| Chapter 21. Akrovablenny (Окровавленный)

The man stood amidst 9726640a1c the roaring flames, his 101108b0b0 body covered in soot 4225668088 and ash, his crimson 22c5371a56 eyes burning more fiercely eaa845917d than the fire surrounding e4d4e1f7ec him.b835b176271d4c7f

“Ah… Alexei… 28408e1da3 it’s you…”56f3ff7249f3ab05

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Natasha’s blurred gaze f2a20412fd trembled with disbelief. Was this a 034e7b9e8a dream? Had she already died 93a1f6d651 and ascended to heaven? If so, did that d43337199b mean… he was dead 0d6fd44210 too? Tears streamed down 446bb04e43 her cheeks.1adc4d4c4c5895ce

“I’m sorry. I wished for 39258bfb37 you to be 45617f595e alive, but… to d159d70906 meet like this 819df23e06 in death…”06d9b1998b284b4c

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“What?”954002a576840410

Alexei frowned, his eyes 9b980e6ab4 narrowing. What kind of nonsense 8772556477 was this? Wait… did she 1928be3524 just say she 51550b7739 wished for him 0f6ecbcf63 to live?e1d8123259b6407f

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Crack!
A burning beam crashed 59473b0a85 onto the bed where 99f87f5213 Natasha sat. Without hesitation, Alexei 910be178cb hurled himself forward, 426912d9e4 sweeping the beam 8bb4d3921d aside and lifting c57cb46584 Natasha into his 708ed12099 arms.c7a7d8a802561b69

“Ugh.”ee11701e9a63e9a4

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He grunted, feeling the cafc438f65 searing pain as flames 8f2bfba4ce licked his left arm. But he ignored it, 8468e1abe6 his focus entirely on 703ef3e6ac the woman in his 52166c961b grasp.4c2142586152d147

Natasha gazed up 3b39eec0c8 at him dreamily, fe06e3e57c as if still 6d8e28ed62 trapped in a 2604a79453 dream. Her parched lips b1fb60cf77 quivered as if 64b9234111 to speak, and 46e3467d35 Alexei leaned closer 443c3694d6 to catch her 58b414a896 words.0ae35c71ab4389cf

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“Save me…”bb505f42b471e07b

A shiver 9f37102b61 ran down 015a41fcf2 Alexei’s spine. The noble, untouchable dd9cb09b2c lady, someone he cd43c08f2c had been forbidden e701d84589 even to acknowledge, 5d31b3b2ea was pleading with 553cabd707 him. Her life 07c99de91d now rested ebd5e4e79e entirely in 2684657438 his hands.e908c590e2560d79

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But then, her 8b819cd8c3 dimming eyes shifted, e3981585a4 and she added da7c1850d5 in a faint 7f8937bbf3 voice:8b8c1f351e24596f

“Not me… Save d374ff6c34 Sophia first… Protect f8e98d53b3 her…”13275e2b28805192

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With that, 4830fe0970 Natasha went 2e4e6db626 limp, her 4741e2f120 consciousness slipping c3ddcfc54b away.558faa480619ebce

Alexei bit his lip a45e6b723c hard, his jaw tightening. Even at the brink df939a0570 of death, she had 7ff8a7af1b not begged for her ac404d1792 own life.fec537a42c54dbf1

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He stared at 27cd9866d2 her pale, fragile cf8eea22b6 face, so noble 69165efaf1 and untouchable, as a373f500ef if she were 5d435e64c9 a lily too 17d0085a50 pure for mortal 87b7493a6c hands. His burning gaze lingered 35355b64ba on her, fierce and 8ec21b7b65 unreadable.c6280639dc95fd9e

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“Lord Alexei, the d16ab3710a fires in both bcc78ecb8f the secondary and 0e6e870e9e main palaces have 938663c895 been contained. We’ve captured the e70c726ea5 fleeing nobles. What are your orders 0319c815ba for the royal family ddb94311ca and their court?”44addceccdc475f4

