FORTY-TWO
THE REGALS
PAST
Before Vakeeli simmered with fear, animosity, and violence, there was peace.
The world was a paradise—trees dotted with gold, waters flowing with healing properties, and plenty of The Regals’ favorite jewels: rubies.
But all of that changed much faster than The Regals had ever anticipated.
Soon, trust lacked within all territories, and lives hung in the balance. There was something evil lurking in the shadows and robbing innocent lives of their souls.
His given name was Decius, but the Mythics called him Mournwrath, for when he struck, it was never gently. He attacked at the worst of times and with such viciousness, it left everyone in mourning.
The commoners and Mythics couldn’t understand why these attacks were happening. They questioned whether they were being punished by The Regals and pleaded with them, asking what could be done.
Because of Mournwrath and his devious hauntings, monarchs lost trust in one another. Battles erupted and wars broke out, leaving many injured or worse, dead.
The paradise that once was Vakeeli was wiped away and bathed in blood.
And that result was exactly what Selah wanted.
Before Vakeeli was created, there was a time when Selah was loyal to the Titan Kronos on Earth. Everything she’d learned about violence and deception was because of him. But that was the last thing the other Regals—Hassha, Korah, and Yuri—wanted to bring to their promised world of Vakeeli.
After Kronos was defeated by Zeus, The Regals were sent to Vakeeli by their mother, Gaea, and were told to create a realm of tranquility. Earth seemed to have lost its virtue, but if another world were created and better controlled, perhaps the peace would last.
Gaea wanted a world where the best of the gods could roam safely, so instead of calling them gods, she named them Regals. The Regals were appointed and made to create life, agriculture, and many other things that would serve them.
Though it was never agreed, Selah took it upon herself to create the first people, The Tethered. Hassha, Korah, and Yuri were hesitant about how much power and energy she’d given them, but they grew to care for some of the Tethered—to appreciate them for their praise, kindness, and dedication to protecting Vakeeli.
Strong bonds were formed between Hassha, Korah, Yuri, and the Tethered children, and soon enough, the Tethered began seeking guidance from them more than their creator.
This, of course, didn’t please Selah, so she silently traveled back to Earth for guidance from the gods. But as it turned out, none could help her. And now that she’d attached herself to another world, her bond to Earth had been weakened.
But while Selah was on Earth, she discovered a harrowing secret, a whisper amongst the gods and goddesses. One she was never meant to find out.
Filled with rage, Selah searched for Kronos’s remains before returning to Vakeeli with a wrath like no other, wanting to kill her siblings for their betrayal. But she was much too prideful for suicide. After all, if one of the sisters died, all of them died. So instead, she hit her siblings where it hurt.
Since the others had grown a liking to the Tethered, she brought up a being who’d be the complete opposite of them. With hope, he’d be just like her love Kronos—ruthless and powerful. A destroyer .
Venturing to the darkest parts of Vakeeli, where the sun hardly shined and volcanoes of tar erupted, Selah took a drop of her blood and the ashes of Kronos and buried them in the land.
Thus, Decius was born.
To spark an instant feud among the Tethered, she allowed Decius to bond with Oriah, disrupting the sacred relationships of each Tethered couple.
She couldn’t seek full vengeance with Decius so soon though. No, this was a plan she had to carry out correctly. Many years went by, and Hassha, Korah, and Yuri were unaware of Selah’s knowledge of their betrayal.
Every time they smiled or laughed, she wanted to kill them. Every time they told her they loved her, she wanted to rip their teeth out and bury them deep beneath the land to grow thorned vines.
But just because she couldn’t strike them didn’t mean her creations had to yield. She crafted The Council, who were more powerful than the Tethered, then the commoners, and both intertwined to create generations of commoners. Some had power. Some didn’t.
The other Regals questioned Selah about these powerful creations, but Selah guaranteed the creations were for the greater good.
Some of the commoners loved The Regals and served them. Because of their kind hearts, Korah and Yuri granted them with knowledge and magic so they could aid others, thus creating Mythics.
The world was filling fast, and it became harder for The Regals to maintain control. It was quite overwhelming, especially when narratives shifted and many people sought The Regals for magic and healing powers of their own.
