Mistand 14

"The only thing that matters is that you both are fine and safe," Lia needed to cheer them up. It was good they were reflecting and knew they had to get stronger but there was no use worrying about things that have already happened and couldn't be changed.

"We also were almost captured," Mika said and then told everyone about their encounter with Oldie which funnily made Mika tremble with anger.

"What a weird person, a few kicks would've set him straight," Lily also was angry and annoyed at Oldie despite never meeting him.

The mood got better and gradually lightened up until the attendant came back.

"Miss Lia, could you please follow me? Elder T would like to see you."

Everyone in the room quieted down and Lia stood up. Seeing how Susa wanted to go with her, Lia said, "I'm fine. Just rest here."

Then the attendant led Lia through the palace to Elder T's study chamber.

"Elder T, miss Lia has arrived," the attendant announced their presence before bowing and leaving the room.

The studies were laid out like Lia's room but it was considerably darker. The bleak, dark blue walls and ceiling couldn't be lit up by the dim light that hung over the desk full of documents.

The desk was on an elevated platform while the rest of the room was on the ground. Elder T, wearing a black robe with a black tall hat embedded with a talisman, sat on a chair behind the desk and put down his book as his attendant excused himself.

He stared at Lia and his serious face let no emotions through. Lia bowed and greeted him.

"Elder T," yet she didn't mutter any words of thanks to his hospitality. It was a simple acknowledgement, not less and not more. Just like how their connection and relationship with each other would be.

"I won't waste much time," Elder T started, "I acknowledge the fact that you'll be the Immortal King. The T family has a history of loyally serving and supporting the Immortal King. As you can imagine with the change of times, perceptions, opinions and traditions changed too."

"I understand, Elder T. If that is your final decision, I won't force you," Lia immediately caught on what Elder T meant.

In the past, the T family would have gladly served the Immortal King but just as time changed people also changed and the T family now wouldn't lend the same support to Lia as it has once done.

"You are clever enough, I commend you for that," Elder T had an imposing aura but also the air of a scholar surrounding him. He might be cold and abrasive but he didn't do anything that went against his own beliefs. And he firmly stood behind his decisions with no ounce of regret and nothing swaying him.

Realising this, Lia somehow respected him for that. She also hoped that one day she could reach that kind of unswerving trust and believe in everything she did and not be swayed by the repercussions.

"That is the stance of me regarding the T family. As for my son," Elder T sighed and rubbed his temple, "His decision I can't change. He's as stubborn as me. With that said, the T family won't be supporting you, future Immortal King, so don't count on the T family's help."

"Yes I will heed your words, however," Lia's lips curved, "Thank you."

Even if the T family wouldn't stand behind Lia, as long as Elder T didn't force Noel to abide by the T family's tradition and stop him from joining her, she didn't mind. Noel alone was more than enough.

Elder T also got Lia's sentiment and remained quiet as he observed the sole daughter of the K family. In his heart, he secretly apologised to Elder K but Elder T would remain firm. This path of the Immortal King, Lia would've to take alone without any help from the old ones that belonged to the past.

"A word of advice. Don't let my son do whatever he wants."

Lia froze but then smiled. Even Noel's father knew what mischievous nature Noel had and what a troublemaker he was.

"I will take those words to heart," Lia bowed.

She left Elder T behind who picked up the book again and let out another sigh but then she stopped and gracefully said, "Also thank you for letting us stay."

The door closed and Lia vanished from Elder T's sigh. Elder T's face remained unimpressed but his heart felt heavy.

Meanwhile, as Lia went to Elder T, Noel joined the others in Lia's room.

"Hey Xavi, stop pretending now. Lia's not here, will you properly indulge me?" Noel grinned as he sat next to Xavi and pinched his cheeks.

The lollipop swirled in Xavi's mouth and he produced indecipherable words.

"Stop abusing young masters!" Lily hit Noel on the shoulders and freed Xavi from him.

"You know each other?" Mika raised his eyebrow.

