Arriving at the palace through the portal, Jasmin hurried to her chamber, clearly unprepared to face her father.
The grand guard, Philip, summoned his last bit of strength and made his way to the main hall.
Since his highness was not in his room when Philip checked, he now had to interrupt the meeting the king was having.
Upon reaching the hall, Philip forcefully pushed open the doors, causing the previously noisy hall to fall silent.
Everyone present had the same thoughts racing through their minds: "Who would dare disturb his highness during a meeting?" They all stared at Philip, unable to speak.
Ignoring the stares he received, Philip ran up to the king's throne, dropping to his knees with his sword in hand and his head bowed to show respect.
"Please forgive my intrusion, great King," Philip pleaded. The people in the hall looked at him with pity.
They all knew that if Philip didn't have a valid excuse for interrupting his Majesty, he would face punishment from the king.
"You certainly did interrupt us, and I hope you have a good reason for doing so," the king stated.
"Your highness, Princess Lily and Princess Fiona have been kidnapped," Philip revealed.
The king rose from his throne, his face darkening. A whisper was heard among the individuals in the hall.
"Who would dare to kidnap my children? If I find that person, their heads will be displayed as decorations in my trophy room," the king declared.
He muttered to himself before directing his anger towards Grand guard Philip.
"How could this happen under your watch? You were the most skilled of all the grand guards!" He yelled in frustration.
"My King, I do not deserve your forgiveness, but I request permission to search for them," he quickly responded, aware that his position was in jeopardy.
"Grant me some time, Your Highness," he pleaded, realizing that he had fallen out of favor with the King.
He knew that his rival would take advantage of this situation and all his hard work would be in vain. He was determined not to let that happen.
"Hmm, time?" King Hadrian questioned.
"Yes, my Lord," he immediately replied.
"Then time it is," the King declared. "But if you fail to bring back both of my daughters, you will be stripped of your rank, power, and title as a grand guard. Instead, you will become a commoner or a regular guard."
He said this without taking a breath, but his expression remained unchanged.
Grand guard Philip was taken aback. He felt as if he had been stung by a bee.
"But Your Highness, I need to speak with you privately, my King," he spoke up before King Hadrian could leave the hall.
Everyone in the hall feared for Grand guard Philip. He had crossed a line right in front of them. Someone needed to intervene to save this man.
The King turned to look at Grand guard Philip and then signaled to the guard standing nearby.
"The audience is dismissed for today. Return to your homes," the guard on the King's right side immediately announced.
Everyone departed, leaving only the two men.
Grand guard Philip remained silent and avoided eye contact with
the King, waiting for the King's command to speak.
The King noticed this and initially smiled, but the smile quickly vanished.
"Philip, please speak," he said.
Grand guard Philip saw a glimmer of hope that the King might not strip him of his power, rights, and name. He pondered this thought.
"My King, I am unsure if you have any conflicts with the SCORPIO clan," Philip said. The King's expression immediately changed.
"Why do you inquire?" the King asked, growing impatient.
"My King, they attacked us and abducted the two princesses," Philip said, feeling ashamed of his failure.
"But how is this possible? The Scorpio clan? Who would dare send them after my daughters? Something seems suspicious," the King pondered aloud.
"Yes, my Lord. Furthermore, how did they know the exact inn where we were staying?" Philip tilted his head up to look at the King.
"Then it suggests that we have someone within the palace who is monitoring everything," the King exclaimed, becoming increasingly agitated.
"Yes, my Lord. But if that is the case, what about the inn? How did they know the specific inn and the rest of our plans?"
Philip's expression remained unchanged, and now the King understood why Grand guard Philip had interrupted his meeting with the council.
"If that is true, there must be a reason behind their actions. Gather enough guards and search for my daughters," the King commanded, and Grand guard Philip stood up.
"Ensure that this information remains confidential between the two of us," the King immediately added.
"Yes, your highness," Philip replied. The King exited the chamber, and Grand guard Philip hurriedly followed suit.
****
As the two women disappeared from view, they found themselves standing before The Cauldron of Creations.
"Oh my goodness! Are we really at The Cauldron of Creations? No one has ever seen it and survived," Lily exclaimed, her face filled with surprise.
"This is truly unbelievable," she continued. Adeline simply smiled and placed her hand on Lily's shoulder.
"You possess great wisdom. It seems you know a lot. Mother created many things that remain a mystery to your people and other kingdoms,"
Adeline said as they entered the Cauldron. Lily followed suit.
The Cauldron of Creations is a massive stone structure, resembling a giant pot, with a smooth, polished obsidian interior.
Inside, the water bubbles and shimmers, creating a melodic roar. Thick, dark stone columns encircle the chamber, seemingly reaching towards the sky.
"Tell me, my child, what do you know about this place?" Adeline inquired.
"The Cauldron of Creations is a mythical structure that exists between the realms of matter and spirit. It is where the raw energy of the universe transforms into the building blocks of life,"
Lily replied, her voice echoing through the chamber.
"It serves as both a scientific engine of creation and a magical crucible of power. One can access the energies of the earth and water elements here, using them for both destruction and reconstruction,"
She continued.
"Now I understand why Mother chose you. Do not disappoint her," Adeline said calmly, devoid of emotion.
Lily felt a momentary fear before regaining her composure.
"But according to the seer, only one man successfully entered but did not survive. Some believe his greed for power drove him to madness. Is there anything else I should know?"
Lily asked, feeling nervous.
Adeline clapped her hands, and a table filled with food appeared.
"Eat up, we have plenty," she said.
Lily continued listening as she ate, realizing her hunger had intensified. She wondered if it was because she was dead.
"Lily, there are still things you do not yet know," Adeline said, smiling.
"Such as?" Lily replied, looking at her with a smile.
"For one, you were born with two abilities," Adeline revealed. Lily's jaw dropped, causing the food in her mouth to fall out.
"That's unbelievable!" she exclaimed.
"Yes, indeed. There is much more you need to learn. And Mother has given you a mission, but I cannot disclose it until you reach level 8,"
Adeline said, a smirk on her face.
"But I'm not even at level 1. It will take at least 10 years or more to reach level 8,"
Lily said, clearly uninterested as her focus remained on her food.
"Alright, so you've let Fiona go, right? I mean, your dear sister who loved you more than anyone else..." Adeline began, but Lily interrupted her.
"Never in my next life will I trust her," Lily said, her expression darkening.
"Okay, dear. Now eat and rest. I will explain the rules and help you level up through training," Adeline said.
"Training? But I haven't even been purified," Lily protested.
"Oh, I see. Well, once you finish eating, immerse yourself in The Cauldron of Creations until morning," Adeline suggested.
"I can't! Are you asking me to drown?" Lily said, a hint of fear in her voice.
"Then drown if you're weak," Adeline replied before disappearing. Lily quickly undressed and entered The Cauldron of Creations, sitting in a meditative position.