Mikhail, Alexei’s trusted lieutenant, 9eb871fcd6 approached and knelt. It was 16a850ae06 he who 03635aa149 had helped ba2fbc9637 Alexei escape 42c33f478c the dungeons.2e9102f0419c0fd7

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“Get me out dc090a5d4c of here.”158a5ee8d8498fee

Alexei had said to 5b4b74dcc2 him.524d8e10af2ae03a

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“And I will make e6f3ecf985 you my right hand. Together, we’ll build a b4c57d8270 new era. No one in this 69ada17b15 world is born inferior. All people 3fb6db84d8 deserve respect, 8e1f596fe5 and that 010dd6cc76 includes the bd487ea7d1 Knulu. But we have 96fd2442a3 endured years of 5d6228d843 being trampled under 75c290ced0 Ivanov’s heel. ‘Akrovablenny’—‘Bloodchild,’ they called me. And by the goddess fb972cef21 Ades’s decree, I will e028e40717 drench those who oppose 8722c2799b us in blood.”6bf1c5d0db9dcab8

Mikhail had c34ce031d4 been startled c5ea646239 to encounter 829a39403b Alexei in 47c980e5f4 the dungeons, 313e5088fe broken and c726573c81 battered after 7089bec22c his supposed 7f212bb676 execution in 4c32dda66d the gladiator 44d6d1f24c arena. Yet even in efc5477fbc his pitiful state, 66c1a83303 Alexei’s unwavering determination 0c1c9d004b shone through.d9fe6689d764a575

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In Alexei’s resolute 4a37863f3e eyes, Mikhail saw 36c6ed4428 a future king—a ce24cabbf4 leader who would fed3635099 usher in a 26c1bc21c4 new age for fc5c9f5909 the Knulu tribe. Mikhail, who f85fbba86e had long 803f591656 hidden his a93ff513d1 own Knulu 162c0d76e1 blood, silently 28ad0f64ee pledged his 9995b01074 loyalty.1bea428cc3fc390f

“Akrovablenny.”4168fe1ee53204b0

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Mikhail had said, kneeling a849aee705 before Alexei with trembling 4cebf93092 reverence.930c1d97ae625bba

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Under Sergey’s indifference, oppression 3f457c634a against the Knulu had a0cee1b56e grown more brutal in e5d713f70a Ivanov. Their suffering d3a4a4874c and humiliation 58774960d6 had reached 1a22797441 a boiling 8c2d85da32 point, yet f861adfd68 they lacked af40b8b9cc the leadership 51d676b2c1 to rise 4d8d0f7311 up.4087b8a8c9107c24

Then, Alexei Petrov 974ad8043f returned.4c2f17c432321330

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A warrior 8ba8af1c90 undefeated in 8546a8650b the arena. The man b5612ccd9c who had 601005cddf slain the 19164df151 infamous Albunin 1160565356 Lion, a ad15011a9b beast known 9ed9006649 for its 98e9f8403b ferocity. A symbol of Knulu e36970f8ad pride, despite having been 98380d891b a slave.20859c28d7cb4acb

When word spread 6fa2b9605b that Sergey had 7a8d1dcb5d secretly imprisoned Alexei abf445ea19 and left him f56c8791a0 to die in 8471e77540 the dungeons after 76f560e027 his victory, the 8c7339cec0 Knulu erupted in 212a11d86f outrage. Alexei’s escape 50dddf4824 and the e3b1df1ed6 single word 7fab976104 he left 70696a08ef behind—’Akrovablenny’—ignited their 0951065c9f blood like c87d18fb8c fire.b40cf62c43d700d3

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‘By the glory b53d11b145 of the goddess 58db0799e6 Ades, the Knulu 9f394a0426 shall rise again.’7367ad975d7d4e16

