By RonaldoMedinaB & Metahumano

A bleak song reigned in the immensity of a distant galaxy. The aftermath of such destruction had already taken a toll on the old sovereign, and in that chaotic evening, not only was the planet of warm skies agonizing but so did he. From the deepest part of his lungs expelled a harsh, dry cough. It was the only thing that disrupted the mantle of silence in that sad room.

His loyal servants limited themselves to watch with melancholia from their positions; some were crestfallen, others were cleaning the tears that fell from their eyes. The best emperor in years was about to pass away, and no power could save him from this imminent death.

"Kissandra," he whispered in a broken voice, "I... I want to see Kissandra."

Far from there, an armored ship furrowed with full speed through the yellow nebula that covered the planet's surface.

"Imperial ship K-twenty one here. Entering the sovereign's skies," reported the pilot.

"Received. Permission granted," replied the other side.

The pilot kept the course, but as soon as they finished crossing the cloudiness, received the first hints of a light red glow reflected in the silver plates of their red wine uniforms.

The navigator and her copilot were filled with terror. It was getting late; for them, for their princess, and their entire planet. Determined by nothing else but admirable loyalty, they drove at maximum speed, even when they knew that it wasn't enough.

"How long before we are in the palace?"

Both turned to see the tall, blonde woman; the sadness in her wine-colored eyes kept her close to the ship's windows.

"Three to five minutes, princess," he informed.

"I don't have five minutes," She turned to the pilot, desperate, "my father is dying!"

"I'm doing everything I can, Princess Kissandra... I'm doing all I can."

The woman looked again at the window and took a deep breath to calm down.

One. Two. Three. Exhale.

The pilot had no fault; she knew that well. It was her father, the one who sent her to a reconnaissance mission on the galaxy's outer rings weeks before.

For a moment, the short meditation helped Kissandra to focus her attention on the majesty of the capital city: metallic skyscrapers surrounded a colossal pyramid edification that stood out in the middle, The Pelgium, Corvyn's armored and impenetrable governmental palace, recognizable for the metal spires shaped as claws surrounding it.

At the highest point of the bellicose construction rested a giant, white crystal, Ninth Energy, the lingering life force of Corvyn, fading by every minute, becoming clear in the loss of the blue in the skies.

Faster than theorized, the ship opened its way through the Pelgium's hangar. It hadn't even touched the ground when Kissandra jumped from the still-deploying platform. The soldiers received her with a venerable imperial salute, but the protocol was the least of her concerns.

Desperate, she ran to the room where her father let his last breaths escape.

"Kissandra," Greeted the blonde man in front of the door.

His glassy eyes evoked a terrible omen she had not decided to accept.

"Kassian... is father still..."

"He's been calling for you. Go. He'll only go in peace if he speaks with you."

She gulped and entered along with the young man of familiar looks.

A hopeful gaze reignited the faith in Emperor Castel's servants as soon as she appeared. There he was, a muscular man with pale skin and dark hair with some white ones from experience.

"Kissandra," Pronounced without strength. She took his hand and cuddled at his side. Her eyes started watering at the sight of his terminal condition "My girl," Smiled with difficulty, but a new attack of dry cough forced him to stop "My time in this world is coming to an end, and the gods are aware. The constant loss of the atmosphere has affected me more than I thought. Nonetheless, I'm happy to receive the opportunity to say my last words."

"Hold on, father, you always have. We will find a new source of Ninth Energy, we will restore peace, just..."

"Kissandra," He interrupted "You can't fight the inevitable, or you will lose valuable time you can use in saving your people. This old man is leaving, but my legacy prevails. And that legacy is you. The cycle must continue. Corvyn is going to need a new sovereign to lead with wise mastery and tenacity, that is why it is time for you to take my place," He coughed again.

"How can I lead our people when you'll leave a great void, Father?" She answered in a broken voice.

Emperor Castel smiled with nostalgia, and approached his hand to his daughter's smooth face, feeling it one last time.

"You have been preparing for this moment in your entire life. Every tear, every effort, every fall, every lesson... all have its rewards. Nobody has fought for our people more than you, my dear girl. That is why I depart happy because I know you will triumph as Corvyn's leader, and under your rule a new page will be written in our history, you will be a great empress... Empress Kissandra, sounds magnificent," He smiled with pride. For a second, his eyes shone, imagining it.

"I am going to make you proud, father, I promise," She held tight to the emperor's hand.

"I know, just as I know you won't allow our skies to turn red."

Tears fell with intensity down Kissandra's cheeks.

"I will do everything necessary. For you, our ancestors, my people. Our civilization will return to its imperishable glory."

Castel nodded. He turned then to the silent man on the other side of the bed. Extending his hand, he got closer and held it.

"And you, Kassian, my brave warrior," The prince, unlike his sister, fought to hold his tears "I couldn't be prouder of the man you have become. I know you will be the best general our world has ever known, but you must promise me you will follow your sister to the death and that your aim will also be for the good of our people."

"You know that is how it is going to be, father. I promise," said with a hand grasped in his chest "I will take these promises with me to the grave."

Castel nodded, satisfied, and went back to his firstborn.

