Caution

The four kings sat on mini throne-like chairs while Zevan and Elion stood before them. The imposter was facing them, his expression dark and utterly menacing. It was impossible to fathom what the man was thinking. But it was sinister, filled with ruthlessness and bloodthirst and Zevan felt his blood run cold.

King Harold had calmed down. But he was still furious and it was evident in his eyes. They were spitting fire as if he was close to burning everything down.

"Elion, Zevan, would you two mind disclosing the reason behind your impudence?" he seethed, holding back his anger. 

Elion glanced at Zevan whose eyes were fixed on the imposter. The man's blatant threat resounded in his ears and he hesitated.

Although Elion wanted to tear the fake Jarett's mask off and reveal his truth to everyone, he understood that nobody would believe him, not King Harold at least. Prince Jarett was his favorite son, and he would never accept any insult aimed at him.

If they remained adamant, King Harold would be irked even more. In the end, they would suffer while he would be punished. The imposter had not threatened them just to warn them; he would abide by his words.

Elion did not know how to overcome their current predicament. Any path they chose would lead to their doom. 

"I am waiting," Harold prompted when he did not receive any reply from the two. He narrowed his eyes and glared at them, compelling them to start speaking.

But before Elion could say anything, Zevan started, "Your Majesty, My Master and I have sinned. We did not know what we were doing and blamed Prince Jarett. We apologize for our reckless actions." He then bowed his head as he waited for the king to decide their punishment.

His words surprised not just the four kings and Elion, even the imposter was taken aback. He had expected the man to stick to his words and continue to bring his truth before everyone. Never had he imagined Zevan to change his words.

Elion was also astounded, but he discerned what his disciple was thinking and took a step back. 

"Please forgive us for our sins, Your Majesty. We were not thinking clearly." Following Zevan's actions, he too lowered his head and stood still.

Silence fell over and nobody spoke for some time. It was the imposter who spoke first, breaking the tense atmosphere.

"I forgive you. You do not have to apologize anymore," he started, his words coming out like a command. 

While Harold and the other two kings did not notice anything amiss with him, Darcy was not fooled that easily. He had already sensed something strange about him and now, his suspicions grew all the more.

The Crown Prince was not behaving himself. He sounded cruel and daunting and the mere thought made his hair stand on end. An unusual feeling of uneasiness filled him and Darcy stared at Zevan, hoping to find the truth.

"Since the Crown Prince has pardoned you, I will not hold it against you two this time." King Harold softened his stance as well. "But you better not repeat this. Otherwise, I will not spare you next time irrespective of your contributions towards the kingdom and the people."

"Thank you for being benevolent, Your Majesty." Zevan gritted his teeth and held his discontentment. It was not the time to fight. They had to remain united to defeat the Lord of the Dark.

"Thank you, Your Majesty," Elion too said, gratified to have pardoned. If it was someone in their place, he was sure they would be dead by now. King Harold was not a man who let it go when provoked.

Harold huffed and walked out of the room. Although Darcy wanted to stay behind, he could not, not when the imposter was right around. Moreover, they had to alert the other kings of evil lurking in the dark.

The imposter waited until it was just the three of them before he cast a spell. Now, no one would be able to eavesdrop on their conversation.

"You came around eventually," he remarked, his lips curling up in satisfaction. 

Zevan remained silent while Elion just glared at him.

"If only you had been wise previously, we would not have ended in this situation."

Zevan rubbed his face, too exhausted to argue with him. He stood still, waiting for the man to finish everything he had to say.

"Our Lord is not happy with what happened today," the imposter conveyed the message and Zevan's eyes met his instantly.

"He is protective of his men and today, you were harmed by his enemy. He is infuriated."

"Why are you telling me this?" Zevan could not comprehend what the imposter was planning by revealing the truth to him. Was it a trick or was there something he was trying to relay?

"I am cautioning you. The repercussions of your king's actions will be dire. You were injured tonight. So, people will pay with their lives." The imposter smiled wickedly, excitement flashing through his dark orbs. "Just hope it is not your people."

With that, he left the room, leaving a mortified Zevan and Elion behind.

"What did he mean by that? Why..." Zevan asked but stopped when his eyes turned hazy. A strange scene flashed before him and he saw himself standing on a barren land.

At first, there was not one soul in sight. But soon, people dropped from the skies as they plummeted to their deaths. It was not just one or two, hundreds of people were lying dead while he stood in the center.

Zevan felt miserable. He tried to erase the scene, make it stop. But he was tied. He could not move, he could not speak. It was exactly how he had felt when he had been summoned into the void by the Lord of the Dark.

The scene shifted and this time, he noticed that he was watching the dead being laid to rest. Unlike before. It was not his kingdom's people who had died.

Before he could find out who would be targetted by the Lord of the Dark, the scene ended and Zevan returned to his present self.