Chapter 468: Episode 466: The Children Ruling.

A universe away from the hospital, the Beastworld roared on.

The Palace of the East was completely devoid of the suffocating heat of the Dragon King’s aura. The grand, cavernous throne room, carved entirely from dark volcanic rock, echoed with the low, nervous murmurs of the elders.

Sitting directly upon the Throne, his posture perfectly rigid and his dark green eyes burning cold was Drax.

The new ruler of the East was barely twenty years old. His draconic fire had not yet reached its apocalyptic, world-ending potential.

But as he looked down upon the gathered council, his authority completely dominated the room.

Drax did not lead with Zarek’s volatile rage. He led with an icy, calculating precision that the elders found significantly more terrifying.

"The beast market tariffs," Drax stated smoothly, his deep, resonant voice easily cutting through the whispers of the room. He rested his chin on his knuckles, his gaze locking onto the oldest member of the financial council. "You report a deficit in the southern border trades. Explain why the gemstone exports are lagging behind the grain imports."

The ancient elder, a scarred bear-shifter who had served under Zarek for two centuries, nervously cleared his throat, avoiding Drax’s piercing green eyes.

"My King," the elder began, bowing respectfully low. "The southern trade routes have grown treacherous since the... departure of the Sovereign. Several rogue factions believe the borders are completely unguarded without the Dragon King’s fire. They are ambushing our caravans. The merchants are terrified to travel."

Drax slowly lowered his hand, his expression entirely unreadable.

How did they even know of father’s departure?

The silence that followed was agonizing. Several elders shifted uncomfortably on their feet, fully expecting the young King to lose his temper, to roar, or to demand immediate, bloody executions.

But Drax simply nodded slowly. "I see. They believe I am weak."

He turned his head slightly to the left.

Standing exactly one step down from the throne, wrapped in a dark, fur-lined cloak that accentuated the massive, terrifying breadth of his shoulders, was Onyx.

The young wolf-shifter had entirely abandoned the isolated North to Axel, openly admitting he preferred the chaotic, blood-soaked politics of the East. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

Onyx relied entirely on his physical strength and his ruthless, feral instincts. He was significantly younger than Drax, but the cold, hungry violence constantly simmering in his blue eyes made even the most seasoned warriors actively avoid his gaze.

"Onyx," Drax commanded softly.

"Yes, my King," Onyx replied instantly, his voice a dangerous, low rumble that vibrated through the floorboards.

"Take a detachment of the elite guard to the southern route," Drax ordered, his tone completely flat. "Regulate the market by entirely removing the problem. I want the routes secured and the trade flowing before the moon rises tomorrow."

"It will be done," Onyx grinned, a sharp, terrifying flash of white teeth that sent a visible shudder through the gathered elders. He cracked his knuckles, the sound echoing like gunshots in the quiet room.

An older, arrogant eagle-shifter elder near the back of the room suddenly scoffed, stepping forward. "My King, with all due respect, sending a wolf boy to handle a dangerous rogue faction is—"

The elder didn’t even get the chance to finish his sentence.

Onyx moved with a speed that completely defied the physical limitations of the eye. One second he was standing by the throne, and the absolute next, his forearm was violently pressed against the eagle-shifter’s throat, pinning the elder flush against the wall of the throne room.

The solid rock actually cracked behind the elder’s skull from the force of Onyx’s physical strength.

"What were you saying?" Onyx whispered softly, his blue eyes entirely dilated, looking down at the gasping, panicking elder with feral delight. "I am sorry, the lack of magic in my ears must have made me mishear you."

The entire council completely froze in suffocating terror.

Drax did not stand up. He did not yell. He simply watched the display of brutal, overwhelming violence with a calm eye.

The kid could do whatever he wanted.

"Release him, Onyx," Drax finally said, his voice quiet. "He misspoke."

Onyx held the terrified elder against the wall for one more agonizing second, letting his claws lightly prick the skin of the man’s throat, before he suddenly let go, stepping back with a casual shrug. The elder collapsed to the floor, gasping desperately for air, clutching his bruised neck.

"Anyone else concerned about the lack of power in this room?" Drax asked the silent council, his dark green eyes sweeping over the pale faces of the elders.

No one dared to breathe, let alone speak.

"Good," Drax stated smoothly, standing up from the Throne. "The markets will stabilize. The borders remain absolute. Dismissed."

The elders bowed frantically, practically stumbling over one another to flee the suffocating tension of the throne room.

Within minutes, the massive, cavernous hall was entirely empty. The heavy wooden doors slammed shut, echoing loudly in the quiet.

The terrifying, untouchable aura of the young King instantly dropped.

Drax let out a long, heavy, and completely exhausted sigh. The rigid posture melted from his shoulders as he slowly sank back down onto the cold stone steps of the dais, dropping his head into his large hands. He rubbed his temples, a deep, agonizing migraine forming right behind his eyes.

He was ruling an entire continent, keeping an incredibly violent empire from completely imploding, and protecting his younger siblings from the shadows. The weight of the responsibility was crushing him alive.

Quiet footsteps approached from behind.

Onyx walked up the steps, entirely dropping the feral, bloodthirsty persona he had worn for the council. He stopped behind Drax, placing his massive, heavy hands firmly on his older brother’s tense shoulders.

Onyx began to methodically, powerfully massage the knotted muscles at the base of Drax’s neck, using his terrifying physical strength to actually work the deep tension out of the dragon’s body.

Drax groaned softly, dropping his hands and letting his head loll slightly backward, completely trusting the wolf at his back.

"You handled the financial council perfectly," Onyx rumbled softly, his thumbs pressing deeply into Drax’s shoulders. "They are terrified of you. They won’t challenge the tariffs again."

"They are waiting for us to fail, Onyx," Drax murmured, staring blankly at the empty room. "They think because Father and the Kings are gone, the empire will slowly bleed out. They think we are just children wearing our fathers’ armour."

Onyx’s grip tightened slightly, a fierce, protective loyalty burning in his chest. "We will violently prove them wrong every single day until they choke on their own doubt. We will hold this world together."

"I am so tired," Drax whispered, a rare, profound admission of weakness he would never show to another living soul. He missed the warmth of his father. He desperately missed the gentle, grounding love of his mother.

The Palace felt incredibly massive and terrifyingly cold without them.

Onyx stepped around the King, sitting down on the stone step directly beside Drax. He bumped his shoulder affectionately against his brother’s arm.

"We just have to hold the line until they return," Onyx said fiercely, his blue eyes entirely resolute. "They promised they would find her. They will come back. We just have to keep the thrones warm for them."

Drax looked sideways at Onyx, the dark green of his eyes incredibly heavy with a profound, terrifyingly mature realization.

Drax knew the truth, even if he refused to say it out loud to the younger siblings.

He placed his hand firmly on the back of Onyx’s neck, pulling his younger brother into a tight, grounding embrace.

"Even if they don’t return," Drax whispered into the quiet, cold air of the throne room, his voice echoing with absolute, heartbreaking finality. "We will make sure we live up to their expectations."