*RED MOON'S POV*
"Now that is terrible," I said as my mind was already thinking of multiple ways.
Legacy of Chand.
A book that I thought was just a piece of entertainment that repeated the same thing as others. But clearly... that was not the case.
Even though most of the book was just rubbish, the end part started catching my attention. It tells about the Chand Scroll and its contents.
As I reached the ending, the book introduced a new idea.
"The Chand Scroll can only be opened if a pair of soulmates opens it together or near each other."
"I hope it is not true," I said.
As I searched for any explanations about that line, my mind had already accepted it. Yet, my heart became a cocked gun. Just one more trigger and it may fire at anything.
My hands gradually closed the book as I found no trace of explanation.
"Well," I thought.
"The only way left to find out is to test this."
*ISAIAH'S POV*
It was a sleek and deep cut. Just like that of Red Moon.
I extended my hand to touch the injury. But then, withdrew it.
Head Priest Hadeon looked at me, his eyes already saying that he had given up telling me anything at all.
"Isaiah, believe it or not, this injury was done by your Red Moon." His sigh was long and slow.
'Well, this is not true, he is lying,' was all I could think at that time. My head rang with that sentence again and again until Head Priest Hadeon slowly turned and said,
"There is no way I am going to let Red Moon slip away the next time I catch him." His voice was dripping with mockery. His smirk was beyond just arrogance.
Clasp.
My hand was already clutching against Head Priest Hadeon's bleeding wound.
I tried to withdraw it, but my hand wasn't listening at that time.
Head Priest Hadeon's face twitched. He started trying to pull away. Yet, my hand clutched onto it firmly.
"Isaiah... Let... Me... Go." His voice was full of pain. However, all I did was draw him closer.
"Hadeon, take out that shit obsession of yours on someone. Understood?"
I wasn't able to recognise my own voice at that time. But, somehow, that line was all it took for me to finally ease all the tightness in me. I felt relieved, almost at peace.
However, Head Priest Hadeon was the opposite.
His body tensed up, anger covering him entirely. His face clenched tightly. But the soft laugh he let out was enough to fool anyone.
He stepped forward, his mouth almost at my ears.
"Isaiah, you think you are any better?"
Well, he was not wrong. If he was the one who was obsessed, then what do you call me?
I am worse than him. A lot worse.
But,
That doesn't change the fact that Red Moon is mine. Everyone in the empire knows that. I don't care about who is challenging me for Red Moon. I would defeat them. Even if it was the same one who gave me his loyalty years ago. There is no way.
The Head Priest smiled. The kind that was calculating enough to be noticed.
He waved as he gradually disappeared.
My mind, which should have been regretting everything, was actually happy. I returned to my study and sat at my seat.
"Did something happen today?" Mom's voice filled the air.
'Everything happened.' I wanted to say. I wanted to say it so badly but just couldn't let myself do it. Instead, my silence was everything that she received.
She sat down in front of me. Her eyes locked onto mine.
"Tell me, Isaiah. Did something happen today?" Her voice was gentle, careful, and full of concern. Sometimes, when she is like this, I forget entirely that she is the supreme ruthless Empress, The Almighty, Empress Samantha.
"Mom..." I finally managed to raise my voice. She nodded, waiting patiently.
Somehow, in that moment, I felt closer to her more than ever. Maybe it was the way she was waiting, or maybe the calm and comforting energy around her. Either way, she felt safe enough for me to tell everything.
She listened carefully, rarely reacting. Yet, I felt like my complications were all solved.
I could now feel why everyone respected her and also why my father loved her.
She was authoritative yet gentle.
After I was finished, she smiled. A genuine one that I hadn't seen in ages. She got up as she said, "We will talk tomorrow."
"Have a pleasant night, Mom."
***
I clutched onto Golden Eyes longer; however, there were no signs of its effect.
"Maybe it is broken." I looked at Alysaa, who was standing by my side.
"Strange," she said as she also grabbed it.
"When I showed it to a prisoner, he was dead on the spot."
"Maybe it doesn't work on people with high magic?"
"That prisoner was a court mage."
"Well..."
We were silent for a moment before something clicked in Alysaa's mind. She didn't even bother to tell me anything before she ran off to the prison.
I followed her, expecting something.
The Golden Eyes were in her pocket when she slipped into the torture chamber.
She stood in front of one of the criminals as she commanded him to look at her pocket.
And the criminal was dead.
"See," she turned to me.
"There is something wrong with us rather than the Golden Eyes itself."
"But what could it be?"
Alysaa looked at the small clock which was hanging on the wall. She stared at it for a moment before she said, "My hours of service have ended, Your Highness. You may figure it out on your own now."
And with that, she handed over the Golden Eyes and left.
'I should look for better companions,' I thought as I stood there.
"Really unlucky of you, Isaiah." A voice came. I recognised it instantly. The same arrogance and mockery...
"Head Priest Hadeon, what are you doing here?"
"To add one more person here, Isaiah."
"I would like you to refrain from calling me by my name, Head Priest Hadeon."
"Alright."
Well, I was happy that it was the end of the conversation that I had with that Head Priest. He just slipped through beside me, and I came back to my room.
The same room which smelled of Red Moon somehow.
Red Moon has only been here once, and it still feels like it had been more than that.
I put the Golden Eyes in a drawer as I lay down to sleep.
It has been ages since I felt relief in my muscles. King Lucifer has been nothing but a pain in the ass between me and my sleep.
Not to mention my already cut-down sleeping hours because of my work.
'Well, indeed, Red Moon does care about me,' I thought, but I never wondered why he was there in the first place at that time because that was the same night I got to know why he was there.
***
A cold yet smooth hand stroked my head. It slowly became warm as it touched me more and more. However, that hand somehow felt familiar.
My sleep prevented me from opening my eyes. But I wasn't even sleeping at that time.
As the hand slowly started withdrawing, my body finally felt the need to move. My hand clutched onto the hand, pulling it towards myself.
My half-asleep eyes finally opened only to see the most beautiful person in the world.
Red Moon.
"What are you doing here?" I asked. My hands were tightening their grip.
"Well, would you help me if I told you?" His voice was colder. Way more than I remembered.
"Yes, I would. Even at the cost of my life." I leaned towards him.
Red Moon laughed softly as he said, "I like that determination."