Chapter 15: Evacuation [2]

Meanwhile, inside the Holy Church of Angelbay City, Luke was praying in one of the small private rooms.

He had just come out of his meditation trance, a common habit of his whenever he entered a holy place. He wanted to be spiritually in touch with the gods before proceeding with the formal prayers.

It was strange, though. The meditation felt different this time, but he couldn't figure out why.

Kneeling on the soft carpet, he reached out and touched the flowers on the altar, marveling at how soft the petals were.

"Something pulled me here," he said quietly, his voice echoing softly against the soundproof walls. "Or rather, was it someone?"

Was it that man whom he had encountered earlier? The one with the black hair and pretty gray eyes.

Luke sighed softly.

He didn't know why, but he ran as soon as the stranger's friend called his name. The friend's appearance was strikingly familiar, which was probably what triggered his flight response. He then sought refuge in the Church and asked for a private room, wanting to be alone for a while and gather his thoughts.

Now that he thought about it, the friend looked remarkably like the Prince of Angelbay City, Evangelon Silvermane.

Luke could not risk being seen by someone from the royal family. That would only cause him unnecessary trouble.

His thoughts soon drifted back to the stranger.

I wonder who he was? he thought, feeling his heart twist slightly. He also seemed so familiar.

But I'm sure that I have never met him before.

Or have I?

He thought back to everything that happened so far today. When he thought about it deeply, something was odd. Very odd.

The people outside were in joyous celebration, but the priests in this Church were in chaos. They were all in a state of unease.

Even in Luke's condition, he could sense it. It practically permeated the air.

Despite their distraction when he arrived earlier, he had managed to get a room on the third floor. Hardly anyone was there, maybe because they were all at the banquet.

He had never been fond of grand celebrations, but he probably should've gone inside the castle for a quick visit. That way, he could know what it was like to enter a royal family's home.

Again, Luke. No risks.

He sighed again. He just felt so uneasy for some reason. He had thought that coming here would ease the tension in his heart, but strangely, the discomfort only grew. He didn't know what to do, and he didn't understand why.

Was a storm really brewing just like he had told Zach earlier?

He hoped not.

There were only a few dangers left in this world after the Calamity was sealed away, and that monster wouldn't be coming back for at least five more years. They had a long time of peace remaining.

But still…

Should I have gone straight to that man earlier? he wondered. I feel a little regret that I didn't get to hear his voice.

Or know his nam—

Luke winced as he suddenly felt a slight pain coming from his forehead.

What? he thought in surprise.

Why?

Why was the mark on his forehead hurting?

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"Come here, Ardyn." Ansel gestured for Ardyn to come closer, which he did. "You too, Evan."

Evan walked over to Ansel's other side without a word.

Ansel then turned to Ardyn again. "Can I hold your hand?" he asked.

Ardyn hesitated only for a moment before nodding. "Sure. Do what you have to do."

Ansel smiled brightly before reaching out and taking Ardyn's hand in his. The touch was warm and friendly, almost comforting.

The transition was subtle; there was a tingling sensation, like a gentle breeze passing through his skin. The world around them seemed to shift slightly, the atmosphere becoming heavier.

Fortunately, the unusual sensation faded as quickly as it had come.

Then, right in front of Ardyn's eyes, Ansel's appearance became hazy, as if he were a blurry figure in a high-definition environment.

It was jarring, to say the least. It wasn't just his face, it was his entire body from head to toe. Ansel seemed to be surrounded by a faint aurora-like glow, almost as if he were shrouded in a transparent veil.

Ardyn felt like his eyes were playing tricks on him, and it made his head hurt for a brief moment.

"What in the—"

"Don't be surprised! It's just my magic!" Ansel quickly assured. "You can't tell because I'm sharing it between you and Evan, but we're invisible right now."

"We are? Really?" Ardyn said in disbelief. Then again, it was difficult to perceive their hazy appearances as being 'invisible'. It just felt like he needed prescription glasses, and fast.

Evan watched him in amusement. "It looks weird, doesn't it? There's not that much of a difference," he remarked. "I felt the same way when Ansel first tried it on me. But he always says that it's supposed to indicate that your aura is completely invisible to others."

