Opening Night

Physically he looked like he was thrown down a cliff, but the way he spoke was as if he took down a king of the highest order. With a scar resting on his face that was large enough to see from the back of the room, what happened to him? And why is he here?

"Ah, it feels good to be back. It feels like it's been ages." He spoke confidently, Syndel noticed the large scar on his face and that his hair had changed. Syndel and Kendell looked confused as they were seeing Adrenis as clear as day after what had transpired.

"What the hell? So that means." Syndel spoke, her anger began building.

"Now isn't the time... The dots are connecting but now is not the time." Kendell spoke, holding her hand on the table.

"So that's him, huh? I can see if it's possible to tap into his memories." Rene focused on him and tried infiltrating his mind but no luck. "His mind is absolutely strong. Are you sure this is the man you've been dealing with?" Rene asked.

Syndel turned to her with a look of malice and murderous intent.

As he went on talking, it seemed eyes were shifting towards their table. Syndel was secreting a suspiciously dangerous amount of mana, so much that Mohagani silently came over and helped calm her down.

"I know what he did, as a woman of my word; this won't go silent. But try to calm down for now, I too know how it feels to have everything I ever owned taken from me in one violent night. I'll see to it that you get your justice, by Cloven decree I swear it." Mohagani said, bowing before walking back up towards the stage.

"Also, joined with us is the kingdom of Ianbal!" Empress Sakuragi spoke, as the strobe lights shifted to their table. Syndel's eyes met hers, it was like she knew what she was doing pushing her buttons, but she kept on anyway. Kendell looked toward the stage with piercing eyes, the empress only smiled as the lights strolled back toward the stage.

"There are many nations here under this roof tonight, and I hope you all continue to enjoy the Summit while we're here. After a musical break, I'll bring on the heir to speak with all of you." She spoke, walking off the stage. The lights slowly came back on, Syndel hopped up almost immediately. Dragging Kendell along as she went up towards the stage.

All eyes were focused on them, as it came down to it, "Well what do we have here?" Orion spoke.

"Adrenis, what the fuck?" Syndel yelled, her mana began to spike.

"I suppose I do owe you an explanation, don't I? Well I'll make it short for you. From the moment of your kingdom's demise. There were already rumors of several nations mobilizing in preparation for it. I warned your father about it, but he chose not to listen to me when the time came. Everything could have still been standing, but I suppose he knew this would be the outcome. This is my family by the way, I'm sure you've met my son. He's something of a compulsive liar. And Kendell, it's good to have you here. You've also grown immensely, I'm proud."

"The scar, where'd it come from?" Kendell asked.

Brandishing the jewels around his wrist, "let's just say, I did what needed to be done for the sake of the new world." He replied grinning.

"Father, enough!" Mohagani yelled.

Everyone turned toward the commotion.

"I'm sure you remember what happened in Matiy, I know you don't want that to happen to your family. So let's leave it at this." Kendell spoke, using imminent domination.

"So be it." He sighed, spinning the cold glass of cognac. Syndel ended up leaving the banquet and going back to their room.

Rene's associates came over, "what was that all about?"

"That's the man who was supposed to protect the king. But he's safe and sound it seems. What do you all know about the siege on Ianbal?" Kendell asked.

"Well, there wasn't much to go off of. But, I did manage to find out that Zigna had declared war on Ianbal a few months ago around Spring. This was quite some time ago though." Marco spoke, thinking.

"That was around the time I came here..." Kendell thought to himself.

"The Queen of Zigna isn't that type of person, so this is weird." Jill chimed in, "Ash, remember when she visited Dilvol? She was in good spirits. Something had to happen in order for someone to find themselves in her wrath. And I'm not saying Ianbal did anything to provoke her, but it is fishy."

"That's true. Kendell can you come with me to the restrooms? I don't feel particularly safe going alone." Rene asked.

"Sure thing, anyone else?" Kendell asked.

"I need to go as well." Ash, Jill, and Marco joined.

As they made it to the doors of the hallway, a woman was walking up to the stage. In the distance, a mix of cheers could be heard. Kendell and Marco stood in front of the mirror, washing their hands, Marcus sparked up the conversation. "So, about the other day, I just wanted to-"

"It's alright, no need to apologize. We're good as long as you stay true to your word."

"Oh... Okay, so haha, this Summit right"

"It's only been a couple of hours but this has been overstimulating."

"So about you and Syndel's situation, where do you see you two heading to after leaving Cloven?"

"I haven't really thought about it... I've been looking at maps and I figured New Augustine would be the best place to go to avoid the eventual conflict with Zigna. But, if not; I'll take things into my own hands and go to Zigna myself. Whatever entails from that though, I'm hoping the latter doesn't need to happen."

"I see, then let me ask you this. Have you ever taken a life?"

"Matiy Incident, I'm sure you know about the number of casualties, I wasn't in control of myself at the moment, but I still hold responsibility for the lives lost on that day. Also, I've broken through the mental ceiling of not being able to kill. It wasn't easy, but it still takes a toll on me mentally. I also hold some responsibility over the siege of Ianbal, because of me being here; so many men, women, and children lost their lives." Kendell's eyes glimmered, his words were laced with pain.

Marco nodded understandingly. "I see, that must weigh heavily on you."

Kendell sighed heavily. "It does. Every life lost is a burden that I carry with me."

