21 The Isle of Cassandra

Anbernel's morning was particularly cold that day. I stood at the balcony breathing in the salty morning air while waiting for the Latrell twins to get ready. I could hear their voices from inside the room amidst the feint sounds produced by the boats at the docks.

"Adrian, are you sure it's alright for us to go?" Iris asked out of worry.

"You're free to stay here if it worries you, dear sister," replied Adrian.

Iris shook her head. "No, I'm going with you."

"Very well."

Despite her thick coat, Iris was still shaking from the low temperature as we waited at the docks for any sign of Marianne XIII. Adrian passed his sister half of his bread, which served as their breakfast in the meantime. Iris declined his offer of bread, saying that the cold and the strong smell of fish are making her lose her appetite.

I sat on top of a pile of wooden crates facing the sea. The horizon was barely visible with the fog covering a wide area. When Marianne XIII's ship finally came into view, it looked almost like a ghost ship emerging from a thick blanket of fog. It was no mere sailing ship, but a large steamship probably used to take guests around on a leisurely cruise. It dropped its anchor once at the docks.

"Good morning," Marianne XIII greeted us with a smile as she disembarked from the ship. She was wearing her usual white robes and flanked by two knights from the Sariyan Order. "Getting to the island will only take us half an hour even on a foggy day such as this. Come aboard." She led them aboard their ship named Wisdom, a very suitable name for a ship owned by the Sariyan Order.

"Welcome," a young lady dressed in simple white garments greeted them as they boarded the ship. Her wavy black hair was tied together at the back with a white ribbon. She smiled sweetly, her face resembling an innocent maiden who has yet to experience everything youth had to offer. When everyone looked at her direction, she turned her head slightly out of shyness.

"This is Theresa, my handmaid. Should you need anything, please approach her." Marianne XIII introduced us to her.

"Do you often take guests around like this?" Iris asked curiously.

Marianne XIII's lips curved into a smile. "When necessary."

"I suppose this is also necessary?"

"It is only right for members of the Underground Council to know the truth."

"So everyone in the council had been to the island?"

"Yes. For some of them, it took a trip to finally convince them."

The wooden boards linking the ship to the dock were removed. The ship was being prepared for departure. Once the ship started sailing, I walked to the front end and observed the wall of fog that obstructed the otherwise beautiful view of the horizon.

"Will we be alright with this fog?" Adrian was a little worried for our safety.

"The fog had never left the isle since the tragedy. Some believe it's the work of restless spirits," Theresa explained.

"Do you really believe that?"

"It's certainly possible. No one can give a more believable explanation."

The ship trod carefully once it was enveloped by the fog. Not a single trace of worry was found on the faces of the captain and Marianne XIII. They were probably seasoned explorers of these foggy waters. I, on the other hand, had never been on a ship.

The Latrell twins sat with Theresa, who entertained them with old sailors' tales. I could hear their voices from where I stood. Marianne XIII soon moved beside me.

From afar, I could see the silhouette of an island.

"Is that the island?" I asked.

Marianne XIII replied without taking her eyes off the view, "Yes. That is Cassandra. The birthplace of Excidium and the sin of this kingdom."

"It looks big."

"It is certainly large enough to hold several laboratories and a once thriving village." She turned to face the rest of the passengers. "We're almost at our destination. Whatever you see there, speak out and spread the word. The world needs to know the past this kingdom is attempting to bury."

The ship reached the shores safely without any incident. Even on the island, the fog was still dense. We climbed down the ship using a wooden ladder.

"Stay close or you might get lost," Marianne XIII warned. The rest heeded her warning and moved as a group.

Several ruined buildings that had been razed to the ground were scattered around. We walked past them, following a cobblestone path.

"This is the site of the experiments, where countless people suffered and died for the kingdom. Some were criminals. Others were innocent people who had been abducted from the nearby village." Marianne XIII's expression was serious when she said this, as if she felt empathy for all the victims. "Adonias and possibly your master as well were born here. They were raised as weapons and would have died as weapons. They are not human. If they had been human once, they lost that side of them here."

From where we stood, we could already see the destroyed village ahead of us despite the fog.

"What happened?" Adrian wanted to know. His face cringed, probably haunted by memories of when we went to Byrd.

"Their experimentation created an epidemic that spread to the nearby village. In the end, the village also had to be razed to the ground to contain the disease. Their efforts destroyed all traces of the disease, but not without sacrificing the people. The disease only affected adults, so all the children were relocated to be cared for in different orphanages around the kingdom."

"How was Adonias able to escape?" Adrian asked.

"They staged a rebellion around the time they were to be relocated. The victims of the experiments went into hiding and established Excidium, whose main goal is to take revenge against the kingdom. Adonias led them, until he separated himself from the group to work for peace instead."

"How were you able to meet him?" Iris asked next.

Marianne XIII laughed. "Oh, we met countless times. First, as enemies. Later, as friends. I did not trust his intentions at the beginning, but it gradually became clear what he was trying to accomplish. Hatred only bred more hatred. Revenge became an endless cycle. He sought to end that."

I stared at the ruins before me.

Master was born in this horrible place. What kind of life did he have here?

I couldn't imagine how they must have treated him and the other prisoners. It was definitely bad enough to give them a large amount of rage that could end this kingdom for good. Did Master also want to destroy the kingdom of Alivia like the others?

I shook my head. No, the Master I knew was kind. I believed in that.

"Come, there are more places to see," Marianne XIII urged us to continue walking.