"Maria," Noel said but then added, "Also met in the core once, right? After the business was done with the P and C family."

"You were also pretending," Xavi rubbed his cheeks and assured Lily he was fine, "And it was very brief the only time I met you."

"Oh ok," Noel waved his hand and then put his head in its palm, "We haven't introduced ourselves yet right?"

"I'm Noel, T family as you can see."

"I'm Nana! U family from the Veil! My power's to heal and fly! I can grow wings! Pleased to meet you!" Nana was excited to meet new people and see more of the world. She was still worried about her siblings but this was the path she chose.

"Nice to meet you," Noel smiled at her.

"D family Mika, likewise from Veil, I can summon."

"I'm Susa, also Veil, I family. Clairvoyance is my power. Pleasure to meet you."

"Great!" Noel clapped, "Then that's all of the hidden families, at least this side."

Xavi nodded.

"But we seem to be all around the same age?" Noel spoke out what everyone has been secretly thinking about.

"It's fine, isn't it," Mika wasn't too bothered.

"It's nice!" Nana was happy that she could meet peers and make friends.

"By the way, Noel. Maria said you'd go home after what happened at the facility, but you just came back?"

"Ah yea, I went to the mortal world."

"The mortal world?"

"Yeah, I've met Yano and co. They're all doing good, enjoying the mortal life. Seriously, the mortals have things that are too unfair not to have here. I was tempted to bring some stuff back."

"Is it that great?" Nana has heard of the mortal world but being stuck in a place, she hasn't known much of it.

"It is! I can't even begin to tell you all about it."

"Wait," Susa interrupted, "What have you been doing in the mortal world? And how did you get permission?"

"Having Maria's really inconvenient," Noel grinned again but then turned serious, "After the disaster at the facility and realising I can't do anything against the Ghost King's private army, I was in a rut. So who to turn to train than to the best exorcist out of all times, right?"

***

After Elder T allowed everyone to stay in the mansion thanks to Noel, they enjoyed the rest of the day before they went training the next.

Inside the mansion was a spacious room void of anything that they used as their training ground. The seven of them assembled around a corpse on the ground that one of the attendants brought them.

Since Noel's power was to buff the corpses, it was best to let him first train this ability before moving onto something complicated such as copying others' powers.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Xavi wasn't keen on letting Lia use her power again.

"It's only one corpse," Lia was sure this wouldn't have too much of an effect on her.

Yet as she followed the procedure she always used to do nothing happened, only great pain overcame her.

"I…I can't do it," Lia panted and dropped to the ground. Sweat formed on her forehead.

"Lia!" Noel was the first to rush to her and propped her up.

Susa held Lia's hand and her expression darkened, "Your soul is completely in tiny bits! How did you let this happen?"

"I… didn't notice," Lia really didn't. She thought she had only ripped half of her soul but she actually destroyed everything? Why didn't she sense it? Was her awareness of her own body decreasing?

For the rest of the training, Lia had to sit out again and watch everyone progressing. It'd be a lie to say that Lia wasn't afraid, scared of the consequence of tearing her soul apart. And the worries she felt, slightly ate her alive from the inside.

What would happen to her? How long could her body last? How long could she last? Would she soon die? Lia didn't want to feed these thoughts and rid her mind by focusing on the others.

Yet it was impossible for her not to think about it again.

"Hey," suddenly a voice appeared next to her. Lia slightly jumped and turned to Noel. He took her hand and drew a star, "Make a wish."

Lia's lips turned to a fine line.

"C'mon, it's not childish. Close your eyes and make a wish. Hurry the star will lose its effect."

Lia stared at Noel's serious face before she closed her eyes and did as he said.

Make a wish? What wish did she have?

There were too many things but in the end, she decided on one. That everything would be ok.

Nothing more and nothing less than that. If the future was kind to her, if the future held joy for her and everyone else, that was enough.

"Did you?"

Lia nodded and Noel gave her hand a high-five before turning his head forwards to watch the others.

"Don't worry, everything will be alright."

