chapter 9

Chapter 9

"....el."

"...el."

"Kael!"

Kael opened his eyes suddenly and the bright light made him squint a little but he recognised that voice. He would know that voice anywhere. With a scream of outrage, Kael attacked Augustus, strangling him as Augustus struggled beneath him.

Kael enjoyed seeing Augustus move with difficulty as the air left his lungs. He enjoyed seeing Augustus squirm before him. He enjoyed the feeling of Augustus losing his life in his presence. This was for everything. This was for Fiona and her brother. For Percival. For Draco and lastly for Cecilia.

Remembering her renewed his rage and he increased the force and strength with which he strangled his brother.

Kael was so focused on Augustus that he had no idea they were gaining an audience. The servants in the castle have stopped whatever it was they were doing and we're all concentrated on Kael. The knights tried to get Kael to release Augustus but he wasn't letting up.

"Kael!"

Kael ignored the voice. Nothing was going to stop him from killing Augustus now that he had let his guard down. He wasn't going to let anyone take this chance away from him. Augustus was his to kill and he would be damned if he doesn't kill him now. This was his only chance.

Kael had no idea what had happened but first, he was on Augustus, strangling him and the next thing he knew, he was hitting a tree. He fell straight to the ground after hitting the tree and held his stomach as he coughed out. The force was too strong and he was sure the only way that could have happened was with magic. Maybe Augustus had done something again. He wouldn't put it past Augustus to use magic at any chance or opportunity he had.

Kael could not see straight. The only thing in his head was to continue his mission; strangling Augustus. He tried standing up to go back to where he had been but a foot came into his vision.

Kael frowned. His head was foggy but he knew he had to kill his brother. He followed the feet, continuing up as his eyes met with an angry gaze. He knew those eyes. He still knows them. They looked like his eyes. Blue in colour. He had seen those eyes filled with hatred, disgust, disappointment but never pride towards him. It was always the negative emotions but one thing was certain for Kael. This person was dead. There was no way he would still be alive. It was all in his head.

"What do you think you are doing?!" The person boomed in anger.

His face also contorted in anger. Kael winced when he heard his voice. How was it possible that a dead man was speaking to him? A man who had been dead for over two years now. How was it possible? He looked younger than how Kael remembered though. While there were still traces of silver in his hair, evidence of his age, the wrinkles in his face were fewer and he was filled with much more strength and vigour.

"What are you doing here? How are you still alive?" Kael asked him in surprise.

The man's face twisted in what could be described as anger and confusion. Kael frowned. Why would he be confused? It was Kael who should be confused at the moment. He had no idea what was going on. His father should be dead. Cassius should be dead. Karl was sure Augustus had killed the man. For over two years no one saw Cassius so how was it that the man was standing healthy in front of Kael and he also looked younger? How was it possible? It shouldn't be and it couldn't be. Kael refused to believe it.

"Perhaps the court physician ought to see you again?" Cassius asked Kael with a raised eyebrow.

Kael could be bothered less about the court physician. He was more concerned about how his father was alive.

"How are you alive?" Kael asked softly.

Cassius' face became red from rage. He knelt so he could stare directly into Kael's eyes.

He made sure his voice wasn't above that of a whisper so that the meddling servants wouldn't overhear him. "I can see you've moved from being useless to wishing all your family members are gone. Do you want the throne? Is that it? Is that why you try to kill your brother in broad daylight when everyone is watching?" Cassius asked Kael who just stared at him with confusion written all over his face.

Kael was sure there was something wrong somewhere but he could not just point it out. He had no idea when or where everything had gone wrong. The last thing he remembers is Augustus' snug face as he stared at Kael while Kael took his last breath.

Cassius stood back to his full height and summoned some knights to take Kael to the tower for self-reflection. Kael frowned. The tower? It has been years since he went up to the tower. It has been a long time since he went up to the tower.

He watched as two huge knights lifted him. He had tried running but the force with which he hit the tree made him extremely weak. Kael frowned. He wasn't too strong but he was not supposed to be this weak right? He had gone to war and had bulked up on some muscles. He shouldn't be this weak.

The knights continued a flight of stairs. Kael had seen these stairs numerous times until he had decided to get himself together. He hated going to the tower. There was nothing there except rats and a bed too small for him with numerous mosquitoes. And the tower sometimes smelled. The men dumped him in the room. Not caring if he landed safely or not. They chuckled at how mad he was to have attacked his brother as they made their way back. They made sure to lock the doors. Although Kael was sure his father would show up to use magic to reinforce the locks. Cassius did tend to use his magic for stupid things.

Immediately they left, Kael groaned in pain as he struggled to sit up. He stared at his hands. They looked smaller than they were. Something was wrong.

"Are you just finding out?" A voice asked him and Kael jumped in shock.

No one should be in this place with him. No one was expected to be in this place with him. He was supposed to be here alone. So who would be here? And the palace wasn't a place just anyone could enter, talk less of the tower.

Kael turned and took in the person's transparent nature. He stood but his feet were not on the ground. It was more like floating than standing. A ghost. He wasn't surprised. This wasn't the first time he had seen them but there was something really familiar about this ghost.

"Do I know you?" Kael asked him but then he stopped.

How had he not noticed it? His voice was not as deep as it was. It sounded different. It sounded unlike him. Did it sound…young? There was a mirror in the room where Kael was. It was extremely dirty and had numerous cracks in it but it would help him. Kael stood up and took in the room. Surely the mirror was at the far end next to an empty drawer. The mirror had a huge cloth over it and as Kael removed it, he coughed from the dust and mould. This place was not taken care of. It definitely should not be a place where the king's son should reside right? But truthfully, it was hardly any different from Kael's main room when he was in the palace.

Kael stared at the mirror and took in his features. The red mark which had been on his neck from when he was banished was no longer there. His hair was longer than it was. There was no scruff in his face. He looked lankier without muscle.

Kael touched his face, his neck and even his chest. He opened his mouth also although there was hardly anything his mouth could do at this moment. What was happening? He was sure when he died he was older than this. There was a mark on his neck that showed he was banished. He also had a scar from the war but this time, there was nothing. Nothing at all. This was obviously a joke. Someone was playing tricks on him.

"Hey." He called out to the ghost who was watching him with north in his eyes.

It was like he enjoyed seeing Kael, confused.

"What is it?" The ghost asked Kael.

"What year is it?" Kael asked him.

The ghost pursed his lips, thinking and then he spoke.

"What do I get if I tell you?"