The Tyrant's Pet

<strong>Meanwhile…  </strong>

The clouds were drifting in the clear blue sky leisurely. It was that time of the year when flowers bloom beautifully. The season for harvest after the long wait.

It used to be like that around this time until two years ago.

The glorious Haimirich Empire was nothing like its former grandeur. Instead of towering houses, streets that were always so busy, and prosperous land, everything was just piles of rubble. The houses were destroyed and burned down. The carefree touches of laughter that used to fill the capital were replaced with quietness. Thick smoke from the continuous fire reached a part of the sky, relaying the word to those in the heavens.

Above was the glorious light of the world, but down below was akin to a glimpse of hell.

The aftermath of that night two years ago.

<strong>Disaster.</strong>

Abel kept his eyes on the beautiful sky while floating on a still lake. The waters had a diluted color of red, and around the lake were the remains of those who tested his patience. The grass that was drowned with blood that night in the Haimirich Empire never grew a lush green, as it always had a tinge of red.

"Your Majesty!" Conan's voice rang from the side, but Abel didn't react like usual. "Until when will you float there?! Don't we have better things to do?"

"Better things…" Abel fluttered his eyelashes ever so tenderly. "Like what, Conan?"

"Like…" Conan trailed off, thinking of what else to do.

Currently, the Haimirich Empire was no more after facing Abel's wrath. The emperor destroyed everything in sight and even challenged the sky, hoping to get out of this world, but to no avail. They were stuck in this place for who knows how long.

"Fuck it." Conan frowned, wobbling down to the ground without sparing the skeletons around the slightest glance. "We have nothing else to do and I'm dying because of it."

His shoulders lowered as he let out a deep sigh.

"Back then, I always blame him for giving me so much workload. But now that I don't need to work anymore since we don't have an empire to maintain, I kinda miss those days I don't have time to breathe." His frown deepened as layers of tears coated his eyes, covering his mouth dramatically. "Damn that Maximus and Marsella. I swear I'll kill them in the most painful way possible if I ever get the chance to meet them again."

Abel listened to Conan's mumbling. This had always been how his day played out since the time there was nothing to destroy in this empire anymore. He would idle, lay flat wherever he felt like it, and then Conan would come only to ramble on and on.

There were other people who survived Abel's wrath that night and not just Conan, but those who did were just doing their best to hold on to the last thread of their sanity. Staying with Conan and Abel wouldn't help.

"Your Majesty, why are you so silent?" Conan sighed, shifting his attention back to Abel after talking nonstop. "Aren't you angry?"

"Haimirich is in this state because I was."

"Right…" Conan scratched his head. "I'm asking stupid questions, am I?"

"You are asking repeated questions," Abel corrected. "That's the hundred and thirty-six times you asked me the same questions."

"You're counting?" Conan frowned. "Of course you are. We have nothing else to do."

Conan slowly collapsed on his back, eyes straight to the clear blue sky. "Ah… this world looked exactly the same as the real world, isn't it, Your Majesty?"

"Two hundred and forty-eight for that one."

"Even when you cut yourself, you'll still feel a slight pain. It's actually way worse than the original world." Conan let out another sigh, ignoring Abel's <strong>'records,'</strong> as this wasn't the first time Conan would spew the same remarks. "The experience is real, but just that death… you're conscious even if you're underwater and choking. I can't imagine living in this world forever. I'm barely holding on to my sanity."

"Even Roman would spend day and night in Violet's home like a creep. The last time I heard, he lost his mind. I mean, he was staring at the flowers Violet grew and the boutique she used to manage. The boutique is probably the only establishment that wasn't destroyed," he continued, thinking of the other people that were stuck in this world. "How I wish I was as stupid as Morro. That guy is probably the only person who can enjoy this world since Deadmore isn't here."

Conan paused, turning his head in Abel's direction. "Your Majesty, what would you do if somehow we get out of here? I mean to Her Majesty."

Conan waited for Abel's answer, and just like the past two years they were in this world, Abel didn't answer. Abel had always been like this. After wreaking havoc, he just went silent, as if he didn't want others to know he existed.

There were still days Abel would suddenly blow up out of nowhere, making everyone in this world rush to him. At first, it was all just a disaster, but then Abel's episode gradually grew far and few between.

"Her, huh?" Abel whispered, blinking ever so tenderly. "Hmm… who knows?"

Abel slowly closed his eyes and mustered all his weight until his body sank slowly into the lake. Conan just watched Abel sink, watching the bubbles form on the water's surface.

"What did he mean by that?" Conan murmured, keeping his eyes on the bubbles on the water's surface where Abel sank. "He always avoids any type of conversation about lady Aries that we didn't even have any concrete plan to get out of this world."

He shifted his eyes back to the sky and sighed. "Lady Aries, just what the hell were you thinking? Once I get out of here, I'll beat some senses into you."

Conan snapped his tongue at the thought of Aries and then looked back at the lake where Abel sank. The bubbles on the surface already disappeared, making his brows raise.

"Your Majesty?" called Conan, pushing himself to sit up. "Your Majesty?"

Conan called Abel until fright swelled in his chest. Out of panic, Conan jumped into the lake to 'save' Abel, but much to his dismay, even when he reached the spot where Abel sank, Abel was gone.

"What the…?" Deep lines appeared in between his brows before Conan searched the entire lake like a madman, but to no avail.

Abel just disappeared without a trace.

"Your Majesty!!!"