The message on the monitor screen continued, and his mother's voice, calm yet burdened, filled the silent room.
"I did it, Alex. I created a portal to another world."
Alex's breath caught in his throat. He stared at the image of his mother, his mind reeling. A portal—another world. A way out. His fists trembled at his sides, his nails pressing against his palms.
"Your father and I… we were desperate. We couldn't win, and we refused to let our clan be slaughtered like cattle. So, we searched for an escape. I spent years perfecting a gateway that could take us beyond the reach of the this world. Somewhere safe. Somewhere untouched by wars."
His heart pounded violently in his chest. If they had a way out, then why? Why did they still…?
"But leaving wasn't that simple."
'Of course, it wasn't.'
"Your father knew that the war wouldn't stop even if we ran. The magical beasts, the other Higher Clans… they would see our escape as weakness. And worse, if we fled without ensuring stability, our departure would have only hastened the world's collapse."
She took a slow breath, her image unwavering.
"That's why he went to the Seven-Tailed Fox."
Alex's eyes widened. His mind went blank for a second before the weight of those words crashed into him.
The Seven-Tailed Fox. A beast king. A monster whose mere presence could turn tides of war.
His father had gone to that thing willingly?
"He went to strike a deal."
Alex swallowed hard. His pulse was erratic, hammering against his ribs like a caged beast.
"The agreement was simple—a non-aggression pact between him and the beast kings—thirty years of peace. No fighting. No war."
Thirty years.
She made it sound easy, but Alex knew better. The magical beasts had no mercy, no loyalty, only hunger and power. They didn't sign pacts unless they stood to gain something.
And his mother confirmed it with her following words.
"The Fox agreed—but not without its conditions."
'Of course, it did.'
"It signed the mana oath because it was already close to advancing to the next rank. But haven't been able to yet."
Alex clenched his jaw, his fingers twitching. He understood what that meant.
"A beast in the process of advancing is at its most vulnerable," she continued. "Completely defenseless. Even the slightest interruption could result in death or permanent regression. It knew that if it tried to evolve while we were still a threat, your father—or any of our warriors—could kill it before it ever reached its next form."
A bitter taste filled Alex's mouth.
"So, your Father without any option left had to sign the contract and it absurd rules. Thirty years of no war between him. But that wasn't all."
She paused as if giving him time to brace himself.
"The first condition," she said, voice steady, "was that during this time, your father wouldn't set foot on the other continents to aid in killing the other beast kings."
Alex inhaled sharply.
"It knew that the equilibrium would break if your father fought elsewhere. Even if the contract bound him, the other Patricians—the warriors of our clan—could still kill it while it was weak."
Her following words were spoken with quiet finality.
"The second condition was that in the event of a beast stampede—or if he staged an attack on the Fox's domain—neither he nor the Fox would be allowed to interfere."
Alex's chest tightened.
"Only lower-ranked beings could battle it out."
The logic was brutal. Ruthless.
If a stampede occurred, it would be a war of attrition. The weaker ones would be sacrificed, forced to fight to the death while their kings watched from the sidelines, bound by their oath.
A storm raged inside Alex's head.
They had thought of everything and planned everything.
And yet, despite all their efforts, their clan still fell.
Why?
His mother's expression remained unchanged, frozen in time.
Alex's breathing was ragged. His hands trembled, his vision clouded. His body felt too small, too fragile to contain the sheer agony pressing down on him.
Nyxara, still beside him, lowered her gaze, ears flicking slightly.
But she didn't move. She didn't speak.
Because what was there to say?
This was the truth. A past that could not be undone.
And his mother wasn't finished yet.
Alex wiped the tears from his face, steadying himself, waiting for the next blow.
Waiting for her to explain why, despite all of this, they still had to die.