January 17, 2001

The guards shut the door with a force so heavy that the guests in the corridor jumped. Six guards shuffled in synchronization to hide the evil behind the one metal door in the palace and stood like statues in front of it. The certainty that nobody could hear the piercing pounding of their heartbeats let them remain unfazed in front of the guests.

The party-goers in the corridor quickly scurried away from the hall and back downstairs to where the party was being held. Invitations were sent and posted throughout every home and post in Jeradua letting them know that the birthday of Felix SinClaire was being held on this very night.

The citizens in the kingdom remained wary of visiting the palace after the massacre their youngest son Syn, was responsible for. Everyone wondered about the true mystery of the young boy after rumors of him being the son of Lucifer circulated. King Julius and Queen Genesis never confirmed the falsity of the allegations, but Lucifer boasted about him to anyone that would listen.

"He's my son," Lucifer would say. "The one responsible for the chaos within your kingdom is my flesh and blood. One day he will reign terror upon you all."

His words spread like rapid-fire through all the realms, and several uprisings took place in the peaceful city of Jeradua. The kingdom was convinced that Julius could not keep his region in order and started petitions to have him removed as king.

With that news, Julius created a ritual that would earn him grace from his people. Some called it ego...others blamed his hubris, but a majority of the realms called his actions "the one redeemable action he's done as a ruler". Every orange moon, when the realms were in perfect alignment, and the universe had its biggest flux of magic...Julius would show just how much power he truly had over the darkness contained within the castle walls.

Tonight happened to be one of those nights.

What a greater day to have a ball for his oldest, and most esteemed son than the day where he was supposed to put down his youngest. No rumors could arise to say that Syn would one day overpower his older brother. Not when he was in the impoverished and lanky state he was in.

With Genesis forbidden from returning to the palace indefinitely after her so-called betrayals to the kingdom, Julius treated her son how he saw fit...how he believed the kingdom would judge favorably.

His torture of the young boy included isolation in an empty room and being stripped of basic privileges. Food was allowed scarcely to keep him complacent, and any form of entertainment was strictly prohibited.

The guards were taught these rules for days upon weeks until it was the only thing repeating in their minds.

1. All food and water will be served once a week through the metal slot in the door.
2. Don't refer to him by his name.
3. Don't speak to him.
4. Don't TRUST him.

No guard would dare stray from those rules after the last time a man showed sympathy to the boy. The actions of that one man led to a massacre of all the guests in a dinner held by Julius. That man was later executed in front of a crowd of servants and guards working in the palace. The image of the man's head being severed and falling to the floor would flash through all of their minds whenever they remotely thought about saying hello to Syn, loosening his chains, or giving him an extra piece of bread.

With those strict orders, everyone did as they were told.

A scratching noise from the inside of the room where Syn was made shivers run down their spines. No matter the conditions he was put under inside the empty room, he never made any noise. That was something that terrified the guards.

"This is so wrong," Henry, a new guard spoke up. For the right amount of money, he was sure he could turn a blind eye to the practices that the king facilitated. But after standing here for days on end and starving the child, he was no longer sure of himself.

"Watch your words," Riker, a seasoned guard warned. He'd been here long enough to know what happened with those that had sympathy towards the boy. They would either be dealt with by Julius or reap the consequences of their foolishness after letting Syn out. "There is no room for leniency. The boy is evil reincarnate. I will not let you be responsible for the deaths of hundreds, Henry. What King Julius is doing is preventing the end of the world. For that, we must be thankful."

Henry pushed away his feelings and nodded as he returned to his statuesque manner. No matter how much he disagreed, he didn't want people to die. That was why he came to be a guard in the first place.

In contrast with the heavy and tense atmosphere in the upper wing of the palace, the party downstairs was as carefree as could be. Julius smiled as he watched girls Felix's age crowd around him. The guests around him looked at his son in admiration and Julius could only feel the proud swelling in his chest.

Felix was only eleven years old, but he was displaying behaviors and actions far beyond his years. "He's going to be great," a guest beside Julius said.

"He will be," he agreed.

The guest moved a bit closer to him and cleared her throat as she brought her lips to his ear. "When will the event begin?" She whispered, with a large emphasis on 'event'.

