THE KINGS RAGE
King Arthur sat upon his majestic throne, his mind consumed by the events of the previous day. He couldn’t comprehend why Queen Maya would dare to attack Zara, and his anger swelled within him. Breaking the promise he had made to his wife, vowing not to let any harm befall Maya because she desired to confront her herself, Arthur rose from his throne with determination. He stepped out of the castle, walking among his subjects like an ordinary mortal, pondering Maya’s next move. The Queen’s previous strike against Zara hinted at a deeper motive, one that could lead her to strike again. Arthur feared that this time, her dark powers might consume her entirely. As a god, it was customary for Arthur to confront any god or goddess who threatened the balance of the universe. Descending from the hilltop where his castle stood, he realized that the distance between his realm and the earthly domain was not a mere day’s journey, as he had always assumed. It took his guards a day to return to him, but the actual journey spanned an entire week. Thankfully, Arthur had provided his maidens with a magical portal to traverse the lands swiftly. Realizing his impatience and inability to continue walking, he decided to travel at the speed of light to reach his people. Arriving among his subjects, Arthur’s presence filled them with awe. They bowed before him, grateful for the rare opportunity to lay eyes upon their revered King before the approaching seventh day. With a wave of his hand, Arthur acknowledged the children who longed to run to him, although their parents held them back. After a few more minutes of walking, he stood before the home of Starry and Maven. Starry, having foreseen the arrival of the King through her gift of vision, had instructed Maven to remain at home. King Arthur knocked on their door, patiently awaiting a response. Starry opened the door and bowed respectfully before her sovereign. “Welcome to our humble abode, my King,” greeted Starry. King Arthur entered, marveling at the new decorations that adorned the place. “I appreciate what you have done here,” he remarked. “Thank you, my King,” Starry replied with gratitude. “I am aware that your gift has informed you of the purpose for my visit,” Arthur stated knowingly. “Yes, my King. Allow me a moment to summon Maven. He is preparing himself as I instructed,” Starry replied. “I see… a wife who guides her husband’s actions through her extraordinary gift,” observed Arthur. “Please forgive me, my Lord, if it appears as though I am using the limited power bestowed upon me by the gods to control my husband’s choices,” pleaded Starry. “Why should I forgive you for fulfilling your duty? The gift bestowed upon you is meant for precisely that purpose,” Arthur reassured her. “Now, please summon him,” he added. Starry went inside to fetch Maven, who was already attired and ready to accompany the King. “My King,” Maven greeted as he bowed before Arthur. “Let us proceed to the dark realm, for I must discover the reason behind Maya’s wicked visit to my wife,” declared Arthur. “Your wish shall be my command, my Lord,” Maven replied. Together, they ventured through the ominous portal, leading them into the magical realm of darkness. Arriving in the realm, Maven unsheathed his sword, ready to face any beasts that dared to attack him or the king. The creatures of the night stared at him and the king with menacing eyes, but Arthur paid no attention to their gaze. His sole focus was on the queen, seated upon her throne high atop the hill, with the blood-red sky as a backdrop. He marveled at the terrifying beasts that had been enchanted from the depths of hell, where they had been imprisoned for eternity. Long ago, Lord Universe had created these creatures to rule over them as subjects. However, when they refused to comply with Lord Universe’s leadership, the land split in two, and they all fell into the pit of hell. Arthur found it astonishing that these creatures, known for their rebellion against rulers, were now under the control of Maya. Determined to find answers regarding the attack on his wife and to send a warning to the dark lords of darkness not to come near his family, Arthur walked further up the hill to seek out Maya. Maven, noticing that none of the beasts made a move against them or the king, approached Arthur with curiosity. “My lord, the last time I and some guards were here, these creatures attacked us when we attempted to save a lady who had been brought here against her will, to be married under a dark spell of seduction. However, now they seem to show no interest in spilling blood or attacking either of us,” Maven said. “As much as they despise Lord Universe, they cannot harm us, for they know they can only fight with their claws, while I can simply wave my hand and make them perish,” Arthur replied. “Since they fear the gods so much, why do they still guard this realm?” Maven inquired. “Maven, I am a god, powerful enough to fight other gods, a power you do not