"I've been searching all over the castle for you, Your Majesty... the others are already on edge after that nightmare destroyed our only way here. Perhaps it's best if you don't leave them alone too long..."
The distorted smile on Joaquin's face faded as he heard a calm but firm voice behind him. Turning, he saw a man in a crimson military uniform, a black fur-lined coat draped across his shoulders, approaching.
The man had gray hair, stern blue eyes, and a sharp gray beard, his every step dignified.
"Malcolm… I was just out here for some fresh air," Joaquin replied, turning back to gaze into the pitch-black sea surrounding the sunken islands.
Malcolm Obelisk—the head of the Obelisk clan, one of the elite families under the Crimson Clan. And not just any head: a Grade 2 Grandmaster.
Malcolm sighed and stepped beside Joaquin, his gaze also drawn to the dark, endless sea.
"Your Majesty, may I ask a question?"