"Now I, Castel, legitimate Emperor of Corvyn, declare you, Kissandra, new sovereign of our world," Everyone present bent the knee "Empress Kissandra, the other civilizations will fear your name. Under your iron fist, not a single planet will rise against us during your reign because your wise justice won't allow it."

The emperor then softly removed the silver garment that covered his right hand to his shoulder like a bracer. Throughout it, five empty cavities were evident.

»The gift from the gods to our people, the eternal source of power that belonged to your ancestors and the original habitants of The Five Realms, is now in your hands," With difficulty, he adjusted the brace in his daughter's arm, he took a chest beside the bed and opened it, where five gems with different colors "The Star of Saulon will grant you the strength of a titan," It flickered in an intense black when fitted in the heirloom "Ravah's Jewel will heal you and your peers," A white glow "Damagao's Orb, control of energy," Pink "Veolo's Stone, it'll allow you to reach the greatest heights in the sky," Brown "And with Scardian's Diamond, you'll move faster than we can perceive light," A gold glow.

"Long live Empress Kissandra," He muttered in a powerful attempt to hide his cough.

"Long live Empress Kissandra!" Chanted everyone in the room, standing up again.

Kissandra gave a sad look to her father as she watched him smile. One last smile where he let go of his last breath, a lingering and withered breeze that took the light out of Castel's red wine eye. That was the signal. His life had ended.

After closing his eyelids, Kassian and Kissandra broke down in tears, falling over their father's dead body in painful grief. The servants bowed their heads in a sign of respect and cried in silence. The greatest ruler in history just passed away.

A white hearse covered with the planet's red-wine flag and decorated with beautiful colored flowers over the metallic ship left The Pelgium under the compass of the silver platform that held it. Inside was the dormant body of Castel, dressed in his imperial suit. Behind it, Kissandra and Kassian wandered in silence along with a significant number of people.

The ship made its way through the honor street, which had been decorated with bouquets and banners, to solemnly dismiss their Emperor. The Corvynians were grateful for everything Castel achieved for them during his rule, nodding in silence and dressed in an impeccable white, as was tradition.

In Corvyn, death is not the end, but a path of undying joy where he would be king for eternity.

"Return to the bosom of the gods, Father," said Kassian as he installed a circular artifact at each end of the ship "And remain alongside them and our ancestors until we join you in the beyond."

When the ship reached the middle of the honor street, it started a constant ascent until lost in the heights, where it burned in ferocious flames that would be extinguished by the mercy of the gods, who would carry Castel's spirits to their dimensional realm.

"I assure you I'll keep my oath. Rest in peace, father," Whispered Kissandra.

"Long live Emperor Castel!" cried out a hunched man under a white tunic along with the siblings.

"Long live Emperor Castel!" claimed the people.

After the funeral, the streets of the capital city cleared, and the princess, now Empress, took a seat for the first time on her deceased father's throne just when the night fell. Kissandra took a deep breath and closed her eyes. The responsibility of saving her people was heavy on her shoulders now. It felt like actual weights, but she, tenacious and brave, refused to bow down.

"I am sorry to bother you, my liege, I know it is not a good time," said a timid voice that forced her to open her eyes.

In front of her was Azazel, her father's loyal advisor, kneeling and with his sight on the floor.

"Stand, advisor," She ordered without moving from the throne "To my eyes, you are as responsible for Corvyn's prosperity as my father was."

Azazel obeyed and performed another reverence before rising from his sight and meeting with the dashing woman.

"You can imagine the reason for my visit," he said, and he was right, Kissandra knew "The yellow skies foresight it... our end is near. If we hope for salvation, we must act now."

The Empress studied Azazel's old factions for a second. Much wisdom was in his wrinkles, in his eyes, but beyond that, there was also fear, a deep, sincere fear that provoked goosebumps on Kissandra's back. The blonde woman only reacted when her brother, Kassian, rested firmly his hand on her shoulder and caused a tired sigh.

"Activate the Star Projector," Ordered the Empress in a dark tone.

The throne room's lights dimmed. That instant, a tridimensional projection of the known universe, with all the stars and galaxies, appeared as a map in front of the new ruler.

"As you know, your father could consume all the Ninth Energy of all the habitable planets in our galaxy, now we are the only intelligent beings in The Dexon Nubecule," Said Azazel while pointing at a group of stars whose brightness was less than its surroundings, as if something was missing in that spot, "If we hope to prosper, we must search for new places for conquest."

Kissandra rose from the throne and stepped slowly in the projection in front of her, her long cape crept with her gait. She prepared herself from a young age for that moment. She had studied the galactic maps made by Corvyn's beyonders and learned the features of distinct planets, and, based on it, took a calculated decision.

"For years, my father took care to raze the enemies of The Star Cluster as a warning, to make them aware of our power and to avoid their interference in any war. That being said, the Cluster owns many advanced planets, with technology that could repel our troops, and we have no time to spare," said the woman while staring at a different group of systems "But there is a small blue planet... primitive inhabitants, always fighting each other, easy to divide and conquer, as their planet is consumed, ours will be reborn, stronger than ever."

Kissandra's gaze turned dreamy as she spoke. In her hands was the desire to save her people, to make their gods proud, and, more importantly, her father.

"Ma'am?" asked Azazel, staring at her curiously, searching for confirmation in her words.

"Summon the Council of the Five, our aim is planet Earth," sentenced the empress.