Chapter 652: A Place Beyond the Empire
Then again, if one little princess was already looking for them, what more of a disaster was it for the shadows who realized that the most important people of the Empire had quite literally vanished from their watch?
And it didn’t help that no one was answering!
Thankfully, the Marshal, who immediately suspected something was wrong the moment Killian bolted like a man on fire, decided to inform key personnel that they were safe and would return later.
Obviously, Curtis wasn’t having it.
Not only had he been denied access to surveillance footage, but the shadows of the Imperial family had already pulled it out for destruction.
And while no one knew what happened to their charges, the people who did catch wind of what had been said were now carrying information they were sure they would be buried with.
So Curtis clamored over the terminal, demanding to know what to tell anyone who asked.
But Marshal Julian could not even answer when or where, because he had no idea himself.
All he knew was this: wherever they were, it was a place that couldn’t possibly exist in the Empire.
Or if it did exist, he prayed it would never become public knowledge.
Because forget the Federation wanting a slice of the pie—anyone with enough greed would want the entire thing after seeing what he was seeing.
The scene before him was unlike anything in Solaris. Or really, in the hypercluster he was in charge of.
Lush greens and a sky that stretched out as though no end existed. Buildings and cabins were tucked within the landscape, not under sterile domes, but just out here, where the air didn’t seem to pass through a filter. From where he stood, Julian could even hear the rush of running water. And not one person looked remotely concerned about contamination.
But who could think of contamination when the air itself was staggering?
The place was overflowing with spiritual energy.
When he first woke after Uno’s scream and subsequent collapse, his first inhale nearly knocked him out again. If he hadn’t already been flat on the floor, he would have toppled straight back.
And after everything he’d experienced in the daycare and the aquaponics complex, which he thought had been the pinnacle, he never once imagined he’d encounter something even more potent.
Unlike the Empress and Emperor, who remained inside the medical bay to speak with the Duchess and Luca, Julian had stepped outside to deal with the aftermath of their dramatic vanishing act.
But that choice gave him the chance to see what he couldn’t earlier, back when he was too busy trying to hold together the collapse of secrets they had hidden for over a decade.
And the Marshal... he really tried to think of words to describe it. Something greater than life-changing. Something beyond overwhelming.
Because that was exactly what this was.
So when the Empress and Emperor finally emerged, Uno in tow after waking up thanks to a pill Luca sincerely hoped was effective, Julian wasn’t even surprised by their reactions.
Empress Gisella had thought they were prepared. Luca, Xavier, and the Duchess had given them a bit of a briefing about where they were.
Luca’s personal dungeon space.
A place no one could enter unless invited by someone with authority.
Apparently, there was an entire story behind how he acquired such a space, but Xavier had warned them that it would take time to process. Clearly, their arrival hadn’t been planned, and they could only imagine the chaos raging outside as people searched for them. For now, the only choice was to touch on the most critical points.
Though Xavier privately thought, the moment his parents learned the full story, their fixation on a certain planet would skyrocket. Getting them to focus on anything else afterward would be nearly impossible. He knew that feeling all too well—after all, it lingered at the back of his mind every night when he tried to sleep.
So they were going to settle this quickly. They would need Killian for the rest.
The entire time they were briefed on the dungeon space, it felt as though they were cadets again, being introduced to new planets. Only this one was so bizarre it might as well have been written in a fantasy tale.
Time dilation.
Cabin doors that allowed travel.
A secondary base of operations connected to this place.
It all sounded like something Nina would dream up in a storybook.
But this was no fiction.
When they were finally led outside, it was like being struck by whiplash.
Then their son spoke. "In time, it will feel easier. But since it’s your first time, breathe in slowly."
He was right. Emperor Xavian genuinely thought he would pass out if he took in too much of the air. Earlier, they had been shielded by a spiritual barrier, the same one that had been meant to protect Uno, who had promptly fainted from over-intake. Without the buffer, the flood of spiritual energy would have been staggering for someone new to the place, like them.
And suddenly, they understood.
It was a tiny realization when compared to what they still needed to learn, but the spiritual energy alone could support why and how Luca could make all those mechas.
And breakthroughs? How could it be impossible when pills that could fix Uno or even revive him in case of an untimely demise existed?
Soon after, they were guided to an area where lots stood waiting for them—lots that now belonged to them after that sacred pinky promise. And there, they were introduced to someone—or something—called D-29.
Holographic prompts weren’t new. But what was certainly new was how selecting [YES] conjured each of them a door.
Luca explained patiently, "Well, each door leads you right back to where you left. Everyone has their own. But since you all came here with me, and we entered from the Registration Office, that means if you step out of these doors, you’ll return there."
The group stared at him, stunned.
The Marshal finally began to make sense of what had happened to them—and of why Eden had claimed she’d seen irregularities in the academy surveillance.
The Emperor, steadying himself, asked, "Then, how do we return, given that?"
Xavier answered without hesitation. "Through Lord Killian’s door. Ideally, he should be in his office, but I’ve asked him to go to the Imperial Palace and signal us once he’s found a discreet area."
"That would work?" the Emperor pressed.
"Yes, Father. We discovered it during a past incident. There’s a cost when passing through another person’s door, but for now, it’s the safest method."
It was indeed the safest.
When Killian’s signal finally reached them, hesitation filled the air. None of them was in a rush to leave.
And then Luca came over, smiling brightly. "If you’re free later, Your Majesties, Marshal Julian, and even Sir Uno, would you like to come over for dinner? Maybe you can also bring Nina?"
Empress Gisella’s eyes trembled. "T-then... can we really come over?"
"Of course! Please come when you’re free. Just make sure to pick a safe return point for yourselves."
The Imperial couple and a very touched shadow drew in sharp breaths, as though trying not to shatter in front of everyone.
It was difficult not to.
Because when their son spoke to them before leaving, his words tore through every barrier they had built around their hearts.
"See you later, Mother. Father."
It wasn’t a goodbye this time.