CHAPTER 7: INTERROGATION - ELDRITCH’S PLAN

XENON WINGATE

PRESENT DAY - INTERROGATION

When the light from the hologram globe faded, I find myself in a much dizziness state than before. The device they are using to replay the lost memories inside my brain, I can be sure that it is a Memory Flasher Device. I cannot hide anything from these guys who captured me.

[So you are saying that you died during the Crimson Dragonfly Incident together with your two friends Alfred Sierro and Carlo Tavionas?] The cybernetic voice asked.

“Yes.” After I answer the question, I tried to catch up with my breath.

[A Heartstopper Curse was inflicted upon your body, causing your imminent death. That kind of magic is a hundred percent guarantee that a target will die. You said that you went K.I.A. when the Elysian General; Michael Eldritch cast that death spell upon you. So how are you alive?]

“I don’t know,” I said.

[Answer the question, Xenon! How are you still alive?]

“I don’t know! I don’t remember! Why won’t you check your lie detector to see if I’m lying, huh!?” I shouted. “I had no idea what was happening at that time!”

There was a five-second silence. It seemed that the interrogator is really checking out the apparatus that they plugged my butt into.

[Remember Cheng Du’s dossier. You said that the dossier contained various superweapons, and one of them is the Psychic Amplifier. Is that correct?]

“Yes.”

[So you know about the plans for the Psychic Amplifier. Let me go back to the original question; Where is the Psychic Amplifier?]

“I don’t know. I never checked the dossier thoroughly. During that time, Alfred, Carlo, and I focused on grabbing all the data we can find and never cared for the details. We are only aware of the title of the projects Doctor Cheng Du is planning.”

[How about your ex-girlfriend, Duchess Marisse Trystgade? Does she know about the Psychic Amplifier?] 

“I don’t know.” I made a short answer.

Hearing that name made me grind my gears. So far, the interrogator has been mentioning the names I hated the most. I can feel my heart burning and my brain overheating. My blood rapidly circulates around the veins all over my body.

[Blood pressure rising.] The interrogator said.

I bowed and closed my eyes. I let myself consumed into darkness as I mutter the reason of my existence.

“Cheng… Trystgade… Eldritch. They must pay.”

[Blood pressure continues to rise. Heartbeats abnormally fast. Adrenaline on blood vessels detected. Just how mad are you against these people?]

“Cheng… Trystgade… Eldritch. They must pay.” I repeated.

[Magical energy rising. Give him a shock. Give him a shock!]

Lightning currents entered my skin and my veins. The shock reached my brain, forcing it to shut down for a second. That shock saved me from the extreme anger I’m feeling. Now I’m all out of breath.

[Relax, Xenon. Let’s go back to Michael Eldritch. Did you know the reason why he has to kill you after getting the dossier?]

“I don’t know. Maybe for Marisse… or for Cheng Du…”

[Did you know Eldritch’s motives on getting the dossier?]

“Eldritch didn’t tell me. I can question orders, but I never question motives. We White Ghost are expendable soldiers. We do things while being left in the dark. But I still know what his motives are, since I know the way he thinks. He is my childhood friend after all.”

[Tell me, Xenon. What is it?]

“You should be able to tell from the broadcast right after the Crimson Dragonfly Incident three years ago.”

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MICHAEL ELDRITCH

3 YEARS AGO

I’m finally back at Elysian Castle after five hours of flight. The war in the Vanilla City has ended miserably, especially that I have lost three of the best White Ghosts of Elysian Army. All is miserable, but not for me. I should celebrate since all the thorns stuck in my esophagus has been cleared. Walking on the red carpet of my home palace has never been so joyful than before.

“General Eldritch.” One of the royal guards saluted on me. “The VIP’s have arrived.”

“Lead me to them,” I said.

“Yes, sir!” The guard saluted again.

A couple of turns while walking on the main red road of the castle, and finally I reached the conference room. When the guard opened the door, I was fazed. I was fabulously surprised. There are two people who have been waiting for me the whole time. Very important persons.

One is a fat man wearing a tuxedo underneath his lab coat. He is a middle-aged man with a square chubby face and a boring brushed hairstyle. His complexion is yellow and his eyes are small, which is kind of usual to eastern people.

