Chapter 16 : Discussion

Chapter 16 : Discussion

A man with jet-black hair and eyes lay motionless on an ornate bed, his skin so pale it seemed as though all the blood had been drained from his body. The room was dark, yet shadows flickered unnaturally around him, moving with a life of their own.

"Cough… cough… Those Ignis bastards… they can't even die properly," Veldran Noctis muttered, his voice laced with venomous hatred.

He was the Patriarch of the Noctis Duke Family, a Saint of the Shadow Domain—a being who had transcended normal power, leaving a permanent mark on reality itself. And yet, despite his strength, he now lay wounded, barely able to move.

A battle between Saints was never just a battle. It was a collision of forces that rewrote the very fabric of the world. A Saint's power, once unleashed, was not so easily dispelled—it seeped into existence, into bodies, into souls, lingering like an inescapable curse.

Veldran had learned that truth the hard way.

Ester, the Saint of Purification, had perished at his hands. But before her death, her divine fire had burned through him, embedding itself deep within his body. His very existence—woven from shadow—was now in a state of endless contradiction. The holy flames purified him, while his monstrous regeneration tried to restore what was lost. The two forces clashed ceaselessly within him, an unrelenting agony that neither side could win.

It was torment.

"I should have killed that bitch more slowly." His voice was hoarse with pain and fury.

As he was about to continue venting his frustration on a dead person. He abruptly stopped. 

"Oh no, please, don't let me stop you," a playful voice interrupted from behind him.

Veldran's eyes narrowed. How had he not sensed him sooner?

A man stood in the dimly lit chamber, his golden hair catching what little light remained. His lips curled into a smirk, but his golden eyes gleamed with amusement and something else—sharp calculation.

"It's quite the sight, really," said Asher Sylvaris, Crown Prince of the Empire. "The great Lord of Shadows, sulking like a spoiled child."

Veldran did not reply. He simply gazed at the intruder with cold indifference.

Asher chuckled, stepping forward. "And seriously, how severe is your wound if it took you this long to notice me?" He tilted his head in mock concern, though the glint in his eyes betrayed his lack of sincerity.

Veldran exhaled slowly. He did not have the patience for this. "May I know why you're here, Crown Prince?" His tone was devoid of warmth.

"Oh, come now," Asher pouted dramatically. "After everything we've been through, must you be so distant? Aren't we comrades? Friends, even?"

Veldran's silence spoke louder than words.

Undeterred, Asher continued, his smirk widening. "That night… What do they call it again? Ah—yes. 'The Night of Purge.' Quite the poetic name, don't you think, Duke Noctis? At least we accomplished our goal. The Ignis bloodline is no more."

The room fell into a heavy silence.

Veldran did not react—not visibly. He was already drowning in his own suffering. Engaging with Asher's theatrics was a waste of what little strength he had left.

Seeing no response, Asher shrugged. "Well then, let's get to the point. My father has sent me to you. We need your services again."

Veldran's gaze sharpened slightly. "For what?"

The amusement in Asher's expression faded, replaced by a rare look of seriousness. "The Mindweavers. They've begun to move, and they aren't even trying to be subtle anymore. Their hostility toward the royal family is clear to anyone with half a brain. The tension is reaching its peak—outright confrontation is inevitable."

Veldran said nothing at first. Then, after a long pause, he exhaled.

"I see." His voice was calm, almost detached. "But I cannot help you."

Asher's brow twitched. "What?"

Veldran shifted slightly, grimacing as pain flared through his body. "I lost too much that night. That white fire of that monstrous child… it cost me dearly." He paused, his tone turning colder. "And besides that, your royal family promised me an artifact in exchange for my help against the Ignis. Where is it?"

Asher held his gaze for a long moment before finally responding. "You will receive it in due time. We need it for something at the moment."

Veldran let out a quiet chuckle, though there was no humor in it. "I see. Then when you are 'done' with it and I receive what was promised, I will consider assisting you against the Mindweavers."

Asher's easygoing demeanor shattered in an instant. His golden eyes darkened with restrained fury. "Are you sure about this, Noctis?" His voice was quiet, but there was a dangerous edge to it. "Do you really think the Mindweavers will stop at the royal family? You're not foolish enough to believe that, are you?"

Veldran remained unfazed. "I am well aware. But I will manage on my own. Do not forget—shadow is my domain. Concealment and deception are my nature. If I wish to disappear, no one—not even that mind-reading whore—can find me."

Asher clenched his jaw. He wanted to argue, but he knew Veldran wasn't wrong. The Lord of Shadows could vanish without a trace if he willed it. But—

"You think they haven't accounted for that?" Asher asked coldly. "You seem to forget what type of Saint She is."

"I know they have. But their priority will always be you, the royal family—not me. You were the one who orchestrated the events of that night. I was merely… an executioner."

Silence.

Asher's fingers curled into fists.

Veldran met his gaze, his expression calm and resolute. "Go tell your father—if he wants my help, he can start by keeping his word."

Asher exhaled sharply, his temper barely contained. "Now is not the time for this, Noctis. We need to stand together before the Mindweavers become an even greater problem. We have external enemies as well—you know this."

Veldran's gaze turned to ice. "Then perhaps you and those seven faceless cowards should have thought of that before deciding to wipe out the entire Ignis bloodline. Or don't tell me you are starting to regret now?"

Asher's teeth clenched. "I hope you don't come to regret this, Noctis."

"Don't worry. I am shadow. If I hide who will find me ? Hahah" Veldran said. 

Asher looked coldly at him and without another word, he turned sharply and strode toward the door.

Just as he reached the threshold, Veldran spoke once more.

"And let me give you a warning, Crown Prince."

Asher froze.

"If you think the same tricks will work on those mind-reading bastards…"

A chilling smile ghosted Veldran's lips.

"Then you're in for a very unpleasant surprise."

Asher said nothing. He stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

The silence that followed was suffocating.

Veldran closed his eyes briefly, his exhaustion weighing heavily on him. He looked down at his wounds, the blackened scars laced with flickers of golden fire.

"I was bluffing." His voice was barely above a whisper. "In this state, if they come for me… escape will be difficult."

With great effort, he reached for a dark crystal at his bedside, activating the communication link.

"Bual." His voice was weak, but steady. "Tell my son… to prepare. I will impart everything to him. Rapidly."

A voice responded from the crystal. "Yes, master."

Veldran leaned back, staring up at the black ceiling.

For the third time that night… he sighed.

End of Chapter 16.