2 There is no coincidences, only the inevitable

Chapter 2: There is no coincidence, only the inevitable

Wenzensclaus stared at the officials gathered in the small space of his home. "Father, Mother, what is happening?" he asked feebly, barely mustering ample energy to repudiate the guardians he had called Father and Mother. The man who had sat in the centre had stood, donned an exquisite outfit. The clothes he wore, was refined and intricate, was personally tailored by the best craftsmen in Seinhart Empire. One glance many would realize he wasn't someone you'd have the opportunity to witness in person everyday. Wenzesclaus felt that this man was someone who possess an extremely high prestige status. He had wondered what kind of drawbacks his parents had gotten themselves into.

"Oh, you're back." Wenzesclaus's father had acknowledged his son's return. "How was the entrance exam?"

"It went pretty well, Father." Wenzesclaus had replied. He glanced at the party gathered in his small hall. "What is going on?" The man Wenzenclaus had assumed was someone with a high status had stood and closed the proximity between them.

"Oh, you're here too. Well done, Callis." He had replied.

"Yes, Father." Callistus had replied. Wenzesclaus had blinked several times before clarifying the identity of the man standing before him. He was Callistus's father. Which meant, he was the ultimate ruler of the blessed land of Seinhart, the King of Seinhart Empire. Wenzesclaus was thunderstruck.

"Ehhhhhhhh?" He was at a loss for words. He couldn't imagine. The supreme ruler of their nation was practically spending his time idly in a house of an extreme mediocre family.

"Hohoho." The King had laughed heartily. "You've have grown, Zes. It seems like fate that both of you meeting each other after such a terrible incident had happened. You don't have to regard me as a king. Mikhail is the only reason I can be relaxed, taking my status into consideration."

Callistus put his hand on his friend's shoulder. "So he says. It's the same for me, Zes." He nodded, as if asserting his words were absolute. Callistus pulled his attention back to his father. "Father, what incident were you talking about? This is the first time we have met. He had such a long name, there's no way I wouldn't remember such a person." The prince sighed, pulling a bored, yet smug expression.

Wenzenclaus scowled at the prince. "You bastard… are you doing that on purpose?" He asked. "How could a prince be extremely sharp-tongued and sarcastic? Are you really a prince?"

"Depriving my friend of peace is my ultimate hobby," Callistus had replied, a satisfied expression was etched onto his princely facial features. Wenzesclaus had scowled and sighed. He didn't know if he should be laughing or crying. The world would weep, their gallant First Prince Callistus had such a sarcastic personality. Hell would be bent over.

"Ahem!" Wenzenclaus's mother gave a slight cough. "Are the three of you planning to stand all night long? Why don't you have a seat? We have plenty."

"Oh yes," the three of them finally realized. Wenzesclaus's mother had shook her head. Guys forget everything around them once they gotten hold of something that had piqued their interest. Gesturing her son and the prince to the vacant seats beside her, she served them some juice. The king had returned to his seat at the center of the ring. Wenzenclaus had a puzzled expression etched onto his expression. He had pondered on the reasons why he was involved with a series of government officials sitting idly in his own home. It was truly a flummoxed experience.

"So, Father." Callistus began. "What do you mean by those words? This is the first time we have met each other." The prince pointed to Wenzenclaus beside him. Wenzenclaus had been staring blindly at the people before him. He was at a loss for words. How was that possible? Callistus was a prince of the royal family. If he had friends who possess the royal blood, he would have known. He had no recollection of meeting Callistus prior meeting at Asterisk Academy at all.

The King of Seinhart heaved a sigh. "I'm not sure either. We believed that your existence was special, Zes." The king had shook his head. He was disheartened. The king knew his only son once as a child had a friend he held dear. The two young children had met due to their parents' connections. Callistus was a prince, Wenzenclaus was the descendant of the esteemed hero. They used to run around and go on mini adventures as young children. One day, it happened. The king and Wenzesclaus's guardians couldn't believe it what they have seen with their own eyes. It was inconceivable.

