Kairon Haris

The sound of chains grew louder as the young man entered the underground investigation chamber in the lower levels of Zenthera. The dark miasma emanating from the tower's intense dark energy affected many of the soldiers accompanying him, prompting him to order the mages to cast a barrier.

"Make it thicker; I think we're still far from our destination," he commanded authoritatively.

"Understood, my lord," the mage complied.

The young man leading the elite unit into the depths of the dungeon was Kairon Haris, the sole heir of Haris Fortress and the Keeper of the Sword of Truth. With the help of his elite soldiers and a few mages, he had recently slain the Dark Bear, now held in the deepest part of Zenthera.

"We're here, Kairon," his right-hand man and friend, Andrei Liam, said as he opened a massive old door. Inside, they saw a man struggling against his restraints, his dark red eyes glaring into Kairon's soul.

"This is Axel Ranger, one of the dark mages who led the dark forces during the Great Clash 30 years ago," one of Zenthera's guards explained.

Kairon sat across from Axel, who was chained before him. They suspected that the person who freed the Dark Bear and transported it to Dragon Alley was of their kind—only a mage with such power could manage that feat.

"We have questions for you," Kairon said confidently, catching Axel's attention.

Axel gave a devilish smile, tilting his head as if to study Kairon. "My, what do we have here? The Keeper of the Sword of Truth. I suppose if I don't speak the truth, I'll be sliced in half."

"The Dark Bear escaped earlier this morning," Kairon began, not succumbing to Axel's mind games. "It had red eyes and an aura similar to yours."

"Kekeke, straightforward like your father," Axel sneered.

Kairon unsheathed his sword, causing Axel to flinch momentarily before bursting into laughter. "Impatience, now, now, what do you want from me?"

Kairon produced a large ring that the Dark Bear had been wearing when he was defeated and tossed it in front of Axel. "The Dark Bear was wearing this. Do you recognize the ring? It bears the same symbols as your organization."

Axel, who had leaned back a moment earlier, moved forward to examine the ring. It was black with red linings and bore the symbol of The Clash Order, the organization that had been defeated 30 years ago.

"Well, well, what do we have here? The Dark Ring of Order," Axel mused.

"The Dark Ring? Does your organization own this?" Kairon pressed.

Axel looked up with a devilish smile. "I have nothing to say to the likes of you. Unless you free me from these chains, I won't talk."

—*—

Kairon and Andrei emerged from their investigations without the information they sought. Despite Kairon's ability to discern the truthfulness of Axel's statements, they were bound by protocol; without clearance, they could neither interrogate nor torture Axel. This clearance could only be granted by the heads of the fortresses and houses, a rare gathering that would fortunately occur at the Grand Festival hosted by the crown prince the following day.

"My lord, the mages have completed their analysis," reported one of the soldiers. Kairon received the report detailing the analysis of the Dark Bear's wounds from the previous day's battle. He wasn't fully satisfied, knowing that the bear had already been severely injured, making it easier for him to defeat it.

"Soul energy?" Andrei noted as he reviewed the report. "The blow on the shoulder wasn't golden energy but soul energy. Only a few in the Empire can use soul energy, and from the report, it seems the wound was caused by an arrow."

"Were there any Hera disciples present yesterday?" Kairon inquired.

"When you defeated the Dark Bear, only the three mages were present. But if the wound was from an arrow, it suggests a Hera disciple inflicted a significant blow before we arrived." Kairon pondered the faces he had seen the previous day and recalled a woman floating in the air, holding a bow, just before he unleashed his sword.

"Have our soldiers investigate those present at the scene and ask if anyone saw a woman wearing a white Hera disciple uniform," Kairon ordered, to which Andrei promptly complied.

After Andrei left, Kairon found himself deep in thought, contemplating the troubling signs: the Dark Ring of Order, the potential resurgence of the Clash Order, and the enigmatic Hera disciple using soul energy instead of the more common golden energy.

Weary from the ongoing investigations, Kairon leaned back in his chair, trying to relax. His gaze fell on a piece of jewelry he had purchased two days ago, and he couldn't help but smile, recalling a brief encounter with an exquisitely beautiful woman. He regretted not having more time to converse with her.

"Why are you smiling like that?" Andrei asked, reentering the room, likely having completed his tasks.

Kairon's expression hardened as he looked away, but Andrei noticed and gave him a teasing smile. "Young master, what's been on your mind to make you smile like that?" Andrei teased.

Without responding, Kairon maintained his stoic demeanor, prompting Andrei to laugh. It was a rare sight to see the heir of Haris Fortress smile, and Andrei found it amusing.

"Haha, you can't fool me," Andrei laughed again.

"Stop laughing!" Kairon growled, but Andrei ignored him, still amused.

"Anyway, Lord Gerald has arrived but went straight to the castle to meet with His Majesty," Andrei reported, placing a letter on the table bearing the Hera crest. "A messenger disciple brought this letter for you. I assume Lord Leon is inquiring about the progress of the investigation."

Kairon frowned. "Since when has Hera Fortress taken an interest in our investigations?"

"It might be because they're concerned for the safety of the youngest Hera, who recently returned," Andrei suggested.

Kairon froze, realizing the significance. The youngest Hera, the keeper of the Arrow of Life, was back in the Averia Empire. He and Andrei exchanged glances, the pieces of the puzzle starting to fit together. The events surrounding them began to make sense.

"If we're correct, then the target is the youngest Hera," Andrei speculated.

"It makes sense—the timing of her return and the sudden increase in Specter activity around the area," Kairon agreed. "But it's odd. As a keeper myself, I should be able to sense her presence, yet I haven't felt anything these days."

Andrei nodded thoughtfully. "She must be concealing her golden energy—" He paused, a realization dawning on him that caught Kairon's attention.

"What are you thinking?" Kairon asked, intrigued.

"The one who used soul energy," Andrei continued, "if we assume that the youngest Hera is concealing her golden energy, then she might have resorted to using her soul energy instead."

"She's capable of using soul energy?" Kairon asked, surprised.

"She was in seclusion in the West," Andrei explained. "It's plausible that she mastered soul energy during those years for her own protection."

Kairon's expression grew serious. 

To be continued