The Sun Has Fallen (The End)
Chapter Summary: This chapter marks the end of the book!
This chapter reveals all the relationships between the characters, as well as the misunderstandings and expectations they have of each other.
Suddenly I feel like "The First Galactic Empire" is actually a large-scale family drama (×)
Gladian has passed away. Caligula, this great Galactic Empire is now completely in your hands…
When Theodosius pushed open the door, he saw Ye Wanzhou sitting on the emperor's lap in the main hall of the palace. Ye Wanzhou glanced at him, then slowly rose from the throne. Theodosius watched him walk away, stepped aside, and said nothing. They hadn't spoken for several days, so he didn't mind a little longer.
"Your Majesty, you're awake." The ceramic blade slid out of his sleeve as he rushed toward the emperor.
On the throne, the emperor sighed. "Don't do that, unless neither you nor Wanzhou want to leave my palace alive."
Theodosius's knife was struck by Caligula's gun and flew away. Ye Wanzhou grabbed his waist and pulled him back.
He finally glared angrily at Ye Wanzhou, "What exactly do you want? Why do you always follow me?"
“I’m not going with you. Xiao Xi, you’ll soon be going to your own death.” Ye Wanzhou said it as a statement.
"None of your business!"
“You’re always stuck in the past, so I’ve brought it out and put it in front of you.”
Theodosius was quickly tackled to the ground by the guards. "Traitor! Traitor, you didn't come to help me! You're always like this, always leaving me nothing at all..." the boy cried, a sob rising in his voice. "Let me kill the Emperor!"
The emperor stepped down from his throne. He knelt before the weeping boy and pulled his head into his arms.
“I always thought, I always thought… I was your and Yang Luo’s child,” Theodosius said.
"I thought my mother, no, my adoptive mother, Empress Yang Luo, had eloped with your close advisor, Prince Caesar Garnimed of the Galactic Empire. That's why I sought your revenge."
“The day Yang died, she told me to wait outside for Caesar to come. I thought she, Caesar, and I were going to escape together to a free place, free from persecution and hiding. After all, for the five or six years since I can remember, long after Yang died, that's how I spent my life. Now I think about it, but it wasn't like that,” he smiled. “Women are emotional creatures. She felt that Caesar, as my biological father who gave me half of his genes, must have long since let go of the inexplicable hatred he felt back then, and would love his son deeply like all fathers in the world. That's why she decided to run away with Caesar and take me with her.”
"But no. Caesar didn't love me. For many years after that night, I've been thinking: was Yang killed by Imperial soldiers or Caesar? I only remember the answer in countless nightmares. I remember Caesar and the Imperial soldiers killed Yang and then pounced on me. I killed Caesar. But when I wake up in the daytime, I forget the answer. I only vaguely remember that Yang and Caesar were both killed by the Empire. So I swore to avenge you, to His Majesty the Bright and Great Emperor. Only in this way can I feel a little better."
"Caligula said that you were later raised by some young couples and elderly couples."
The boy stopped crying and rested his head on the emperor's lap. "Yes. But they all left in the end. They had their own children, or they grew old and died. They grew up, they parted ways. In the end, they all abandoned me."
After a while, he broke free from the emperor's embrace, sat up straight, and said, "I owe no one what I am now, nor do I owe anyone anything. I have been molded by my original nature in this universe into the roughest form that the universe wanted me to be. No purpose, no destination, empty-handed, and with nothing."
“You are not wrong. You should hate me and want to kill me. I made Caesar that way and forced you into misery.”
“Shut up, Gratian! This is my cross! What do you know? Don’t put on that superior act of pity for me, it’s disgusting,” Theodosius said hatefully.
"Do you know I am your child? Whether it's your child with Yang Luo or your illegitimate child with Caesar, what have you done for me all these years? What is a father? Is someone who provides sperm or genes a father?"
“I didn’t know,” the emperor said carefully, “I didn’t know you were my child.”
