Chapter 2 : The truth

Richard watched his grandfather warily. Henry Marvin wasn't the type to speak to him without reason, and he knew something was coming.

— Well, what else do you have to tell me, aside from everything you've already said? Richard asked, crossing his arms.

Henry smirked and leaned on his cane.

— You know, when I was your age, I was a bit of a hothead too. My friends and I often got into trouble. We thought we could solve everything with swords and spells.

Richard sighed.

— Grandpa… don't tell me you're going to tell me your old stories again? I've heard them a thousand times!

— Oh? In that case, you could tell me the one where we faced Barbatos and his Riders? Richard asked playfully.

— Uh… maybe not in detail, but you get the idea, Henry muttered, looking away.

Henry chuckled softly before turning serious again.

— Richard, listen to me carefully: I'd like to talk to you about Princess Elizabeth.

Richard clenched his teeth.

— Tch… Of course.

Henry stepped closer and spoke to his grandson.

— Richard, I want you to make an effort to get along with her.

Richard raised an eyebrow, surprised.

— What? Why would I do that? That girl is a pretentious snob who thinks she's above everyone else!

Henry didn't answer immediately. He observed his grandson as if searching for the right words.

— Because I've known her since she was born.

Richard frowned.

— What do you mean?

— Her mother, Arlenia, was one of my students.

Silence fell. Henry gazed at the sky, lost in his memories.

— Arlenia Dreks… she was an incredible woman. A talented mage, but also a person of great kindness. She had a strange, unique power.

— What kind of power? Richard asked, curious despite himself.

Henry hesitated for a moment before answering.

— A summoning power… but not like the ones you know. It was connected to something far older.

A shiver ran down Richard's spine.

— And where is she now?

Henry sighed.

— She died giving birth to Elizabeth.

Richard remained silent. He hadn't expected such a revelation.

— Emperor August never recovered from it. He loved Arlenia deeply… and because of that, he places great expectations on Elizabeth.

Richard lowered his gaze, feeling uneasy.

— You mean she… she's lived under that pressure her whole life?

— Yes. And while it doesn't justify her behavior, it explains it to some extent.

Henry gently patted Richard's shoulder.

— I'm not asking you to become her best friend. Just try to understand her.

Richard sighed, running a hand through his messy hair.

— Yeah… I'll see what I can do. But if she keeps acting like the perfect princess, it's going to be difficult.

Henry smiled.

— You'll see, Richard. One day, you too will accomplish great things.

Richard looked up at his grandfather. There was a certainty in his eyes that unsettled him.

— Tch… You have too much faith in me, old man.

Henry burst into laughter.

— Maybe. But that's my right as a grandfather, isn't it?

Richard couldn't help but smile slightly. Maybe Henry was right… Maybe Elizabeth wasn't exactly what he thought she was.

Richard felt an unusual tension in the air as his grandfather spoke again. Henry had that serious look, the one he only showed when weighing his words carefully.

— Richard, I need to talk to you about something else. In a few days, I'll be leaving on a long journey.

The young man raised an eyebrow.

— A journey? Where to?

— To Turing.

The mere name sent a chill down Richard's spine.

— Turing… You mean the Cursed Land?

Henry nodded slowly.

— It's a dangerous place, and few dare to venture there.

Richard crossed his arms.

— And why do you want to go there?

Henry sighed, as if preparing for a difficult conversation.

— Before I answer that question, tell me… Do you really know how we defeated Barbatos?

Richard smirked slightly.

— Of course! You've already told me hundreds of times. You and the other legendary heroes faced him in an epic battle and…

Henry interrupted him gently.

— Actually, it's a little different from what you think.

Richard frowned.

— What do you mean, different?

Henry took a deep breath, as if hesitating to reveal a long-kept secret.

— We didn't defeat Barbatos with our strength alone. What allowed us to stop him… was an artifact we forged together. We called it the Circle of Cirkon.

Richard froze for a moment.

— The Circle of Cirkon?

— Yes. With it, we were able to seal Barbatos and his Twelve Riders. But now, something is wrong…

Henry paused before continuing, his gaze grave.

— The seal of one of the Riders is weakening. I don't know why yet, but one thing is certain… it's not a good sign.

A shiver ran down Richard's spine.

— And that's why you're going to Turing…

Henry nodded.

— Exactly.

A doubt crossed Richard's mind.

— Grandpa… Turing is where Barbatos was sealed, right?

Henry shook his head.

— No. Barbatos wasn't sealed there. In Turing, we sealed another Rider… Morax the Dreadful.

Richard raised an eyebrow.

— Morax the Dreadful? That's a rather dramatic name…

But Henry didn't react to the remark. Instead, his expression darkened, filled with sorrow.

— Don't take this lightly, Richard. Morax was… one of the cruelest of the Twelve Riders of Shadow. He massacred thousands, spreading terror across the continent. But that's not all…

He paused for a moment before continuing in a lower, heavier voice.

— He's also the one who killed your grandmother.

Silence filled the room.

Richard felt his blood run cold.

— …What?

Henry didn't answer immediately. His gaze was lost in the distant past, haunted by painful memories.

Richard, meanwhile, was overwhelmed by conflicting emotions. He had never known his grandmother, but he knew how much Henry had loved her. Seeing his grandfather show such sorrow… it was something he had never witnessed before.

A mix of anger and frustration gripped him.

— Grandpa… Could Morax… come back?

Henry slowly looked up.

— That's what I'm going to find out in Turing.

Richard clenched his fists.

— Then I'm coming with you.

Henry placed a hand on his shoulder, a sad smile on his lips.

— No, Richard. Not this time.

— But…

— Listen to me. If anything happens, you must be ready. You have a role to play, far greater than you can imagine.

Richard lowered his gaze, his jaw clenched.

He didn't know what the future held, but one thing was certain: the name Morax the Dreadful now echoed in his mind like a looming shadow, ready to resurface from a bloodstained past.

Henry slowly stood up and walked toward one of the large bookshelves in his library. Richard watched in silence, intrigued. His grandfather seemed to be searching for something specific among the many books and ancient objects.

After a few moments, Henry reached for a metal box on the top shelf. It was engraved with deep runic symbols that emitted a faint silver glow. The atmosphere in the room changed the moment Henry took it in his hands.

Richard felt a strange pressure in the air. His instincts told him that this box contained something important… perhaps even dangerous.

Henry sat back down and carefully placed the box on the heavy wooden table. With a precise motion, he slid open the lid, revealing an ancient object resting on dark velvet fabric.

Richard's eyes widened.

The object was a circular fragment, engraved with intricate runes that pulsed softly with a bluish light. A strange energy emanated from it, making the air around them vibrate.

Henry looked up at his grandson, his gaze unusually serious.

— Richard… this is a piece of the Circle of Cirkon.

Silence fell once more.

Richard felt his heart skip a beat.

— Grandpa… this is incredible… I can feel the immense power within it.

Henry slid the box toward him.

— I entrust it to you, Richard.