The News

Mumbling a few swears, having been forced off Tano by Eryth, my mood sank a little, having been separated from the second love of my life!

Panda will always remain first, but Tano, my darling, I shall return. I, your knight, will rescue you from captivity. And we will be together once again.

"Your zoning out again." Eryth mentioned, pulling his cloak from his body, revealing a marvelous scarlet-red tailcoat with an ebon double-breasted waistcoat fitted flawlessly over a stiff white tunic. He handed his cloak to Julia and fixed his tie, ensuring perfection.

"How do I look?"

"Meh."

"Handsome. "I foolishly answered, kicking myself for my big mouth. But it was true. " I mean, yeah. You look handsome."

"Nice to hear someone can speak honestly." He cooly replied, shooting Julia a cheap stare.

"Don't tell him that. You'll only inflate his ego." Said Julia pointing towards his cuffs, a little out of place. " Your mother will surely go mad if she sees something like imperfection. You should know that Lysander men cannot show imperfection."

"Which is why I made you my head knight. Your eye for detail is quite legendary. Now then, shall we?" Approaching a towering chamber door that could fit a giant along with their wyvern, the doors shot open on their own, surprising me as a field of red pooled within my eyes.

Streams of thick red blood flowed from the threshold, ebbing at my boots. My heart seized as a gut-wrenching gasp left me; Limbs, organs, and heads all lay sprawled about, almost as though they were presented as decoration as they clung to the walls and chandelier, leaving only a hollowness to be born within me. I had counted seven heads.

Their limbs appeared as if they weren't severed but torn by that of a beast. Near the abdomen, or what remained of it, held their intestines curled around the chandelier dripping waterfall of red. Their faces twisted with a look of despair clinging like dry rot to their faces during the final moments.

Hearts and other appendages seem only to add color to this furnished lifeless chamber.

"Finally," Came a soft, effeminate voice. " Have you any idea how long I waited? I've news, my son."

Eyes tearing away from the poor young man, I fixed my sights upon the source towards the rose whose beauty seemed as deadly as its thorns.

"Venessa." Eryth calmly addressed, his tone serene as though the bodies within his chamber were not even there. He stepped inside, striding in with confidence in each step. " This seems to be a nasty habit of yours. Why is it you see a need to kill my men with each visit? What is your excuse this time? Did they stare at you too long? Did they mess up your cup of tea?"

"The lustful eyes of men is something no one can account for, darling," Venessa addressed curtly, flicking her golden locks to the side as she crossed her arms over her strapless white dress. "I caught these seven whispering lustful fantasies about your mother."

Eryth stride did not waver, but the same could not be said for me.

Did she kill them for that reason alone? She slaughtered them like animals for that reason alone!

[Ding]

[Madness LV2→ 3]

My fingers clenched, threatening to draw blood. I bit down on my lips, holding my tongue the best I could.

"I warned you, darling. Help is so hard to come by; this is why I recommend house Zafay to be your help. They are so revered far in wide for their intricate training practices."

"You only mentioned them because your fucking one of them. Or am I mistaken." Eryth coldly mentioned. "Father was not even cold before you opened your legs."

Oh damn.

The look on Venessa's was priceless as her pale white cheeks grew flush with anger. "You will show me respect, boy. I did what I had to do for us. Ryain was a damn fool."

"Us, you say. Us! By the Hells! We had millions nearing billions, and what did you do? Do you think me a fool? Both father and I knew about you screwing around, which is why he handed me full rights over the port. Ensuring not even my family could take it away even if they kill me."

So that's what happened. No wonder a teen is running such a major port in Blackpool. And it explains why he's still alive. I'm guessing the council, alongside the other prominent families, is involved in this. They'd have to be. These families would benefit immensely if Eryth were to be somehow killed off, especially if they could wear down a founding family. It doesn't matter who owns the port; everyone would be happy if the Lysander family didn't.

That's quite the scheme. But that also means the Lysander family will be forced to put in some significant resources just to protect Eryth. They'll not be happy about that.

"Do not slander me without proof. You're not too young to be taken to court." She spat, her elegant demeanor slipping away. "Fifteen years old, yet you think of yourself as a man. That failure of a father of yours set you up to die. Allowing his flesh and blood to run the port. What was he thinking?"

"What he thought doesn't matter. The simple fact is you can't have it." Julia said, chiming in without a care. "Now, what's this news that cost me seven good workers? And please don't say marriage because nobody cares where you throw that withered cooch."

Eryth footsteps halted beside a large tapestry depicting an enormous tree, with assorted branches overlapping, wresting amongst each other in various arks. Its roots, however, seemed to branch off, curling around various symbols I couldn't place. But around its tapestry stood Norse Runes spelling out the name.

I'd seen such a painting before. It was one of Yggdrasill's.

He brushed away the blood painted over the branches and sighed and spoke, ignoring his mother, who was bout to explode in a fury of anger.

"You barge into my office—Slaughter seven of my workers, berate my father's legacy; Simply to tell me you've news." He paused, leaving only a seething fury, sending tingles down my spine.

I backed away.

"Tell me your news, Venessa. I'd like a record of what is to come."

Despite receiving my 'Empath' skill recently, I could feel the air pushing in and out of my lungs turn dry as ice. His anger coursing through his veins poured into my chest without mercy. Anger, Shame, Hate, Loathing, and disgust all twisted around my heart like vicious thorns, bleeding me of restraint.

He turned, snapping his eyes to Venessa.

"I'm to Wed upon the fourth new moon, and you are to walk down the aisle in place of my late father."

"Called it!" shouted Julia smiling, and then whispered. " This bitch got some balls."