The Truth Behind the Lies.

The Ciera family had a few moments before Kiernan was asked by Asher to step in to check on the Princess. Abel can also do it, but Asher knows that he's also exhausted by gathering all the dark particles and sealing it within a potion bottle.

Kiernan materialized his golden staff, this staff is as long as a cane, with a round shape on its handle. This round shape has unique designs, there are four-pointed stars embedded to its sides, and on top is a design similar to the Odilia's unique eyes. This cane releases divine incense with a sweet smell that is capable of cleansing one's body from all the darkness within them, as well as to relieve the person from all negativities around them. The divine incense comes from the divine mana within the staff that is created by Asher.

"How do you feel, Your Highness?" Kiernan asked. Alina turned her head to him as she smile widely.

"I'm feeling alright now, Mr. Holiness! Thank you once again for taking care of me!" Alina said as she giggled at the young man. Kiernan felt really satisfied after seeing the Princess' reaction and couldn't help but smile and nod his head.

"You're most welcome, Your Highness," Kiernan replied. Alina also turned to Abel who's standing behind Kiernan, on his right side.

"Oh, Mister Magician is here as well? Thank you for helping me!" The Princess spoke cheerfully. Abel smiled at her.

"I'm just glad that the Princess is back," Abel replied. Alina stared at him before she smiled and giggled.

She can't contain the happiness within her that she wouldn't smiling.

'Where's Asher...' she though and roamed her eyes around, however she saw no Asher. So, she creased her forehead and looked at Kiernan.

She moved her upper body to the side and peek behind Kiernan, where she foind the person she's looking for. 

For some reason, she felt like crying again after seeing Asher. He have his arms crossed as he walk towards Alina. Kiernan moves to the side to let him have his way. Alina felt her heart beating so fast, remembering all the experiences she had ever since she came here. Having Asher as someone she can trust before accepting her family, she feels really grateful towards the little magician.

Asher is almost near to her. However, Alina moved on her own, jumping down from the bed, and starts running towards the little Astra who's already approaching her. 

"Ali--be careful!" Asher opened his eyes and was surprised to see Alina running towards him. 

"Hey, wait--" His words were cut off when Alina throws herself to the magician and wrap her arms around his shoulders, as tears starts falling from her eyes again. Asher looked at her by side-eyeing her and placed his hands on the little princess' waist. 

"Ali..." Diellzain looks surprised, and feels very unpleasant.

"It pisses me off...but it was Ali who approached him," Orpheus looked at the little Astra with annoyance all over his face. Aelius turned his head to Helios who's grunting silently, as he shook his head because of his family's reaction.

"Does the Princess still feel any discomfort?" Asher asked when he heard Alina sniffling while hugging him. The little girl didn't respond and her embrace tightens. 

Asher gently pulled away, causing Alina to let go of him. Tears fell on the floor, with the Princess hanging her head low as she cries. Everyone is concern after seeing Alina crying all of the sudden when she saw the Astra. 

"T-thank you..." Alina looks up to the guy and smiled. Asher stared at her for a while before taking a deep breath as his lips form a smile. Not the usual smirk, but a real gentle smile.

"I'm just doing my job, Your Highness," Asher answered. Alina bit her lower lips as her cries become louder, which caused Asher to panic.

"W-wait, please calm down. I didn't mean to make the Princess cry, do you still feel pain on some parts of your body?" Asher asked. The Emperor and his sons looks at Asher with disappointment all over their faces, Abel saw that and secretly chuckles.

It took Asher a few minutes before he could make Alina stop crying. 

"How are you, Ali? Feeling fine?" Aelius asked, carrying his youngest sister. Alina nods her head as she sniffles. She turned her head to Asher who's facing the wall, with his hands leaning on it, as if he was so depressed after doing his best to stop Alina from crying. 

Alina snickers and wrap her arms around Aelius.

'I feel so happy...it feels like something within me has been filled with something that its been waiting for in a long time...' Alina can't take off the smile that is plastered on her face. She closed her eyes as she smiles.

'Somehow...I feel sleepy,' Alina thought, Asher glanced at her and noticed that the magic he cast is taking effect. It was a simple sleeping magic, to give himself a chance to tell Orpheus about the real reason of Iliana's lies, and the reason why she hid herself away from everyone, and refused to let Orpheus and his sons to see Alina.

Alina leaned her head to Aelius' and her awareness of the surrounding starting to fade away.

'Maybe...I should sleep...'

When Asher saw Alina finally sleeping, he faced everyone.

"Now then..." He turned his head to Kiernan.

"Thank you for your hard work, Kiernan. You can go now, and the Princes too, can you all accompany the Princess back to her palace? It seems like she's tired after all that happened," Helios nods his head and ran his fingers through Alina's hair.

