8.

"Your back is very badly injured," Yug said as he checked Rune's injury.

Rune was sitting shirtless on the stool beside Simon's bed, staring blankly in space.

"How are you enduring this pain?" Yug asked as he looked at the open and bloody hardened skin, and Rune spoke,

"I took medicine, oftentimes I would feel sleepy after using that, but now I think it has no effect on me anymore."

"The same medicine you gave to Simon?"

"Yes," Rune replied in one word, Yug sighed and cleaned the wound before bandaging it up again.

"How is your brother?" Yug asked.

Rune inhaled deeply, "He is okay... much better than before, pretty much back to normal."

"That's good, will he ever return to the battlefield?"

Rune took a few minutes before answering, "I don't think so, and honestly, I don't want him to."

After Yug was done, "If you have already eaten, then go and rest, I will stay with Simon. And don't say no, I don't want you to get sick while you are traveling with us, I can't handle another sick person."

Rune sighed and got up, he gave one last glance to Yug before walking out of there.

The next morning their journey continued.

They made themselves dress as common folks as usual and Simon was in Yug's arms, sleeping nicely without a care in the world.

As they sat on the horse.

"Damian how long is it going to take to reach the temple?" Yug asked and Damian looked at the map.

"My lord, from my calculations, we will reach there in at least four days."

Yug nodded, "I see the sooner we reach the better."

Rune sighed, "even though I understand why you don't want to take your son to the temple, I still don't understand what will get from that ruin.

That building has been abandoned for years... no one lives there... as well, and there is no village near that place... if anything we might have some broke statues."

Yug also sighed, his heart clenched and again and again he questions this idea, but then again now that he has come so far he might as well go to the temple of nirvana, if something happens then fine but if not then maybe he will have no other option but to rebel and bring the temple down.

Before forcing them to treat his son.

Rune looked at him, "what are you thinking?"

Yug looked at the front for a while before replying, "I am thinking that if my son is not healed that I might have to fight the gods and bring them down."

Rune knows very well that Yug is serious, but he also knows that Yug is never serious about things that cannot be done, brings down the gods? Temple? Bring down the temple?

Rune smirked, "you really love your son, huh." to think that Yug will wage war inside the country for his son is really something.

Yug didn't say anything, but it was quite evident.

After four days of travel, they finally reached the temple of Nirvana while passing by a village to grab some food and water.

And as Rune said, there was no sign of a human or any village or house near the temple, there were some ancient ruins and abandoned buildings.

"How long do we have to walk?" Rune asked, and Damian answered, "The villagers said that the temple is behind this hill."

Yug gently shook Simon, "wake up Simon... see we are here."

Simon slowly opened his eyes and yawned before running his eyes and looking around, he smiled brightly when he saw the familiar scenery.

Finally, he is here.

He felt really happy.

And the three elders also saw the happiness on his face.

"Have you been here before?" Rune asked.

And Simon, who was lost in the memories, accidentally said, "Yes."

This made Rune and Damian look at him and Yug slowed down, Simon's eyes widened when he thought about what he said.

"When did you come here, Simon?" Yug asked, "I don't remember bringing you here before."

Simon closed his eyes and sighed, "Um... I saw this place in my dream."

Yeah... well done, Simon.

"Dream?" Damian said, Rune scoffed," Seriously, dream?"

However, Yug believed him, but then why would Simon see this place in his dream?

Simon then looked at Rune and gave him a cheesy smile, "You don't believe me, mister?"

Rune coughed, and looked at Yug, "duke you don't have to make your son lie... if you had bought him here it's fine."

Yug didn't bother to reply but Simon huffed, "Why would I lie?"

Damian sighed, ever since Rune joined then all they are doing is bickering.

Simon thought that when he reaches the temple, he might have to open the door to the library, and to do that... he will have to do the ritual. Won't these guys freak out?

And what will he tell Yug how he learned that, Simon sighed when he thought about all this. Obviously, he has to blame everything on his dream?

Yug saw the expression, "You don't have to be sad Simon... I trust you, no matter what"

Simon smile faintly and hugged his dad.

And a few hours later, they reached the temple, and once they did, they were quite mesmerized by the building.

Damian spoke, "This was the place where everything started."

Rune also looked around this place had a lot of greenery and was so quiet and calm, it was serene and beautiful, the gentle winds were welcoming them and the birds chirped to greet them.