"You've been watching me all along, haven't you? From when I was seven years old, all the way up from childhood."
"So who do you think I am?"
"I believe you are the child of Yang Luo and Caesar."
“Of course, I did have my doubts.” The emperor stood up and sat back down on his throne, resuming the posture the two boys had taken when they entered. Caligula craned his neck to observe the father and son.
“I’m sorry, Theodosius, but I am truly exhausted. I have been carrying on alone for many years, and there are some things I simply cannot attend to.”
"Are you being coquettish, Your Majesty?" Theodosius said sarcastically. "The most dictatorial and powerful person in the entire universe stands before me and says, 'My authority is too heavy, my power too great, I can hardly wield it anymore.'"
"Then what do you think I should do? What should I say? Haven't I lost Caesar? You killed him!"
Theodosius remained silent.
"It's because I tolerated you that you've lived to this day! If hanging you, burning you at the stake as a sacrifice, or tearing pieces of your flesh from your skeleton could bring Caesar back to life..." For a moment, the emperor's perfect mask crumbled slightly. "Guess how many times you would die? Even if you were my own child, it wouldn't be an exception!"
Queen Drusilla was dragged into the palace by the guards, while Crown Prince Alexander, with a cold little face, did not cry and quickly followed behind.
“Your Highness Alexander? What brings you here?” Caligula asked.
“Father, Mother has hired someone to kill you. I saw it; the killer she hired is this older brother.” Alexander pointed to Theodosius in the center of the hall. “Your subject thinks it’s quite foolish. But Mother seems to believe you won’t do anything to this older brother.”
“Alexander,” Gratian rubbed his forehead slightly, “how did you expose your mother? Who taught you to do that?” He looked at Caligula.
Caligula shook his head.
Alexander said, “Father, it is your own decision that I should report this matter to you. For the peace and order of our Galactic Empire, for your continued good fortune and longevity, I believe it is necessary to eliminate the scourge from those close to you. Even if that scourge is my mother herself. What is a mother? In this vast nation, there are many mothers, but only one emperor!”
"Whether someone told you these words or you figured it out yourself through some guidance, I believe the person who sparked this idea in your mind deserves a good reward."
"What reward? Father?"
"Flogging."
Alexander looked at the man sitting high up with a bewildered expression.
Gratian seemed to have a splitting headache. He lay half-reclined on his throne for a long time before saying, "Theodosius, and the Queen, take them all with you."
Alexander looked up, his eyes wide with curiosity and anticipation, watching his older brother, a black-haired man with stiff, cold movements. His brother's eyes were so beautiful, a deep, icy blue, like his father's. He also looked at his mother, who was weeping uncontrollably, crying out that she was innocent. He then looked back at his father. The emperor said, "Imprisonment. Further action will be taken after I and my ministers have discussed the matter."
＊
On the day Theodosius was released from prison, Ye Wanzhou waited for him near the train station in Zeus City. He didn't wait eagerly and sadly at the prison gate to watch the soldiers bring him out and then rush to embrace him. Ye Wanzhou carried his large bag, while Theodosius pushed his suitcase. The two walked side-by-side in the station waiting area for a while, pushing each other. At the security checkpoint, Ye Wanzhou stumbled, but Theodosius simply pushed the suitcase, his eyes fixed ahead. Ye Wanzhou braced himself with his hands on the ground and stood up; the large bag took up a huge amount of space on his back. They boarded the train back to Haiyingsen, remaining silent the entire way.
The imperial judiciary released Theodosius without imposing any punishment.
"Did the Emperor send you a message when you were imprisoned?" Ye Wanzhou asked as Hai Yingsen arrived, her first words after a 24-hour drive.
"What did you say?"
"For example, you could freely enter and leave the palace, or you could simply move in and live with him."
"You dug up my past just for this? I didn't realize you wanted to climb the social ladder by associating with the emperor's son?"
"Don't you think Emperor Gratian was a very pitiful person?"
