CHAPTER EIGHT

Seeing my mother for the first and last time in this lifetime meant a lot to me. I learned that she was with me and watching over me ever since. And now that I retrieved my memories and the knowledge of my powers, I swear that no harm shall come to the Land of Dawn and its inhabitants, be they good or evil.

As I got out the magic room of Horror Castle, the ground shook. I almost lost my balance and fell but then someone caught me before I hit the floor. "Lunox, you're safe. I'm so glad." It was Belerick.

"Belerick? What is happening?"

"There is a battle outside, between our soldiers and the undead army of this place."

"What? Where's Odette? Have they saved her?"

"Yes, a guy named Claude who suddenly appeared and was able to rescue her so quick. Come, we must go now."

Belerick and I ran towards the castle's exit. And outside was the clash between Captain Tigreal's army and the army of the undead, led by a man who rides a horse. The battle seemed to never end, and on the side of the undead was a terrifying woman sitting of some king of mobile throne and Faramis was by her side. She must be the dark Queen Vexana. But something wasn't right, Faramis wasn't himself. The glow on his eyes was different. "You will all become my slaves!" Shrieked the woman.

"Warriors of Light! Never give in!" Then both sides engaged at each other. It was a devastating bloodshed of a clash. Both sides lost men, but neither of them gave up.

Belerick let me ride his back, and he brought me somewhere safe within the forest near. And there, we arrived to see a guy – who apparently was Claude - and Kimmy discussing safety measures, Odette unconscious aided by an angel, and a boy who seemed to have been rescued as well. "Healing for everyone!" Then the angel cast a light which healed the boy and Odette. The boy regained his strength but Odette did not wake up yet. I was curious why no one was able to see the angel, not Belerick, not Claude and not Kimmy. I was the only one who could see her, and then she spoke to me. "Hello, Lunox. I see you have come a long way. I am Rafaela, servant of the Lord of Light, and he wishes to say that he's proud of you. Now, I must leave them under your protection, and I must help our wariors defeat the undead." Afterwards, the angel named Rafaela flew under a halo of light and faded. And I knew that she was going to help Captain Tigreal defeat Vexana's army, as she said to me. "Thank you, Rafaela." I mumbled, gladly no one heard me say it.

I got down of Belerick's back, and I ran to Odette as soon as I got my feet on the ground. "Odette!" I hugged her so tight. "I'm glad you're rescued, and you're safe." I knew that she couldn't hear me because of her unconsciousness, but I was really glad and grateful that she is safe now.

"Lunox! You're back!" Kimmy excitedly greeted me while smiling. "It's nice to have you back." Then he pulled Claude right to her side and introduced him to me. "By the way, this is Claude. He rescued Odette on his own. None of us were able to pass through security, but he was so good at it, none of the guards was able to keep up with his agility." Claude looked embarrassed by the way Kimmy told me everything. And there I smelled something fishy, it was like Kimmy is drawn to this guy named Claude in spite of her boyish actions.

I asked Belerick to carry Odette on his back then I walked towards Claude. "Thank you, for saving a dear friend of mine. And I'm so sorry that you had to do this, and that you had to do it alone."

"Oh, it's nothing, don't mention it. And I wasn't alone." Kimmy was curious all of a sudden.

"What do you mean you didn't do it alone?" – Kimmy

"I had help." Then we heard something moving in the bushes. We thought it would be some wild animal or a monster trying to attack us, but something else came out. "Let me introduce you to my partner, Dexter."

"Oh, a monkey." Kimmy said. "And I can see he's got a little cute gun as well." I giggled, Kimmy's way of telling those things was so funny. And I felt someone poke me at the back, it was the boy. He wasn't too young nor too adult. He was in his youth, and I could tell it in his innocent eyes.

"Hello, there." I greeted him with a smile. "I heard you've been kept in Horror Castle as well, are you okay now?"

"Yes, I am. Thank you. If I may ask, miss, are you the prophesied one?"

