SYSTEM ASCENSION

”Black Empire.”

Silence.

Absolute silence fell over the table. Everyone stopped chewing.

Then, almost simultaneously—

”What?!”

The emperor and queen nearly choked on their meals.

Tyler blinked at them.

”Black Empire.”

”We heard you!” the queen coughed, reaching for her water. ”Did you just say Black Empire?”

”Yes.”

Emperor Daevon stared at his son as though he had just announced that the class was travelling to the moon.

”The Black Empire?”

Tyler nodded.

”The one that has been shut off from the rest of the continent for decades?”

”That’s the one.”

”The one with no trade routes?”

”Nope.”

”No diplomatic visits?”

”No.”

”No communication with other kingdoms?”

”Pretty much nothing.”

The king slowly put his fork down.

”Then how in the world is your school taking students there?”

”Apparently, Elias is influential enough to take the whole class.”

”The Black-eyed child?” The queen muttered. ”Why would he do that much for us? After everything we have done to him.”

”Everything like what?” Bora muttered.

”I think he’s just too nonchalant to care about it.” Tiana scoffed.

Tyler shrugged. ”Anyway, we’re leaving soon.”

The king stared at him.

”You’re actually going?”

”Obviously.”

Tiana frowned.

”You are not thinking about abandoning your post as the emperor and tagging along, right?”

”I’m thinking about it.” He muttered.

Bora suddenly slammed her hands on the table.

”Do you realize what this means?!”

Everyone looked at her.

She was practically glowing. ”We’re going to the Black Empire!”

Tyler frowned.

”I thought you won’t be going.”

”Why?”

”You don’t even like Elias.”

”What?!”

”More like he can’t tolerate her.” Tiana scoffed.

The king, meanwhile, was already deep in thought.

The Black Empire had remained isolated for so long that most people knew more rumors about it than facts. Their borders had been closed, their trade routes nonexistent, and their royal family almost never interacted with foreign kingdoms.

Yet somehow, an academy had managed to secure permission to bring students inside.

That was more than a simple school trip. It was an opportunity.

”Tyler.”

Tyler looked at him.

”Yes?”

”When you get there, I want you to establish a strong connection with their royal family. You’re already friends with Elias so it shouldn’t be hard.”

Tyler blinked.

”Connection?”

”Yes. Talk to the princes. Learn about them. Be respectful. Make a good impression.”

Tyler slowly nodded.

”And if you happen to get along well enough...”

The king smiled.

”We may be able to establish an alliance.”

Tyler’s eyes widened slightly.

”An alliance?”

”Even a small diplomatic connection with the Black Empire would be valuable. We cannot fail again.”

The queen nodded in agreement to the emperor’s words.

Then she looked toward the girls.

”And you two should do the same.”

Tiana paused.

”Me?”

”Of course. Befriend the royal family. Their princes, especially.”

Tiana nearly choked on her drink.

The queen continued innocently.

”There’s nothing wrong with forming a close relationship with them. Who knows? A royal marriage isn’t necessarily a bad thing.”

Tiana slowly turned toward Tyler.

”Is she serious?”

Tyler was desperately trying not to laugh.

”Very.”

Tiana snorted.

”I just got here and already I’m being assigned marriage prospects.”

The queen laughed.

”I’m only suggesting you keep your options open.”

Across the table, Bora had gone completely silent.

Unlike Tiana, she wasn’t amused. She was imagining it. A prince from the mysterious Black Empire.

Powerful.

Influential.

And, most importantly, completely outside the reach of everyone who had ever looked down on her.

Her lips slowly curled into a smile.

’I’ll get one of the princes on my side. Or maybe two.’

Her thoughts drifted toward the school.

Toward Elias, and her smile sharpened.

’And then I’ll make that arrogant bastard regret humiliating me. Then I’ll make him my servant when he comes crawling. He should be honoured.’

Tiana noticed the strange expression on her face.

”Bora?”

Bora snapped back to reality.

”What?”

”You look weird.”

”I’m perfectly fine.”

Tyler glanced at her.

”No, you’re definitely planning something.”

”I’m not.”

”You are.”

Bora ignored him and continued eating, already imagining how different things would be when they returned from the Black Empire.

Tiana simply shook her head. She had no idea what Bora was thinking, and, honestly, she wasn’t sure she wanted to know. She just wanted a good trip, rid of mental troubles.

The day felt longer than usual. Tiana was shown all the corners of the house that she was supposed to be familiar with, and even the room she had shared with Tyler when they were just a baby.

Soon, the sun went down.

The palace soon became quiet.

Tiana was ushered to a room tailored to perfection. Fluffy white duvets, rug of cotton, ladylike equipment. A perfect royal room to say. But despite this, she couldn’t sleep.

She tossed and turned, till she could see stars in the sky.

”Aarrhh!” She sat up. ”This is boring.”

Almost immediately, a knock sounded on the window, drawing her attention. She hopped down the bed, skipped over and opened the curtains.

Tyler waved from outside.

”Is he nuts? What floor is this?”

She slid up the window and leaned out.

He wasn’t exactly standing on anything, but just suspended in the air.

”Float?”

He shook his head and held out a finger to correct her. ”Flight.”

”Pretty convenient.” She looked down at the distance and back up at his face.

”What if you fall?”

”Could you not say something like that?”

”Still, fire and an ability to fly. Your combination is terrific.” She grinned. ”But wait, I thought you had an ability to detect energy?”

He frowned. ”Why?”

”Late uncle Razeal once told me that you detected him when he entered the palace even when the emp...father couldn’t.”

He shrugged with a smirk. ”Just heightened senses. I’m a genius.”

She scoffed. ”Yeah. Right.”

”What’s yours?”

”Blood.” She bluntly replied.

”Blood?”

”Yes.”

”Just blood?”

”Yes.”

”How does it work?”

”Isn’t it better to show you?” She stretched out her hand. ”Ability activate. Blood—”

A mild vibration cut her off. They both glanced inside the room.

”What is that?”

”My communication device from the league.” She turned around and walked to it.

He landed on the window and hopped in. ”The league? Like sound league?”

She picked up the device.

”It’s Claude. Do you think something happened?”