Plan

"Azmihu, Kinyahayan ante Jaeger akari Cassendrans kon hil har."

In the cold, damp shadows of Planet Bellucia, a minister bowed low. Translated from the native tongue, his message was simple: Your Majesty, the Jaegers and Cassendrans are preparing for a marriage.

A deformed, jagged figure emerged from the darkness. Haraki Bellugiya, the God-King of the Bellugians, exhaled a thick cloud of smoke from his pipe. His face was a map of scars and ancient malice.

"Thina karasukas, itukora kinahayan aaro itakoya. Itmis thina ka kil kararara Thiyak.""I don't care about their vows," he rasped. "I only care about Thiyak."

[POV: Raya Jaeger]

It was the first time my father and I had traveled alone to my mother’s homeland: the Torasubana continent. It is a massive landmass divided among twenty different Arian tribes. My uncle, Astvana, leads them all. He was the visionary who secured peace between the Jaegers and the Arians by marrying his sister to my father.

Uncle Astvana had always hoped I would marry my cousin, Virrina, to solidify our bloodline. But now, with the Cassendran alliance, that hope was dead. I expected tension, perhaps even a closed gate. Instead, we were met with a grand welcome.

"Thank you, Astvana," my father said, clapping a hand on his brother-in-law’s shoulder. 

"I feared you’d be reaching for your sword after hearing the news."

"There is no need for steel between brothers," Astvana replied, though his smile didn't quite reach his eyes. "We have much to discuss. Privately."

They retreated to his study, where Astvana served two glasses of the 'Holy Water of the Keroni Ocean.'

"I will support you, Thaya," Astvana said after a long draught.

 "But you must promise me: eventually, your son will take an Arian bride. Our blood must remain intertwined."

"You have my word," my father promised.

 As they sipped their liquid prayers, I slipped away. I needed to find my cousin, Veera.

"Where is he, Uncle?" I asked.

Astvana’s expression soured instantly. "He is... unwell. In the isolation ward."

"Unwell?" I didn't wait for an explanation.

 I ran to the ward and knocked. "Veera? It's Raya. Can I come in?"

A voice like cracking glass answered. "Come... in..."

I pushed the door open and froze. The room smelled of copper and rot. Veera was submerged in a tub filled not with water, but with thick, dark blood."Veera? You look like hell," I whispered, horrified.

"I’m already there, Raya," he gasped. His eyes were a terrifying, solid red, and his skin was sloughing off in grey patches."What happened?"

"I became a Bleeder," he wheezed. "The Kaira Ka Kash... the myth was real. I drank the Tears of Hydra, and the god-snake has claimed my flesh."

I stepped back. The Hydra—the water demon of Lord Mayoon. I thought it was just a story told to keep children away from the deep reefs.

Later, Virrina explained the tragedy. Veera had tried to tame the beast to prove he was the Arki Khun, the Son of God. Instead, the beast had injected him with its 'Tears'—a venom that rots the body from the inside out. She said he would be lucky to survive until my wedding day.As we left, my VoiceMaker buzzed incessantly. It was my twin sister, Rishi. She didn't need to ask what I’d seen; she already knew. Our brains are linked by a phenomenon no doctor can explain. She dreams my sights, and I dream hers. By the time we returned home, the entire palace was mourning Veera in silence.But the world kept turning. Only twenty-four hours remained before the wedding."Sorry for bothering you at midnight, Raya."

Illya handed me a steaming cup of coffee. "I think you’ll need this for our long chat.""Long chat? That sounds ominous," I teased.

She laughed gently. "Nothing bad. I just want to know who I’m actually marrying."She asked about my family and my childhood, but then her tone shifted. Her eyes grew sharp, reflecting the moonlight. "What is your political aim, Raya?"The question caught me off guard.

 I wasn't a politician; I was a boy who struggled to beat his sister in a duel. But Illya... she was different. She had led armies. She was a commander first, a princess second.

"Before I answer, what’s yours?" I countered.

"To see the Bellugians burned into history," she said without a second of hesitation. "Now, your turn.""I'll tell you," I said, standing up. "But not tonight."

The wedding was a blur of gold and steel. Ten clans sent representatives, and the Cassendran army performed a parade that shook the very foundations of the palace. The rituals—Arian, Jaeger, and Cassendran—stretched for hours.By nightfall, I found myself in my father’s private lounge with Commander Elvis."The Emperor is visiting Bellucia," Elvis reported, serving me tea. It was the first time he had treated me like a future King rather than a student.

"Does my father know you're telling me this?"

"He ordered it, My Lord."

I looked at the veteran commander.

 "Elvis... what do you believe in? Religions? Gods?"

"The Kalyans built their throne on the 'Golden City' and the influence of priests," Elvis replied. "But I? I follow no god. I follow the man who leads."

"A wise choice," I said.

Later, in the quiet of our new chambers, Illya asked me about the Golden City.

"I've visited many times," she said. "The Sheekims—those supernatural monks—rule it with an iron fist through Chariyanism."

"I'm half-Arian," I told her. "I follow Hariyanism."

"Then I will too," she smiled.

While we found peace in each other's company, a storm was gathering at the Space Harbour of Bellucia. Ten thousand Bellugian soldiers stood at attention as the Emperor of the Kalyans, Chashakam, and his daughter, Aryna, arrived.

The Emperor looked at the hideously deformed Haraki and sneered. "You look more wretched than ever, Haraki. I didn't come for a tour. Did you read my letter?"Haraki knelt, his voice a guttural hiss. "I did. But killing every Jaeger in a single night is... complicated."

"What do you need?" Chashakam asked.Haraki began to weave a web of betrayal. He wanted a marriage between his son and the Emperor’s daughter to seal the pact. But as he spoke, he didn't notice the cold, predatory glint in Aryna Kalyan’s eyes. Her heart held a poison far more lethal than the Tears of Hydra.

~ To Be Continued.