"Ha." Theodosius sneered. "Your sympathy is certainly overflowing. But, given how nosy you are, Ye Wanzhou, in your eyes, I'm probably just one of your many tools to satisfy your 'hundred spirits.' Do you find it particularly enjoyable to appreciate our suffering?"
"I..." Ye Wanzhou opened her mouth, then said softly, "No. It's not like that."
Theodosius waited for him to speak. But Ye Wanzhou remained silent.
Upon arriving at the dormitory building of Central University, Theodosius went up first, opened the dormitory door that had been locked for some time, and kicked his suitcase aside. Ye Wanzhou closed the door. The dormitory was dimly lit; although it was still afternoon, it already felt like the sun had set. The dim light enveloped the simple furnishings in the dormitory. Ye Wanzhou took out Ganymede's diary and tossed it to Theodosius.
"What? The emperor didn't take this thing away?"
"He read the contents of the book in its entirety. However, there are some things he probably intends to take to his grave and doesn't want other people in the Empire to know."
"Then His Majesty should destroy it immediately."
"He didn't want to appear domineering and unreasonable."
"Actually, the reason I can keep it is because..."
Theodosius had already started reading. Ye Wanzhou didn't disturb him, taking the kettle and her dirty clothes to the washroom. She lingered until evening, the dormitory building still empty. Tonight was Christmas Eve, and many school clubs had activities; quite a few people had gone out. A dim desk lamp shone from Theodosius's sleeping spot. Theodosius's hand reached down from the top bunk—it was his diary. Ye Wanzhou reached out to take it, but when she pulled, the diary didn't budge. For a long time…
"Ye Wanzhou, I'm asking you," the voice was tinged with alarming exhaustion, yet unusually cold, showing no sign of wanting to rest, only indifference, "Do Ye Yuanchun and Caesar have a child?"
"Yes." Ye Wanzhou withdrew her hand, leaving the diary hanging in mid-air.
"Boy or girl?" The voice chuckled softly, with an unmistakable hint of sarcasm. "Alright, what's his name?"
"Ye Wanzhou." The boy in the lower bunk closed his eyes. "That boy's name is Ye Wanzhou."
The dormitory supervisor came upstairs and told them that the fireplace in the library was fixed and they could go inside to study. Before leaving, he emphasized how much better it would have been to install air conditioning; if it weren't for preserving some of the old memories of the historic Central University, those centuries-old relics would have been demolished long ago. The reading rooms at Central University are heated by fireplaces in winter, not by air conditioning. It's said that in the past, young people from wealthy or powerful families at Central University often gathered in the reading rooms with fireplaces to read, discuss art and philosophy, or play billiards while drinking warm sweet wine. This kind of old-fashioned aristocratic memory only existed in the imagination and concepts of Theodosius and Ye Wanzhou's generation; they had never heard of it, nor seen it. The reading room was just a reading room, filled with students struggling to prepare for finals. But tonight was Christmas Eve, and the library was empty. They borrowed the key and rented it for the night.
"You found that diary here?"
"Yes."
“I don’t understand…” Theodosius closed his eyes. “This document was actually left behind on the land of the old ally.”
"If it had stayed in the Empire, it might not have survived at all. Let alone been seen by me."
Ye Wanzhou said, “We are just ordinary people. To the empire, being ‘ordinary’ is a kind of original sin, because it means that you are a subject who is not worthy of knowing many things, and you are an object to be controlled. The alliance is different. At least in the context of the alliance, we are all ‘citizens’. There is only a distinction between superiors and subordinates in terms of rank and responsibility. In terms of personality, people are absolutely equal.”
Just then, the campus loudspeaker suddenly came on.
"What a joke, it's the middle of the night." Theodosius, who was leaning against the sofa, opened his eyes.
Ye Wanzhou suddenly looked up.
"What's wrong?" Theodosius didn't seem to be listening attentively.
