Chapter 6: He will come back

Stephen was beyond words. He didn't expect Arnold to arrive this fast. He looked at Alexandra and Lucas. These two people were completely free from his poison. And then there was this blood dragon who came with them. Even after transforming into human form, his vertically slitted red eye's anger mixed gaze was as ferocious as in dragon form. It was like, if he stared any longer towards those red pupils he would be burnt alive.

' what the fuck is a dragon doing here?!' Stephen thought.

Nothing was going according to his calculation. He began to bite his lower lip to vent his frustration.

Stephen had thought up a perfect escape plan for this day's situation. He poisoned Alexa and Lucas with such a poison that in the whole world only he could cure. He planned to cure them only if Arnold signed a magic contract of not harming him. As he and Arnold were already in the same peak stage he didn't think Arnold could treat them. As for the dragon, although he was physically immensely strong and the amount of magical power he held, might insanely surpassed humans' but the dragon's race still hadn't gone above initial warrior stage. And it was also true for this blood dragon too.

'Then how...unless....no way!!!!!!' His heart jolted. Suddenly he felt a bone crushing pressure on him. His legs gave up. He kneeled on the floor. He moved his head towards Arnold. He didn't spare Arnold much attention as he was distracted by the dragon. But looking carefully at Arnold now his body uncontrollably shivered.

Arnold's whole body emitting a domineering red aura dimming the soft orange glow of early dawn. His sapphire blue eyes transformed into blood red. The red aura intensified to form a holographic pair of curved horns around his head and a pair of holographic red wings around his back. He looked like a true demon, coldly watching at his prey.

Manifestation of horns and wings using aura- the legendary king stage. Imogen exclaimed. But Stephen who was kneeling on the ground with a face full of black lines suddenly had a thought and burst into a crazy laughter like a lunatic.

Imogen thought,' he might have lost it.'

Stephen between his laughter managed to speak out, " So, what if you reached king stage Arnold..... hahaha...you still didn't manage to save your son... hahaha....From childhood till adulthood you always stayed ahead of me no matter how hard I try to catch up to you...you even stayed ahead of me in winning Alexandra's hand...Even if I reached late warrior stage you still defeated me in union assembly in front of all other kings.....but..... today..... hahaha" he laughed loudly," look, even if you are ahead of me ...you still lost. So even if i die today i won't regret it. Because not only i killed your son i destroyed his whole existence ..... hahahahaha-"

Arnold couldn't bear it. He appeared in front of Stephen in an instant and threw punch after punch on his face. The force for the each punch was so much that it caused intense ripple in the air current. The surrounding trees were also affected.

Tears kept flowing from his red glowing eyes. Stephen was right. What's the use of reaching king stage if he couldn't even protect his own son.

Stephen's breathing was getting slower and slower. He was in the brink of death. Seeing this Imogen hurriedly interfered. As a result he was met with Arnold's rage.

"What the heck are you doing? This damn psycho killed my son!" Arnold roared.

"So, you are giving him death? Isn't this too much of a easy punishment for his sin?" Imogen said calmly but his voice contained a unimaginable amount of hatred towards the almost dying man.

"So, what should I do?! "

Imogen took out a small pouch hanging from his neck. From the pouch he recovered a black crystal ball double the size of the bag.

"It is a crystal to hold souls." He explained," But the speciality of this treasure is it transforms the sins , a soul has committed, while living, into soul burning flames. The more intense the light emitted by it while having the soul, the more time the soul will have to spend in it."

"let his soul stay in it. His each sin will burn his soul in an unending manner, hundred times more painful than he deserves until there will be nothing left. He will beg for death but would not able to receive it. As time passes he will beg for destruction of his utter existence but he still will not gain it." Imogen laughed coldly,"how is it? Won't it be perfect for his punishment? He destroyed your son's soul so you make him beg for his soul to be destroyed."

Dragons are usually honest, righteous and simple fellows.But if someone harmed their loved ones, their benefactors they will turn into the scariest, most merciless and cruelest creatures.

"I got it from the extinct dark elf race's evil god's temple. I was on the way to deliver it to the dragon temple to destroy it but never would have thought that i would have to use it one day." Imogen sighed.

"All right, let's use it."Arnold said. If it was another day he would be repelled by this cruel artefact but today even if he was called immoral he would still use it.