"I found a mirror!" Ansel exclaimed, pointing to a nearby wall where a lone mirror hung. "You can see for yourself."

Ardyn, still finding it hard to believe, went over and stood in front of the mirror.

And his eyes almost bugged out of their sockets.

"I have no reflection?!" he exclaimed. He stared at his hands, which were a little blurry and glowing a faint green, then back at the mirror in disbelief. "Oh my god! I—I'm a vampire!"

"You're a what?" Ansel said, confused.

"I'm a vam — okay, you know what, forget it. The concept might not exist in this world." Instead, Ardyn quickly grabbed a nearby vase and tried waving it in front of the mirror. Eerily, only the vase moved and floated in the air despite Ardyn still having it in his grip.

"Bro!" he exclaimed, jaw open in shock. "This is awesome! Look at me! I really can't be seen!"

Ansel and Evan watched in surprise as Ardyn continued to gleefully wave the vase around in front of the mirror.

"That's... actually the first time I've ever seen him that excited," Evan said, blinking slowly.

"He must like my magic so much!" Ansel stated proudly.

After the initial excitement wore off, the three of them walked down the corridor, careful not to bump into anyone. When a few soldiers suddenly rushed by, Ansel quickly pulled Evan and Ardyn and pressed their backs together against the wall.

"That was close," he whispered.

The rest of the way was a breeze. Since the soldiers and their respective captains were in an urgent meeting, there was hardly anyone else in the hallways.

Evan carefully opened the back doors, checked for any other guards, and then motioned for Ansel and Ardyn to follow. The three of them walked to the back of the castle and stopped in front of the thick stone walls.

"Ah. My magic wore out," Ansel remarked as the faint aurora-like hue on their bodies faded away. "I guess I can't keep two more people invisible for too long."

"It's fine. Thank you, Ansel." Evan reached out and patted him on the shoulder. "You've been a big help. I mean it."

Ansel's features instantly brightened. "Anything for you, Evan!" he said proudly.

"All right." Evan's features softened in affection. "You should leave now before anyone sees you. You can still cast invisibility on yourself, right?"

Ansel looked at his hand for a moment, as if measuring his current capacity. "Yep!" he answered afterwards. "I can still do it!"

"See you, Ansel," Ardyn called out, feeling a little sad at the thought of parting. Even though they hadn't interacted much, he still felt a bit of fondness for the boy.

"See you, Ardyn! It was nice meeting you!" Ansel said with a grin before reaching out to wrap Ardyn in a tight hug.

Before Ardyn could even respond, the younger man had already let go and waved at them before running off, his body taking on a faint aurora glow once more.

Ardyn watched him go with a sinking feeling in his stomach.

From now on, he would be all alone.

"Once you leave, there's no turning back," Evan said as he recreated the hidden passage. "If the worst situation comes, like your identity getting exposed, just run. Run far away and get on that boat in Ravencoast. The most important thing is that you reach Prismond Town in one piece. All right?"

Ardyn nodded. "I got it. Don't worry. You told me that a million times already." He smiled. "I'm stronger than you think. I'm older than you, after all. Even if it's only just a year."

Evan chuckled. "Right."

The two of them stood there in a brief moment of silence, as though reluctant to part ways.

"Ardyn…" Evan said softly. "Live well, okay? Promise me."

"I will," Ardyn promised.

Then he stepped forward and locked Evan in a tight embrace.

Even though he wasn't the affectionate type, Ardyn just wanted to do something like this. It felt like it would be a long, long time before he would meet Evan again.

Although they only met each other for a day, Ardyn felt like he was parting from a younger brother, and it sent a dull ache in his chest.

"You too, all right?" Ardyn mumbled. "You have to survive and live well. Promise me, too."

"…I will try," Evan whispered, closing his eyes as he hugged Ardyn back. "I promise."

It was now goodbye.

Evan watched as Ardyn went through the passage and waved at him before eventually disappearing from his sight.

And then the smile slowly slipped from his face.

"Thank you," he muttered softly, letting the vulnerability seep into his expression. "I'll never forget you, Ardyn."

He returned the stone wall to its original form, and then he turned his back and walked away.