Chapter 5 S2

The palace servants rushed to the emperor's cries. The palace nursing staff were quickly called and Jibaru was also rushed in. Before long, the huge building had turned into an effervescent beehive. The chief physician soon noticed that the young prince's energy flow was unstable. He was immediately transferred to the treatment unit specialising in energy treatments. Jibaru soon joined them there. 

There was panic on every face. The prognosis was not good. The Prince had lost consciousness due to interference with his energy network which, for some reason, had caused something to hold the Prince's consciousness in the depths of his mind and prevent it from returning. It was as if it was trapped somewhere and couldn't return to its rightful place on its own. 

When Jibaru arrived, everyone was awaiting his verdict with apprehension. The emperor couldn't help imagining the worst. Like everyone else, he awaited the words of the expert in natural energy with impatience. 

-I'm afraid this is out of my area of expertise," the young angel finally decreed, with a grim look on his face. 

-What do you mean, outside your area of expertise?" stammered the Emperor, who refused to believe what he had just heard. 

-Your Majesty... tried to reason with his advisor. 

But words failed him. He didn't dare tell her the terrible news. With an infinitely painful expression, he shook his head and sighed. 

-The problem is... I'm not competent in this situation... he tried to explain again. 

But words eluded him. He himself refused to condemn his friend, but he felt really helpless. What he had felt when he examined the Prince's condition had sent chills down his spine. Another presence had taken hold of him and used his physical weakness to drive his mind away. Something extremely powerful. Something that terrified him. 

In a spontaneous burst of courage, he turned towards the Emperor and was about to speak when a voice interrupted him before he could open his mouth. 

-Niyari has taken control of his body," the voice said. If she isn't stopped now, she will soon have complete control over him and it will be impossible to bring him back. Your son is being devoured from the inside by this monster, that's what's happening. 

Lou had appeared in the doorway. A cape with fur around the neck and shoulders, her words sent a chill down the spine. She had simply announced the Prince's imminent spiritual death. The crease on the emperor's forehead intensified. His thoughts raced. 

-Niyari took advantage of her state of weakness to regain the upper hand..., he muttered thoughtfully. 

-I thought she'd need at least three days to overcome her tenacity, but apparently I misjudged the danger," admitted the master of blades. She's much more powerful than I thought. Time has barely erased her power, it's terrifying. 

She approached the table on which the young angel had been seated. All those who had gathered around respectfully stood aside. The young-looking angel had a natural aura that intimidated those around her. She placed her hand on the angel's forehead. A few moments later, a golden glow radiated from it before the shocked eyes of the assembly. She raised her hand and a stylised lotus symbol adorned Niris's forehead, as bright as the sun beneath his skin. 

-The seal is disappearing," she said. We've only got a few minutes. 

-I can strengthen it, that will keep her in peace for a while at least," suggested the emperor, who was still looking for a way to save his son. 

All around the table, the doctors and experts had stepped aside to make way for the master of blades. They recognised his authority in the matter and left the prince to his care. 

-it won't be enough. The seal is too weak to hold her now. It's no longer strong enough to work," retorted the angel, shattering what little hope the father had for his son. 

-So..." began Aroslan with a look of despair. 

-Don't worry, there are other methods of sealing a demonic spirit in an energetic body," she reassured him with a sigh. 

She knew she was being harsh, but she didn't have time to worry about the Emperor's emotional distress. She had to concentrate on her mission because it was not an easy task. If she knew how to do it, it required a phenomenal amount of natural energy and a relentless mastery of the art of the deadly seal. But she had been asleep for years and had only just regained the connection with her body.

"I've only regained a third of my original power, so it'll be difficult to do anything effective with that," she said to herself inwardly. She said nothing so as not to alarm the Aegean emperor more than necessary, but she knew that the operation would be more than risky. All the same, it was a case of going for broke...

-I need a covinier," she ordered. I need one with at least seven hours' capacity. Bring me everything you have made in Engite, whatever it is, weapons, cooking utensils, whatever! I need as much as possible. Then close all the doors to this room and place a double energy barrier around it. You need spiritual and magnetic energy protection. There must be no interference from the outside. Finally, all those who are not needed for the operation must leave. It will be impossible to leave the room for the next seven hours. Quick! You've got ten minutes! 