“Doctor Cheng Du.” I shook hands with him with a smile on my face.

“General Eldritch.” He smiled back. “Did you get the dossier I left back in Vanilla?”

“It’s safe,” I said as I revealed the briefcase and opened it, showing him the documents my precious childhood friend recovered. “I even have a hard disk containing three terabytes of pornography as a bonus.”

“Hahaha, I’m no longer at that age, General. All I want to do now is to attain world domination.” Doctor Cheng Du said. “Together with Elysian Empire and my inventions, we can strike down the messed-up country of Alterra, the trashy kingdom of Sargus, and the good-for-nothing country of Fleija! We don’t need to fear dragon knights anymore!”

“Nice doing business with you, Doc.” I tapped his shoulder. Then, my gaze shifted to the second VIP of the room. “If I may…”

“Oh yes.” Doctor Cheng Du immediately exited the room with his dossier when he recognized my desire to talk privately with the second guest.

When the door closed, my precious eyes can finally appreciate the beauty of the woman in front of me. She has a matured beautiful white face with brown eyes and reddish-brown long hair. She’s wearing an elegant princess gown that exposes her small cleavage. She is the woman I loved the most, but I failed to attain her because her heart only belongs to his boyfriend, Xenon Wingate.

“Duchess Marisse Trystgade.” I genuflected in front of the maiden, took her hand, and kissed it. “It’s an honor to see you.”

“General Eldritch…” The duchess held her chest and glared at me with her twinkling eyes. “Is it true that Xenon will not be able to come back?”

I bowed down. It pains me to say it, but I have to be the bearer of bad news to this innocent cute maiden. 

“I’m sorry, milady. He didn’t make it. And it is me to be blamed entirely for such tragedy… I have disposed of him and his friends.”

The duchess held her aching chest and stared at me with her beautiful wet eyes ready to unleash tears. I shall prepare myself for her outburst.

“General Eldritch…” The duchess’s soft voice entered my ears.

“What is it, milady?” I bowed.

Slowly, she raised her hand…

...and gently touched my chin.

“Good work.” The duchess smiled. “Now that you have disposed of my garbage boyfriend, I don’t have to keep it a secret anymore. I don’t have to hide my relationship with you anymore. I can go all out and proclaim the world that I love you.”

“Anything for you, my love,” I whispered in her ear. I pulled my lady’s face and her lips collided with mine. Our tongues swirled and hugged each other, and our salivas mixed like a transfusion. And just like that, I have attained victory in the heavens.

After our kiss, my love reminded me of an event that we should be doing. “My love, my general, and my future king. The broadcast is ready.”

“Good. Let’s do this.” I smirked.

My lover escorted me until we reached the balcony of the palace. There, hundreds of thousands of people are waiting for my announcement from below. All the news team of the empire, all the cameras, and all the media helicopters focused on me on my words.

I flapped my cape and fabulously sparkled in front of my countrymen. And then, I pointed my head on the mic as I made a proclamation to the whole world.

“Today is the day of victory for the country of Elysia. Today is the day corruption and oppression will end. Today is a judgment day. The Emperor of Elysia; Wilfred Eldritch has committed grave crimes against my townspeople. He is responsible for plundering our funds, destroying our livelihood, and spreading famine across the empire. I shall now strike the hammer of justice and give to your discretion the appropriate punishment for the evil emperor. Glory to Elysia!”

“Glory to Elysia!” The people cried.

The Elysian audiences roared with joy as soon as they saw my father; the late Emperor of Elysia walk naked at the garden of the palace. He is escorted by masked executioners who are pulling him with chains. The people threw tomatoes, glass bottles, rocks, and even a bald cat to the Emperor as he makes his way to the center of the said garden.

And there, millions of people watching this on live broadcast witnessed the judgment and the wrath of people to my father. They stoned him to death. They beat him up to death. But I just stood there and watched, letting all the people humiliate the parent I hated the most.

This is right. 

This is justice.

Without my incompetent useless father, I shall now succeed and sit on the throne of Elysia and be proclaimed as the new Emperor, together with my new Empress, Duchess Marisse Trystgade.

It is a happy ending after all.

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