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Lost in that unknowable state, I watched the Ethereal Filaments stitch themselves back together, fragile threads of my being weaving anew. Then, abruptly, I was snapped awake, my gaze landing on the ceiling above.
"You're awake."
Arthur Lys said, peering down at me with a calm, measured expression.
Before I could react, I found myself standing on my own feet, unbidden.
"Don't be surprised. We know about the Twin Stars."
He continued, his voice steady, carrying an undercurrent of quiet authority.
"Recently, the Monarchs mentioned the birth of a third Twin Star. You're the one, aren't you?"
There was no room for deception. They knew far too much without moving a muscle, reading far beyond appearances. Lying here would achieve nothing.
"Is that a problem?"
Still, i'm not stupid enough to give them a straight answer. This question keeps me at the centre of the two possibilities. Luckily, he didn't push it any further.
"No. I don't really care if you're the one or not. What are you doing in Kalidor? You didn't miraculously trip into a portal, did you?"
"I didn't. I found a portal in Elyvra, and I used it."
'That's giving much with revealing the who's and where's.'
"Ok. That's correct."
"How do you know?"
"The Trinity Guardian was the victim. He was a three-headed Dragon."
'Ok. I shouldn't say more than needed.'
"Oh. I didn't know about that."
"So, why are you here? The conceptual detector stuff has been deactivated a long time ago. I believe you'll tell me the truth."
"Curiosity. I want to learn something about the Dragons, and I took my chance on the first trial."
"The last time a Star set foot in Kalidor was during the Great Dragon War. You know your presence here is a grave situation, right?"
"I knew no matter how cautious I was, I'll get busted in the future. But that hasn't stopped me from advancing."
"Does the Goddess know you're here?"
"I sneaked out. But she probably caught wind off the situation."
"Are you willing to accept any consequences?"
Lancelith asked.
"Nah. Moving up is my only option."
"How stubborn."
"You've done crazy things out of curiosity. It'll be a shame for it to end here."
"You're giving him permission to proceed?"
"Not really. You have less than two days before the King knows about your presence. When that time comes, I, the Grand Prince, won't side with no one. Based on the past experience, I believe the Grand Duke will do the same."
Arthur Lys glances at the Grand Duke and Lancelith nodded.
"I advise you to utilize the little time you have into knowledge rather than adventuring. Sovereign Boriel might side with you, but I won't force the others to do so. They are loyal to the chain of command."
He added.
"He's right. Eighty five percent of the forces are under Sovereign Galahar. They're loyal to the core like their chosen Sovereign. It'll be a bad thing for you to end up with them."
"I can have Sovereign Boriel to accompany you."
"No need. If I can have my old companion back, I'd be delighted."
"I'll talk to the queen and see what can be done."
Lancelith interrupted.
"Are you sure you want to face her head on?"
Arthur asked.
"I am a Grand Duke and a High Sovereign. She'll be blessed by my presence."
He turned and exited through a portal.
"How did you know I can use Etherium?"
I asked, incredulous. That was literally impossible to discern.
Arthur tilted his head slightly, his back still to me. He didn't answer. He didn't need to.
[[IMAGE]]
[[IMAGE]]
"How… how were you able to do that? Control the Energy Fragments…"
I muttered, more to myself than to him.
"Good luck out there."
He said simply.
Before I could react, a surge of teleportation, the sort that shouldn't even be possible in Kalidor, flung me from the castle. In an instant, I landed beside Vera.
She flickered like a startled cat, her eyes wide and body twitching nervously as she took in the sudden arrival.
"Heee!"
"What?"
I asked, unable to know why she acted like that.
"Um… nothing."
She said quickly, taking a deep breath to compose herself.
"What… what happened there?"
She asked, her voice tinged with both curiosity and concern.
"We have less than two days left in Kalidor before our presence becomes known."
I replied, keeping my tone measured.
"Two days?"
I nodded, letting the weight of those words hang between us.
"That's not enough to get to the top, is it?"
"It depends. Tik is probably on her way to help us one last time."
"Ok.. that...."
"Vera!"
That cute, unmistakable voice cut through the forest, and there she was, running towards us dressing like the princess she is.
She skipped me and crashed onto Vera with a hug.
"The Grand Duke told me I can spend the day with you guys before you leave."
'I guess it's better to tell her we'll leaving.'
"Wú Jí kun."
She unexpectedly ran to me with a hug.
"I know you'll beat that bad guy and come back to us."
She said.
"Um."
I replied like a rock making sounds.
'I don't know what's all this, so I don't know how to reply. Just get off me and start talking.'
"Wuu look, we're the same height."
Wuu, a Dragon brought Tik here to us, stood in the distance. Even from afar, his attire spoke of his royal status, every detail of his dress radiating authority and lineage.
"Tik Tok, Tik. Your time is running out. I won't let you waste a single second beyond your due time."
He called, his tone sharp. Then, without another word, he turned and disappeared through the portal.
"Blah, blah, blah."
Tikvah muttered under her breath, shaking her head.
"He's always overprotective… far too overprotective for a brother."
"That's your brother, the prince?"
Vera asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Yeah. Royalty sucks."
She replied with a sigh.
"They force you into big, uncomfortable clothes and drag you to endless boring meetings. I don't belong there, I love being out here."
She tugged at her outfit, straightening each piece with a grin, the way someone might revel in a favourite possession. It was a small, humanising gesture, yet it spoke volumes of why she was a Blood.
'We're almost alike.'
I thought.
'But I never experienced life in a kingdom or an empire.'
"Let's make this last day worth it, shall we?"
She said, striking a confident pose, both hands resting firmly on her hips.
"Yeah…"
Vera chuckled dryly, shaking her head at the display.
"One day."
I murmured, glancing at the horizon.
"How long can we ascend before our time runs out?"
To be continued...