Building a Kingdom and Conquering the World

"Mythseeker Lineages" - Henry unconsciously murmured, his once gray eyes briefly taking on a vibrant purple hue, resembling the image of a whole galaxy – "We belong to an ancient clan responsible for hunting down Myths, beings that disrupts the world\'s balance, killing or keeping them as far away as possible from our realms and from the secular world."

In those millions of fragmented memories, Henry couldn\'t ascertain the origins of the Mythseeker Lineages, but he managed to grasp their main objective and at least a basic background. Supposedly, there were seven Mythseeker Lineages scattered across the world, each entrusted with specific region to protect and develop. These regions encompassed the West, South, East, Center, North, the Seas, and the Skies. And, in order to accomplish this mission and fight against Myths, these people owned certain treasures and techniques, plus an extended lifespan and talent.

"We weren\'t always called Stahl. Thousands of years ago, we were known as Solarius" - Henry absentmindedly muttered, and at the mention of the name \'Solarius\', the purple flames around him blazed brighter and danced, like sentient beings - "We were the lineage responsible for the First Fire and the ones who decided to share it with the world, enabling its survival. Solarius\' descendants were responsible to fight against the Myths inhabiting the North Region, serving as the first line of defense against the Myths and other monsters dwelling within…the Frozen Forest."

Henry paused, this new knowledge about the Frozen Forest dawning on him, before finally resuming with a tinge of unease - "The Frozen Forest was known as the End of the World or even the gates of Myths and even the abode of Myths."

"I must return!" - Henry exclaimed, attempting to rise from the throne with haste. However, as his muscles moved, the hundreds of menacing spikes adorning the back of the throne suddenly twitched in a swift motion.

"Ahhh!" - Henry screamed in pain as if thousands of knives had just pierced through him. He rapidly glanced down, only to find hundreds of small and large spikes embedded in his flesh – "What is this!?" - He cried out in pain, attempting to free himself, but his efforts proved futile. He couldn\'t even summon his Mana; it was like trying to move a mountain with just his fingers.

Suddenly, the forgotten Great Black Sword resting against the throne moved and magically hovered before his eyes, without strings attached. Henry\'s purplish eyes shone with a mystical light, before ancient words spilled from his mouth – "Caelum, the First Sword and Harbinger of the End!"

When he ended, purple inscriptions began to appear along the sword\'s blade, revealing those same words. Suddenly, the fire that had been burning on the whole room seemed to have been awakened and were pulled towards the great sword. The previous black color of the sword was rapidly replaced by the vibrant hue of the purple as the weapon got entirely covered on it, with the word Caelum being even more brighter than all.

"What are you doing?" – Henry screamed as the sword\'s tip suddenly turned towards him, aiming at his heart – "Stop!" – he fidget on the ground, trying to free himself, but it was too late.

The possessed sword came towards him like a bullet.

-x-

Leier\'s right hand was covered in burns from her attempts to pass through the blazing purple blocking her path. The king had been missing for hours, showing no signs of life, leaving her restless and desperate by the thought of her liege being consumed by this strange fire. The barrier didn\'t even allow her to see through it, like a mystical veil separating the realm of the ancestors from the mortal world.

She absentmindedly examined her burnt hand, finding no traces of skin left and overwhelmed by a profound sense of loss that threatened to swallow her will. The thought of the king\'s death left her without a foundation, with an empty, groundless feeling that kept rising with each second. It was the same feeling she had experienced when she lost her parents, and she despised it to her core; she didn\'t want to experience it again. n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Immersed in a whirl of emotions, Leier\'s gaze returned to those vibrant purple flames that appeared to be dancing in front of her. She was determined to cross it, willing to endure any pain, even if it meant risking her existence to find the king, her foundation that gave her a new reason to exist. Without much thought, Leier delivered a swift punch at the dancing flames, trying to pierce through it by force.

"Ahhh!" - Leier cried out in pain as her fist met the fiery barrier, which wasn\'t supposed to inflict such pain since she had already partially lost her pain receptors.

The flames acted like a vicious virus and invaded her Mana Circuits, burning it while coursing through them with a single clear destination: her heart, where her Mana was stored, and where faint tendrils of her Tribal Tattoo could be seen. Leier attempted to redirect her Mana to block this intruder, but the living flame only seemed to surge faster and grow stronger every time she channeled her Mana, as if it were feeding upon it. From her previous attempts, Leier understood that the only way to expel it was to get away from the barrier. However, she had no intention to back down.

Even though she understood the high risk of death, Leier summoned every ounce of her Mana and strength, setting aside any further attempts to hinder the viral flames\' way within her circuits. She channeled all the energy into her arms in a last attempt to get through this barrier.

"Ahhh!" – Leier determined shouted, using her legs to give even more strength to her punch, she could feel the flame\'s fabric being piercer while at the same time the living flame reached her heart.

*Thump*

Leier sensed a sudden and abnormal change within her, yet she paid it no mind. She opened her hand and extended her burnt fingers and could instinctively tell that they had finally breached the flames. However, she still could do nothing as a searing pain assaulted her heart, a signal that the living flame had invaded her heart and was gradually destroying it, fueled by her own Mana.

However, this pain went away like magic, leaving only a powerless Leier on her knees, exhausted and on the verge of passing out.