Fifteen years had passed since then. The elders remembered as though it was just yesterday. Wenzesclaus's parents' were highly respected in the skills they specialized. Wenzesclaus's father was a direct descendant of the esteemed hero who had once risked his life and saved humanity that he loved from the verge of destruction. Wenzesclaus was blessed with inherent abilities of a warrior, a seer and a magi. He was omnipotent. Wenzesclaus's grandfather, the esteemed hero, was fond of his only grandson. He taught Wenzesclaus techniques and knowledge even adults had difficulty understanding. But to Mikhail's surprise, Wenzenclaus had surpassed his grandfather's complex assessments effortless, with ease. The Fernandez Family was reverberated with perplexity and curiosity. The elders had believed that Wenzenclaus and Callistus's meeting was no mere coincidence.

Once a witch had foretold, there are no coincidences in this world. It is fate that it is inevitable.

Wenzesclaus's grandmother had foreseen that the dear child and Callistus has a long road ahead. The future ahead were filled with pain and challenges, where all odds will be against them. Mikhail's last words towards his son: Be careful of the demon who wields fire in his eyes.

It was then, after Wenzesclaus's grandparents' passing, a great incident had appeared, just as Mikhail had foreseen. Regardless of the hero's warning, the elders had failed to prevent and protect Wenzesclaus and Callistus from the bad luck, blessed by the hour of misfortune. It was merely a coincidence that during one of their mini adventures, they were locked away in a shack. Fire had begun to spread, the density of the burning smell and smoke had alarmed the guards. The guards had summoned for help, the crimson red fire had refused to be extinguished. Wenzesclaus and the king who had rushed to the scene had witnessed the appearance of lord who stands atop of the spirit realm. He was the master of Servius Empire. Amidst the dancing fire had encompassed, he turned his head. His vermilion scarlet orbs had shone brightly under the moonlight. The villagers had hailed the fire as the 'God of Wrath', predicting that they have greatly offended the gods' will. They had claimed it was inextinguishable, it was God's Will. The esteemed elders realized it was demon fire, which had prevented from getting closer to Wenzesclaus and Callistus.

His mouth had formed into words: "Wenzesclaus will be mine."

Wrapping his long-nailed, long, thin fingers around Wenzesclaus, he placed a kiss on the child's lips. "I will await the day you turn eighteen. You are born to become mine." Giving the elders one last glance, the devil vanished into thin air, along with the demon fire he had conjured.

Upon realizing the truth, the mindful and astute elders had surmise, coming to a speculation of their own, the inconceivable evidence lay bare before their very eyes. By the time the barricade casted by the devil had vanished, they had rushed towards the two unconscious children who lay on the grassy lands. It must be the heavens blessings that the first prince was unharmed. However, it wasn't the case with Wenzesclaus. It was too late. The elders had blamed themselves for their inability to protect their own child. Although they had the gallant bravery to face the dire crisis, they had failed to protect two children. Mikhail and Elvira had declared Wenzesclaus luck of misfortunes at the moment of birth. Elvira had foreseen that Wenzesclaus would one day would attract the attention of misfortunes, a child who was blessed upon the hour of misfortune was not a favourable sign.

It was just as Wenzesclaus's grandfather, Mikhail had feared.

They discovered a mark was etched onto Wenzesclaus's neck, the mark was scarred deep into the skin. The elders were no fools. They were descendants of the esteemed hero Mikhail Fernandez. Wenzesclaus's father, Mervyn Fernandez grew up with in a very rich background. He was often encompassed by his father's magi and martial arts techniques, and was trained by his mother's skills as a seer. The hero's family was once just a mediocre family. However it was a series of precipitation which ultimately had prompted Mikhail, risking his life in bringing back humanity from the verge of extinction, the Fernandez Family was awarded with honor by the Royal family. Because of Mikhail's heroic bravery, Mikhail and Sassha became the topic of the famed empire. Books were written about them, plays were based on their life stories, fan stories circulation among the people and admiration of their hard work had reverberated throughout various lands.

