Chapter Twenty-Four: Aftermath

For a while, Kai blanked out when he saw Helix disappearing when Seth cast a magic array on his chest. 'What the hell…?'

Did Helix turn into dust? No, did he even leave a speck of dust?

It was then that he suddenly felt a slight vibration from the pocket of his clothes. He picked up an old, brownish paper with ancient letters written on it. The characters were glowing and the paper itself was vibrating. He was still confused when the characters suddenly disappeared. Kai was startled quietly but calmed down soon after seeing another set of characters appearing on the surface of the letter.

The words were written in the common language so Kai understood immediately.

'Come back as soon as possible.'

His eyes brightened and shoved the paper back into his pocket, in case someone sees. 'Helix's fine… Did Seth cast a teleportation spell?' he raised his head to look at the old sage but who knows why Seth was already staring at him with a face of indifference.

Kai flinched and narrowed his eyes in wariness.

After a while, Seth turned around. His white robes fluttered behind him as he heads off toward the king. He slowly descended from the air and stepped into the ground, before the king. "I have driven away the intruder. I doubt that he will be coming here again soon." His voice is calm and serene as he said those words to the king.

King Adamas only stared at Seth and didn't say anything regarding Helix. Instead, his voice rang all over the damaged banquet hall, declaring, "This has been such an unfortunate evening. However, with things as it is right now, we can no longer continue the celebratory banquet. Tonight, the guests, the nobles, and delegates from other kingdoms may now leave. I will be giving a gift as an apology later on, once the sun rises."

Everyone was murmuring their thoughts, while some sighed.

Kai was more interested in the words written on the old piece of paper than the words of fallacy the king is uttering and was already itching to leave this place.

He then heard footsteps coming over to him. He turned his head and looked at the princess who owned a downed expression. She looked at Kai and asked softly, "Were you alright, Duke Kai?" Kai looked at her and nods his head, "Thankfully, I am. What about you, princess? The situation earlier was quite dangerous… Luckily, nothing happened and nothing harmed you, right?" Edith blanked out and recalled the eyes of her savior earlier and slowly nods her head. "I… am perfectly fine."

All while she was chasing her brother who showed no care about her, she was placed into a dangerous situation. And the unexpected person to save her was the one who her beloved brother hated so much… Her brother in name but not in blood… She unconsciously mumbled his name in a moment of spacing out. "Brother Lix…"

Kai looked at her and lowered his head. 'The illegitimate princess…' The late second queen, both Edith's and Cain's mother once had an affair. The result of that affair is Edith. She is someone who does not hold any royal blood. Despite that, the king still took her in as his child. But because of her illegitimate birth, the nobility looked down on her.

Count Dolon is an example.

The way he treated the princess is exactly how the whole nobility treated the princess.

Kai looked around for a bit before he placed his hand on top of the princess' hair. "It is good that the princess came out unscathed. As long as you are alive, you can always enjoy life, and meet and talk to the people you wish to talk to." he pulled his hand away and smiled at the princess. "I will be going now, princess. However, I would like to request you address me more casually. Always calling me 'Duke Kai' feels bothersome."

Edith looked at Kai with a blank look for a moment.

'As long as I am alive… Is it good that I am safe?'

Kai didn't wait for Edith's response and turned around as soon as he bowed his head slightly at her. He knows that he is contradicting his wish to be respectful towards this young lady however he really wants to go back to the inn as soon as possible.

Since his back was turned against the princess, he didn't know how tears formed at the rims of her eyes and threatened to fall anytime.

A girl with a bright golden hair donned in white held a glass of red juice as she watched the scene between the two quietly. "The important people have already appeared, huh…" The pair of green-jade eyes glowed slightly before she closed her eyes…

"Their story has started…"

-

When Kai melted a portion of the ice to exit the banquet hall, he suddenly felt a presence behind him. He turned around unhurriedly but was given quite a surprise when he saw Seth standing right behind him with an indifferent look. Kai flinched and backed away immediately but Seth suddenly spoke.