Reacting at once, the occupants of the room sprang into action as if suddenly stung by a mickey wasp. Some rushed out while others gathered to discuss setting up the barriers. Before long, the palace was turned upside down to bring the Master of Blades the items she had requested. 

Without wasting any time, Lou removed her cloak and placed it on an empty chair. She rolled up the sleeves of her shirt and leaned forward to examine the body of the sleeping prince. Her long silver hair, tied back in a ponytail and gleaming in the dim light of the examination room, gave her the air of a medium in a trance. 

-I'm going to force my way into your son's mind and bring him back to a state of waking consciousness," she began to explain to the Emperor, Jibaru and the Chief Physician, who had remained beside her. At the same time, I would force Niyari to return to her spiritual lair and disinvest her body. Next....

She paused for a moment and glanced at the emperor. He had come to his senses and was wearing the cold expression he was accustomed to wearing when carrying out his duties. The angel relaxed. She was reassured not to have to deal with the man in front of her suffering son. She resumed speaking more calmly, marking each of her words so that they would be clearly understood by those she was speaking to. 

-Niyari won't stay inside quietly now that she knows Zorkiel is alive. A simple seal of restriction, however elaborate, will not be enough to confine her to the unconsciousness of Niris. She'll do everything she can to emerge and take possession of his mind at any moment. We need something more binding. 

She paused again to make sure they were following her. Then she met the young adviser's horrified gaze. 

-You're not telling us that... You're going to apply a deadly seal to Niris? he said in a white voice. 

The master of blades sighed. That was the problem with intelligent people, they were always quick to understand what was going on. 

-If that's exactly what I'm saying," she confirmed the young administrator's suspicions. I have no choice but to place a death seal on Niris until we can find a more stable solution. 

-But he could die at any moment! The slightest misstep will cost him his life, it's insane...

-Jibaru," cut in the Emperor in a dry voice. We can't let Niyari take control of Niris' body, it would be a disaster. 

-Your Majesty...!" the young angel tried to protest, but the Emperor told him to be quiet with authority. 

-It's the best solution given the situation. Niyari won't be able to take control of her host's body without causing her death, so she won't be able to act. And Niris will be able to regain consciousness. 

Jibaru bit his lip. He knew that the Emperor was thinking about the future and the consequences of Niyari's possession of Niris for the whole intergalaxy before he thought about his son. He knew that it was for the general good that this solution had been taken, but he couldn't accept it. His friend was going to live with a sword of Damocles hanging over his head, ready to fall on him at the slightest misstep. Just thinking about it made his heart race in his chest. 

Unable to contain himself any longer, he was about to leave the room and take refuge from the whole situation, which was far too emotionally intense for him, when the Emperor's voice called him back. 

-Where are you going? You must stay and assist Master Lou. This is a golden opportunity to learn how to make lethal seals, and you mustn't miss it. We need to be able to protect ourselves from Niyari when the Master of Blades is no longer with us, so it's your duty to pass on the knowledge. I want you to stay and assist him for the duration of the operation," he ordered in his sharp voice. 

A shiver ran through Jibaru's body. He closed his eyes, trying to calm the surge of emotion that had come over him when he heard the Emperor's words. He wanted to scream that he didn't care, that he wasn't cut out for this, and that he was too afraid of death to do such a thing, but he held back. He didn't say anything, because he knew that if he took this job he might have to deal with similar situations. If he had hoped that the day would never come when he would have to act as a statesman capable of taking cold decisions in situations of extreme danger directly involving the lives of people close to him, he knew that he could no longer escape. He was going to have to do as he was told. Keep quiet and swallow the emotions that were making his lips tremble. He had to toughen up. 

After regaining a semblance of self-control, he turned around and, in a voice paler than he had intended, replied to the Emperor. 

-Very well, I'll assist Master Lou. I will learn all there is to know about the death seals and I will transcribe today's events so that they become part of the collective memory of our people. 