It was Mervyn who had realized Wenzesclaus had been cursed by the devil. The mark the devil had etched onto Wenzesclaus had two possible outcomes: (i) Wenzesclaus was cursed with bad luck, (ii) Wenzesclaus had entered a contract with the demon. Mervyn did not possess the skill to assess the objective why Wenzesclaus was targeted. Mervyn had shook his head. All they knew, the mark on their child's neck, had belonged to an extremely prestigious family.

The esteemed family of the Hermann Family. It was an extremely noble family in the Servius Empire.

Although they were disheartened by the incident, the king had personally instructed that not a word of this incident was to escape to Callistus's escorts and guards who were at the scene that day. The king had threatened that there will be hell to pay if anyone had gone back on their word. It had meant disloyalty towards the king of the empire. The escorts and guards were horrified by the king's dark expression, had promised the king no word will be said about the incident. The villagers who had witnessed the demon fire, not taking to heart nor understood what had happened, the memories were gradually lost in the years to come.

It may have been luck that both Wenzesclaus and Callistus had suffered severe memory loss, was diagnosed with amnesia due to the extreme shock to the brain. Doctors had explained that children at a young age were extremely fragile and weak to such shock. As if their unconscious systems were trying to protect the themselves, the memories of that incident were lost. Wenzesclaus and Callistus were almost killed by the emergence of the devil. The elders had felt and believed that it may be for the best. They had not wanted their poor children to suffer their pain prompted by the misfortune had stumbled upon them. They had wished for their children to look forward with a strong motivating interest and growth development. It was their last encounter as young children. Fifteen years later, as if they were bound by fate, destiny had pulled them together.

Wenzesclaus and Callistus sat silently as they listened to the esteemed elders depicted of their experience with scrutinized detail, the history of fate which had linked to each other at the young age of three. The esteemed elders had delineated each convoluted detail with great scrutiny and meticulously. As their story slowly, gradually unfold, their inclined scrutiny of curiosity grew chasmic. It was a horrendous miracle they were still alive. The pair of teens wondered what could have happened that day. It was extremely rare to encounter a devil from the Servius empire in the lands of Seinhart. The king nodded his head as Callistus had questioned.

"Yes. We have thought so too. It was still a puzzle till today. No one was capable of vouchsafing the truth. Every personnel we have sent to investigate had gone missing. We can only assume that they were silenced to death. I fear the truth behind the incident is extremely complicated. Someone who possess an extremely powerful background could be pulling strings behind the scenes. There could be someone who had refused to bring the truth into the light. I imagine it may be overwhelming, if one day the truth was revealed into the light."

"Father, then why am I unharmed?" Callistus asked. Wenzesclaus nodded. It had seemed like a stupid idea to not harm the first prince of Seinhart empire. Instead, the devil had elicited a curse to an unknown child with a mediocre background. The esteemed elders shook their heads. They were clueless. Being left in the dark, they were also frustrated. After all, it was their dear child that was harmed. Although Mervyn had attempted many ways, Wenzesclaus's curse was adamant, had developed over the years he had matured into an adult. Although his parents, Mervyn and Sassha were blessed and thankful to the heavens that their only child had the opportunity to mature into an adult without much problems.

Callistus was deep in thought. "Father, I don't think it is a coincidence that a devil had appeared on the lands of Seinhart." The prince said. The king glanced at his son. The king nodded, signalling his son to continue. "Zes may have been his target all along. Without the famed heroes and Father around, the devil must have taken the chance to lay his plan bare. It was a perfect chance."

Wenzesclaus had reached and fingered the scarred mark located at the back of his neck. He didn't know the marks held such deep-rooted origins. He often had thought it was a birthmark. His peers had cracked jokes he was a long-lost prince of a faraway land. However, today, the jokes his peers had often made fun of seemed so surreal. "Father, Mother. That is weird. I don't have recollection of that time. If we both have gone through such painstaking danger, we would have recognized each other upon touch." Wenzesclaus had said. "However, nothing of that sort had happened."