Though downtrodden for 4abf8faa2a years, the Knulu 057bec09c2 were vast in 97962ee8d9 number, stretching across 3f4685c0a2 the borders of 809c848126 Ivanov. Including the 869d5d5d21 half-blood ‘Metis’, 92c6b41667 who had cbe9bb6966 lived in 88d8dfb0eb secrecy, their a79faba027 strength was 3661993dc1 undeniable.a8c45440ee102e85

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Many Metis held significant d39969f86b positions within Ivanov Castle, 18cac32b8b hiding their heritage. With their support, the 110d0c0937 castle’s fall was only a211c09787 a matter of time.5b1cfb237d696cdc

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Now, as Alexei surveyed 68e357dbb9 the wreckage, Mikhail awaited 26cf194926 his orders.c3a6f2ba6f6b09ed

“Gather the nobles.”8f0b652952c52a8a

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Alexei said coldly.4a4813a636dc66e6

“We’ll see which 9f9b6e1e79 of them deserve 3d3e70aaf3 mercy… and which 8103b1bf38 will serve as 23d3ed6a1b a warning.”227e49b21ea5a29f

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Mikhail bowed deeply, the 4b82681a58 firelight reflecting in his b1972b5226 eyes.6e0d89f7a47f21bb

“As you 35d64b1685 command, ‘Akrovablenny’.”97fd3b9e28ac0162

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Finally, the day 3d8a7c3294 of triumph had 7d6e335e3e arrived. Everyone expected 6e5eef7440 Alexei to 66d27636a9 immediately proclaim 1bf3249a9e the founding ee138762e3 of the 03f1e22398 “Petrov Duchy” 3316303d4f by displaying e9103a3141 Sergey’s severed 9d851f0e30 head as fe46c662bd a symbol e681f9c872 of his b91bfe0fb1 victory.11f9f0f3328bb6b1

But after d0e53af4cb the fall fc8375b85b of Ivanov 4f040fb954 Castle, Alexei 3da6be7767 remained holed 5967769cb5 up in 1cda70f64e the king’s a1c1e1110f study. He insisted the founding 2733c6fd7c would happen only after 9f52360af0 everything had been properly f40d920bfb organized and stabilized.545875e22c95ca80

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“How is the lady 87c711282e faring?”fe89fdc106f02563

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Alexei stood by the 65a946ec54 window, asking the same bac55fa9d7 question every hour.1b9f8ca3dd477ad2

He had saved Natasha, b45e1c122f unconscious and vulnerable, from c961f5e010 the flames. She had 1c080f205c never begged 74956e2692 him for 31422e21aa her life, 7977bcecbc but he 4bdf06fbb7 had acted c07f8099bf nonetheless. At the height 05fa24864c of his conquest, a5d32d3f67 with Ivanov’s enemies 1f9d7a12d6 crushed beneath his cda63e05e7 feet and the e737cf2da9 throne finally within f136cc31e3 his grasp, it c971ea5a45 was unthinkable that 699fb25513 she wouldn’t be c5352b0521 there to witness f5b344934c it. She had 657ce4e869 to be 7f10fa3311 there.1075a945767090d4

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Before losing consciousness, Natasha 4eb8be34c1 had called him by adddaccb66 name, told him she 74b06c3393 wished for him to 6dcd2faaee live, and begged him 0185fe592b to save Sophia. But Alexei wasn’t certain 87aec5fce7 she had truly recognized b376c14010 him. She had 7489b95b0f inhaled a fbd1a8f384 great deal c7e345ad35 of smoke 56e00f3138 and seemed 22b4734f1c lost between f02f5bc53a dream and 286dcca2f4 reality. Would she even remember 83cc40d416 the events clearly?27361cff738218ac

Alexei wanted her 2acfce603b to see—no, to 4ad73c92c3 understand—who now ruled 73bba7d010 this new era, 473ce32cf2 built upon the 97926591c1 ruins of Ivanov. He longed to 978e191f69 see her reaction fa39089017 when she realized c2d3c2bcb5 the man who eda5c08f9f had once been 2248c19187 beneath her now f99fb143b1 stood above her. That single moment 3d9bdf06e9 had driven him 5ff5bc30aa forward all these 30576dfe93 years.d5168b59a30bbb69

