Chapter 2

At the end of October 1893, in the capital of the German Empire, Berlin.

The evening wind howled, sweeping up fallen leaves and creating a rustling sound as they brushed against the cobblestone streets. The bright moon was heavily obscured by dark clouds, only occasionally revealing a sliver of light when the clouds were momentarily dispersed by the night wind.

The weather was uncooperative, and for several consecutive nights, the moon and stars were not visible. Citizens were reluctant to venture out in the cold autumn wind at night, which undoubtedly affected the vitality of Berlin's main city. The imperial clock tower had just struck nine, and most of the shops in Berlin had closed for the night. Even Unter den Linden, the most bustling street, had only a few large stores still open. Passersby hurried along the streets, their steps quick and their expressions anxious. Occasional customers who visited made only meager transactions.

However, the places that closed for the night were mostly private businesses. Establishments like police stations, casinos, and brothels were brightly lit regardless of the time. The Berlin Royal General Hospital, a unit vital to the public, was manned 24 hours a day. This four-story building, established during the reign of Wilhelm I, was located just one street away from the palace. This arrangement allowed royal family members to receive prompt medical care in emergencies without worrying about the daily influx of people affecting the palace's tranquility.

However, if one observed carefully, one could notice something unusual from the black four-wheeled car parked inside the hospital gate, bearing the royal family's emblem.

The walls were a light yellow, and the lights were a snowy white. In two adjacent intensive care units, a group of doctors in white coats wore solemn expressions, with nurses frequently pushing various equipment and medications in and out. In the corridor outside, a dignified lady was sobbing loudly on a long bench, her voice choked with sobs. Beside her, a middle-aged man with a livid face glared hatefully at everyone entering and exiting the room. The surrounding doctors and guards dared not meet the middle-aged man's gaze, fearing that this powerful man might turn into a killing machine and do something insane.

"My son, why did this happen! Sob... cough... cough..." The dignified lady's wails echoed in the corridor, interspersed with coughing and gasping, making those who heard it shed tears and those who saw it feel heartache. The middle-aged man clenched his fists, his eyes blazing with fury, and suddenly grabbed a coffee cup, smashing it to pieces with a loud "crack"!

The guards and doctors, seeing the middle-aged man's murderous gaze, felt a chill of fear and involuntarily stepped back. Only a gaunt figure, completely shrouded in a windbreaker, remained motionless. The middle-aged man, his face cold as ice, almost spoke through gritted teeth, word by word: "You had better return both of My sons to Me unharmed! Otherwise, I will send you all to the most barbaric regions of West Africa, where you will spend your days with venomous insects and wild beasts. Do you hear Me?!"

The doctors and nurses in the corridor turned pale, nodding rapidly like chickens pecking at grain, inwardly cursing their fate. The middle-aged man's anger had not subsided, his face flushed red. If not for the need to maintain absolute silence during medical procedures, he would have already burst into a tirade, rather than suppressing his anger to the point of lunging at the doctors.

"Ring, ring, ring!" A sharp alarm suddenly rang in the corridor, causing the faces of the medical staff to turn ashen. The door to the left intensive care unit was pushed open, and several nurses rushed out, pushing a cart loaded with unknown equipment. They quickly seized another cart parked outside and rushed back into the room. The middle-aged man and the dignified lady were startled, looking anxiously at the door, their hearts racing. But all they could see were vague white coats, with no sign of their children.

This abnormal situation did not last long, and the piercing alarm subsided. The door opened, and people parted, revealing a balding man with a heavy gait. He slowly removed his large mask, revealing a face lined with wrinkles, and whispered to the couple in front of him: "His Highness the Crown Prince has returned to the embrace of the Archangel Michael. Please, Your Majesty and Queen, bear this loss with fortitude."

The middle-aged man's blue eyes turned bloodshot, his eyes nearly bulging out of their sockets. He grabbed the old doctor by the collar and hissed, "What nonsense are you spouting, you fool! My Crown Prince, how could he? How could he! Treat him, treat him quickly!" By the last sentence, the middle-aged man was already hysterical, shaking the old man violently.

The balding doctor, weak and frail, felt as if his bones were about to disintegrate from the middle-aged man's rough handling. He endured the pain and said in a broken voice, "All the medical staff in our hospital have done their utmost to save His Highness the Crown Prince, but it was beyond our capabilities!"

