The Aftermath

It's been almost a week since the incident at the village.

Lex had just arrived back home after his visit to the Shadow Realms as per Zeya's orders and even from a distance, Lex felt something astray with the state of the palace. As he got closer, his hunch was undoubtedly correct when he found the entire place completely deserted.

The once bustling corridors were now abandoned as he looked around for any signs of life. Shadows of all shapes and sizes followed the prince curiously, engulfing every nook and cranny available with nothing but darkness.

'Where the hell is everyone?' He began to think of the worst when he still found no one after looking everywhere. 'Don't tell me that thing came back and-'

He stopped walking when he found himself panicking over something so trivial. Inhaling deeply, he did the next reasonable thing to do and summoned the shadows that has guarded the palace since it was first built.

Whispers of an ancient language filled his ears as he listened to everything they had seen while he was gone, knowing that they wouldn't dare lie.

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The village was still largely torn down despite almost a week of Zeya's best efforts in rebuilding it. Shirtless men worked tirelessly under the scorching hot afternoon sun, not at all interested in the sudden appearance of the well-dressed gentleman, who made his way past them and into the heart of the village.

The Empress didn't bat an eye when she heard Lex call out to her, she had already overheard the heated conversation he had with poor Arius, who tried to lie like Zeya had asked to do to whoever decided to come see her.

Wiping off the swear on her exposed forehead, she briskly brushed off the dust from her clothes, attempting to appear as presentable as she could despite her current state.

"You know you can never lie to me, right? I have eyes everywhere." The familiar voice feigned offense from behind her.

"I'm surprised how obedient the shadows are being these days." Zeya smirked at the large shadow that was Nox lurking behind Lex. "One would think you were torturing them, Lex."

"Hardly." He scoffed at the accusation. "In fact, they've somehow learned to keep secrets from me." He turned to Nox, who shrunk into a tiny cloud under its master's intimidating glare. "And I had to threaten them to make them spill what they knew."

"Then I suppose they were the ones that told you I was here." Zeya assumed calmly, lightly chuckling at their little banter.

"That and a lot more." Lex frowned. "Why don't we find a proper place to talk? You and I have a lot to discuss today, and it's going to be incredibly exhausting."

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Zeya led Lex to a secluded area after a brief hike up a steep hill. There, in the very middle, stood a small yet cozy hut where Zeya had been spending her sleepless nights in, working on the important paperwork Arius would occasionally bring over from the palace.

Zeya motioned Lex to sit on one of the outdoor chairs laid out right at the edge of the hill, overlooking the bird's-eye view of the entirety of Stygia.

"Who would've thought these people could be so welcoming." Lex commented when he realized the hut belonged to the village chief's family. "Especially after how we were the ones responsible for destroying their peaceful home."

"Arius had Rowen wipe out all of their memories as soon as he had regained his powers. Now they think their homes were raided by Dwellers." Zeya explained with a dejected smile. "And for some unknown reason, we're their saviors now."

"... And here I thought the minister was different from the rest of us. What a cruel way to fix a problem, I must say." He frowned for a second before flashing an evil smile. "Though it'd be a lie if I said I didn't like it."

"Must be some of the things he learned from Father, I suppose." Zeya sighed, not interested in her friends unexpectedly 'aggressive' methods. "Several hundred years under that man will change even the most kind-hearted immortal. I'm just glad Father died before he could change Arius entirely."

"Well, let's just be content it worked for the time being," Lex leaned back against the uncomfortable chair. "Surely you rewarded that poor Roseabelle, Rowen?"

"Of course I did." Zeya eyed Lex, offended. "I sent two of our more recent prisoners on death row over to his residence and considering the sheer size of the spells he's casted, they probably be nothing but bones by now."

"Hm, lucky bastard." Lex clicked his tongue, genuinely envious. "Maybe I should've just dramatically fainted in front of everyone too."

"I could barely handle myself when I heard Amrit had fainted." She let out a humorless laugh, massaging her temples. "I could understand Rowen but Amrit?"

"Well, the bastard's doing fine now it seems." Lex smirked, finding humor in the whole ordeal. "Claimed he had just felt an incredible amount of fear when he looked into the creature's eyes, quite strange if you ask me."

"... Is that so?" Lex noticed Zeya's hesitation, feeling something to be off with her.

Just when he was about to address it, Zeya managed to speak before he did, as if it was intentional.

"Well, how was your visit to Mother's realm?" Her voice authoritative, almost telling Lex to not ask what he wished to know. Lex unconsciously complied, quickly forgetting what he was going to ask.

"The place was in the same state as I left it. No signs of any rogue shadow beast, especially one that looked like the description you gave me."

"That just makes it harder for us to find the culprit then." Zeya concluded, somewhat disappointed by the findings.

"The elders there were quite concerned when I told them what was happening back here, said it could be something much more dangerous."

"One of Mother's old mages told me to look for a book in one of her studies here in this realm." He dug into his jacket, taking out a crumpled piece of paper. "And since we don't know where exactly it is, I'll have to scavenge the whole of Stygia as a start."

"How long do you think that will take?" Zeya asked, looking at the neatly sketched map.

"A few more days?" Lex calculated roughly. "Some of them are already on the hunt."

"In the meantime, while I'm gone," He got on his feet, preparing to take his leave. "I advise you take care of that palace of ours. I don't know where the maids have gone but I have a feeling you're responsible."

"Just a change of people for my own sake." Zeya lied, completely free of concern. "You know I dislike strangers lurking around where I live."

"... You've been acting incredibly off lately." Lex finally decided to say it, tilting his head in a confused manner. "You're clearly hiding something from me, but I can't seem to put a finger on it."

"My spells must be working then." Zeya flashed a tired smirk, switching into a more comfortable position in the chair. "You will never get the chance to read my mind, do you really think I am not aware of your tricks?"

Lex scoffed a baffled laugh. "I only do it to keep myself up to date, you didn't have to go so far."

"Just do what you're required to, older brother." Zeya mocked, waving him off. "You don't need to know about anything that's going on in my head."

"The shadows told me that you've been hardly sleeping ever since your encounter with that monster." Lex said, wrapping his hands around his chest. "Perhaps there's something you're not telling me, Zeya? Something that's maybe important?"

Zeya remained quiet as she thought about it, wondering if now is the right time to tell Lex everything that's been happening to her. It wasn't.

'Another time.' She concluded, looking off into the distance. 'Things will only be more complicated if I say anything now.'

"I need more time to clear up my head, that's all." She smiled as a way to reassure Lex. "Maybe when you get back from your little hunt, I'll tell you what's on my mind."

Lex sighed, knowing that he's not going to get anymore from his sister.

"Whatever you say, Your Majesty. I'll be taking my leave now." He said in a teasing manner, walking away. "And also, the palace better be back to its usual state by the time I get back. Nox will be watching you in my stead."

And with that, the prince confidently strode off, leaving Nox with Zeya once again.

"Finally, time to rest." Nox released a sigh of relief, cozying up on Zeya's lap as a tiny cloud.

"I wish I could say the same, Nox." Zeya lifted the tiny creature and placed it in one of her breast pockets. Stretching her wings to their greatest capacity, a single beat of her gigantic wings was enough to launch her high up in the air. Using the winds to her advantage, Zeya quickly made her way to the palace, leaving Arius to deal with the village all by himself.