Villains tend to reveal their plans when they think they were already winning.
Umi bitterly scoffed. She didn't even know how many days had passed by as she fumbled through her bag that she had snatched at the last minute before she ran away.
She bit her lip as she recalled how excited Cage was when she promised him that they will visit a town together after the last day of her mission, thus the reason why she had brought this bag full of jewelry and gold so she can treat her brother with food and buy him anything he wants.
But, that didn't happen at all.
Glancing down at the sleeping woman who was leaning on a tree while holding onto a particular necklace with an amethyst stone as a pendant, Umi set down the bag and tried to start a fire for the stars were already slowly revealing themselves and the chilly air that comes with the night is about to plague them once again.
Jumping from that high tower was purely an instinctual reaction of Umi and until now, she still can't help but shiver with that thought. She didn't even know that she had the ability to lift a body or two with her mind.
But she did it without even blinking.
Umi felt it. She felt the great power coursing through her veins, blending with her blood, even sometimes causing discomfort for it wanted to come out, to show its superiority to the world. This tremendous power, however, also came with an equivalent price.
Umi felt her hands tremble in deep outrage as she stared at the blazing flames of the fire in front of her. Glancing down at her skin through her teary eyes, she can't help but let out a bitter laugh. The girl thought that her situation was ridiculously hilarious. As she recalled the events that unfolded that night, it made her go crazy even more.
The transformation was indeed successful. Too successful, even.
A human like her with the blood of a royal has turned into a Phantom Knight yet unlike the phantom woman on her side, Umi had feet instead of dark smoke. Her figure is still that of a human except for the dark and scarred skin, and the floating hair.
The burning sensation that lurked unto the insides of her skin was causing her discomfort but she found it even more hilarious that despite the constant burns, the transformation came with something that she could benefit from.
Being a Phantom Knight is similar to being subjected to an eternal burning of the insides that will surely bring suffering and torment to them. That is how the Mad King was able to control them. Their creator who mercilessly twisted their body and turned them into a horrible monster, is also the only one who had the cure for this torture.
Yet Umi is different. As someone who was already numb to any pain, coupled with her power to move things with the mind, she experimented with her own body to prove her hypothesis that she once thought of after meeting the female lead's mother.
Alas, the power of fire that brought torment to the phantom, can be also controlled by Umi using her own power. By releasing the fire from her insides through the scars on her skin, Umi can produce fire. This fire, which is the main component of the Mad King's composition of his potion, is the same fire that Umi is staring at as of the moment.
Chuckling to herself, she grabbed her head as she controlled the fire in front of her with ease. This method of producing fire is indeed fatal and might even kill her in the process. If it was anyone else, they might have died already because of the pain. But Umi never thought of the possible consequences as her mind was already clouded with several ways to kill the one who had brought this upon her.
She then looked towards the east of the forest and saw the mountainous terrain ahead with crazed eyes.
Mochi, who was only observing the girl for a while now, can't help but notice the change in the girl's eyes. He didn't want to admit it but the girl had changed. Even he, a divine beast, is unable to decide whether this change was either for the better or for worst.
The darkness has finally fallen into them once again and another night is about to be spent inside the forest. Eventually, the silence that the forest brought was suddenly interrupted when the girl finally spoke.
"Hey, Mochi."
Mochi hummed, "Yes?"
Umi slowly looked towards the kitten and smiled sweetly but Mochi didn't find that smile sweet at all. "I just thought of something fun."
Mochi, as a kitten who has lived all his immortal life inside the peaceful Library of the Living with the goddess, can't help but flew a few inches back. "What is it?"
Umi suddenly cracked up loudly, and for a while, her laugh echoed throughout the forest. After a few minutes, she then ceased her crazed laughter for a while to pull her hair from her head. Her floating dark hair that defied gravity was somehow making her uncomfortable but after figuring that it won't go down even if she pulled them all, she then resumed her hysterical laughing.
In between laughs, the girl said through her dark teeth and chapped lips, "Oh, it'll be fun. I'm sure the goddess will like this story."
Mochi was weirded out by the girl and can only nod slowly as he waited for the girl's next words.
"Mochi, from now on, don't update me on the progress of the missions." Umi grinned wickedly. "Only tell me when it has become a success already."
Despite the horrible situation, Umi couldn't quite put a finger on what she was truly feeling at the moment but one thing is for sure, she was beyond delighted.
This has become a great opportunity.
Now, this darkness within her that she hid for a long period of time can finally be all let out. Recalling that dark room where she cried over the pool of blood that wasn't hers, looking at the bodies of her dead parents, not even knowing what to do as she tried to pick up the knife, contemplating whether she should also kill herself just like how her mom did it until the neighbors came just before she did that, giving her a chance to live a proper life.
This power within hers has now become an ecstasy to Umi but she wasn't grateful for what she had become nor the one who brought this upon her.
She wanted revenge and she will get it.
Recalling the words of the Mad King as he was revealing his plans to her when she was on the floor, struggling for every breath, she curled up the corners of her lips revealing a sinister smile.