Julius tensed momentarily at the reminder of the other important aspect of the night but quickly replaced it with a forced smile. "It will begin shortly." The woman smiled at him and Julius turned to send a nod to one of the guards posted at the door.

He nodded in return and quickly rushed out of the large ballroom to do his familiar routine. Julius in turn stood up and tapped a fork against his glass for everyone's attention.

The music from the live orchestra stopped and the guest quieted down to look towards him. "Ladies and gentlemen, our event of the night will be beginning shortly. Please be reminded that what you are all about to see is not for the weak of heart. I advise you to remove any children from the room, and if you'd like to leave, go now."

There was a pregnant pause as he waited for a couple of guests to leave, but no one did. Instead, they sat down at the tables on either side of the long golden carpet running from the throne down to the doors. He wasn't surprised as the event was mentioned on the invitations, but he found it a bit odd that small children remained in the room. Not odd because they were young, but odd because he was slightly proud that they were seeing at a young age how powerful he truly was.

Felix walked back to his father's side and frowned as he looked around. "What's going on?" Julius sighed and ignored his words as he kept a smile on his face. Felix wasn't aware of the 'events' that Julius held with his brother, but Julius felt that tonight would be a test of his son's loyalties. He'd told Felix multiple times that his promise to take care of Syn was voided with Gen's betrayal, but for some reason, Felix didn't let it go.

He'd ask questions about Syn's whereabouts daily, but everyone was instructed to keep that answer away from him.

Julius was far from certain about how Felix would react, but he needed to see if his son was truly capable of being the man he wished him to be. "Be still, son. Be still."

Felix gave him a questioning look at the words but turned to the large double doors when they opened. The sound of chains being dragged against the floor was the first thing that was heard. The room remained eerily quiet as a formation of two guards entered a room. Machine guns were holstered on their arms and their footsteps were aligned as they marched into the room.

Behind them followed another set of guards, but instead of walking alone, they held the frail arms of the small chained boy. Cheering sounded through the room at the appearance of the boy, but he remained lifeless and unfazed as the guards led him to his seeming demise. They seemed to dress him for the occasion, but the large white button-up was unfitting and stained with streaks of his blood.

They all walked silently until they reached the steps leading to the throne, and when the two guards in the front moved, Felix and his father could clearly see him. His dark eyes were cast downward at the floor and his dark hair was matted to his face. Julius smiled at the sight and he took his silent actions as a form of obedience.

"Syn!" Felix yelled worriedly as he stood up from his seat. His father grabbed his arm tightly as embarrassment took over him and he gave his son a warning look. "Sit down, child!" He seethed.

At the tone of his father's voice, Felix flinched but he seemed unyielding in his mission at the sight of his brother. "Let go of me!" He screamed as he snatched his arm away. Felix sprung into action towards his brother and his hands quickly moved to the chains binding him. "Unleash him!" He ordered.

The guards remained unmoving and Julius ran his hands down his face in utter disappointment. 'Maybe it's too soon' he thought to himself. He knew better than to expose this to Felix before properly severing the relationship between the two, but he was too proud. He wanted to show off to the kingdom how strong he made his son.

You could only imagine the embarrassment and disappointment that washed over him as he saw his own son attempting to rescue the enemy in front of the kingdom. "Felix," Julius snapped. "Perhaps my son needs to join that thing. Shouldn't he?" He aimed the questions towards the guest as he looked around and they hooted and applauded in approval.

Felix seemed oblivious to the upcoming consequences of his actions as he tugged at the metal chains. They glowed a bright red as he clawed against them, and they burned his hands so severely that he screamed. The pain seemed like the furthest thing from his mind as he looked at his little brother, but little did he know that Syn was also facing the burning tenfold. The only difference between them was that Syn wasn't a stranger to the scalding metal cuffs. They sent shooting pains in his arms 24/7 at the slightest movements.

At Julius's instructions, the guards grabbed Felix. He kicked and fought against him, but at eleven years old, he couldn't match their strength. They moved to chain him to the same cuffs that Syn was wearing, but a surprising turn of events made the room go completely silent.

