Parallel World: Fated Oracle

Chapter 2

Chapter 2: The Right Choice?

A whisper of afternoon breeze hit tall walls of the empty fortress. The Exorcists gathered outside, hopping on their own horses and others sat on horse carriages. The Commander in front. Signaled his horse to move forward. The loud crunching of its heavy hooves brushed the ground. The Commander gazed forward, deep in thought.

A memory lingered, just from earlier. Inside the green tent, face to face with Scarlet.

"The source of the curses has been slayed, Nathaniel got his hands on its core and a fellow exorcist, Chloe was corrupted." He said, as if summarizing her report.

"That's right. I'm certain she was corrupted when the curses seiged this fortress two nights ago." Scarlet commented as she pulled out a piece of cloth from her pocket. A symbol of exorcism that was stitched on their shoulders. She placed it on the wooden desk.

"...It's forbidden to bring her remains because of her corruption. This is what I could bring back, for her loved ones." Scarlet added as her fingers left the cloth.

The Commander picked up the cloth. A long silence followed, before the Commander opened his mouth. "Every exorcist that I watched over. Most of them came from the outer wall of the capital, and Chloe was one of them." He paused as he shifted his gaze onto his palm, the symbol of exorcism reflected on his pupil. "...She became an exorcist to escape a twisted life of poverty." He slowly lifted his gaze towards Scarlet, meeting her eyes.

"The moment of her dying breath, do you think she regretted her choices?" His words carried heavily. Chloe's dying smile lingered onto Scarlet's mind. The distant voices from outside of the tent became audible.

Scarlet turned, her cloak snapped, one hand rested on the grip of her sheathed blade strapped on her lower back.

"...Who knows?" She whispered, enough for at least the commander to hear as she left the tent.

The commander gazed down at his palm once more.

"...She must have. Everything, is afraid of the end." He whispered to himself as a horse neighed, making him come back to his sense.

A few exorcist behind him. Scarlet was riding her own horse. The silver ring on her middle finger reflected the sunlight. A memory lingered onto her mind as the warm breeze hit her face, the night when the special grade was slayed. Scarlet followed Nathaniel from a distance, her footsteps were weak and delicate because of the fatigue. The sound of horses passed through the trees. She finally made out of the forest. Her gaze lingered onto Nathaniel's back, facing a tall woman, behind her was a group of robed people, still on their horses. Nathaniel held out the core that was wrapped with his cloak, Reina's gaze followed as it dropped on the grass. The core glimmered as it was being rayed with moonlight.

"Good work, Nathaniel~." Reina commented as she lifted her gaze to Nathaniel.

"Our deal. I'm not taking no for an answer." Nathaniel recalled their deal back at the mountain as his fierce gaze lingered onto Reina's.

"I, Nathaniel, son of Ethan. Upon my father's death. I seek vengeance through a duel with Reina." He lifted his hand close to his face. Manifesting black flames as his gaze deepen into Reina's eyes.

Reina's fingers twitched, white strings coming out of the tips. Her hands moved like a puppeteer. "I, Reina, Daughter of Earl. Responsible for Ethan's death. I accept his son's duel." Her tone firm as her voice was carried with a cold breeze. A long silence followed as Nathaniel coughed blood, the flames on his hand extinguished as his body collapsed on the grass.

"...Using magic even though you're at your limits. Of course you're gonna pass out." Reina said to herself as her eyes remained onto Nathaniel.

"...Did the kid really kill a special grade curse?" One of the robed men uttered as they all gazed down at Nathaniel's fallen body.