possess. So why are you here with me?” Arthur questioned. Maven fell silent, realizing the weight of the question. For thousands of years, gods had always defeated their enemies, yet no one had ever questioned why they shared their super strength with mortals who wished to fight alongside them. As Maven contemplated the question, Arthur chuckled and spoke, “Maven, there is great honor in dying to protect the king.” “My king, we, your guards, know that you can split yourself into millions to fight for you. They all possess the strength of a god, and your power flows through them. So why do you need me here?” Maven asked. Arthur stopped walking up the hill, turned to face Maven, and placed his right hand on his shoulder. He asked, “Do you know how demigods are created?” “No, my Lord,” Maven replied. “They are not created; they are transformed from mortals into demigods. These demigods were once guards, just like you. They fought for their god, the king, and Lord Universe. Maven, you are not far from becoming a demigod yourself,” Arthur revealed. Meanwhile, Maya had spotted them approaching and grasped her staff, waiting for Arthur to draw near. As Arthur moved closer, he sensed a surge of energy similar to the one that had struck down Zara, sending her to the land of their people. Quickly, he stepped aside to avoid the energy blast. Realizing that Maya had cowardly tried to bind him with a spell, he swiftly lunged forward, seizing her by the neck. His eyes turned red, and his voice thundered. “You have shown how much of a coward you are. For fifty years, since you married Lord Lucifer, you have committed evil acts, creating worshipers for yourself in my land and in the lands of other gods. When I was last here, I encountered your daughter,  Whose desires for me led her to curse my own daughter. Now, tell me, why did you attack my wife in such a cowardly manner?” Arthur demanded. “To force your daughter to return home, so she may not find her true love,” Maya confessed. Arthur released his grip on Maya’s neck and turned to leave. Just as he was about to depart, Maya gathered a substantial amount of energy to strike him. Unbeknownst to her, her daughter Lucy was flying towards them. Witnessing her mother’s attempt to attack Arthur with immense power, Lucy screamed, “No!” Reacting swiftly, Arthur transformed into a digger and hurled it at Maya. The digger struck her in the stomach, causing her to lose control of the energy, which ultimately overwhelmed her, rendering her unconscious.
Maven, at a loss for words, walked away, occasionally glancing back at Maya lying helplessly on the ground, surrounded by her own dark energy. A few seconds later, Lucy arrived at the scene, weeping inconsolably as she saw her mother in a deep slumber. Overwhelmed by anger and a desire for vengeance, Lucy planned to travel to the alternate universe to prevent Princess Lara from finding true love and taking away her powers. Observing her mother’s staff, Lucy combined it with her own and inserted the joined staff into her body, granting her full power and control to traverse different realms.
With a maniacal laugh, she flew back to her territory, appointing Lillo as the guardian of the realm and her lover. Lucy bestowed upon Lillo the power to turn anything into stone, commanding her to petrify anyone who disobeyed her orders until her return. Without waiting for a response, she vanished, teleporting billions of light-years away to the universe where Lara resided.
Appearing at a supermarket dressed in a black jacket and tight trousers, Lucy attracted the attention of men who couldn’t help but admire her beauty. Ignorant of the ways of the human world, she ascended into the air, searching for Lara without caring about the humans who were snapping pictures of her. Spotting Lara emerging from a school building, Lucy flew away in a flash, laughing with a sense of fulfillment. She descended from the sky and transformed into a younger version of herself, entering the school that had already closed for the day. Stella, the principal of Star Teen High School, was in her office, organizing records and files as she prepared to leave.
“Excuse me,” Lucy said, her eyes glowing green as she approached Stella. “Are you the principal of this school”
Stella turned to look at her, as she fell under the influence of an enchanted spell. “Yes, I am the principal of this school,” she replied.
“Great! I will take over the children in this school. No questions asked. Do whatever you can to get me included in whatever the children do here,” Lucy commanded.
Still under the spell’s influence, Stella retrieved an admission form and asked, “What is your name?” Unaware of the true intentions behind Lucy’s request.
“Joan,” Lucy replied.
After Stella completed the necessary paperwork, Lucy left the office. As she stepped outside, the spell wore off, leaving Stella confused about what had just occurred. She returned home, bewildered by the strange encounter, and sought solace in her family.