Chapter 5: The Truth of a Legend
The medical chamber had grown quiet.
Kyala and Boba still stood near the wall while the tall elderly man faced Sanat.
Lord Valerian Virel.
The head of the Virel Noble House.
The pressure in the room was suffocating.
Even without releasing any energy, his presence alone made the air feel heavy.
Valerian studied Sanat carefully.
His ancient eyes scanned him from head to toe.
Then he spoke slowly.
"I can see that your neural pathways are disturbed."
Sanat blinked.
Valerian continued.
"Your memories… are damaged."
Sanat felt a chill.
This old man is terrifying.
It had taken Boba's machines several minutes to analyze his brain earlier.
Yet this man had understood everything in seconds.
Valerian stepped closer.
"Tell me honestly," he said calmly.
"Do you even remember who you are?"
Sanat remained silent for a moment.
Inside, his thoughts moved quickly.
Careful…
This man was not someone he could lie to carelessly.
Finally, Sanat spoke.
"I… remember some things."
Valerian's eyes sharpened slightly.
Sanat continued.
"I remember that you are my grandfather."
"And I remember that my father… died."
The old man remained still.
Sanat slowly added one more sentence.
"…He was assassinated."
For the first time, Valerian's expression changed.
Shock flickered across his face.
"Who told you that?"
The room became completely silent.
Sanat raised his hands slightly.
"No one."
Valerian stared at him.
Sanat shrugged.
"It was just speculation."
He looked toward the window.
"My father was one of the strongest beings on this planet."
"Someone like that doesn't just die in an accident."
Sanat looked back at him.
"So I guessed."
Then he said quietly:
"…I was right, wasn't I?"
For a long moment, Valerian said nothing.
Then he slowly nodded.
"Yes."
The single word echoed in the room.
Kyala lowered her gaze.
Even Boba remained completely silent.
Valerian spoke again.
"Your father was assassinated."
Sanat felt the weight of those words.
One of the strongest humans in the world…
Assassinated.
He looked directly at his grandfather.
"Then tell me."
"What exactly happened?"
Valerian turned his head toward Kyala and Boba.
His voice became colder.
"Leave."
Kyala immediately bowed.
"Yes, Lord Valerian."
Boba followed silently.
Before leaving, Valerian added one more command.
"What you heard today…"
"…must never be spoken to anyone."
"Understood."
The door closed.
Now the room held only two people.
Grandfather and grandson.
Valerian walked toward the window slowly.
For several seconds he said nothing.
Then he began speaking.
"Your father…"
"…was betrayed."
Sanat's eyes narrowed slightly.
Valerian continued.
"Two of the Five Mythical Beasts appeared that day."
Sanat felt a chill run down his spine.
Those creatures were practically living disasters.
"They surrounded him."
Sanat frowned.
"But my father was Tier 5."
"Yes."
Valerian nodded.
"He could have escaped."
Sanat's voice lowered.
"So something stopped him."
Valerian's expression darkened.
"His own comrades."
Sanat felt anger rising in his chest.
"They sabotaged his escape."
"They lured him to a remote battlefield."
Valerian's eyes looked distant now.
"They had already prepared a suppression array."
Sanat knew what that meant.
An energy formation capable of trapping even powerful beings.
"They activated the array."
"And the two mythical beasts attacked."
Sanat clenched his fists.
"That should still not have been enough."
Valerian nodded slowly.
"It wasn't."
A small smile appeared on the old man's face.
"Even while trapped…"
"…your father fought like a god."
Sanat remained silent.
Valerian continued.
"He severely injured one of the mythical beasts."
"He killed every assassin present."
"He nearly broke the array."
Sanat felt pride rising inside him.
That's my father.
But then Valerian's voice lowered.
"In the end…"
"…the injuries were too great."
Silence filled the room.
Sanat slowly asked:
"So the strongest human on this planet…"
"…was murdered by traitors."
Valerian nodded.
"Yes."
Sanat looked down at his hands.
Then he looked back at his grandfather.
"Do we know who betrayed him?"
Valerian's eyes became cold.
"We have suspicions."
"But no proof."
Sanat leaned back slightly.
"Then we'll get proof."
Valerian studied him again.
For a moment, the old man saw something different in his grandson.
Not fear.
Not grief.
Determination.
Then Sanat smiled faintly.
"And when we do…"
"…I think my father would appreciate some revenge."
Valerian looked at him silently.
Then the old man laughed softly.
A deep, proud laugh.
"Good."
"That is exactly what I hoped to hear."
Outside the window, the city of Astra Prime glowed beneath the rising sun.
And somewhere far beyond the planet…
One of the Mythical Beasts slowly opened its eyes.