"I am." I smiled. "And you, boy, what is your name?" The boy stared me for a while, I waited for an answer but silence was all the entered my eras for a moment. Strange, why isn't he answering? Then finally, he replied.

"Dyrus. My name is Dyrus."

"Dyrus. What a beautiful name. Come, we must take you with us back to Swan Castle. And you shall be safe there." I called on Claude and Kimmy who were playing with Dexter – oh come on, they could play at a time like this? So childish – and Belerick that we must return to the castle immediately. I held Dyrus' hand and all of us set off to Swan Castle.

***

"Cheers!"

"Bang the drum! For the sound of victory!"

A big celebration was held in Swan Castle. The warriors of light defeated the undead, I have got my memories, and most importantly, the Princess is back and lively again. Indeed, Odette was back to his lively self. She woke up hours after we arrived here, and the King, Queen, Belerick and I were the first people she saw. She was so happy that we have saved her, and she herself thanked the Captain for sparing no effort to save her, especially Claude who took the risk of entering the heart of Horror Castle just to retrieve her. Lancelot was there too, the two shared one passionate kiss and Lance expressed how much he missed her, and so did Odette back to him. Odette told him that Lance never left her mind from the moment she was taken, since Lance was in a bad condition then.

Meanwhile, Dyrus enjoyed dancing to the music with Harith and Nana, including Harley who was bragging what he was wearing to Dyrus. They quite got along with each other, as they are of the same age. Kimmy and Claude, oh those two, even if they do not admit it, the two are developing some feelings for each other. Guinevere and Gusion are adorably at it again, as Guinevere was throwing tantrums about Gusion to spoon feed her the cake she's holding, and I could see Lesley not afar from the two, as if she was jealous of them. Oh get over it girl, I thought to myself.

Everything was perfect, I was happy. The Regina's even announced to the whole population that I have retrieved my memories and was willing to accept my fate as the prophesied one – and I was. I had it in me, the drive to be the savior everybody expected me to be. And I could control my powers effortlessly, I learned everything from what my mother has told me back at Horror Castle. I had the power of both Chaos and Order, so I had energy gradients. If my energy gradient is more to the Light side, I could cast Brilliance, my invulnerable state. When my energy gradient is more to the Dark side, I surge out with chaotic energy that I release immense power, as I have during the night of Odette's abduction. No harsh, but I can summon the Twilight Orb from within me anytime I want to. And now I am confident that I will be able to fulfill my fate.

The celebration ended with fireworks display, everybody was on the balcony watching the fireworks over Swan Lake. Belerick was beside me, I leaned on his shoulder. It was forever comfy. I was glad that everything is back to normal. All we had to do is wait for the right time for me to stop the war. And balance between Chaos and Order, Darkness and Light will be back and peace shall be in the Land of Dawn once again.

The next morning, Odette and Dyrus had a private talk with each other, I wanted to come, but Odette insisted for them to be alone. I agreed since it was for Odette to know more about the boy who was rescued along with her. She said that she did not recall a boy being imprisoned there with her, but Dyrus said that he was in another room different from where she was kept. And that was all that I was able to overhear since the two of them were too far away already to be heard.

"What are you doing here?" Belerick spoke out of the blue which caused me to jump out of surprise.

"Oh! Belerick you almost gave me a heart attack."

"Oh I'm sorry. What are you doing behind this tree?"

"Oh nothing. I'm just curious about what Dyrus and Odette are talking about."

"Eavesdropping eh? Silly girl." Belerick and I laughed. But he broke the laughter when he said, "Lunox, I must tell you something."

"What is it?"

"It's about Odette. And that boy, Dyrus?"

"Yes what about them?"

Belerick and I sat on under the shade of a tree near Swan Lake to talk. Belerick had a deep breath before he began to talk. "I just feel something wrong around Dyrus. My vines feel tingly whenever he's near. And there's something wrong with Odette's aura. I feel something very dark and creepy when I look straight into her eyes."