"You're lying!" The middle-aged man could no longer suppress his overwhelming anger, and it finally erupted. He roared, "When Augustus was brought in, he had no burn marks on his body. Even if he was unconscious, how could he have returned to the embrace of the Archangel! It must be your incompetence and reckless treatment that caused this!"

The old doctor coughed a few times and said hoarsely, "Your Majesty, please understand! Both princes were struck by lightning at the Brandenburg Gate. It was a miracle that they were not instantly reduced to ashes! Although there were no external injuries, the hundreds of thousands of volts of electricity have caused immeasurable damage to their brain waves. Even the most skilled doctors in the world could not treat the root cause! We have used all available means, but we could not save the brain death of the Crown Prince. Please, Your Majesty and Queen, bear this loss with fortitude."

Hearing the old doctor's words about the death of their child, the dignified lady let out a mournful cry and collapsed on the bench, unconscious. The surrounding nurses immediately scrambled to find a stretcher and quickly pushed her into a nearby ward. The middle-aged man, hearing the news, felt a darkness cloud his vision and staggered back a few steps. The guards rushed to support him, but he pushed them away with a roar. He leaned against the wall, gasping for breath, and said hoarsely, "Immeasurable damage to their brain waves? Does that mean not only Augustus, but Eitel will also die?"

Hearing the middle-aged man's hoarse voice echo in the corridor, everyone shuddered. At this moment, who would dare to touch this sore spot and answer the emperor's question? The doctors looked at each other, and finally, the old doctor, with a heavy heart, said, "It's not that bad yet. We are still monitoring the second prince. The second prince is blessed, and we believe he will recover."

The middle-aged man clenched his fists, his nails digging deep into his flesh. After a moment, he let out a wild, animal-like wail and slowly closed his eyes, saying nothing more.

—

The sharp alarm sounded again, and the red light on the right ward flashed, casting a red glow on everyone present. The medical staff in the corridor rushed about again, the rubber wheels of the carts rolling over the wooden floor, making a clattering sound. The middle-aged man stood still, as if he had not heard anything. The gaunt figure, hidden in the windbreaker, turned to look at him and noticed that his eyes were already reflecting a glimmer of light.

The gaunt figure moved slightly, as if wanting to say something comforting, but after a moment of hesitation, only let out a sigh of resignation. Some things can be comforted with words, but others can only be healed by the passage of time.

"Hudson." The middle-aged man turned away, his hoarse voice mixed with hurried footsteps and the wailing alarm, sounding particularly desolate and heart-wrenching. "Tomorrow, I will announce it to the world. Tell Allemann to... to prepare the funeral for Augustus and Eitel."

"Yes, Your Majesty." The gaunt figure replied softly.

The door slammed open. The middle-aged man's ears twitched, and he turned to the old doctor, who had just walked out, and said hoarsely, "Speak, I can bear it."

"Your Majesty, the Archangel has shown mercy, the second prince is unharmed!" The balding doctor said excitedly.

The middle-aged man said softly, "Return, return. One day, I will also return to the embrace of the Archangel Michael..." His voice suddenly softened, and his expression froze. "What did you say just now?"

The balding doctor, with a mix of joy and relief, repeated, "Your Majesty, the Archangel has shown mercy, the second prince is unharmed!"

The middle-aged man turned around, tears still on his face, and suddenly pushed through the crowd, striding into the ward. The doctors, caught off guard, were unable to stop him as he charged into the intensive care unit. By the time they reacted, the middle-aged man had already reached the bedside.

A boy, about 10 years old, lay on the bed, with several colored tubes inserted or wrapped around his body, connected to various machines nearby. He had delicate features, his eyes closed, and his face was pale. A transparent mask covered his nose, connected to a large blue tank.

The old doctor coughed and said, "Although I understand Your Majesty's love for your son, I must point out that to prevent external bacteria from harming the patient, all those entering this intensive care unit must undergo strict disinfection of their clothing. If Your Majesty stays here for too long, it could endanger the second prince's life!"

The middle-aged man, as if waking from a dream, subtly wiped his face and quietly left the room. Seeing the middle-aged man, the Emperor of Germany, Wilhelm II, regain his composure, the old doctor's heart finally relaxed. Although only one survived, he and the other medical staff would not be exiled to West Africa.

—

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