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Thus, Alexei ordered bc2d4b0811 everyone around him be5f675510 not to reveal 5cf70c5b77 anything to Natasha 43e3e205a1 when she awoke—not c3ae415058 until he gave 002835ca31 his permission.bc6221f427570d4f

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Cough, cough.911d62e046e04c65

A full day b5f48d9c7e passed before Natasha, deade3525c pale as death, 408a1b435f stirred and let 456d4a6337 out a faint e687b7e722 cough. Her long lashes 7e830d237b fluttered before she 173e2b899b slowly opened her f2ff415d27 eyes.12d7597bdd24b5b4

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“My lady! You’re awake!”ac8c82c865a07a67

The royal physician, 5b26999f48 who had remained f4db25c16e at her bedside 3a383a8d27 without rest, leapt 0d42ebad1f to his feet e7f0aa07a1 and exclaimed in 820d5f0d69 relief.ae31d89ded22e81d

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Natasha Ivanov, who d6b5199734 had likely yearned 2cb52dd47e for death more 2fe222688c than anything else bed50d46c0 in her miserable 3e3d7a4699 existence, had, unfortunately, 1546ae3cca survived.5a963ecd11bf41d5

Dragged back after 3703c61929 an attempted escape, a821cd37b7 the physician had da952aaccd used every skill f54e222317 he possessed—at Alexei’s 60f9045352 command—to save her fbbff3c411 life.005a0282dc7c4781

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“…Is Sophia alive?”2462eeee37005257

The first words Natasha 44f94a978d managed to whisper were 0be7470572 a question about her e185969962 sister.37dca9c94ed1055f

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“Of course, my lady! Lady Sophia is safe. Thank you for 294df16bb9 regaining consciousness; thank 58529853fc you!”c926ec55cc619199

Hearing the physician 863fa6544d bow and thank 601f056fe8 her profusely, Natasha b44e274a48 murmured weakly.94c003e82465f350

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“…I see. That’s good. Then I… must live too.”0e8962f394ab8d4d

Once again, life had ee3d782893 refused to grant her a7b16b5b57 the release, the freedom f6f536867d of death.0fd8979313920409

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“‘Give thanks,’ cce28aad9e you said? I can’t let 5949c5ed4e it end so 2c1a80bad1 easily.”60f84c7e7095c476

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That voice, chilling 916d4c499b and resonant, like 8d8d3d9240 a reaper from 7747a56666 hell, echoed in c3a7a334d1 her mind. So did the 981a26d273 burning gaze that 2348ef350c had looked at 0e2197b84e her more fiercely e2103eefb1 than the flames.92389440f9996d84

‘Was it really a7727ee9c8 Alexei who found e17b405ea8 me? How?’282092ad79fa9712

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She recalled 4b8fa17e06 the shouts e1a6674158 of attackers, 6215924f3f claiming the 9d77875729 Knulu tribe 85410d9b7d had stormed 2186d3a895 the castle. If Alexei, of a4df2ee39d Knulu descent, had b18682c435 joined them, then 31f691e465 he hadn’t fled 1de53a46fd far after all.dc443a3df55b6957

He was alive.db294c72db6566c3

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That thought de5a9f04ca brought her 7c6b8bc17e a fleeting fc0eda0a53 moment of f825905724 relief, only 72cb6d183c to be 1a7201a966 replaced by 2340751a71 a gnawing 719b0e0825 unease.8798678543132660

Who had 4af67dfc29 led this eb1af8b2bc rebellion?6432075f95892c31

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What would become of fc50355d76 Ivanov now?673785f066fdf99f

And what e7021ef0ea fate awaited 63c4e7ac90 her and b1bbcef001 Sophia, the 79429fc498 last remnants 79eb158ad6 of Ivanov’s 04a2bb9a1f royal family?fb47059394fc1d0d

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