point that his influence got him the position of the crown prince.

Soon, youth shined on him and young Caspian found himself falling in love with a young maiden from another kingdom.

However, that didn't matter for his father, the previous King.

His father set up a marriage for him with a mysterious young lady. Young Caspian had tried to resist it.

To him, arranged marriage was a thing in the past. He never thought that his father would pull that card on him.

He became extremely rebellious as he did not accept the marriage, but soon he came to accept his fate and his duty to his kingdom.

Yet, that did not stop him from holding a grudge against his father, who took his youth, and his fiancee, who collided with him.

When it was time for his marriage, Prince Caspian did everything right. He pledged his vows with his eighteen years old(18)'s voice and kissed the bride despite not liking it.

Years passed by and Prince Caspian was forever faithful to his wife.

However, he wasn't exactly welcoming. He neglected her, only providing her money and everything she wanted.

Prince Caspian fulfilled all his formal duties as a husband. He gave her a home. He gave her children. He gave her a stable life, but he didn't give her warmth.

Throughout the years, there was barely any time where they talked for more than three(3) minutes. He would rather submerge himself into the world of politics than chat with his wife.

Two years after their marriage, his wife, Lillian, gave birth to triplets.

She went through all the pains of labor without her husband by her side.

In truth, he, Prince Caspian, was actually there. He stayed behind the labor room, watched from a window as his wife gave birth.

Why didn't he enter?

Why didn't he move?

He himself did not know the answer to the question. All he knew was that on that day, he was frozen in boundless ice.

Frozen, as he listened to the screams of his wife. He cried as he realized he didn't even know her voice well enough. It was the first time he had heard her scream.

His wife was extremely composed and well-behaved. Despite all his wrongs, she never complained. She just smiled...

Time flew again, his children became bigger, Prince Caspian became the King.

Every day, he would dream of the labor-day of his wife. He would wake up sweating. He realized his conscience was getting to him.

On a battlefield, he might have immense courage, but when it came to home matters, he became scared.

Days after days, he furthered himself from his family, lying to himself that he needed to be in his study, that his kingdom needed him.

Deep down inside him, he knew that, ironically, it was only when he busied himself that he felt free.

Still, with every distance between him and his family, he still managed to fulfill his duties to his family and children.

He had made an oath and he kept it!

As a father, he wasn't tyrannical or evil. Far from that, he was good, he knew how to be fluid with his children; let them play when they are tired, train them when they are not tired.

He wasn't strict, he wasn't hard on them, but he also wasn't great.

He wasn't there when they needed him. He provided for them based on the reports his servants gave him.

He never lashed at them, never beat them.

To his children, their father was a strange individual and almost close to invisible.

Sometimes, he would attend one of their events, but wouldn't talk to his children. He would hide in the background and just watch.

This led to his children developing unique personalities.

Roan grew to be a fine young man, who wanted to be exactly like what he thought his father was, a good king.

Cheyenne became rebellious, always causing trouble.

Sierra copied her mother's quiet nature, mixed with her self-developed cold and strict personality.

They rarely talked to him, but appeared unified in public, knowing well enough their responsibilities as the royal family.

This was how the Aztecs spent the rest of their life..until, that certain incident.

Until one day, Queen Lillian, died in battle protecting him.

King Caspian broke that day and realized the consequences of his pride, but his children broke more.

Even the fragile peace among the family broke.

He still remembered the look on Cheyenne's face when she heard the news.

It was the first time she had ever cried. She broke and lashed at her father, vowing to kill him as she blamed him for her death.

If not for the words of Roan and Sierra, who also cried for the first time in their lives, King Caspian could have sworn that Cheyenne would have killed him.

Since that day, his children never talked to him except in public.

Looking back, King Caspian wondered, 'Perhaps, it was that day that everything changed. Or was it before that?'

Nightmares of his wife's death hunted every time even when not sleeping.