When he said that, I felt that Belerick was delusional. Some dark and creepy around someone pure and innocent? What kind of thinking does Belerick have? "You must be kidding, Belerick."

"No Lunox, I'm not."

"But why are you saying such things about our friends."

"Dyrus is not your friend, you barely even know him. No one does."

"What do you mean?"

"He says he comes from Eruditio. But when the King contacted his connections to find his family, but it turns out he has none. None of the citizens even know him. Isn't that suspicious? I feel he's part of the Abyss."

I just stared ate Belerick. Really? He came to that point? I couldn't believe him. "I think I've heard enough. I'm leaving." I stood up and was about to leave when Belerick held my hand.

"Please trust me."

"Trust you? Are you even listening to yourself? You're badmouthing an innocent boy and our friend. Now, am I to believe you?" Then I left him there. I couldn't believe what Belerick was doing. I know that he's a good guy, but he's gone too far making up stories about Dyrus and Odette. It was already impossible for those things to be real.

I thought what Belerick had told me even though I didn't believe it. Dyrus? A part of the Abyss? I'm sure he's mistaken. An innocent looking boy must not be a part of the Abyss.

I was walking back to Swan Castle when I saw Kimmy and Claude at it again. Oh, those two, they've fallen for each other in a span of two days. Which reminded me, when I saw Claude, I recalled that he saved Odette and Dyrus. And I remembered that Odette told me that she did not recall Dyrus being imprisoned like her, and Dyrus said he was, only in a different room. Hmmm, something wasn't connecting.

I approached Kimmy and Claude, and when they saw me, they greeted me with smiles on their faces which I returned with a greeting as well. I asked Kimmy if I could borrow Claude for some time because I wanted to ask Claude something about the rescue, about Dyrus. Now, I think Belerick was not joking at all. I felt something fishy.

"Claude, may I ask you something?"

"Sure ask away, Lunox."

"Tell me, how did you save Dyrus? I mean, how was he in the Horror Castle when you rescued him."

"What about it?"

"I feel something isn't right. The story does not connect, Odette told me she did not recall Dyrus being imprisoned there with her. Then Dyrus said he was, only, he was kept in a different room."

When he said that, Claude looked confused. "What? Dyrus wasn't imprisoned. I just saw him in the dungeon where Odette was kept, outside the cage. He said he needed help, so I grabbed him as well. Luckily the undead guards did not catch us in time."

Oh my days. Why would Dyrus say all those things which are not true? And why would Odette do as well? I'm confused. What is happening? "Claude I'm going to go somewhere, fast." Then I left Claude and I went directly to where I left Belerick. I felt bad, I said awful things to him and all he did was warn of the pending danger. When I arrived there, I was glad that he was still sitting under the tree.

"I'm sorry." Belerick turned to me as soon as he heard the sound of my voice. Belerick just stared at me, not saying anything. And the guilt I felt worsened. "So you're giving me the silent treatment now? I'm sorry, okay? I should have listened better, I should've believed you."

"So you believe me now?"

"W-well, not totally. I just asked Claude about Dyrus."

"Why'd you do that?"

"Because he was the one who rescued him. I thought hardly on what you said, I realized something isn't connecting." I told him everything that I learned about Dyrus. And Belerick was flustered with what I have said.

"I must tell the King and Queen immediately. And I must warn Lancelot that something isn't wrong with Odette."

"Okay, carry on. I'm going to do some thinking here. I'll catch up with you later."

Belerick went on his way to the King and Queen while I remained in our spot. I made some thinking about Odette and her time in Horror Castle. What have they done to her? What cruelty did she have to endure while being imprisoned? Then I was surprised when I hear someone step on a stick which broke. When I turned to find out who it was, I was shocked. "Oh Lunox, just the person I was looking for."

And for the first time, I was afraid looking into the different vibe in those eyes.