But she couldn't stop her eyes from returning to him. His appearance at that moment, despite his weakness, held an exceptional beauty that made her heart beat strongly, though she couldn't understand why. She moved away slightly, sat on a nearby chair, and kept the compresses on his forehead.
She whispered to herself as she watched him sleep: "No matter what this reality is... I will take care of you. Even if it's just a dream."
In an elegant Victorian-style tavern, Helibore sat comfortably in a chair beside a small table decorated with bright flowers. He was sipping a glass of fine drink while exchanging casual chatter with a group of friends and strangers. The atmosphere was filled with soft music and the laughter of the guests, making him appear to be thoroughly enjoying his time away from the palace's duties and the pressures of the imperial family.
Helibore, the son of the second emperor from the current empress, was known for his carefree nature and tendency to escape formalities. But despite this lighthearted demeanor, his eyes hid a mixture of mystery and concern, as if he were running from an unspoken burden.
Amidst the tavern's sophisticated atmosphere, a messenger in formal attire appeared, his face tense and his eyes quickly scanning the room until they settled on Helibore. He approached him and bowed lightly, then spoke in a low but serious voice: "Prince Helibore, the empress herself sent me. She asks for your immediate return to the palace. It is urgent."
Helibore paused for a moment, smiling wryly as he gently placed his glass on the table. He asked lazily, though his tone hinted at hidden concern: "Did she say what this urgent matter is? Or should I expect to find out once I arrive?"
The messenger responded quickly: "The matter was not disclosed, but the empress appeared very anxious."
The messenger's words seemed to stir something within Helibore, as he rose from his seat with an unexpected energy, tossing a few coins onto the table, saying in a tone that masked his concern: "Tell them I'm on my way."
He left the tavern with confident steps, though shadows of confusion crossed his face. Something seemed to be looming, as though this summons held more weight than a mere ordinary command.
Helibore entered the empress's wing of the palace with quiet steps. When he opened the door, he found her sitting on a luxurious sofa, her face contorted with anger. She was dressed in an elegant royal gown, but her eyes, bright with fury, showed she was not in the mood for mercy. Helibore smiled lightly, as if dismissing the situation, and said with a mocking tone:
"What's going on now, Mother? What's angered you this time?"
The empress suddenly rose from her seat, pointing sharply at him: "I am doing everything I can to pave a smooth path for you to the throne, while you do nothing but indulge and ignore what's happening around you!"
Helibore responded coldly, leaning against one of the columns: "And what exactly is happening? All the tasks here are assigned to Adonis, even though my sword skills aren't bad. Frankly, I think this is fair. After all, I am a prince."
The empress glared at him with burning eyes and said with contempt: "A prince? A prince?! What have you done to deserve that title? Are you still going to deny it? What about that woman pregnant with your child?"
Helibore's expression shifted slightly, but he maintained his provoking smile: "It was just one night, and things happened."
The empress interrupted him sharply: "She told me she learned of her pregnancy a few days ago. I will arrange a palace for her, provide her comfort, and everything she wants, and in return, when the child is born, we will take it."
Helibore raised his eyebrows in surprise and said: "How can you do that?"
The empress responded confidently: "Day after tomorrow, you will marry the daughter of the Kalistar Empire. Her father requested that his family be allied with the Shambla Empire, the first empire. Then, you will have an honorable family, and your father will look at you differently."
A silence fell for a moment, before Helibore said in a voice mixed with sarcasm and confusion: "Is that what will reorder things? Or is it just another attempt to reshape my image that doesn't please you?"
The empress did not answer his question but simply gave him a harsh look, then turned away, signaling for him to leave as if the decision had already been made and there was no room for discussion.
Far from the palace, the city of Fania relied on its great river. This river was not just a watercourse; it was the lifeblood of its simple inhabitants. They drank from it, irrigated their plants and animals, and even the forest surrounding the city depended on it, as wild animals came to drink from its waters.
But beneath the surface of this simple life, a hidden force was at work. In the depths of the surrounding mountains, a secret laboratory had been built by the order of the empress. The stone walls were thick, soundproof, and everything inside the place reflected an air of mystery and danger.
In the heart of the laboratory, a woman stood before a table full of tools and vials. With a steady hand, she began mixing a powdered herb with a shiny black liquid, murmuring strange words as if chanting in an ancient language. With every whisper, the mixture began to change, becoming something that seemed to pulse with life.
It wasn't long before the river's waters began to change. Its color grew darker, as though carrying a shadow of magic. At first, the people of Fania noticed nothing. But as the days passed, things began to grow strange.
The plants growing on the riverbanks began to take unfamiliar shapes, with twisted leaves and strange colors.
The animals that had been drinking from it appeared uneasy, moving nervously and rarely approaching the water.
The inhabitants began to feel odd changes: sudden fatigue, mysterious fevers, and children crying at night for no apparent reason.
In the market, one of the traders stood, pointing to his goods that had started to rot unnaturally, and said in a desperate voice: "This river... it's not the same."
At the palace, the empress watched the developments from afar. Before her lay a map of the kingdom, with Fania's location circled in red.
"Everything is going as planned. The river now carries our power to every corner of the city."
Her eyes gleamed coldly, carrying ambition without mercy. Beside her stood the woman, holding a small bowl containing the black mixture, which was now ready.
"When we reach the peak of the river's influence, we will use this power on the emperor himself. We've tried many things on him before, but this time, he won't escape our grasp."
The empress smiled, as if seeing herself triumph over all who stood in her way.