Silent Crown

Chapter 408 The Winged Folk

She woke from her dream. Opening her eyes, she saw the flame. In the sacred hall, the Sacred Flame was still lit. It shone in all directions. Majestic music theory burst behind her. The Sacred Flame flowed like large wings of fire. It created a gust of wind in the hall.

The light that passed through the material and aether world flowed. Countless hallucinations flowed as well. In the fleeting moment, mysterious scenes flashed by. Some were powerful and beautiful; others were dark and cold… The world joined inside the flame and became real. This seemed to be the true nature and expression of aether. Thus, she was reborn.

She did not feel any joy from being reborn. Instead, she looked up at the beautiful ceiling in silence. After a long while, she looked back and said quietly, "Caligula, I had a long dream."

The old and withered man leaned on his cane and studied her. He smiled pleasantly. "Was it a good dream?"

"It was very long. I don\'t remember." She thought back and her eyes brightened. "But I remember that someone came back to find me and I was not scared anymore."

"That is a good dream." Caligula nodded. "When you become old, you\'ll think that in this world, you\'re apart more than you\'re together. The moments without loneliness are like dreams. But there are no regrets if you can have a dream like this."

"I see…" She nodded and asked, "Will I see him again?"

"He has left," Caligula answered. "He has probably already found somewhere he needed to return to, just like you. From now on, fate will care for him."

"So I can\'t see him again?" she asked. "I want to see him."

Caligula fell silent. The light in her eyes faded.

"You are the descendant of Romulus, the child of the powerful god." Caligula lowered his head and urged humbly, "You sacrificed yourself and became the host of the Flame. After being reborn with the enlightenment, you will be the emperor of the empire, the Augustus of utmost power… You are not the same as before."

"So I can\'t have friends?"

"Your Majesty, you are the emperor. You can have as many friends as you wish."

"But those aren\'t my friends, Caligula." She shook her head. "I\'m the emperor. They will all fear me."

The old man studied her and wanted to say something but stopped himself. His eyes grew sad.

"I don\'t understand but an emperor should be like this, right?" Seeing Caligula\'s sadness, she smiled. "I\'ll try to get used to it. Don\'t worry, Caligula. There is someone in my heart so I won\'t be afraid no matter what."

After a long while, Caligula lowered his head. His expression was pleased yet troubled. "Your Majesty, you\'ve grown up."

"Kids always grow up." She reached out and a flicker of firelight glowed in the air. A bronze mirror grew out of the fire. The material was refined here and came into existence as logically as breathing. She studied herself. The girl in the reflection smiled. It seemed as if she had aged ten years in one night. Her hair was dark red from the fire and she no longer looked child-like. Spinning around, she jumped up in excitement.

"Caligula, look, I grew taller!"

Caligula looked up at the girl on the steps. Her hair danced in the wind like flames and her eyes were powerful. He looked down. Suddenly, he did not dare to look anymore.

On the steps, the girl walked out of the fire. The flames lay on her skin like clothing, forming a majestic and sacred purple robe. The door opened before her, revealing the dazzling sky of the aether world.

In the sky, clusters of stars moved. They lit up this territory between existence and nonexistence. The large city broke apart the turbidity and hovered between lightness and darkness.

Countless people who had broken through the cocoons rushed over. They grouped outside the palace and knelt on the steps, gazing at the girl who exited. The crown of fire on her head represented power. The cane in her hands represented authority and the jewels represented the world. Two wings fluttered and she walked in the air. She looked down at the city, her kingdom. She was like the sun hanging in the sky.

"Emperor! Emperor! Emperor! Emperor!" The people gazed at the dazzling radiance and called out her name enthusiastically as if she was a god. When she raised her hand, the people fell silent. They bowed reverently, waiting for their emperor\'s command. The girl in the sky studied her territory and people.

After a long while, she announced gravely, "My good citizens, since there is no place for us on the land, then let us go to the sky! From now on, Romulus and the Romulusians no longer exist. We have been reborn. From now on, we are the Winged Folk!"

The crowd rustled and called to the emperor in the sun, "The truth! The truth! The truth!" There were no more signs of beastliness on them.

That night, the Sacred Flame had absorbed all the strength to wipe away demonic blood. It had also catalyzed the King of Yellow\'s scepter in them, allowing them to transform and be born again. Now, the aether grouped behind them and unfurled like wings! They cheered for their emperor and their wings flapped, flying to the sky. Countless wings created gusts of wind and grouped beside the sun.

"Then, follow me to the sky." Inside the sun, the new emperor raised the jewel. Under the jewel\'s glow, the void transformed and the turbidity shook. A hole gaped inside the void of the city. It broke apart the barriers and instantly went through the aether sea, \'falling\' back into the material world.

The shockingly large city now hung in the air. Under the strong wind, the city swallowed and spat out aether. It consumed an impossible amount of power every second, distorting the temperament and rejecting the attraction of the earth.

At the top of the city, the emperor raised the scepter. Countless music theories wove inside her wings, transforming into a music score that covered the sky and land. One could hear the crashing of waves in that melody, above the nine skies.

Far, far away, a glimmer of starlight shone. Then it rushed into the city as if the galaxy had surged in. It was the Star Ring.

The Star Ring that had been still for so long now turned with a rumble. It adjusted its orbit and angle, twisting in the night sky. All astrologists gaped as the solid aether flow became one with the city. They fused seamlessly as if they had been one since the beginning of time.

Enveloped by the Star Ring, the city seemed to have blood. The blood flowed through and it came to life. The entire city rumbled and shook. Like a metal lotus, it bloomed with a bang in the sky. Finally, it transformed into a large archipelago in the air!

That night, the Star Ring changed. The Winged Folk were reborn from the fire. They returned from the aether world with their own territory and their emperor!