With the new breeds creating a distraction for The Regals, Decius made his first kill.
Lehvine of Blackwater and his mate, Oriah, were slaughtered first. Then Decius was instructed to go for the others. Jesha and Valkee, creators of the twins, and Rotan and Busk, creators of a destined female warrior.
Hatred fueled Decius, but only because Selah allowed it. And when the energy from the original Tethered wasn’t enough, he wanted their babies too.
With their parents gone, the link to the original tethered had been obliterated. And because of their loss, it left babies vulnerable, cold, and exposed. A paralyzing chill had consumed them, bringing them to the brink of death.
Before Decius could pursue them and harness what was left, the other Regals caught wind of his hunt. Hassha and Korah rescued the children while Yuri fought him off.
The coldness in their bodies was never fully erased, but they were still alive under the three Regal’s care.
This is why they were called the Cold Tethered.
When Decius had weakened, The Regals confronted their sister on the Dark Cliffs and demanded to know why she’d sent Decius after the Tethered and allowed the babies to suffer.
“Because you loved them.” Selah had uttered the words with so much malice, enough to burn through valleys.
“But why?” Hassha asked. “They were your creations. They loved you most.”
“They aren’t the only beings who’ve loved me,” Selah barked. “Kronos? Remember? I went back to Earth and found what was left of him! I figured, if my siblings will stand against me, I should create someone who stands with me. That is how my darkling Decius was born. I combined Kronos’s remains with my blood and birthed him in the darkest lands of Vakeeli. I’ve made it so that no one can kill him but me !”
“You’ve always wanted trouble, Selah,” Korah told her. “Always the one seeking chaos. We built this world for peace. We promised Mother that much. You can’t create people and then wipe them away because you’re angry. You do that, and we’re just like the gods on Earth. Careless about their people. Allowing them to murder, rape, kill, and start wars.”
“Perhaps that is what I want,” Selah countered with a snarl. “I know the secret you all carry. I know what you did!”
“What are you talking about?” Yuri demanded.
Selah glared at him, her eyes ablaze. “The only reason we were sent off to create this world is because all of you set up Kronos’s demise. You assisted Zeus. You trapped the only man who loved me and had him banished and killed . Mother gave you permission to do it and promised a better life if you succeeded.”
Hassha, Korah, and Yuri looked at each other as worry settled in their guts.
Hassha stepped forward. “What we did was to save you, Selah. Kronos would have led you to a brutal death. You idolized a god who cared for no one but himself.” She attempted to grab Selah’s hand, but Selah snatched herself away.
“You did nothing for me. What you did was for yourselves. All so you and Yuri could fly and fuck in the clouds in this new world.”
Hassha flinched and felt Yuri’s gaze on her. She didn’t dare look at him.
“You wanted a place where you could be the ultimate leaders,” Selah ranted. “We were the first of the deities, and how sad it was to be made from salted tears and anguish. We were sent to Earth to assist Kronos and the Titans, but instead, you deceived him. You saw the Olympians and became cowards. There is nothing here for me, but I had everything there!”
“The Titans were not for the people,” Korah exclaimed. “They were banished, and the same would’ve happened to us had we assisted them any longer. Have you seen what we’ve created here? This world is ours . No one can take it from us! There is no feuding between us, no fighting. That’s much better than anything we ever had on Earth.”
“You’re wrong,” Selah growled. “I’ve been forced to stay here because I am bonded to all of you. If I stay on Earth now, I’ll lose most of my power. You knew this would happen, yet you said nothing . You made a choice without me, and believe me, you will pay for it.”
With those final words, Selah vanished.
Hassha, Korah, and Yuri didn’t know where she’d gone, but they searched endlessly for her.
Whenever they found her, she’d vanish again. And to make matters worse, she began her whispers of evil and placed them like worms in the commoner’s ears.
She whispered to The Council to take full control of her people and set a new order to strip most of their freedoms. She whispered to the appointed monarchs so they could vehemently start wars. She wanted nothing more than chaos, and chaos is what Vakeeli became.
Soon enough, the people began hunting The Regals, hoping to steal their blood, to use them, drain them of all energy.
And because there was so much hatred and murder, The Regals limited their access and hid themselves from everyone.