The Unravelling: The Throne's Heir

Chapter 08: The Blood-Written Riddle

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Hi, guys! This is by far the LONGEST chapter I've written and I'm proud to say that it is also the BEST one yet. I worked hard for this to redeem myself from the previous chapter's shortness and lack of suspense. I even introduced a new element in this chapter (you can find it at the last part) and as the story progresses, you'll be more excited to know more about it. I'm really hoping that you guys will enjoy reading  what I consider the BEST chapter I made. And I'm telling you, this will definitely deserve some votes. So what are waiting for? Start reading now and be ready for a thrilling ride. :D

(VOTES really motivate me to continue writing so please VOTE if you find the chapter good)

Thank you and God bless you. :)

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 I'm the next king. This is probably a very serious matter.

"Do you mind if I show you the current state of your kingdom, your majesty?" Seth asks, there's a hint of melancholy in his voice.

I pause for a while as I try to absorb his revelation. If I'm the future king, then knowing my kingdom's condition is really important, especially now that I'm currently not there. I have a bad feeling about this. "A-as the future king, I think I have the right . . . to know," I say, a bit nervous. 

"Okay then. Allow me to show it to you, your majesty."

As Seth touches the mirror using his index finger, its glass surface magically turns out to be like the surface of a water. Small concentric circles moving outward towards the edges of the mirror are formed as the scene in the mirror gradually changes.

From the vibrant colors of the elf prince's dashing robe, the scene shifts to the dark ambiance of a place I can barely call a kingdom. I first notice the sky. Its color is crimson red, as if it will soon rain blood. A huge, grand palace which is cloaked in darkness stands on top of a cliff, overlooking a turbulent sea. The sea waves are crashing wildly against the rocky sides of the cliff, creating huge splashes of water. There used to be lots of trees and vegetation surrounding the palace, but all that's left for me to see are skeletal branches of trees along with interlocking thorny vines. As much as I can see, there are no signs of life. The towns are now deserted, some strange-looking houses are now ruins. Most of them are dilapidated. As I move my head to get a picture of the whole scenery, I suddenly notice some black floating hooded figures lurking all over the place like some kind of lookouts. They look really creepy. They have great resemblance to grim reapers, minus the scythes. All in all, the whole place looks like one of those in fairy tales which is under a tremendous spell. It's horribly frightening. Like no one will ever come out of it alive.

"Where are the . . . people?" I ask, hoping they're alive.

"I don't know, your majesty. I haven't returned to the kingdom yet. My task is to accompany you here in the mortal world. I must never leave you behind."

The thought bothers me. Where are they? Are they all dead? How can the Evil Conqueror be so mercilessly cruel? My throne. So that's what he wants. That's why he wants me dead. Without me, he can take over the whole kingdom and rule it the way he wants to, like what he's doing now. He really craves for power. He craves for my death. And if I let this happen, many of my kind will continue suffer. I don't even know what happened to them. I need to do something fast. They are my responsibility now. I can't fail them. Because I'm their only hope.

"How can I defeat him?" I ask, passionate enough to be the savior of my kingdom.

Seth's face brightens up. "I'm glad you're taking interest in your mission, your majesty. I can see in your eyes the fiery spirit of a true royal warrior. I am very much obliged to teach you how to fight and defend yourself. You'll need it as you set forth on a journey to defeat the Evil Conqueror. But for now, you really need to recover your memory first. You'll need it to understand your current situation."