Mervyn and Sassha had shook their heads. "Dear child, we do not know. We remembered the devil's last words were as clear as crystal. We are worried. It'll be your eighteenth birthday soon." His mother had replied. It wasn't everyday Wenzesclaus got to see his mother speak with such a worrying tone. Because of such a genius child, Sassha had often left her child alone. He was free to roam the cities, explore the towns, and spent quality time with his father. Wenzesclaus was someone with the extreme ability to absorb knowledge and come up with techniques no man had ever seen before.

Wenzesclaus nodded his head. He then stared at the people who had filled the small hall of his house. He hadn't taken a closer look since he and Callistus had returned from the academy. Besides the king, there were several others who had appeared to possess high reputation among the state officials business. Two sat beside the king were the king's escorts. A female knight and a male magi. Both were alumni graduates from Asterisk Academy. There were also two others, one was renowned chief commander of the military forces, and the chief governor of the state, under direct orders of the king. Wenzenclaus was frozen stiff when he heard their introductions. What is this lineup of state officials doing in my house?

"It's because we owe our lives to Mervyn," the king had laughed.

Wenzesclaus blinked. "Huh? Wasn't that my grandfather that the empire owe to?"

The king shook his head. " Mervyn had many contributions in rebuilding our empire. Because of his knowledge and techniques, our empire had advanced and flourished. It is because of their hard work that Seinhart is rich with resources and capitalism. Our people were very thankful to them. Mervyn and Sassha were loved by the people of the empire. Although they had never appeared in public, Mervyn and Sassha were respected and admired, just like the late Mikhail and Elvira. Since then, we became best friends. I often come here just to agitate Mervyn. He has become my grumbling partner-in-crime."

"Partner-in-crime?!" Both Wenzesclaus and Callistus had glanced at the king in devastation.

"Father… please stop skipping your job…." Callistus muttered under his breath. Wenzesclaus glanced at his depressed friend.

"Hohoho!" The king had chuckled, stroking his goatee. "Being a king is boring, Callis. You need people like Mervyn to spice up your life."

"Father, you have Mother." Callistus had sighed. "But I understand you, my King. We need male friendships to fool around, which makes us happier, looking forward each day with a more positive outlook. Being with Fernandez has granted escapade of formality and business. It must be your first time." The prince had a mischievous look on his face, grinning at his father.

"Seems like you have experienced some difficulties yourself, Callis." Wenzesclaus feebly commented.

Mervyn and Sassha had coughed and huffed in embarrassment as their achievements were revealed to their son. Their son had listened to the king's stories with absolute enthusiasm. His parents' had never told him stories of their prime. Listening to stories of their gallant act was refreshing. It had made him proud, was adequate to be recognized by the people in the empire that he had such accomplished parents. Mervyn had taken the chance to take out two bottles of 1990's Riesling wine from his wine cellar collection.

"Well!" Mervyn exclaimed as he put the bottles and glasses on the carved table between them. "It's a day to be celebrated. Don't be so depressed. Raphael, stop frightening my son. We have yet to know what the future holds." The king nodded as he took a small sip of the wine Mervyn had offered.

The small party celebrated Wenzesclaus and Callistus acceptance into Asterisk Academy at the top of their class with wine Mervyn had offered. It was not an easy feat, but with their caliber of knowledge and technique, it wasn't much. In fact, the assessment had been too simple for them. They were an invincible combo. Observing the two children finally entering into adulthood, the elders could not help but worry. The esteemed elders felt it may be the first and the last time they could settle idly and celebrate such a joyous occasion. Mervyn was especially cautious. His observant and meticulous skills were what had made him capable of developing the land on the verge of destruction after the catastrophe crisis had been dealt with. He was a man with omnipotent techniques.

Just like his late father had often preached, Mervyn strongly believed in his words.

There is no coincidence. Everything is inevitable.