Nonetheless, Alex was grateful for the armor. Deep down, he knew that without it, he probably would not have survived this far in the game. The armor, battered and flawed as it was, had shielded him through more than he cared to remember.
He drew in a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down, trying to let go of the pain still coursing through his body from pulling out the shards of armor embedded in his flesh.
Alex decided that his next destination would be the lake. He was not exactly sure why, but he sensed instinctively that it was the only way out. The cave where he had been trapped had no other exit, no collapsed wall to dig through. When he first woke up, he had been lying beside the lake. Maybe, by some strange luck or the river's current, he had found his way here. Maybe the waves had carried him into the cave through some hidden path.
With determination, Alex stepped toward the lake. Before doing anything else, he crouched down and scooped up water in his hands. It tasted awful, murky and strange, nothing like the water he was used to. Still, he didn't complain. He drank deeply, gulp after gulp, desperate to quench his thirst.
Once he had drunk his fill, Alex drew a deep breath and held it, bracing himself. He waded into the lake, feeling the cold water rise up around him, step by step, until he was completely submerged. Water stung his eyes, blurring his vision, but he forced them open and scanned the underwater darkness. There, in the gloom, he spotted a small tunnel where water flowed in and out, beckoning like a secret escape route.
That tunnel, he realized, was probably how he had ended up in this cave in the first place, just as he had guessed. Steeling himself, Alex began to swim toward it, driven by the hope of escape. Hunger gnawed at him, but even his empty stomach seemed to have forgotten how to complain after so long. He just wanted to exit this hellish place.
***
Meanwhile, in the Drakethorne estate within the Silverine State, a large drawing room was filled with neatly lined sofas. At the center of the room, a huge screen played quietly.
"Big brother, you can do it!" Ariana shouted, raising her right fist high into the air. She sat beside her parents, all three of them glued to the screen. It showed her big brother Alex, who had been sleeping for days, not moving an inch all this time.
But on the final day of the exam, after all those days of watching and waiting, Alex finally woke up. Ariana could see it on his face, even through the screen—he was ready to fight for points, ready to face whatever waited for him. There was nothing she could do except cheer him on from afar, her heart pounding with worry and hope.
She glanced to her left at her mother, who had not slept in days. The exhaustion was plain to see on her beautiful face, her azure eyes fixed unblinking on the screen, burning with a passion so intense that nobody dared disturb her.
On her right, her father sat hunched forward, arms resting on his knees. He wore the same worried look as her mother, though he did not seem quite as sleep-deprived. Maybe it was because of his strength as a Paragon, or maybe because he had spent his nights making sure Ariana got some rest. She remembered how he would tell her stories to help her sleep, even though she was too worried about her brother to truly rest. Sometimes, he would doze off right there beside her, his head resting on the back of the chair as he finished a story.
Not wanting to disturb either of her parents, Ariana returned her focus to the screen. She watched as her big brother slipped into the lake, probably trying to escape the cave. Clenching her tiny fist, she made a silent vow to herself. Someday, she would become strong—strong enough to face that elf and make them pay for hurting her brother. Only she was allowed to tease Alex, and she hated the memory of watching the elf strike him.
Tears welled up in her eyes as she remembered the horror of watching her brother beaten by the elf. Before she could break down completely, her father had gently pulled her away from the screen, unable to bear seeing her cry over Alex's pain.
Ariana bit her lip, refusing to let the tears fall. She had cried enough. She didn't want to trouble her parents any more than she already had.
***
Far away, in Lavenny city, the capital of the Evernight Empire. The grand imperial palace spread across the heart of the city, it carried the centuries of history. In a vast hall adorned with gold and jewels, James Evernight, Emperor of the Empire, sat tall on a massive golden throne. His back was straight against the seat, hands resting calmly on the armrests, his right leg crossed over his left.
He looked every inch the emperor, dressed in a white suit adorned with gold. His white hair shimmered in the morning light, and his dark eyes fixed coldly on Morgana Chronveil, who knelt on the floor with her head bowed.
"You said he was the prophesied one," Emperor James said, his tone flat, a cold sneer curling his lips. "Do you really think this pitiful boy could be the one from the prophecy?"
The hall, already silent, seemed to grow quieter still. Morgana's breath caught, but she was not one to cower, even if she could never hope to match the emperor's strength. She was not someone who would let herself be trampled.
Morgana steadied her breath and lifted her head. "I never said he was the one," she replied, her voice calm. Seeing the darkness in the emperor's eyes, she added, "I only said he could be. I told you, I am not sure if he's truly the one. All I said was that fate has shifted, and the river of destiny is still tangled, full of broken threads. Even now, parts of it remain hidden from me."
"You and your fate," Emperor James growled, his anger finally breaking through. "Then who is the prophesied one? Is it that bastard prince?" His voice dripped with mockery, every word a pointed insult.
"I am not sure, Your Majesty," Morgana answered honestly. She hesitated, then added, "But he is powerful—far more than anyone would expect from a bastard with no backing."
"You are dismissed," Emperor James said curtly, closing his eyes as if to shut out the world.
Morgana rose and left the hall with calm, steady steps, in no hurry to flee. She was a woman who knew how to hold on to her dignity, even when facing the mightiest man in the empire.
Once Morgana had gone, James opened his eyes and looked up at the ceiling, as though he could see beyond it. He muttered to himself, "We do not have much time left."
***
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