"Your time is warped. Just like me, Kai Zein."

Kai sharply inhaled and held his breath just like that. Seth stared at him, eyes dim and lips pursed together. Suddenly, he grabbed Kai's arm just like how he did earlier with Helix. Kai was unable to react in time and suddenly, their surroundings changed and Kai found himself in a different place. He furrowed his eyebrows and pulled his arm back immediately. Seth did let him go.

Kai and Seth are now standing above a tall building. They are on the rooftop of the largest structure in the capital, the clocktower. Kai could feel the coldness of the wind in this place. The lights on the streets were like small flames of candles, spreading all over the capital… The capital tonight looked like the sky at night on earth…

Seth stood next to Kai as Kai watched the streets in awe. But of course, he didn't let his guard down. Seth reached out his hand on an empty air, and a small rift in space appeared. He grabbed something out of the small rift and it instantly closed once Seth pulled his hand out. What he is holding is a sword with a white-gray sheath. Kai was even more scared...

'Seth is originally a sword master… Being an archmage is only his side job… What is he doing, pulling out his sword all of a sudden?!' Kai started sweating heavily as he took a step away from Seth. 'Don't tell me he brought me here to…'

Frightening.

Seth, holding his sword, turned his head and looked at Kai. Kai does not know if it's just his imagination but Seth's expression is much softer now than it was earlier in the banquet.

"Did you know?"

Kai flinched.

"Helix, that child, has been cursed."

After being reminded of such a dreadful thing, Kai's blood ran cold and his eyes narrowed. Seth looked at the pair of viscous green eyes and continued. "It seems that you already know." He closed his eyes and told in a hushed voice. "The former emperor of the Lunox Empire, Lucine Zenith deceived and took advantage of Helix's power and talent." He held his sword tighter and opened his golden eyes that glowed dangerously.

"Helix was forced to practice dark magic. He was even shackled by his own magic. The cursed poison… In order to live, Helix had to dirty his hands so that he can live yet another day."

"I thought him how to live. How to survive. How to find peace and happiness once he abdicated the throne."

Kai looked at Seth whose face showed no emotions but his voice was getting lower and lower. Even the temperature around them both significantly dropped the more Seth went on. 'He's angry.' Kai thought.

The Seth he's looking at right now has a dangerous aura surrounding him. Kai was a bit afraid of this person.

"Why did Helix come to the capital?"

Seth looked at Kai. His golden eyes were staring directly at him, and Kai felt like Seth could see through his soul.

Without thinking much, Kai decided to answer honestly. After all, what else is there to hide?

"I told him I didn't want to be left alone. So he followed me all the way here."

"..."

Seth's lips twitched before they parted. "I see." he then looked away. He looked like he was staring at something near him but he was only staring at the air. He then moved his gaze back to Kai and said, "The capital has a barrier, it was made specifically for dark mages and a certain someone." Kai blinked and commented, "There's only one dark mage in the entire continent."

"Exactly."

"... Ha. So it's a barrier specifically made to prevent Helix from entering the capital again?"

To be unable to visit his hometown.

What a cruel punishment.

As someone who has been thrown into another world and cannot find a way to go home, Kai felt bitter.

But a thought came to mind when he recalled Seth's words. "Then, how could… How could Helix enter the capital?" Seth lowered his eyes and answered calmly. "He can. But the barrier is draining away his mana and forces the curse in his body to act up. Within the barrier, he can only release less than ten percent of his magic power. As for the curse, the poison doesn't spread and the curse doesn't activate either. The pain, a side effect of the curse will only be what he will experience."

A cold gust of wind blew. Seth's silver hair fluttered beautifully but Kai's mind blanked out.

At the same time, Seth continued.

"I advise you to leave the capital as soon as you can with Helix. And that you should never bring him back here again."