"Felix," Syn spoke in a small voice as he looked at his brother. "I hate you." The lie was a painful slap across the face to Felix, but a lie was all it was. A lie that was necessary to get Felix to stop fighting and possibly get himself hurt. Julius could tell it wasn't the truth, but he watched curiously. Before this, Syn hadn't spoken in months.

Knowing that he could use this as an incentive to mold his son in his image, Julius slowly stepped towards them. He sent a signal for the guards to let Felix go, and his son dropped to the floor with tears streaming down his face. Julius watched as he turned to look at Syn for an explanation of his hurtful words, but he gripped his chin.

"That is not your brother," he seethed. "He is a monster, my son. Who do you think killed your mother?"

"M-my mom?" Felix questioned in a low voice.

"What?" He asked. "Genesis never told you, huh? Did she tell you that your mother left you?" Julius was aware of the lies he was spewing, but he was confident in the fact that Syn wouldn't speak up.

"Syn," Felix called out. "Is that true?"

As expected, Syn didn't say another word and went back to his lifeless expression. Felix sobbed at his silence and screamed at him for an answer, but yet again, Syn said nothing at all. His silence seemed to be answer enough for Felix, and he cried as he walked back to his seat.

"Sorry about that everyone," Julius said. "As you can see, the boy has strong mind-controlling abilities. I am the only one proven to be invulnerable to them, so be careful." A few gasps sounded throughout the room and Julius nodded at the guards to continue.

The long chains holding Syn were led to opposite sides of the walls and pulled through small metal loops built into the wall. A guard was posted at each wall holding the chains and when they tugged it, Syn's arms were stretched. Unable to move, he was held up like an animal for all the guests to view.

That was one thing he found worse than the pain. He spent most of his days in complete darkness and solitude. The eyes of strangers weren't something he was used to at all. What he wanted to do, was stop them from being able to see him...permanently. Death would have been the only solution to the families and guests that attended this evening.

Julius picked up the golden whip from the hands of one of the servants holding it, and the guests cheered once again. He ran his hand carefully along the whip lined with sharp spikes and walked around Syn.

"We are about to start," Julius said grandly as he lifted the whip behind his head. "Viewer discretion be advised."

wuh-PSSHH!

Syn shot up from the bed with a gasp as he looked around the dark room. His sheets were soaked with sweat, and they clung to his body like a second skin. "Fuck," he groaned as he ran a hand through his wet hair.

The dreams of his past seemed to be reoccurring ever since Queen left him. Her presence alone didn't stop them, but at least he was able to wake up to something that made him happy.

He knew deep down that those days were long gone and he moved to the edge of his bed. The bottle of whiskey on his bedside became a welcoming adversary after all his restless nights. He couldn't get drunk, but at least he would feel something besides the dull aching in his chest from all the ways he could've been different with her...for her.

He picked up the drink from the table and opened it before quickly downing the entire bottle. The repetitive burn scratched against his throat, but he ignored it and tossed the bottle to the floor before lying back and staring at the ceiling absentmindedly.

The room began to feel like his own personal jail cell as he kept himself isolated, and if he looked hard enough, he could envision the date she left like it was somehow carved into the walls of the room.

September 7th, 2021

He swung his head to the left weakly and in his headboard, he could see a tally of each day she'd been gone. It wasn't truly there, but his mind along with the tiny buzz that the alcohol had given him, had painted an image clear enough for him to stare at.

He shut one eye as he looked at the headboard and held his finger up to create another tally for a new day. Today. "There we go," he whispered as he moved his finger in the air. The image disappeared quickly as he dropped his hand and he was faced with a blank headboard. Even though it wasn't real, the elapsed time was a count that was a reminder in his mind.

He picked up his phone and squinted his eyes at the bright light. After getting used to it with a few blinks, he stared at the date and sighed once again.

October 26th, 2021

"Day fifty," he whispered as he closed his eyes. "Why are you doing this to me, Princess?"

꧁꧂

Author's Note

Hehehe, I hope y'all didn't miss me too much. I just wanted to let this chapter simmer a lil bit. Regular uploads still coming on August 16th.
Reminder: Dates will now be kept in the upper left corner as this book will be traveling through certain time periods. Stick with me yall hehe.
Lmk your thoughts ✨
Also, keep in mind that this book is called SYN.
Buh-bye! Mwah!💕