As if Noel could read her mind, he magically spoke those words she wished for.

"My old man should know something. We'll figure it out, ok?"

Lia nodded again and didn't say anything. She didn't know why. But a warm feeling slowly eased her worries away. It would be a funny thought back then to see that Noel one day comforted her. Now, it was natural.

Lia didn't need to thank him, Noel already knew whatever she wanted to say. The day passed quickly and after dinner, Lia and Noel headed to his father's studies.

Lia had neutral thoughts towards Elder T. She understood where he came from but at the same time, if Noel didn't come in time and helped, Lia would've never forgiven Elder T.

"Noel told me about the problem you're facing," Elder T for the first time stood up from his chair and walked up to Lia. He sized Lia up for a long while before taking her hand and viewed it.

"I did say I wouldn't help you."

"Yes."

"Yet you still come to ask me?"

"Elder T, by all means, it was your son's idea."

Elder T's face slightly softened, "My son is a bad influence."

"Old man," Noel scratched the back of his head as Elder T glared at him.

"There was once a ring the Immortal King made, with his powers stored in order to let his successor inherit it. The Immortal King didn't want to appoint a successor and this was the only way to pass his powers down. It only contains a fraction of his powers, so if anyone gets their hands on it, they wouldn't receive the Immortal King's powers directly. The Immortal King had to give his own power to his successor," Elder T paused and looked at Lia,

"It might help you regulate your powers and help you use your life force. But be warned, it's only an assumption of mine."

Elder T folded his hands behind his back, "This ring used to be in my possession after Elder A…. after he gave it to me. Due to some circumstances, it's not clear where the ring is. My only recollection is that it might be in the capital."

This was more than Lia could ask for. She bowed and sincerely said, ''Thank you, Elder T. Your help is more than enough."

"Let's hope so," Elder T waved them away and once they disappeared Elder T sighed for the third time. He didn't want to help Lia because after all, the path of the immortal King was a bloody and brutal one. Nothing else demanded more sacrifices than becoming an Immortal King.

No one else's life was more tragic and lonelier than the Immortal King's. This was a fact, an iron rule that could never be bend. After all, anything powerful would also have its downside pulling the weight for it to be fair.

The previous Immortal King couldn't escape it, and Lia wouldn't either. But what made Elder T's heart a million times heavier was that he knew. Knew of the disaster that was coming yet still had to let go of everything he and the hidden families had left.

***

Lia and Noel briefed the others about the ring.

"Then we head to the capital," Xavi concluded, "Actually Susa also had something to announce."

"Lia, I saw… a way you can mend your soul," Susa hesitatingly started.

"Really?" Lia widened her eyes.

"But, it's someone's power and this person is right now in the academy."

"You mean the one Min has created?"

"Yes, but it might be not easy getting him to help you. In addition, he still hasn't received his powers yet."

"In other words, I need to gain his trust and make him help me without him noticing. What would be the best way to do that?" Lia absentmindedly muttered.

If he was in the academy, it's a good thing because they needed to go to the capital anyway but the bad news was that they'd be right under the eyes of Mie. Even worse news was that this power might not helpLia.

"Infiltrate," Mika spoke up.

"That's plausible," Xavi agreed, "You need to gain his trust as a fellow student, no, as a teacher. Guide him, earn his trust and then figure out how to make him help you."

"This is easier said than done. In the first place, how am I going to get into the academy? I'm basically known," Lia frankly had enough of infiltration after the facility.

"Maria could do something," Noel spoke up.

"Meanwhile, we look for the ring," Xavi concluded.

"You all surely don't think it'd be this easy," Lia still couldn't believe they really thought this could work.

"Simple plan's the best," Noel nodded his head seriously.

"I don't think we should let Lia go alone, I want to infiltrate with Lia but as a student. Since I'm the weakest and slow to learn, I think the academy could help me too," Nana spoke up.

"Good idea. Then it's settled. Deal!" Noel jumped up and laughed.

Lia really thought this wasn't going to go well.