"I can imagine. But it's not all on your shoulders, you know," Marco reassured him. "In war, there are always casualties. It's unfortunate, but it's the reality we live in. What's important is that we learn from our mistakes and strive to do better in the future."

Kendell nodded. "I know. But it's hard not to feel responsible for those lives lost. I just hope that someday I can make up for it in some way."

"You will," Marco said with confidence. "You're a good man, Kendell. I believe in you."

Kendell smiled faintly, grateful for Marco's words of encouragement. "Thank you, Marco. That means a lot to me."

"I can empathize with your pain, Kendell. Loss of life, particularly in the context of war, can have a profound impact on one's mental and emotional wellbeing. During my tenure with the Ministry of Alcof, I also encountered my share of deaths, working alongside Rene, Jillian, and Ash. It's never easy, but we continue to press on in the hopes of a better future. However, it's crucial to prioritize self-care. It's important to find moments of peace and tranquility amidst the chaos. Whether it's spending time with loved ones or pursuing a hobby that brings you joy, make sure to take care of yourself, Kendell." Marco's expression was serious as he spoke, indicating the gravity of the situation.

Kendell's mind drifted to the moments of quiet and peace he had experienced with Syndel. They were few and far between, but they were precious to him. He wondered how much longer they would be able to share these moments together. The thought of their time together coming to an end at any moment weighed heavily on his mind. He didn't want to lose her, but he also knew that the dangers they faced were very real. For now, he would cherish every moment they had together and hope that they could find a way to make their future together a reality.

"One of the Sakuragis mentioned the Frost Giant being here. The one responsible for the siege... At least I want to assume. Have there been any other sieges in the past months?"

"Tuteni was besieged by Matiy, Zigna also raided Afliar and the kingdom fell in one night. But, anything other than that? No, but it is strange. There were reports that what remains of Ianbal is completely frozen over as if winter struck." Marco replied, as they walked out of the restrooms.

"What're you guys talking about?" Ash asked.

"Just guy things," Marco grinned.

"I should go check up on Syndel, you got it from here right?" Kendell directly asked Marco.

"For sure, good luck."

Kendell headed to the elevators and pressed the up button, standing patiently waiting for the elevator to come down. Suddenly, his senses began to dull, starting with his sense of smell, followed by his hearing and then his sight. Panic set in as he tried to steady himself, but before he could react, a sharp pain shot through the back of his head, causing him to fall to the ground, unconscious.

When he came to, he found himself bound and unable to move his limbs. All of his senses were still disrupted, and he felt weak due to the deactivation of his Ragnarök abilities, causing his hair to turn black.

A few moments passed before he heard footsteps approaching, and the sound of the door opening made him flinch, though he couldn't see who it was.

"Good. Now we can begin phase two. Take him to the dungeon," a voice instructed, sending shivers down Kendell's spine.

Several pairs of hands lifted him and carried him away, leaving him unable to resist or fight back. He had no idea where they were taking him or why, but he knew it couldn't be anything good.

At this moment, Syndel felt a sudden wave of panic wash over her as Kendell's life signal and mana went limp. She immediately sprinted towards the elevators leading down from their room, her heart pounding in her chest.

As she ran, she tried to follow the faint signal, but quickly became disoriented and lost. Her breathing became ragged and she felt tears welling up in her eyes.

"Oh gods, Kendell, where are you?" she muttered to herself, her voice shaking with fear. "I can't lose you too, I've lost too much!"

She tried to keep moving, following her intuition as best she could, but her mind was clouded with worry and uncertainty. All she could do was hope that she was moving in the right direction and that she would find Kendell soon.

When she reached the point where the faint signal felt strongest, she knew Kendell was long gone, tears welled up in her eyes and anger bubbled inside her. She dashed towards the event hall, frustration, and fear gnawed at her as she retraced her steps.

Finally, she burst through the doors of the event hall, drawing everyone's attention. Mohagani, who had sensed something was amiss, was the first to approach her. Syndel ignored her and strode straight up to Empress Reiki Sakuragi.

"Where the fuck is he?" she snapped, her expression cold and pained.

"I don't know what's going on, but--" Adrenis began to say.

"Shut the fuck up already," Syndel cut him off. "This has nothing to do with you, so stay in your seat and stop talking. Now, Reiki, where is Kendell?" Reiki's expression was surprising.

The cloven knights moved in between Syndel and the Empress's family. Orion returned to the party, looking puzzled. "What's going on, father?" he asked.

Ash, Jillian, Marco, and Rene stepped up beside Syndel. Rene took Syndel's hand and immediately received a flood of memories, filling her in on what had happened to Kendell.

"You, where is Kendell?" Syndel demanded of Orion.

Orion played dumb and responded with a question of his own, which only infuriated Syndel further. "I knew coming to this bullshit was a mistake," she seethed. Several people in attendance started to talk, but Rai and Kayin rose from their seats and approached Syndel's side.

"We'll help search for him," they offered.

Then the realization hit Reiki. "Kendell's missing? I didn't expect this to happen. Search for Kendell, all of you," she commanded the knights, who promptly moved out of the way. Reiki approached Syndel, apologizing profusely. "I'm so sorry about this. I didn't understand what you meant at first. I hope we can find Kendell and resolve any tension between us."

Syndel's expression remained unchanged as she looked past Reiki and locked eyes with Adrenis, her rage like a broken faucet, spilling out in waves.