He complemented his answer with a short bow. Satisfied, Aroslan accepted his answer with a brief nod. The Master of Swords watched the situation with interest. The Emperor had been harsh, but she could see what he was getting at. By making this young man one of the people with knowledge of the process the prince was about to undergo, he was ensuring that someone close to his son would be able to intervene if anything happened to Niyari if she wasn't around. It was a wise move, even if it was extremely violent for the young angel, who was obviously very sensitive by nature. 

-Can we trust your staff?" she asked the Emperor after turning away from Jibaru. 

-They have all sworn an oath of silence under duress, so you can trust them completely. 

-Good," she replied firmly. 

The servants who had gone to fetch the items requested by the Master of Blades had returned, and piles of scrap metal belongings littered the floor on either side. Six others entered carrying an enormous object in the shape of a half-open chest. Its smooth ochre walls gave it the strange appearance of jewellery straight from the elves. 

The visibly heavy object was placed on the other side of the table on which Niris lay. One of the men rushed to Lou's side, waiting for the final preparations to be made before getting down to work. 

-This covinier has a capacity of nine and a half hours. It will undoubtedly supply you with natural energy for that long, as we use it as the palace's main reserve," he assured her. 

Lou nodded briefly in agreement. With a quick glance, she saw that everyone was ready. The two barriers were in place and energy experts were sitting in circles around the room, meditating to hold them in place for the duration of the operation. She then turned to the Emperor to announce that she was about to begin. 

-I'll stay to support the barriers," he announced. Jibaru will be assisting you, so don't hesitate to lean on him, he's the best in his field and will be a great help. The chief physician will stay to monitor Niris' state of health and will assist you in your task so that you don't need to worry about causing physical damage to Niris. He will be there to protect his organs and tissues during your energetic and spiritual exploration. 

Lou nodded. She was satisfied. The Emperor had the situation under control, and she was pleasantly surprised to see that he knew the seal technique so well. 

-You are full of surprises, Aroslan d'Egea," she conceded with a slight smile. 

He thanked her for the compliment and bowed deferentially. She would have liked to talk to him a little more, but she didn't have the time. The seal was on the verge of breaking. She had to start any minute. Mentally, she took stock of how the process was going. She had a guaranteed autonomy of nine and a half hours, but her body, which had just woken up, could not withstand an operation of this type for more than seven hours. So she had to finish in that time or risk dying of exhaustion in the meantime. 

It would take her two to three hours to pierce the prince's spiritual protection, and at least four and a half hours to put the seal in place. It would take her at least two and a half hours to bring out Niris' consciousness and push Niyari back into her lair. It was only fair, but she could do it. With the doctor's help, she could go faster, knowing that she wouldn't risk destroying her organs as she plunged into the angel's mind, and she had precious help with her. 

Ready to start, she took one last look at the examination room. A heavy silence had fallen over its occupants. Everyone was waiting, heart pounding, for the fateful moment that would launch them into a gruelling marathon to save the world. Lou smiled at the thought. It had been a long time since she'd felt like that, that exhilarating sensation that came over her when she faced an immense danger that only she could overcome. It was one of the satisfactions of the Masters, and also one of their nemeses. But she fully embraced the excitement she felt when she had to face a life-threatening situation. She was an extreme gambler. She was born for it. 

-Good! she said to the assembly. The operation I'm about to launch will last a total of seven hours and is extremely dangerous. If I fail, you will all die instantly, and me with you. It's time to leave if you're not prepared to put your life on the line here and now. 

Nobody moved. Lou smiled in satisfaction. That was what she loved about angels. They were filled with true strength, the kind that made you forget your life for a greater cause with the most Olympian calm. 

-Now, I'm going to start the operation. I want you to know that the slightest interruption and I die too. You mustn't move or speak for the duration of the process, or we're all dead. I'm counting on you. 

Again, dead silence. Everyone was concentrating. It was perfect. Concentrating in turn, she took a deep breath and cleared her mind. With her left hand, she grasped the dragon scale she wore as a necklace, which resonated with the engite objects she had brought. With her other hand, she placed it on her patient's chest. She closed her eyes. A few seconds later, a wave of energy passed through her body and into that of the Prince. Her mind plunged. She had left her body for that of the angel.

The operation had begun.