Imogen approached the already unconscious Stephen and held the crystal in front him, then dripped a drop of Stephen's blood. The crystal glowed with red glow. A bright red sphere about the size of a adult fist immersed from Stephen's glabella and floated slowly towards the crystal. His breathing stopped.

Imogen exclaimed, "such a sinful soul, he will suffer for hundreds of years to come, only then he will be released."

As soon as the soul entered the crystal, painful, blood curdling screams reached Arnold's ear. But even after getting his revenge, Arnold's heart remained empty. what was lost would never return.

Imogen covered the crystal with a sound proof barrier and passed it to Arnold. Arnold casually threw the crystal in his space ring. At this moment Lucas worriedly said,"Dad, mom doesn't seem well."

Alexa fainted long time ago but gradually her face was becoming pale and breathing was growing weaker. Arnold hurriedly ran to his wife. The mages who helped Stephen had already escaped. Even in the chaotic situation he marked them with king staged unique aura. He would deal with them later.

' what is important now, is to care for what is in front of me, my remaining loving family. I will surely protect them' Arnold resolutely thought. He checked Alexa and his heart almost came upon his throat. It was magic rejection where the victim under immense stress, shock and depression would not except any magic from environment. As magic was like oxygen to a mage, their magic core would start to break and they would go into coma and eventually would die.

"We have to go the seer's temple. Only the seer could save her."Arnold took his wife in his arm and pleadingly looked at Imogen.

"Hurry, i will give you a ride" Imogen said. This guy had just lost his son and if he lost his wife it would be tragic. Even though his son was sick Imogen had his son with him. But what happened to Arnold was just too cruel.

.......

.....

At the Seer's temple of Neveah empire,

A elegant looking green haired woman was lying quietly on the floor in front of a giant goddess statue. A woman with purple hair and eyes continuously poured her equally purple magic aura into the lying woman's glabella.

After a moment the lying woman or Alexa's long eyelashes trembled slightly. She opened her eyes slowly and looked at the surroundings disorientedly. Slowly she remembered the horrible events. Her eyes immediately teared up.

Arnold and Lucas were anxiously waiting by the side. As soon as Alexa opened her eyes they rushed to her side.

"Arnold, our child....."she sobbed.

Imogen also was nearby. He sighed.

"Don't worry the child hasn't died." The seer suddenly interrupted.

Boom!!!

The sentence was like a bomb that exploded in the four people's heart. They were stunned for some moment.

It was Lucas, who first broke the silence."My..my brother is still alive..... .Really?!!!"

Arnold asked with shaking voice,"seer, You-" .He couldn't finish cause Alexa interrupted,"Seer, tell me the truth, are you lying to console me?"

The seer laughed,"Alexandra, you know i can't lie otherwise I won't be the seer anymore." She paused and said"Haven't you given the star shaped pendant to the child as soon as he was named?"

Lucas answered before his mother," Yes, mom certainly gave it to little brother."

The seer then took out a ring from a box in front of the statue'e feet. It was embedded with a softly glowing blue gem.

"your child only went to another world. Yes, the world has been destroyed but the pendant will protect him there. After all the pendant was given by the goddess herself."

The four people gasped.

"And,"The seer continued as she gave the ring to Alexa." keep this ring. As long as it is glowing, take it as he is still alive and well." After she smiled brightly, "The day it glowed with intense vigour take it as he have come back to this world. So now you just have wait for his return."

Alexa covered her mouth to stop the upcoming sobs. Her eyes were overflowing, not from sadness but from joy. She could wait for hundreds of years if there was hope of her son's returning.

Lucas was also happy. He thus vowed in his mind," Little brother, this time i couldn't protect you but i will train hard and grow strong. So you have to give me a chance to protect you. You have to come back."

Arnold thought hopefully," Child, dad hasn't even hold you before you went away. Come back quickly. Dad will give you anything you want."

Imogen thought,"Little brat, you better come quickly. My son will be the strongest partner you could get. Don't miss this golden chance."

The little hope that the seer showed them would eventually become the hope of the people who blamed themselves for failing to protect their little prince like general John, the royal adviser and many others. Their heart was held firm on the belief,

"The prince have to come back and he will

come back"