- The King in Yellow - Male Reader x One Piece

Chapter 15: Desolation

[Carcosa, The Harvest Kingdom]

The city of Carcosa seemed eerily quiet as Queen Aurelia hurried through the winding streets, covered completely within a thin, dull cloak that covered every inch of skin, and concealed her face from any onlookers. Her golden hair was more a rusty bronze colour now, hidden from the dim lanterns and fires dotted around the capital city. There was none of the gold or jewellery adorning her body that she usually wore when out as she raced, nothing at all. None of that was important now, only one thing mattered, and that was her son, [Y/N], who trailed behind her.

The sky above was an ever deepening grey colour, making the city even darker than it usually would've looked come night, with everything shrouded under a layer of shadow. The cobblestones felt much more rough, as his shoes bounced off the street, one large bound after the other. The golden spires of the central castle, what had once been viewed as a vibrant symbol of hope and prosperity for all in the kingdom, now loomed over them like a sinister, looming memory, fading faster with each hurried step they took...

[Y/N] struggled to keep up, both physically, and with the rapidly changing world around them. His heart pounded with confusion and fear that only a child could muster. His father's golden cloak, hastily draped over his small shoulders, felt like an ill-fitting, heavy burden, rather than a comfort. The cloak trailed behind him, its hem brushing against the dirty ground, the fabric catching on the jagged edges of the stones as they moved.

"M-Mother, what's happening?" [Y/N] demanded, his voice shaking with both anger and desperation. "W-Why are we running? W-Where's Father?"

Queen Aurelia didn't respond immediately, in fact, responding to her son was the last thing she wanted to do right now. Running was all that she thought about. Running, and getting as far away from what had once been their home as they could in the short amount of time they had. Her face was pale, her eyes wide and unseeing, as if she were trapped within a waking nightmare. She clutched [Y/N]'s small hand tightly, her grip almost painful in its intensity, as she led him through the narrow alleys of Carcosa, away from the castle, away from the life he had once known...

"Mother, answer me!" [Y/N] shouted now, his frustration finally boiling over, overpowering his fear. He tried to pull his hand away, but her grip only tightened, her nails digging into his skin.

"Quiet, [Y/N]." She finally whispered, her voice almost distant and hollow. "We don't have time. We must reach the port."

"But why?" [Y/N] pressed, his eyes burning with unshed tears. "Why are we running? Why isn't Father here? Why won't you tell me anything?"

Aurelia stopped abruptly, turning to face her son. Her eyes, usually filled with warmth and love, were now shadowed with a deep, impenetrable sorrow. She knelt down, bringing herself to his level, and cupped his face in her trembling hands...

"You are special, my son." She said, her voice barely above a whisper. "There is something within you, something they want to destroy. You must survive, [Y/N]. You must carry on the legacy of our family, of our kingdom."

"But--" He tried to rebuke her, but before [Y/N] could protest any further, a deafening roar shattered the uneasy silence. The ground beneath them trembled as the first cannon blasts struck the city with prejudice, not holding back anything, laying siege with one shot after another. The sky was instantly lit up with devastating flashes of orange and red, the flames licking the edges of the cities' great walls and buildings, turning what was once a beautiful home centuries old, into a flaming inferno...

The streets erupted into chaos as the marines began their merciless bombardment. Screams filled the air as civilians scrambled for some sort of cover, but it was a pointless endeavour, their faces contorted with pure and utter terror. Buildings crumbled under the relentless assault, their golden facades collapsing into heaps of smouldering rubble. The scent of smoke and blood was thick in the air, choking, suffocating.