Chapter 72

ARTORIUS' POV

As I stood before Mori, he dangled a soulless body. The body of someone who I was familiar with. It was Alaric's body. It was hung on by a thread that Mori held with his mighty fingers.

"Does he look familiar to you?" He mocked. "Who am I kidding!? Of course, it does!"

My eyes struggled to stay open even in this realm. I must've fallen asleep in the carriage. As soon as I fell asleep, Mori must've reaped my soul as usual.

"What are you doing with him?" I asked with a scornful expression.

"Just playing with his life," He answered with a sinister tone. "What else do you think I do?"

Mori really was the generic villain.

"Is this where you tell me to choose from two bad options?" I asked him with a cheeky grin on my lips.

Mori lets out a soft laugh. "Who do you think I am? A thug?"

"With that attire and attitude? I'd be surprised if people didn't think of you as that,"

Both of us had a spark between us. An easily palpable tension. Though I was just a mortal in the presence of a deity, Mori held me in higher regard than a simple mortal.

"Artorius- I mean Sung Hei-" Mori stuttered. "What should I call you?"

"My new alias sounds good to me," I answered.

"Ahem, so Artorius," Mori coughed. "Let me do some fortune-telling,"

"Will you ask for a payment?"

"No,"

"Go on," I motioned with my arms.

The room was completely empty as usual. But Amelia was not in the realm. The torches that usually lit up in a bright red flame, now dimly lit up the room in a calm light blue colour.

"You already figured that Alaric will die, so I can just skip over that," He continued to speak.

I held out my arm and signalled him to stop. "Wait a minute. Let me ask you something,"

"Yes?" He said with a sinister smile under his hood.

This was the first time I saw a glimpse of his facial structure. His teeth were jagged and sharp. Yet they were even and fit perfectly between the gaps. His lips were dark and textured like stone.

"When will he die?" I asked him.

His grin hadn't left his face. "Early dawn, day after tomorrow," He replied.

My eyebrows shot up and my eyes widened. "Huh, you have no mercy,"

"I'm death!" He exclaimed. "Do you think I have mercy?"

I shook my head. "Nope. Continue with what you wanted to tell me,"

He shifts around his throne, causing the entire realm, or whatever I knew of the realm, to quake. Slowly, he rests his head on the back of his hand.

"Well, with Alaric's death. I assure you the world won't be the same," He stated the obvious.

"I think we both knew that,"

"Get ready for his funeral. Also for changes in the world that you need to look out for. In the next two months, I can predict that your project will be finished,"

"Which one?" I asked with a witty smirk.

"The first one," He smiled back. "The other one will take more time,"

I take a deep breath. "Well, that's nice to know,"

The tension between us began to rise. Mori dangling Alaric's limp body on a thread as it slowly spins around is giving me an unsettling aura. It's as if he has Alaric hostage and my actions would decide his fate.

Feeling tired, I sat down on the floor in front of him. Curling my leg up to my chest and holding them back with my arm, see-sawing back and forth leisurely.

"The cave you are about to infiltrate won't happen in the first two months," Mori continued. "Do it after two months,"

"Why?" I asked. "It's just a simple cave that I can take on easily,"

"Mourning period all across the continent would not allow you," He explained. "No one will let you into a cave on your own, especially after the death of a beloved emperor, or should I say… the previous emperor,"

"Heh," I chuckled softly. "I like you,"

Mori chuckled as well. "That's flattering to know. Though it is a shame that's all the time I have to talk with you,"

"Awh, I thought we were just getting started," I whimpered while leaning back in disappointment.

"We'll meet again," He said before making Alaric's body disappear.

He snapped his fingers and a symbol spawned under me. I looked at it as it spun around. It was an odd symbol, something I had never seen before.

"What's this symbol for?" I asked him before I could get teleported away.

"The cult symbol," He replied.

Before he could continue, I was surrounded by a blinding beam of light. It flash-banged me and left me with blurry vision.

When I opened my eyes, I was greeted with darkness. The sound of gates slowly opening echoed through my ears.

I rubbed my eyes clear but it was still blurry. I looked around to see Amelia. Her crimson fur was easily noticeable even in darkness.

"Oh, you're awake," Kathlyn's voice sounded from in front of me.

I snapped my head to her voice and saw her staring at me with her green eyes, somehow glowing in the darkness.

