Chapter 372 I FAILED

Chapter 372 I FAILED
ARTEMIS' POV
For a moment, I pause and really look at him again, unable to be angry with a man who looks like he's lost all will to live, which isn’t like him at all. Like my prideful, vain, power-hungry father. “What’s… What’s wrong with you?”
“Your mother is dead,” he says so plainly. The announcement hits me hard. I wasn’t expecting it, yet I don’t know what to feel. I never knew her well enough; she had always been sleeping all my life. All I know are stories and portraits showcasing her profound beauty and kindness. I didn’t know her personally, yet I had desires and wonders about what it would be like to have a mother. And now… now she’s dead. It stabs down brutally within me, intensifying the emotional rollercoaster this entire week has been - a week marred by the absence of Sera, the clawing out of my heart, and the death of Kamila. How much more could I bear? How much anguish could one man shoulder at his most vulnerable, at his absolute breaking point, before it drags him down to nothing? For one of the few times in my existence, I am met with the overpowering impulse to collapse to my knees and release the torrent of emotions raging within me in a primal scream. Yet, I understand that right now, there’s no time to grieve, no time to wallow in the agony ripping through my soul. He suddenly laughs, breaking into a chuckle while tears spill from his eyes, taking me off guard. I've never seen him cry, never seen him so shattered, so hopelessly defeated. “My condolences,” I offer, unsure how to respond to his grief. “Yes, of course, it would be hard for you to feel anything; you were only a baby when it happened. When her life became tied to the bond I conjured from the forbidden magic that bound you to that girl. A regret I will forever live with,” he muses, smiling with trembling lips while continuing to weep. “She died only an hour ago.”
The same approximate time Kamila met her end. I try not to dwell on the loss surrounding me when there’s so much to be done, when I haven't taken that bastard down yet. “What will happen now?” I ask. “You say Gideon is concocting some elaborate plan to ruin our family, to render her sacrifice meaningless. I admire his ambition, but he does not comprehend what it means to contend with our family; he doesn’t grasp why we still rule after many years.”
I bow my head. “Father, give the order for his arrest. I will rally enough guards, fighters, and go to his manor and—”
“You don’t need my permission for anything anymore, son,” he interjects. “I was a stubborn man, maybe even a horrible father, fixated on my desires until the end. Until it cost me my mate and my family, until it was too late. She was right to be disappointed in me. And you’re right to hate the kind of man I am. I saw you try, yet somehow, I blamed you for her coma. I found you undeserving of the life you lived so wildly. Father of the year, right?” He nearly chuckles. “I deserve her death, and now there’s nothing left worth living for.”
“Father…”
“They say once a person’s mate dies, they too slowly wither away, becoming an empty husk. I always wondered how they felt, and now, wearing these shoes, I understand. I don’t want you to endure the same. You are my only heir, her only child. She sacrificed everything so you wouldn’t be tied to that fabricated mate bond. You should use the life she preserved well.”
“Stop this nonsense. You’re still alive; you can still make a difference.”
“You were always superior in certain ways; perhaps I envied you at times for possessing qualities you inherited from her. Yes, you were a little rough around the edges, but you were also just a young boy - growing, learning, making mistakes,” he admits, his voice growing more distant with every word, which confuses and frightens me further. “You are King now, my son. Some may deem you too young for the throne and attempt to usurp it, but you are my blood, superior to what I ever was. Fight for your mate, save her. Rectify the mistakes of those who preceded you.”
“No, Father-”
"I failed," he says, as the tempo of his voice slowly morphs into a whisper, like someone on the brink of death yet clinging to life. I witness the last remnants of his essence fade, the light in his eyes dimming into nothing before his gaze silently shifts back to the wall. I watch my own father become a mere husk of who he once was, a living, breathing shell of a man who was once the epitome of power and strength. Another damaging blow to my heart, yet slowly, I turn away from him, exiting the room, ignoring the sharp sting in my eyes, and quietly closing the door behind me. On the other side, the butler stands, his expression solemn, as if he, too, understands. "Your Majesty," he says, bowing his head in reverence, my newly acquired title now hanging heavily over me. It finally hits me—I am the new Alpha King. "James, gather the guards and tell them to prepare for battle. We leave for Wildheart’s manor tonight."