The Damned Demon - Chapter 760

Chapter 760 A Broken Kingdom

Seron's voice trembled as he took an unsteady step forward, "S-Son?"

Silvan turned slowly, his movements deliberate, his expression calm and detached. Yet there was something unnerving in the faint, bitter smile curling his lips as he locked eyes with his father.

The flicker of warmth in his son's gaze was still there, yet there was also a chilling emptiness he had never seen before.

"Father," Silvan said softly, his voice calm, yet carrying an undercurrent that sent a chill through the room, "I really wished we wouldn't see each other like this. But I suppose it was inevitable."

Seron felt a sharp pang in his chest, uneasiness stabbing at him like cold blades. He raised his hand slightly, his voice trembling as he said, "Son...please tell me this is not what I am thinking it is."

Silvan let out a low, weary sigh. His head tilted slightly as if lamenting a truth he could not change, "I am sorry, Father," he said, his tone heavy. "It is what it is."

Seron's eyes widened, his breath catching as his hands began to tremble.

He stepped forward, his voice cracking under the weight of his disbelief, "W-Why? Why would you commit such a treachery, Silvan? How could you betray us when you are a prince of this kingdom? I...the queen...everyone trusted you to protect our kingdom! Not to help destroy it!"

His jaw clenched, and a storm of anger, pain, and betrayal surged through him, "You were supposed to be our future! How could you stab us in the back like this?"

"A prince?" Silvan interrupted with a dry chuckle that lacked any warmth.

His smile twisted into something hollow, "Are you sure I can truly be called one?"

Seron's chest tightened at the words, and his expression hardened, the weight of them digging deeper into his soul.

Silvan's voice softened, tinged with bitterness and resignation, "I know how angry and disappointed you are feeling now, Father. But have you ever stopped to think about how I've been feeling all these years? Have you ever been brave enough to confront your own feelings, the ones you buried for the sake of this broken kingdom?"

Seron's brows furrowed, his voice faltering, "What... What are you talking about?"

Seron took a step forward, his hands trembling at his sides, "Do you even hear yourself? What is the point of all this? Do you think the vicious draconians you've allied with won't turn on you and those who've joined you the moment your use to them runs out?"

Silvan tilted his head slightly, his expression remaining calm, "You misunderstand, Father. I haven't joined hands with the draconians. I'm simply using them to serve my purposes." His tone was matter-of-fact.

Seron's voice rose, tinged with desperation, "No... you couldn't have done this alone. Someone helped you. Who was it?"

Silvan's eyes narrowed briefly, a shadow of thought flickering across his face before he answered, "You're right. I didn't act alone. The one who helped me the most, who enabled the teleportation portals to bring the draconians here, was Kira. She wants everyone in this kingdom to know that her hand brought its destruction."

Seron's heart skipped a beat, his eyes widening in disbelief, "Kira? The last Caleumbra?" he whispered, shaking his head, "That can't be. You never went to her brothel—I've never seen you two together."

Silvan chuckled dryly, his voice tinged with bitterness, "Of course not. A brothel isn't where alliances are forged, Father. Kira approached me years ago, in secret, just as she did with others who had been wronged by this kingdom. I was just a child then, but even I could see the truth in her words."

Seron's jaw clenched as he listened, his pulse pounding in his ears.

"The Eclipsion Kingdom was once a place of beauty and peace," Silvan continued, his voice growing harder, "Until your kingdom destroyed it out of greed. This kingdom, the noble lords —they never hesitated to snuff out the lives of innocents for power and land. She made us see the truth of how rotten everything in our kingdom was. That was when I decided I would never be part of such a kingdom and that I would try to set things right."

Seron's teeth gritted as he shook his head vehemently, "Silvan, how could you let an enemy brainwash you like this? That woman doesn't care about you or what's right. She is using you and everyone else to do her bidding."

"I don't care if she cares about my cause or what's right," Silvan said sharply, his voice unwavering, "All that matters is the truth she revealed. I made this choice, and our goals happen to align. That's all."

Seron's face contorted with anguish, his voice breaking as he took a tentative step closer, "Silvan... please, stop this madness. It's not too late. Come back with me. I'm sorry... I failed to see your pain all these years, but give me a chance to make it right. Forgive me this once, and let me do right by you."

He extended his hand, trembling but hopeful, a silent plea etched into his eyes.

Silvan's expression softened as he regarded his father. A faint, sad smile touched his lips. "Father," he began, his voice quieter, "I don't hate you. I am not angry at you. Not anymore. You've been the best father I could have asked for in a world like this. I know your hand was forced. But it's too late. Even if the portals are shut down now, it won't matter. This kingdom is already doomed."

He extended his own hand, as though offering a lifeline, "Come with me. We'll leave this broken kingdom behind and build something better. This kingdom doesn't deserve your loyalty."

Seron's eyes shimmered with unshed tears, his body trembling with the weight of his son's words. For a moment, his resolve faltered. But then, slowly, he lowered his outstretched hand. A black staff materialized in his grasp, its dark red orb glowing ominously at the tip, casting a sinister light across his face.

"I'm sorry too," Seron said, his voice steady despite the moisture glistening in his eyes. "I can't betray my kingdom or my motherland. I am many things, but not a traitor who wishes to see his kingdom's fall. If you truly believe our kingdom is beyond saving, then you'll have to go through me before you take it down."