Ye Wanzhou's eyes widened slowly. "Oh my god..."
The broadcast repeated itself, this time with the volume seemingly turned up.
"...Citizens of the Galactic Empire, our holy and venerable Emperor, Gratian, passed away last night at 11 PM. From the Imperial capital Zeus to the former Allied territories; from the Central Star System to Rhodes, Cnidos, Mytilene, Ephesus, Carthage, and Syracuse; to the farthest borders of the Empire, the boundary between human civilization and barbarism, the light has been extinguished. That great king once drove a chariot, as dazzling as the brightest star, across the dark night sky, a flash of lightning, a glimmer of light. Night has fallen, and the entire nation is immersed in mourning..."
Ye Wanzhou looked at Theodosius. Theodosius looked at him too. On the table in front of them were scattered the things Ye Wanzhou had just shaken out of his bag. Ganymede's diary slipped from the corner of the coffee table and fell heavily onto the floor covered with a red carpet.
"The emperor is dead." Theodosius paused for a moment, "My last father is dead."
“Yes. That way, none of the living will know our secret.” Ye Wanzhou sat on the sofa, side by side with Theodosius, her shoulder gently resting against him. “Caligula only knows your background, not mine.” He smiled. Ye Wanzhou turned around, spread her legs, and straddled Theodosius, who was reclining on the back of the sofa. Leaning forward.
Theodosius reached out to unbutton Ye Wanzhou's clothes. He slipped his hand inside the collar, loosening the buttons one by one, revealing the smooth, glowing chest muscles beneath, and bit down on Ye Wanzhou's collarbone. Ye Wanzhou turned his head and kissed his pale, flushed ear.
“We are all children of Caesar Ganymede. We all have half the blood of this man in our veins,” Theodosius said. “When did you find out that I am actually your biological brother? In college? In high school? Or when you first met me?”
"Or even earlier, you already had a vague idea, like when we first slept together, but you were never sure."
"Can I ask you a question? My dear brother, what are you thinking about every time you do it with me? Like right now."
Theodosius unzipped Ye Wanzhou's pants, and a vibrant, burgeoning feeling washed over him. It was like magma buried deep within the earth, gushing out hot and bubbling along its veins.
Ye Wanzhou tilted her head back, breathing heavily. Her fingers dug deep into Theodosius's hair. He didn't answer.
“Never mind. It’s not important,” Theodosius said. Through his trousers, he gently rubbed against the other man, feeling a shiver run through him.
Before their passion subsided, the diary was kicked into the fire. The fire crackled and popped, the leaping flames engulfing the pages.
＊
Caligula stood motionless beside the emperor's coffin. All he could see was pure white; large, white flowers, glistening with dew and bathed in the scent of the rising sun, enveloped the emperor's body. Many people filled the hall, weeping for the emperor.
A scientist from the Imperial Academy and doctors who had treated the emperor were arguing fiercely. Their voices grew louder and louder, shattering the solemn atmosphere of the hall. Caligula did not intervene; he stared blankly at Gratian's corpse.
"...I told you so, I told you so, how could you not have thought of preserving a copy of such perfect, unique genes? This godlike body, this body that not only didn't decay after death, but even started to emit a faint fragrance two days later! Such a soul, such intelligence, such brilliance, the very essence of beauty!"
"Why won't His Majesty agree? He didn't have to die! If only... if only we could edit his genes a little more. He died too young, far too young! The only problem with the first generation of perfect genes, the genes of the first generation of superhumans developed by the Earth Republican Alliance and Caesar Garnier, was their durability and lifespan. But that wasn't insurmountable! Let us try! Maybe if we tried, His Majesty could be saved, or we could transplant his brain into a computer. Your Majesty, Your Majesty! Why... why wouldn't you live a few more years?"
Caligula found the hall too noisy. He walked up the steps, glanced at the emperor one last time, and left the mortuary where the coffin was placed.
The sun has fallen.
——END——
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com