First Prince Amory walked steadily into his own courters, ordering the servants to bar anyone from interrupting him as he sat at a wide desk, calming his breathing. If one looked closely, it became clear that Amory's study was identical to his father's. Even the decorative vases weren't even a centimeter out of place.
After the initial shock of the matters, his mind state had finally begun to rebalance itself. What was the use in panicking or throwing a tantrum? What was done was done. His goal now was to find a way to move forward.
His Third Brother was a cultivation maniac who had no interest in the throne. He believed it would only slow his progress to become King. In fact, the only reason Cayden would participate in the Coronation Games at all was for the sake of the Clan Texts that could not be disobeyed.
As for his Second Brother, although he didn't want the throne himself, for the sake of protecting his family's Garis Clan, he would fight for it. Amory had to admit that of his siblings, the most potent threat was his Second Brother Jedrek. With his financial capital, even building his own military wasn't impossible.
For the past few years, ever since he graduated from the Institute, he had been building countermeasures. He could count of the support of his Third Brother, but Jedrek's resources were not to be underestimated.
However, just when he thought he had grasped the board they played on, the table had been flipped. A wild card appeared on the field without any move set restrictions. Just how would his Fourth Brother play?
As Amory saw it, there were two possibilities. The first was the approach Amory himself would take. He would bide his time, slowly work his way to the Divine Vessel realm and cross the Immortal Barrier. Once he succeeded, he would join a powerful Sect, cross into the Connecting Heaven realm, before descending to exact his revenge.
Amory reached forward, lightly grasping a black stone with a single white speck at its center. He twirled it between his fingers, closing his eyes to breathe in the fragrant aromatics of the room.
The game before him was the foremost strategy game of the martial world. It was simply known as 'Domain.' Unlike games of its kind, its board wasn't uniform. Not only did it have elevated sections, even its divisions alternated from miniature squares to triangles to pentagons.
Rumors would have it that masters of Domain were capable of cultivating by simply playing the game. Although Amory didn't know how true this was, he had always been fascinated by it. Not a day had passed without him contemplating its board after his Master introduced it to him.
'Master is a mortal, yet doesn't he grasp the world in his palm? How else could a mere mortal build an Institute all four Kingdoms recognized?' Unknowingly, Amory had settled into a deep state of contemplation.
'This first and smartest option… It isn't the path you'd pick, right Fourth Brother?' A light smile played Amory's features.
No matter what rift had grown between them, Amory and Ryu were still blood brothers. Albeit half, it was still true. With this came an understanding for one another.
Ryu's arrogance seeped to his bones. It wasn't a normal, cowardly arrogance – the kind that only appeared in the face of the weak but disappeared in the face of the strong. No. His Fourth Brother disdained the world itself. Before, his tragic flaw had been that while he was prepared to disdain even the ground he stood on, he had never been willing to challenge Fate.
His Fourth Brother had resigned himself to a short life, yes. But he was only willing to die with his head held high. He wanted the world to know that it wasn't you measly humans who broke me, but rather Fate itself. That was how he felt satisfied with himself, that was the type of person he was.
However, the Imperial Doula's death had snapped something within him. He woke up.
The truth of the matter was that his Fourth Brother was inherently masochistic. He was willing to suffer through any pain for the sake of his goals. It was just that he believed that this goal of his was to die with his head held high. It wasn't until he realized that Fate was cruel and flawed that he rejected it.
'What an interesting man you are, Fourth Brother. You don't recognize Fate as cruel for yourself, but you do for others. Since even you are willing to fight against Fate, then what kind of Elder Brother would I be if I cowered where my younger brother braved?'
Amory's smile deepened. 'Not only will you not hide and bide your time, you've likely already taken the first step toward your revenge now, haven't you? It's not just that either. You'll make sure that this revenge is on the grandest stage. And the opening you'll pick…. Is the Coronation Games!'
Laughter of a genuine ilk spread through the First Prince's courtyard. "GOOD. This Elder Brother will wait for you. I'll take on your all your hate and rest it on my shoulders. For the Tor Clan to live, you must die. For you to live, I must die."
**
Currently, Ryu had no idea what his First Brother was thinking. He simply wasn't focused on such things. However, it was true that he had already taken his first step.
Ryu sat at the center of a slowly flowing river, his naked body almost breathing as he allowed the cool and clear water to wash over his body.
The moment his Spiritual Foundation awakened, his blood surged, and he had distinctly felt several popping noises emit from his forehead, cheeks and eyes. When he realized just what it was, he couldn't help but release a deep sigh.
Ryu had no doubt that King Tor ordered his Granny Miriam to blind him as a child. But, the old Doula was too kind to do such a thing. Instead, she destroyed the ligaments connected to his eyelids and constricted the muscles in his pupils to the extreme. The result was Ryu's inability to register light or open his eyes.
The old Doula died filled with regret even after that, but she didn't know just how much pain she saved Ryu. Had she not done this, his Mysteries of Heaven and Earth Pupils would have been discovered long ago. Who knew what kind of trouble that would have brought?
Even in death, she had saved him.