Novel Full Chapter 297 - 297: Julia and Julian
Krug tilted his head, his slit pupils narrowing as he studied Julia's trembling form on the floorboards. "Her abdomen is visibly swollen," the Apostle reported, keeping his iron boot planted firmly on the ground. "But I lack the knowledge to verify a fetal heartbeat. There is no other way to confirm the pregnancy right now."
High above in the sanctuary, Rubedo leaned back in his throne and stared at the holographic feed.
He despised the twins. Because of their false accusation of raping Julia, he was discriminated and bullied even more than before.
Even in this world, they were parasites who had happily lived off the divine magic stolen from his butchered soul.
However, the child growing inside Julia was entirely innocent. The unborn baby had no part in Voranthar's cruel games, nor did it have a hand in their scheme back on Earth.
'If I order Glitch to extract her magic now, the physiological shock will undoubtedly terminate the pregnancy,' Rubedo thought, tapping a finger against the edge of his console.
He had endured profound injustice his entire life, treated as disposable fodder for the ambitions of arrogant people. If he casually murdered an unborn child just to exact his revenge a few months early, he would be perpetuating the exact same cruelty he swore to destroy.
He mentally mapped out the potential solutions. He could let Glitch drain her immediately and let the child pay the price for its parents' sins, but his conscience instantly rejected the idea.
Alternatively, he could lock them both in the same dark cell, but the stress and squalor would likely harm the pregnancy anyway. Leaving them together in a comfortable environment was out of the question, as he refused to reward Julian's manipulative nature with any form of peace.
The most logical path was monitored containment and strict separation.
"Glitch, come back," Rubedo commanded.
The black-furred anomaly stepped away from Julia. It opened a spatial tear in the center of the tavern room and vanished into the void, taking the suffocating pressure with it. The floorboards groaned as the atmosphere finally normalized.
"You will be separated," Rubedo announced through the comm-link on Krug's chest. "Julian will be transported to the primary containment facility to rot with the other captured Heralds. The Vanguard will take custody of Julia. She will remain under our direct supervision until the child is delivered."
Julian scrambled across the splintered wood. His powerless body shook as he tried to shield his weeping sister. "You can't separate us! She is terrified, she needs me with her! Please, Red, just put us in the same cell!"
"You are not in a position to negotiate, Julian." Rubedo's voice echoed through the iron plating, dropping the temperature in the room. "You are only drawing breath right now because I am consciously allowing it."
Julian froze, his hands hovering over Julia's shoulders.
"This arrangement is my mercy," Rubedo continued, the synthesized tone carrying a heavy, crushing weight. "Do not overstep your boundaries and presume you can dictate terms to me. I can devise fates far worse than a simple separation if you prefer to test my patience."
Julian swallowed his protests and lowered his head. He wrapped his arms around Julia and held her tightly, finally understanding they possessed zero leverage while waiting for the Vanguard infantry to climb the stairs.
Heavy boots thumped against the wooden stairs. Four soldiers entered the ruined tavern room and grabbed Julian by the arms. Julia shrieked and clung to his torn shirt, but a pair of Vanguard healers firmly pulled her away from her brother.
Rubedo's orders left no room for hesitation. The guards escorted Julia out of the tavern and down into the plaza.
Julian faced a much darker reality.
The soldiers dragged him through a separate portal, dropping him directly into the freezing depths of Aethelgard's lower dungeons.
The guards stripped him of his silken cloak and leather boots, leaving him in a thin linen shirt and trousers. They hauled him down a damp stone corridor that reeked of mildew and despair, stopping in front of a large holding cell.
One of the guards shoved him forward. Julian stumbled onto the freezing stone floor as the heavy iron door slammed shut, locking the deadbolts into place.
Julian shivered and pushed himself onto his hands and knees. Water dripped steadily from the ceiling. As his eyes adjusted to the dim light filtering through the bars, shadows shifted in the corner of the cell.
Several gaunt figures stepped out of the darkness. They wore dirty rags, their skin covered in bruises and grime. Without their divine magic, they were nothing more than starving, exhausted humans.
Jason stood at the front of the group. His face was hollowed out from weeks of malnutrition. Chloe, Derek, Sarah, Zach, and Brittany flanked him, their eyes locked on the newest prisoner.
"Look who finally decided to join us," Jason said, his voice raspy and dry.
Julian scrambled backward until his shoulders hit the iron bars. He held his hands up in defense. "Jason. Listen to me, we didn't have a choice. The Vanguard overwhelmed the perimeter."
Chloe stepped into the dim light and spat on the stone floor near Julian's bare feet. "You had the crimson crystal, Julian. You could have opened a spatial tear to evacuate the entire group out of the labyrinth. Instead, you grabbed Julia and vanished to save yourselves."
"We panicked!" Julian pleaded, his voice cracking. "The magic was unstable. If I tried to pull all of you through, the portal would have collapsed and killed us all."
Derek did not wait for another excuse. He lunged forward and drove his fist directly into Julian's jaw. The impact sent Julian crashing into the stone wall. Blood pooled in his mouth as he slumped onto the floor.
Before Julian could recover, Jason grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and dragged him back to his feet. Jason delivered a harsh punch to Julian's stomach, knocking the wind out of him. The reunion dissolved into a chaotic, desperate brawl.
The depowered Earthlings swarmed their former friend, kicking and punching him in the dark. There were no flashing spells or divine auras, only the pathetic, hollow sounds of broken people turning their anger on the boy who left them behind to die.