Level Up Legacy

Arthur Silvera stood atop the giant artifact as his black and gold robes billowed around him, adding to the regal display of power. The black silk fabric shimmered in the sunlight, contrasting the embroidered gold accents that glinted as they fluttered. His arms were crossed across his chest as his eyes gazed at Runera.

It was a chilling sight to the citizens of Runera. Although they could not see his army for themselves, they could see the countless news broadcast relaying the scene. His army marched below his dome, steady and threatening, armed to the teeth with shimmering artifacts.

The combined sound of their march made the ground shake, pounding through the hearts of Runera’s citizens. Arthur no longer seemed to be a young man who challenged the world on a whim but a general who commanded respect from allies and fear from foes.

Julia watched the citizens scream in fear at his sight and run away. Marcel also snapped out of his fear and grabbed her before rushing through the crowd. They had to transport them to the nearest teleportation circle.

As they pushed against the fleeing citizens, Julia tried to help her father. However, Marcel pulled her with such strength that her arm was about to snap. Yet, she gazed at the citizens with realization.

‘I caused this fear,’ thought Julia to herself. ‘I ordered my armies alongside Arthur to invade Runera and make its citizen live in fear for months.’

There was no hero in war and no right or wrong. The ones who would be harmed would be the women and the children, who would lose their husbands and fathers. She looked at the screens around Runera, which showed Arthur glaring at Runera.

Her heart could not help but worry about how the world would look at Arthur after this day. She wanted to believe that, in the end, the world would realize he was not a bad person. However, that hope slowly died in her heart after witnessing this fear.

The ground shook with each step the army marched toward Runera. This war is now inevitable, and she helped pull the trigger. Yet, even when Arthur wanted to regain what he lost, she did not volunteer to negotiate peace with Runera.

‘Blaming myself would not help me find a way out of this,’ thought Julia as Marcel kicked the door of the teleportation open and threw her inside. As she tripped and rolled on the ground, Marcel and the guards brought her father before closing the doors.

The fearful citizens slammed their fists on the doors, hoping to be let inside. This teleportation station was connected to all of Runera, which meant it was the quickest way to the shelters. Cries for help filled the empty teleportation station as the Runic Guard hurried to activate it.

“Let them in,” muttered Julia as she tried to rise from the ground. “We have no use for this station after we are gone. Let them inside,” she glared at Marcel Solis, who gazed down at her.

“You dare act as if you care about their safety when you were the one to start this war?” asked Marcel as he took several steps toward her. Julia could tell he was about to hit her, so she hurriedly raised her hands to block the attack.

Marcel kicked several feet away, making her roll on the ground. Her forearms hurt so much that she suspected they were broken. Her father shouted something she could not understand before she heard Marcel scream.

As she gazed upward, she saw her father rush toward Marcel and tackle him. Then, he raised his chained hands and slammed them down toward his face, hitting him right in the nose.

“AGGH! GET THIS BASTARD AWAY FROM ME!” roared Marcel as blood covered his face, and the guards hurried to pull her father away. Marcel held to his face as he tried to rise from the ground, but he kept coughing his broken teeth. “KILL HIM! KILL HIM NOW!”

“I am already set to be executed, arrogant brat,” said her father without a hint of the savagery he had just committed. “I already said that if you touch my daughter, I will castrate you. However, I will leave you with a broken nose and teeth this time.”

Julia stared at the scene, dumbfounded. Her father never got angry, and he was a man of peace. Even when Marcel attacked him, Julius did not get mad. However, he turned into a different man for her sake, his daughter.

“Bastard…” said Marcel as he tried to rise but slipped and tried to rise again. He pulled a dagger from his waist and glared with hatred at Julius. “I will turn you into minced meat!”

Before Marcel could carry out his threat, the arrays started glowing, and space began to wrap around them. He clicked his tongue and placed away his dagger, realizing there would be no more time.

Julia rose to her feet as her arms danged. They were numb from the pain but did not seem to be broken, which might be because of all the strengthening Arthur gave her. Then, for the thousandth time today, Julia teleported to her final destination.

It was a cloudy, chilling day. November was the beginning of winter, and it made no effort to conceal it. Julia rose from the frozen floor of the walls and could not help but shiver. Then, her eyes looked at her father.

Several guards rushed to restrain her, as they did with her father. There were almost a hundred Runic Guards here atop the walls, and they dragged the two of them toward the gates of Runera, where the Family Heads waited.

As they were pulled toward their captors, Julia looked from atop the walls toward the marching army. However, this time, there was one more. Runera was surrounded by a hundred thousand runic guards, with a thousand battleships floating above them.

The scene was magnificent.

Julia could not help but stare in awe, then in worry, and then in fear. Arthur was marching toward this army without hesitation, and she knew he had no time to strategize the battle because of her. He would march through hell to get her back, and she hated herself.

“These are the prisoners, esteemed heads!” shouted one of the Runic Guards as they brought them to their knees, making them unable to see the heads.

“Well done,” said a voice ahead of them. Julia and her father raised their heads to look at the family heads but were shocked by what they saw. Before them stood twelve masked figures wearing the robes of Runera. “You are in a far worse state than earlier, girl.”

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“Are you the same people I know?” her father asked with confusion as he looked at the family heads. “Why are you wearing masks? What is the meaning of this?”

“That is not something a dead man should be concerned with, Julius,” said the masked man. His mask had a word written on it, First. “After today, Runera will no longer be what it used to be.”

“What does that mean?” asked Julia with confusion. “Who are you? Where are the Family Heads that we know?”

“We are the Family Heads. After the death of Casca Reverse, we realized that each Family Head was too important. Thus, we ensured no one knew our identities by wearing these masks. We became the Twelve Masters.”

“…that sounds like the name of a cult,” spat Julius Vinera as he tried to rise but was brought to his knees by the guards. “You are tarnishing the legacy of Runera. We stood for centuries as the center of knowledge, honor, and transparency.”

“As I said before, Runera will no longer be the same after today,” said First with zealous eyes. The rest of the Twelve Masters looked at them with apathetic eyes as if their execution was merely another task on the agenda.

“Arthur will win,” said Julia with confidence. First looked at her for a few seconds in silence. “This little game of yours will end faster than it has started. Twelve Masters? More like twelve future corpses.”

First was silent before he started walking toward her. Julia and her father tensed as the Runic Guards pinned them down, making them unable to move. Then, the masked man crouched beside Julia and whispered in her ear.

“I know that he is going to win.”

Then, he rose and walked back to his group, gazing at the Runic Dome in the distance. Julia sat there confused at his words, unable to comprehend what he meant. If these masters knew that they would lose, then why would they have to fight?

Her mind could not understand what was happening anymore inside Runera. However, she knew it started long ago when the puppeteer slithered into their home.