"Y-yeah," I answered her. "The noise of the gate must've woke me up,"

The carriage began to move. Amelia jumped on my lap and looked at me with weary eyes. She was tired as well.

"You were completely knocked," Amelia says while curling up. "What happened?"

"Mori called," I answered.

"What did he say?"

"He predicted the future for me,"

Amelia's ears perked up. "Huh!?" She exclaimed. "What did he say?"

"Alaric will die the day after tomorrow. We cannot enter the cave for the next two months. The train will be done by then," I told her through telepathy.

I stared down at her while she stayed curled. Her breathing was gentle as her body inflated and deflated.

My throat felt parched, too parched. There was nothing to drink either. I finished the wine.

I coughed to clear my voice. The carriage then came to a halt right in front of the estate.

"Finally, time to sleep!" I exclaimed before picking up Amelia while getting up.

Kathlyn stood up with a gentle smile on her face. "Today was a long day, huh?"

Ron opens the door and lets the two of us out. I stepped out first and helped Kathlyn step down from the carriage. As she stepped down, I noticed she was wearing heels.

She walked in front of me as I slowly trotted behind, hunched over and tired. Amelia jumped down from my arms and walked alongside Kathlyn.

"You wore such high heels?" I asked her with a raised eyebrow. "How come you didn't trip or fall during the dance?"

She turned around and held a finger to her lips. "It's a secret!" She answered with a wink.

Even with how tired I was, she managed to make my heart race with such little effort.

"Really now?" I smiled. "What's the secret?"

We continued to walk together again. "Why would you want to know?" She teased.

"So I could tell my next dance partner,"

She went red in the face and whipped her head towards me. I looked at her with a mischievous smile as she stared at me with irritated eyes.

"So your next dance partner is not me!?" She exclaimed.

"Is there anything wrong with that?" I chuckled.

"W-well, no…" She shied away.

I couldn't help but burst out laughing as her face stayed red. She was too flustered to speak further, only grabbing onto my hand as we walked to the estate.

The lights that came from the doorway blinded me as we walked in. Going from a dark setting to the complete opposite left me in a daze before my eyes could adjust.

"T-too bright," I said softly while squinting.

When my eyes adjusted, I looked around to find a servant bowing down beside me. He stood back upright and smiled at me.

"Is there anything I can help you with, your majesty?" He asked.

"Get me a glass of water," I ordered him. "I'll be in the living room.

"As you say, your majesty," The servant said before swiftly turning around and leaving.

Kathlyn let go of my hand and walked away towards the staircase. Seeing how exhausted she was, I decided not to stop her and let her go.

As I was about to walk away as well, a voice came from the stairs.

"Goodnight, Artorius," Kathlyn said in a soft and mellow voice.

"G-goodnight," I replied quickly.

She smiled at me with worn-out eyes, almost squinting. She looked away and continued to walk up the rest of the stairs before disappearing behind the hallway walls.

"Let's go," I told Amelia before walking away too. Even though I was tired, I wanted to talk to Felix and Alexander.

ALEXANDER'S POV

My body felt numb and my headache became worse as time went on. The carriage was going uphill, meaning we must be close.

"Ugh~" I groaned. "How much longer?" I asked Uncle Regulus through the window.

"We are just entering the forest," He answered back in a jolly voice.

"How much energy do you have?"

"Haha! I have a lot," He laughed. "What happened at the party that made you so tired?"

"Don't ask," I exasperated. "This was no party, it was a trap through and through,"

"How so?"

"It was a game of chess," I explained. "It was Artorius against Alaric. We all knew it would be mind games as soon as we stepped in. But we heavily underestimated what was to come,"

My mouth kept babbling about the party, ranting to Uncle Regulus about my troubles. He listened with no complaint, driving along behind Felix and Vincent's carriage.

"Rough day, huh?" He replied after I finished my rant.

"I just want to get some sleep…"

"We aren't far away," Uncle Regulus said while peeking up. "I can see the estate lights from here,"

The horse hooves trotting went through my ears and came out the other end. My eyes closed and opened, slowly as I dozed off for a few seconds before jolting awake.

Both of the carriages halted as lights flashed into my face. I squinted through my eyes to see in front of me. The sound of gates opening screamed out all of a sudden.

"We're here," Uncle Regulus whispered. "Stay awake just a few more minutes,"

We began to move once again, slowly entering the estate as guards stood beside our carriages. Opposite of each other while being fully equipped with halberds and armour.