"I wonder what the founder would think if he saw the empire he founded had become so disgusting."

Simon looked at Rune, who had the same face as the founder, this often makes Simon wonder if Rune is the descendant of the founder.

Rune caught Simon staring at him, "What are you looking at?"

Simon again smiled cheesily, "You are so good-looking."

Rune coughed, not expecting to hear the compliment, while Yug smiled faintly and walked towards the building.

And as expected, the building was half broken. The walls were covered with leaves, mosses, and vines, the floors were cracked and there were three statues inside.

The statues were also cracked and were covered with mosses.

They looked around in the huge building, Damian spoke, "This building must have been really beautiful in the past."

Rune slowly raised his hand to touch the walls, the designs were nice, and the carving looked like they told a story.

While Yug stood in the middle with Simon, he felt clueless after he came here, now what? there was no priest, no human, not even an animal, no nothing.

He looked at his son, "Simon... do you know what to do next?"

Rune and Damian also came there and looked at Simon who clenched his fists, should he let them see the library? He trusts them all; he knows that the three people in this room can give their life for him, but still he was a little hesitant.

Rune scoffed, "Don't tell me you have no idea what to do now. We came so far for nothing."

Even Damian looked at Yug, "Duke? what should we do now?"

Yug sighed as well, Simon cannot go back without finding a remedy no way, he had to live. He also had to learn how to control his powers and learn more about them, learn as much as he can about them.

And all of that information is here, and Yug will not leave him alone over here so he sighed, suddenly he felt a pain in his head, and once again blood came from his nose.

This time Yug was going to wipe it but Simon stopped him, "Father put me down."

"Simon..." Yug didn't want to but Simon insisted.

"Father, please, I know what to do."

Yug listened to him and put him down, Rune looked at him with disbelief just how much is he going to listen to this eight-year-old brat?

Simon stumbled a little but gained balanced he touched the blood that leaked from his nose and walked towards the first statue, ankh.

He placed the blood at her feet, and then Duat and then Aurelias. While the three watched.

Rune was close to grabbing Simon and going to the temple. While Damian just stood there.

After Simon was done, he moved back to stand near his father's leg, the three waited for something to happen,

"This is ridiculous." Rune said finally, "We are wasting time here."

Yug looked at him," But..."

"But what duke? what do you expect that these thousands of years old dead statues made out of some lifeless rock will come to life and heal your son?"

Yug licked his lip, yeah right, what the hell was he thinking, he must have gone mad.

Rune grabbed Simon's hand, "Come, little brat, I will take you to someone who can heal you."

"No!" Simon said and struggled, "I won't go. I want to stay here father say something."

Yug looked at him, "Simon, your mister is right."

"No, father no, no, please wait for a few minutes, please."

"Brat just come with me!" Rune said, "don't make me mad or I am going to beat you."

Before Simon could say anything the ground shook, everyone paused, there was a loud rumbling sound.

Everyone looked around, "What was that?" Rune asked.

Simon moved and gulped. "I told you."

Suddenly the statue moved, and the three moved back, the light dimmed, and there were clouds in the sky.

"Did that statue just move?" Rune said.

Yug was staring at the statue. While Damian spoke, "I think we made the gods angry."

The statues moved again, and the ground shook violently, "shit!"

"Simon, come back," Yug said but instead, Simon moved forward and Yug tried to grab him but the earthquake was so severe that he stumbled.

Damian spoke, "Duke, I am afraid that this building might not be able to withstand this earthquake, we should walk out."

"No...Simon is still here."

The three saw the statues move and form a triangular shape before the door opened.

The three looked with wide eyes as Simon ran inside the door.

"SIMON!"

Yug moved forwards, but he failed to notice the rock above his head that was about to fall.

"Watch out," Rune said and pushed Yug to the side, preventing him from getting crushed beneath the rock. Yug saw the door closing, "Simon!"

Even Rune saw that and wanted to run towards the door, but he wasn't enough.

"Shit!" The door closed, and the statues came back to their place, Yug walked towards the place and knocked on the floor, "Simon? Simon!"

He hit the floor tightly till the blood came from his hand feeling so scared that he couldn't even breathe.

"SIMON!"

Rune and Damian were still flabbergasted.

What just happened?