The small, golden-white orb of light that had been their guide all this time finally stopped moving, hovering silently among the massive tree trunks.
The footsteps of the two youths, who had been running through the dark forest, gradually slowed down before coming to a complete halt.
Right beside the orb of light, emerging from the dense shadows of the trees, stood a youth with brownish-white hair. His face was remarkably handsome with a calm gaze, radiating the elegant aura of a nobleman despite standing in the middle of a damp forest.
His clothes appeared immaculate and pristine, a stark contrast to Kaydan and Calverd, who were covered in sweat, dirt, and bloodstains from their escape.
"Which one of you is the tenth?" Davin asked. His voice drifted through the air, breaking the forest's silence and opening the conversation without small talk, yet sounding entirely unthreatening.
Kaydan, who was still panting, immediately straightened his back.
"I am the tenth!" the gray-haired youth answered quickly, his tone carrying a mix of pride and profound relief. "My name is Kaydan!"
Upon hearing the confirmation, Davin stepped forward, closing the distance between them. As he stood directly in front of Kaydan, his eyes moved slowly, scanning him from head to toe, meticulously observing every physical detail of the youth he had just come to retrieve.
"Judging by your skin, you must be from the Larde tribe, right?" Davin guessed, his voice soft yet full of sharp observation.
Kaydan nodded slowly, confirming the words of the brownish-white-haired youth before him.
A warm smile instantly graced Davin's face.
"I am Davin, his eighth spouse!" he greeted warmly, extending a welcoming hand that melted away the tense atmosphere of the forest.
Knowing firsthand that the youth in front of him was the eighth spouse of his husband, Kaydan instantly let out a long, deep sigh filled with absolute relief.
"Let's get out of here!" Davin said casually, as if he were inviting an old friend over for a visit rather than rescuing royal fugitives from the jaws of death.
"Yes, I agree!" Kaydan replied without hesitation.
Davin pivoted to face an empty space between the trees, then extended his right hand straight forward.
The air in front of him suddenly vibrated violently. In a matter of seconds, a spatial tear formed, conjuring a static, purplish-black dimensional gate that radiated a dense, yet un-suffocating, magical energy.
Kaydan and Calverd's eyes widened, staring in awe at the phenomenon unfolding before them.
No wonder that invisible man told us to come to this forest! Calverd thought, finally piecing together the answer to the mysterious hero's series of actions tonight. These two are truly incredible! One can use invisible magic, and the other can create a gate with such ease.
"Why are the two of you just standing there dazed?" Davin chided with a bewildered yet teasing tone, snapping the two youths out of their trance. "Get in quickly! It's getting late, and the air here isn't good for you when you're this exhausted."
Kaydan and Calverd immediately moved forward, stepping carefully through the gate.
The moment their bodies were pulled inside, Alvein, still in his invisible form, entered right after them, followed by Davin, who stepped in last.
Right after the last person passed through the spatial tear, the gate shrank and closed shut, vanishing without a trace as if nothing had ever happened in that forest.
The cold, damp atmosphere were instantly replaced by warm, soothing air.
Now, Kaydan and Calverd stood frozen on a plush red carpet. Their eyes swept across their surroundings, finding themselves inside an incredibly luxurious building, possessing a vast space adorned with expensive furnishings.
"Where... are we?" Kaydan asked with a breathy voice. His eyes kept darting around in amazement, glancing at every corner of the elegant room he had just entered.
Davin, who was standing behind him, chuckled softly.
"You are the tenth! Why would you even ask such a question?" Davin retorted, walking past them. "Of course, you've come home, Kaydan."
The words 'come home' that Davin just uttered struck Kaydan's ears like a massive wave of emotion. The gray-haired youth froze, his lips trembling, as a smile of overwhelming relief slowly etched itself onto his face. Unable to hold them back, tears streamed down, wetting his cheeks that were stained with the dust of their escape.
After suffering for so long, living as a slave treated like a mere pet inside the palace, it was only now that he could once again feel the true meaning of a sanctuary.
He finally had a place to call home.
"We'd better head to the dinning room now!" Alvein's voice suddenly drifted from near them, interrupting the touching moment.
Along with his words, the invisibility magic that had cloaked him all this time was retracted, slowly revealing his physical form to the two youths. "Everyone there has been waiting for the arrival of—"
Thud!
Calverd flinched backward until his feet stumbled, sending him falling bottom-first onto the carpet.
It wasn't his sudden materialization from thin air that had startled Calverd, but rather the physical appearance of the silver-haired youth himself that almost broke his common sense.
"T-T-That pair of long, pointed ears... T-T-Two pairs of transparent wings on your back..." Calverd stammered, pointing with a trembling hand. He was in profound shock at the existence he was currently witnessing with his own two eyes. "W-What kind of creature are you?"
Beside him, Kaydan, who was still crying tears of joy, was no less shocked by the appearance of his husband's fourth spouse. His eyes widened as he stared in awe at the figure in front of him, tears continuing to stream down his face.
"Me?" Alvein replied casually, as if his appearance were the most normal thing in the world. "I am of the fairy race. My name is Alvein. Nice to meet you."
Seeing Kaydan and Calverd still paralyzed in a state of extraordinary shock from seeing Alvein's true form...
Clap!
A single, loud and crisp clap echoed, shattering the silence that had swept over the mansion's living room.
"Come on, snap out of it and follow us to the dinning room!" Davin ordered firmly, taking control of the situation, unwilling to linger any longer. "The two of you must be starving. You need to eat immediately and clean yourselves up while we wait for him to return from the battlefield!"
Hearing the words 'wait for him' coming from the brownish-white-haired youth's mouth instantly snapped Calverd back to his senses. He quickly scrambled to his feet.
The same went for Kaydan. He quickly wiped his tears away. He could no longer wait for the arrival of his husband, who was still fighting alone, holding back the royal forces for their freedom.
The four youths then began walking down the mansion's hallway toward the kitchen area, with Alvein hovering low at the very front to lead the way.
Upon reaching the threshold of the dining room connected to the kitchen area, Kaydan and Calverd's steps halted once more. Both were beyond stunned to see eight incredibly handsome youths, each with different charms and characteristics, busy preparing a grand dinner feast.
The delicious aroma of the cooking wafting through the air instantly made their stomachs rumble.
Hearing the sound of footsteps entering the kitchen area, the eight youths stopped their work simultaneously. All of their gazes shifted, locking their focus entirely on the two youths who had just arrived with Alvein and Davin.
One of them spoke up, immediately breaking the silence that had fallen over the room.
"Are the two of you the only ones who came here?"