"Looks like she fell asleep right away after you carried her, Brother Aeli," Diellzain spoke, looking amazed.

"Haha, that's good to know. Should we teleport to the Alphard Palace now?" Aelius asked. Helios and Diellzain agreed by nodding their heads, and in just a second, they vanished from everyone's sight. Orpheus watched his children disappear from his sight and then turned to Asher. 

The seriousness between the two are overwhelming, that even Abel didn't want to talk. He knows not to annoy his brother after all.

"It seems like you want to tell me something very important that you have to send my children away," Asher sighed and nod his head.

"Yes. Very important, indeed. It's all about the reason why Iliana had to imprison herself within the Antares Palace and why she had asked me to create that barrier and watch over the Princess," Orpheus face darkened. He realized something right away, but he chose to stay quiet.

"And I'll get straight to the point. As you already know, if an Odilia is bearing a cursed child, their mana is sucked out from them, by the child within them," Orpheus clenched his fist. After knowing what this magician in front of him is planning to say.

"And once they give birth to the child. All their remaining mana will be passed onto the cursed children. With overflowing and too much mana within the child's body, the Odilia eyes will store most of it, that's the curse placed on the Odilia," Asher added. He leaned on the wall and crossed his arms as he stare at the Emperor.

"After the eyes stored all the extra mana to stop it from overflowing. That's when the curse will start turning people into ashes when they're looked at eye to eye by the cursed person," Asher explained. Orpheus takes a seat on the bed where Alina was lying earlier. His shoulder fell after realizing what happened to his wife five years ago, and he can't even help her because of the barrier that's covering the palace. 

After hearing the news of her death, he felt like he also died. He was devastated, and almost fell into depression. But, he will always have dreams of his wife, and in those dreams, she always reminds him to take care of their children. As if she's always by his side, guiding him. Slowly healing his heart, and motivates him to focus on the present and see the future of his sons.

"You're saying...Ali is cursed, and Iliana died after giving birth to Ali, because she sucked out her mana from her mother?" Asher stared at the Emperor before he answered.

"That's the case," Asher answered. Orpheus stayed quiet for a while, and silence occupied the basement. Abel turned his head to his brother, and to the Emperor. He can't think of good word to change the atmosphere that's covering the whole room right now, so he chose to stay quiet.

'That's not the only curse though...' Abel thought and take a deep breath.

"You can go, and we can talk about it next time--"

"Then, is there other way that my daughter will be saved from this curse?" Orpheus asked between Asher's words. Asher took a deep breath and close his eyes. 

"Yeah...well, that's why I've been hopping world to world to find a way to enter the Fourth Empire of a God, where the God of Death once hailed. The Empire that was supposed to be guarded by the Selene," Orpheus creased his forehead upon hearing new words from the Astra in front of him. Selene? He wasn't familiar to it at all, and he never read any of it from the books within the Imperial Library when he was a kid.

"What of it...?" He asked.

"That's where the Holy Crystal is located, which can help us with removing the curse of the Princess, and the whole family. The Goddess of Life and the God of Death are the only ones who knew the location of the Holy Crystal. They were both banished and were stripped off their Godhood when they both fell in love with each other," Asher spoke. Abel looked at Asher with concern all over his face. As if he's worried about something that is related to Asher.

"The Goddess of Life's incarnation, the Fourth Astra, was supposed to stay in the human realm and guard this world...but well, she was cursed, because of certain reasons," Abel's expression turns bitter, as if the story reminded him of something painful that happened in his past.

"After the Goddess was banished, all the holy crystals in her realm, which is this world all disappeared as well. However, we can't say the same thing with Azrael's Empire. The gate to his empire only disappeared, but Creo said that it still exists," Asher stood straight and stretched his arms. 

"Well, if you want to help, maybe you can explore this whole world and see if there's still a holy crystal left by the Goddess of Life. I already explored all the other worlds, but I couldn't find the gate to Azrael's empire. Maybe it's here, and we were just mislead by our own thoughts," Asher yawn, now feeling the exhaustion after all the tasks he had to do in order to save Alina from the dark magic.

"I'll be going now..." Asher disappeared right after saying those, and Abel couldn't help but sigh in disbelief. He shook his head and look at the Emperor who looks really down from all the information that is given to him by the little Astra.

"Fifteen years..." Abel spoke. 

"We still have fifteen years to look for the holy crystal, Your Majesty. That's already enough time," Orpheus nods his head and turned to Abel. 

"Thank you, Abel. I shall go back to my palace now. You will be rewarded for saving my daughter," Abel shook his head and was about to reply, but Orpheus spoke again.

"I won't take no as an answer," And with that, Orpheus vanished. 

Abel also teleported to his room within the magic tower and takes a seat at the edge of his head as he lower down his head. 

'Curse...huh? I wonder if brother is fine...'

***