"Why did the security increase again?" I asked with a curious mind.

"During midnight the security increases," Uncle Regulus answered. "Artorius doesn't want to take any chances it seems, even after reaching an agreement,"

Artorius is a paranoid man.

The carriage in front of us slowly sides to the left and comes to a halt. Our carriage goes to its right and stops as well, leaving only a few metres gap between the two and the edge of the pathway.

"Last stop!" Uncle Regulus said happily and softly while getting off.

He opened the door for me and I stepped out of the carriage, stepping out and stretching my limbs. A few pops and cracks went around my body while it rejuvenated.

"Ah~ that was a peaceful ride," I yawned out while turning to the estate.

"When will we be heading back?" Uncle Regulus asked while getting back on the carriage.

I scratched my chin and thought. "I'm not sure yet," I replied. "I will let you know as soon as I can,"

"Do say,"

I started walking towards the estate without waiting for Vincent or Felix. I was too tired to even stand around.

The lights blinded me as I got closer, yet I was drawn to it. I felt like a moth that was attracted to the brightest light, only fluttering near it without thinking twice.

I ran towards the estate while being hunched over, swaying uncontrollably and having a hard time keeping balance.

"Watch your step, Alexander," I heard Felix's voice calling out to me through the white light.

"W-wha-" I stuttered before tripping over on the staircase.

I trip over and fall on the staircase. A jolt of pain shot through my arm as I landed on it.

"I told you, slow down," The voice says once again.

I opened my eyes and looked behind me, it was Felix carrying Vincent on his back. He was blacked out and completely quiet, breathing slowly and softly.

A few footsteps came from behind me. When I turned around I noticed it was a servant, walking down the same steps I had tripped over. He walked to Felix and helped him carry Vincent's body.

Felix walked over to me and put his hand forward as I cleared my eyes. He smiled at me with squinted eyes.

"Get up. The ground is not fit for a noble like you," He teased me.

I grab hold of his hand and get up. "I looked like an oaf, didn't I?"

"You sure did,"

We both chuckled while going up the staircase this time. The pain in my arm was sharp but not constant. It disappeared as soon as I got up.

"Did you hurt yourself?" Felix expressed concern.

"Not at all," I answered while rubbing my arm. "Only when I fell, my arm felt pain for a second,"

Felix didn't reply as we entered the estate. He smiled at me and nodded before his attention was drawn to the servant who stood in front of us, bowing down and greeting the two of us.

"His majesty would like to speak to you in the living room," The servant spoke out while standing back upright.

"Huh? He hasn't gone to sleep?" Felix spoke out.

"Not yet," The servant replied. "He was waiting for the two of you,"

We both looked at each other with a skeptical gaze. Felix was unsure about it and so was I. It was nearly midnight and Artorius left the party half-drunk.

Nevertheless, we both walked together to the living room to meet with him. As we entered, we braced ourselves for what may come. Bad news perhaps?

"Took you two long enough," Artorius' voice came through as we entered. "I was wondering when you two would arrive,"

Artorius and my eyes met as we entered. He smiled back while lounging on his armchair, slowly caressing Amelia's back while she lay on his lap in deep slumber.

Felix walked forward and took his seat swiftly. I followed suit and took my seat on the other side, opposite of Felix.

"Why do you want to talk to us?" I asked him to break the silence.

"What happened to Vincent?" He asked me back.

A lump formed inside my throat which I quickly managed to swallow. "H-he's doing better. The healers could heal him before it was too late. Though he needs to rest. The wounds have been closed up but he lost a lot of blood,"

Artorius was unfazed by the briefing. "So the main point is… he's alive and well?"

"Well… yes,"

"Good enough,"

He breathes a sigh of relief as if a world of worries were lifted off his shoulder. He really did care for Vincent.

What would you like to tell us?" Felix asked, taking his attention away from me.

"I've gathered some intel from a trustworthy source," Artorius spoke rather softly. "Felix… our suspicion was true,"

"What suspicion?" Felix blurted out.

"That one,"

Felix looked at him with furrowed eyebrows. "Whi- ohh,"

The two of them nodded while I was left clueless with a blank expression.

"What are you two talking about?" I asked, desperate for answers.

Artorius turned to me with a blank expression. He looked into my eyes and stared at me. The stare went on for longer than I expected... that or my perception of time slowed down.

"Alaric's death," He answered me with a deadpan expression. "He will die the day after tomorrow,"