In the nightmares, her corpse never laughed at him, just looked at him, judging him with her stares.

He recognized those stares. There were the stares he had when he looked himself in the mirror.

It was then he knew that he had also blamed himself for his wife's death and that everything was not as he thought it was.

He remembered the times when he spied at his wife when she gazed at the palace garden.

He remembered the feeling welling up inside of him but was shut down by his pride, telling him that she was the one that took everything away from him.

He remembered in the background every time he watched his wife play with his children.

So, he knew there was no doubt. He was the cause of her death!

If he had understood her better, perhaps they would have formed a duo capable of knocking down all their enemies.

Perhaps they would have been able to knock down the Netheran that took her life.

At the end of the day, the word "perhaps" belonged to an illusionary world. It was bound to never exist.

Thereby, King Caspian took it upon himself to live with the guilt burning in him till the day he died.

........

"Wooooo," once again, the crowd cheers brought the King back from his trip down the memory lane.

Focusing back on the fight, he saw his daughter defending against Dean's attack she seemed cornered and he was worried for her.

........

On the stage, Dean increasingly got frustrated every time he dished out an attack.

Cheyenne was like a slippery eel, dodging everything even when she seemed cornered.

'I have to finish this,' he thought.

In a decisive manner, he walked a few steps back.

He closed his eyes, trying to feel his full strength and them summoned.

Wisps of [Spirit Essence] flew out of his body as he held his sword in his special.

"I will now go full strength," he announced, trying to be formal.

In the next instant, his sword glowed, as the wisps of energy entered it.

The moment it became too bright, Dean slashed his sword at thin air.

*Pweee!!*

The slash generated an energy attack, the shape of his slash, that flew instantly to Cheyenne.

Not expecting this, Cheyenne's eyes widen in shock. In an impossible fluid manner, she bent her neck and the attacks missed her just by a hairbreadth, which could be seen from her some parts of her nicely packed hair was cut.

She spoke her first words, "The Flash Sword technique. I guess it is understandable that you mastered it. Sigh, you are too cruel. Even wanting to use it on a lady."

She decided not to play it safe as she unveiled her true cultivation.

Unlike Dean, a number of five or so tiny wisps of [Spirit Essence] escaped her body.

Seeing this, Dean commented, "As I thought, you are at the last stage of [Realm-1]. Still within limits."

He prepared to dish another sword slash, but Cheyenne smiled foxily, "I won't let you."

In a low whisper which most cultivators could hear, she said, "[Sky Mortal]"

As if obeying her voice, the radiance of blue light coalesced around her body like a mother welcoming its child.

"Amazing, I never expected Princess Cheyenne to master the [Sky Mortal] technique," reacted one of the spectators.

He was not the only one surprised as the whole crowd descended into chaos.

Jake, who was watching the fight, knew why.

The [Sky Mortal] technique was part of the [Sky Warden Series]. It was the technique of the royal family and could only be used when one enters [Realm-2].

The reason for this was at [Realm-2], one awakens to their elements.

Jake did not know much about the matters of elements, but he could understand a bit just thinking of the name.

Possibly, the [Sky Warden Series] required one to awaken the element of wind!

.......

Like a fairy, Cheyenne danced on the stage.

Her playfulness was evident in her pace as she ran at Dean.

When she got closer to Dean, she took a high jump, wanting to increase her momentum as she came down on Dean like a vulture.

"It is over," agreed the crowd.

Anyone who saw Cheyenne's speed would think that.

However, Dean was not to be underestimated.

He unleashed a mysterious technique, which made him zip away in a strange line away from the attack.

Astonishingly, his new speed rivaled that of Cheyenne's.

*Dang!*

Cheyenne's attack hit the floor of the stage and created a tear in it. This was a stage created for Cultivators and yet she could damage it!

Despite missing her attack, Cheyenne innocently smiled, " The famous [Blink] technique of the Forst Noble house. Finally getting it all out, aren't you?"