Innate Spirits

'Innate Spirits'— although considered as non living entities, they were, in fact, semi-sentient beings. Their natural instincts were even sharper than a wild beast that constantly lived on edge.

So far there are only 72 Innate Spirits that have been recorded. If there were any more in existence? No one knew the answer to that question.

Fortunately or unfortunately, Lyla was born with one of these Innate Spirits called 'Heartsbane'.

She could be considered fortunate because those who were host to the Innate Spirits also had an excellent constitution for cultivation and their Innate Spirit provided a great boost to the speed at which their cultivation progressed.

Lyla's spirit in particular had a protective nature of extreme degree. It would act instinctively whenever she was in danger.

Its protectiveness towards Lyla was simply absurd. Since Lyla was a woman it would not allow any man to touch her and live to tell the tale.

'Heartsbane' spirit was made of a poison so potent that it could kill a person in a split second just after being in contact with it.

Because of this reason, she had lived all her life being alone, even the women in her family avoided her due to the fear of 'Heartsbane'. Even if it didn't attack women on touch, it would attack them as soon as they touched her with any ill intent.

Lyla always had mixed feelings about 'Heartsbane', she was thankful that it had protected her from her half brother and the likes of him, but at the same time, it also made her unable to be with someone, unable to make friends.

Whenever her assassination target was a male, she had an easy time completing her mission. She just had to bump into them accidentally and they were done for.

'Heartsbane' would surge into action and quietly poison them without leaving behind any trace.

And her 'Heartsbane' spirit never failed to attack any man that touched her. It was simply unforgivable towards any man, it didn't even allow Lyla's father to touch her.

So, Lyla's heart and thoughts were in turmoil when her hand was grabbed by Raymond. If not for the soreness around her wrist where he had grabbed her, she would have thought this was a dream.

She was gobsmacked to find that 'Heartsbane' was quietly hovering around her mana core like an obedient pup without showing any signs of agitation it would usually show whenever she was touched by someone.

"Sister Becca, we will see you tomorrow at breakfast, have a nice evening."

Drenched in rain Lyla entered the inn and quietly went to her room. Whatever Jasmine said to her fell on deaf ears as she was lost in her own thoughts.

Jasmine looked at her strangely.

"What happened to her? Why is there a lost look on her face?"

She asked no one in particular. But Raymond added his own thoughts.

"Don't know, she was fine before we came across those thugs."

With that, he went to his room. Jasmine followed him but her eyes were still wandering towards the door of Lyla's room.

*******

-Snap!

Snapping sounds of the twigs littered on the ground echoed out in the surroundings as a young man in his late teens could be seen running inside the forest.

"Huff…huff…"

He leaned his body to the side of a thick tree and took big gulps of air to calm down his raging heartbeat.

"Quick! Spread out evenly and search for him."

'Shit!'

The young man cursed in his mind and ran further into the forest to make some distance between himself and his pursuers.

After running for a few minutes, a small stream of water running across the forest came into his view. His parched throat let out a muffled croak as if asking for him to drink water.

The young man looked behind him to make sure he was far away from his pursuers before he knelt by the stream.

Just as he was about to swallow a mouthful of water gathered in his cupped hands, he heard a rush of wind from behind.

-Fire Blast-

A big ball made of fire landed behind his back before he could even react, blasting him to the other side of the water body.

"Arggghh!"

The young man screamed in agony as he smelled the foul smell of meat being scorched in fire, the entirety of his back, from his shoulders to his waist, was bubbling with burn wounds making him squirm in unbearable pain as he lay on his stomach unable to stand back.

"Hmph! How long are you going to run? Just give up already!"

A man slightly older than the young man crossed the stream and arrived before him with a sadistic smirk on his face.

Just like the young man, he had deep crimson hair and blood red eyes. Even a fool could tell that they were both closely related by looking at their resemblances.

"No! Not until you are dead! I won't give u— arrghh!"

The young man screamed as he felt a foot stomping down on his burnt back.

"Tsk, tsk, even in your death you don't realise how futile your attempts are. I am the crown prince of the FireBorn Empire, Edgar J. Phoenix.

"Do you think a whoreson like you can ever measure up to me? I have more charisma, more influence, more talent, and more power than you could ever hope to imagine! What do you have?"

The man repeatedly stomped his foot on the young man's back as he uttered those words with hatred.

"How dare you steal her from me? Do you think I will just sit by the side as you take away my woman?"

"No! I did not steal anyone, Clara and me, we love each other— urghh!"

The young man spasmed in pain as Edgar ground his foot against his wounds.

"Love? Pfft, do you think I care about your love? Oh, Elmer! How naive of you!"

Edgar snickered hearing the word 'Love'. Any noble who believed in love was a fool. He did not care for such things.

He lifted his foot and stomped it on the head of the young man named Elmer

"I don't care if you two love each other, she is my betrothed. You deserved to die if you so much as looked in her direction!

"You know what? After killing you, I will go back to the palace and live as if this never happened. Eventually, everyone will forget about you, even your dear Clara, but not me! I will make sure to remember you.

"Hehe, and on the day of our wedding night, I will whisper your tragic end in her ears as she moans in pleasure pinned under me. Hahahaha!"

Edgar gave an amused laugh before he circulated his mana intending to finish off Elmer.

"You Bastard! I will kill—"

-Roarrr!

But just as he was about to ready his attack, a deafening roar shook the ground.

"Shit! It's that abomina—"

Before he could curse out loud he felt a powerful gust of wind surging towards him.

-Thud! -Thud!

Both Elmer and Edgar were thrown off of their feet and fell on the ground far away from each other.

"You are lucky you are going to die at the hands of that beast, If it were me I would slowly torture you to death."

With his words spoken Edgar quickly got up on his feet and ran outside the forest in fear of his life.

Elmer despaired seeing the silhouette of a gigantic creature making its way towards him. He didn't even have the strength to stand up let alone run from his death.

He closed his eyes in resignation, thinking about the girl who had become a pillar of strength in his life.

"Clara, if fate allows it, we will be together in the next life."

-Roarrr!

"Nooo!"

Elmer woke up with a start screaming at the top of his lungs. Beads of sweat trickled down his face.

"Huh? Elmer? What happened? Are you alright?"

Clara was awakened by his agonised scream and asked worriedly. She quickly poured a glass of water and handed it to Elmer.

"Gulp..gulp… I am fine, I just had a nightmare, that's all. "

Elmer drank greedily, wetting his dry throat, and tried to speak in a calm voice.

"Hmmm, you really had me worried."

Clara said as she rubbed her husband's back soothingly.

"Don't worry, I am fine now."

*knock**knock*

"Ah! It's already morning!"

Elmer said as he got up from the bed and readied himself for the day.

"What is it?"

Elmer asked from inside the room but his voice travelled past the door and reached the ears of the servant who knocked on the door.

"Your Majesty, Her Highness Scarlett wishes to see you."

The servant quickly knelt on the ground hearing the emperor's voice and conveyed his message.

"Is it? Then bring her to the Grand Hall, we will arrive shortly."

Elmer ordered in his majestic voice befitting an emperor. It was like his whole aura had changed after getting off the bed. A scared and sweating man from before was nowhere to be seen.

"As you command, Your Majesty."

The servant bowed his head in reverence as the emperor's booming voice rattled his eardrums.

"Let's get ready. It's been a while since I have talked to my daughter."

Elmer spoke softly to his wife and beckoned her to follow him.