Confession and Killing

Frank and Lia climbed down the carriage that had bought them to capital square. The capital square was actually the center of the capital and if one was to head towards the northern road from the capital square, he would reach the royal imperial palace.

The capital square was cheerful and brightly filled with colors and people from all the directions. There were so many people near the central fountain with the statue of Goddess Adyessa, that it wasn't even visible anymore.

As Lia had told him, the myth about that fountain was that if someone wished for something while standing near Adyessa's statue during the festival of Love with all their heart, it would come true.

Adyessa was the goddess of motherly love. Her myth said that she was once a human mage, unlike other Gods, and was killed by a fellow comrade and drowned in that fountain which was a well at that time. She left a son behind with no one to lean on.

So, instead of rampaging for revenge over the one who killed her, she surrounded that well with all her magic and sublimed like a witch would do. She did it in hope that one day, her son, whom she left behind, would come near the well and wish for what he needed and the magic surrounding the well would make his wish come true.

But her son died while protecting children from monsters. Monsters were more prevalent in that era. So, to fill up the grief Adyessa felt knowing that, she allowed the children that her son saved, to wish for what they wanted, in his stead.

Ever since then, whoever wished desperately and true heartedly for something in front of that well, that it stirred Adyessa's lingering magic over there, their wish was granted.

Later, the first emperor, Vincent Evanlite, had the well covered and a fountain made over it. It was because, due to the myth of that well, some people tried to find Adyessa's remains inside that well. Fearing it might anger the sublimed magic of the Godly mage, Vincent had it covered entirely with no open spaces left.

And it was that fountain, that signified the foundation of the capital square, which was now, the most famous place in the entire Alkezar.

Frank looked around in wonder. He had come to the capital square before when he first arrived there. But the scenery now and then, was different like day and night. Though the capital streets were always bustling with people, but the sheer amount of them now was way more than just extra.

Lia and Frank tightly held their hands as they dashed into the stream of people, laughing and blending among. The knights in charge were always following them, so they went around even more wildly. Watching different shows and visiting various stalls. Playing the games, winning little gifts and trying funny costumes. They laughed and danced as the evening choir dance began around the central fountain.

The choir and songs were still playing when Lia dragged Frank away to a quiet place on a café's rooftop. There they had a cozy and warm little spot looking down at the celebration of the festival through a glass window.

They cuddled together in the blanket that the old lady from the café had given them as they sat on the carpet right before that large window.

Feeling warm and happy, the both of them giggled.

"At the fountain before, what did you wish for?" Lia asked looking up at Frank.

"It won't come true if I told you," Frank said smiling down at her.

"So petty," Lia pouted. It was such a cute pout that Frank burst into laughter.

Looking at him laugh, Lia also chuckled. Now that they had become silent, they stared at each other instead of the celebration down below.

"You know what I wished for?" Lia whispered.

"What was it?" Frank whispered back, playing along with her.

"I wished that you would like me," Lia said, slightly blushing.

For a moment, Frank stared at her blankly, then smiled with a little red flush on his cheeks. "Didn't you waste your wish then? I already like you," he said.

Lia stared back at Frank after hearing that. Though it couldn't be called a proper confession, but just the fact that Frank liked her, made her so happy that she thought she would explode.

Neither of them pulled out from the intensive gaze they had at each other.

'So much love,' Frank thought. 'How can I feel so much love for this one person?'

Before he could say something else, Lia pulled his face gently below near hers with her hand behind his neck. Looking at him with dreamy eyes, Lia gently tapped on his lips with hers and withdrew immediately as if to see his reaction.

Never in her entire life, she had seen someone become so red. It wasn't just his face, his ears, his neck, his hands and even the lips she had just pecked on, became so distinguishably red, that she almost thought Frank changed colors with magic.

As the momentary excitement began to fade, Frank hid his face in his hands and looked in the opposite way. The red color of his skin never subsided.

After some time, they both returned to watching the celebration outside. It wasn't that they were awkward now or something. Silently continuing on had become a sort of mutual agreement sign between them. If one of them just continued on with whatever they were doing before, it meant that he had agreed with the other person.

As they silently watched the choir dance around the fountain, they instinctively held each other's hands and drew even closer than they were sitting before.

They spent a few hours watching the view from up their and now that it was evening, they both got out of the café to go back home.

Hands in hands, they again walked through the stream of people as they went to the carriage. But in the middle of the way, Lia stopped. She pulled at the sleeve of a tall and dark-haired man and said, "Brother Nova?"

As the man turned around, Frank's mind went blank and he froze to his spot. That person's light; it was grey. He couldn't hear whatever else Lia or that man said, all he could hear was the familiar voice inside him telling to kill.

'No, I can't,' Frank wailed. 'Lia's here. I can't. Please. Please. Please.'

But as the man turned towards him, Frank lost his sense of self completely and attacked the person. Though the only spark of himself that was now left in his body, pushed Lia aside in time. And now, the man and Frank were confronting each other.

Nova looked around and the people were watching what happened there. He said nothing and just grabbed Frank from his shirt and flew away towards the forest he had just come from.

Lia, who was utterly confused with that all, followed behind them along with the assigned knights.

Frank gnawed at Nova's hand holding him and Nova threw Frank near the edge of a large lake as he himself landed down.

"Ha, what's with you, boy? Don't go around attacking people like that," Nova said as he dodged the fireballs Frank was throwing at him.

"Grey. Evil. Must kill," Frank was still muttering as he closed his distance with Nova.

"Evil? Don't make a villain out of me, you don't even know me, kid," Nova whined as he blocked Frank's black flamed covered punches.

As the fight was continuing on and on, Frank was becoming sharper and stronger with every move. After some time, Nova realized two things, one; that it was getting out of his hands and second; that Frank wasn't in his right mind.

"I should put an end to it," Nova said as he conjured up a large force mana ball to throw at Frank who had been attacking him non-stop.

As Nova threw the attack, Lia, who had been running all the way there, jumped in between to protect Frank. She used her telekinesis to stop Nova's attack to some extent but it didn't go well for herself. She got thrown backwards and, in a trajectory, to fall into the deep lake. She closed her eyes and clenched her teeth.

But she felt a different force on her body suddenly and there she saw Frank, smiling and mouthing something to her. He pushed her away from the lake but the thing made him fall into it himself. And with a loud splash, Frank fell into the water and disappeared into the deep lake.

Lia who landed roughly on the edge, hurried over to the lake and shouted, "Frank!!!! No!!! Frank!! Where are you?!?"

She was about to jump in herself, when Nova stopped her and said, "Don't!! Lakes have Cerates in them during night!"

"But Frank! He's in there! I need to save him! What if... What if he…," Lia couldn't complete her sentence.

"Let me contact Lloyd, he might be able to do something about it," Nova said, sending away a piece of paper with magic.

As he handled the crying Lia, he saw a mysterious light flying around over the lake, he ignored it and continued his attention on Lia.