Every tiny detail that the stupid Mad King disclosed to her has already been engraved into Umi's mind and has also been imprinted in her soul.
Umi decided then and there that she wouldn't kill him instantly. No, she wouldn't give him the pleasure of dying easily. Instead, she will slowly break him down, bit by bit, little by little, until he had nothing else left of him.
The foolish villain didn't even know that turning her into one of his creations will lead him towards his own coffin.
Ah, but not a coffin. That man doesn't deserve a proper burial. He belongs to the fires, the same fire that he gave Umi, the same power that he called his own.
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Inside a dimly lighted room, a sharp sound of a glass breaking interrupted the eerie silence. On the floor, numerous shards of glass and shredded papers were scattered, pieces of broken furniture were dispersed, the wallpapers on the walls were scratched, even several trays of food weren't spared as they all covered the floor, not leaving a spot empty.
A silhouette of a man can be seen in the middle of this disastrous mess. His crouched figure was the only noticeable aspect that was showing signs of any life inside the messed up room.
Reyr couldn't take it anymore as he abruptly opened the door and immediately approached the man with large but careful strides.
However, before he could even open his mouth to speak, the crouching man cut him off first.
"Where is she?"
The man's voice was low and demanding. He slowly stood up from his former position and faced the large windows opposite from where the door was. His golden eyes were screaming in silent sorrow, his mind was clouded with absolute anguish and all he could think of was the images of his last meeting with the girl that he longed to see.
"The tower... is gone," Reyr whispered, his voice was laced with deep regret.
It has been half a year already and they haven't had a glimpse of a certain girl ever since that night. Somehow, Rosalyn couldn't get back to the tower on the supposed night that she was to swap with the girl who was tasked as her substitute. It was as if something or someone was restricting her from entering. Horrified, she could only watch the burning tower from afar as she contacted the headquarters for help.
Zevlin was the first to respond and immediately transported to where Rosalyn was. He was absolutely shocked to the core as he saw how the terrible flames engulfed the entirety of the tower that he once inhabited as a prisoner when he was still a child.
The forest surrounding the tower was fogged with ashes as the night sky above was painted a faint color of red as if it was reflecting the blazing flames under it.
Despite the clarity of the scene ahead, they still refused to believe the sight before their eyes. Rosalyn even had to go back to the fortress to fetch Reyr to stop their lord from advancing to the tower with nothing but his own body.
After that night, Reyr saw how his comrades crumbled in lament and anguish. After giving him the potions that she completed in a month, Rosalyn locked herself in her room. She has been subdued with the guilt that crept up to her bones ever since she saw the image of the burning tower. She cried for her mother and she blamed herself for her friend.
Cage was nothing better. After learning about what had transpired, he rarely slept in his room and seldom left the training grounds. He blamed himself for not being powerful enough to protect his beloved. He even swore to himself that he would be the one to protect her but he couldn't believe that she has been taken when he wasn't even around. She was burned when he was waiting for her in front of her door, waiting for her to come back so they can go out as what she promised. Cage felt alone and distraught but no emotions fill his heart more so than his hatred for the Mad King.
But above all else, no one couldn't handle the shock worse than the man at the center of the mess inside the dark room.
They say that there five steps of grief.
The first one is shock. The second is anger. Third is when one will start to question anything, and then the fourth one is sadness. But Zevlin was stuck to the fourth step as he cannot ascend to the next.
The final step...and that is acceptance.
When several months had passed, everyone who was involved already speculated that the girl and the general's mother was dead. The last one to accept was Cage. He threw a fit at first and fought with every living being he saw before he was locked in a cell so he can be subdued to calm himself first. He stayed there for a week and came out looking even worse than before.
Several preparations for a funeral were even already arranged but the funeral never happened. It is because the lord of the fortress won't let them have it.
The man believed that the girl is not dead. Despite several statements and criticism from the others that he received for quite a while now, he still believed that she is out there breathing.
Zevlin wanted to believe that Fae is alive.
In only half of a year, Reyr saw the downfall of a man whom he saw as his brother. He recalled the day when he met him. When he arrived at the capital of the West Kingdom after evading an ambush, he resigned as a soldier and chose to hunt for a living instead. But what he didn't expect before then that his first hunt got him a living person instead of a beast. He saw the injured boy and immediately sympathized with him. As sworn brothers, the two have become inseparable ever since.
"I believe that their funeral is long overdue, my lord," Reyr tried to speak again after a long silence. "We have to bid farewell so their souls can finally rest."
Zevlin didn't reply but Reyr knew the man enough that his silence meant approval. Reyr looked at the back of the man who he considers as his best friend, one of those whom he lets him call the nickname "Reyr" that his deceased mother gave him, and he can only give him a small smile of reassurance.
Reyr went outside the door and ordered the one who was standing guard to leave the lord for a while to give him some space.
Fred, the middle-aged man who accompanied them when they were recruiting members from the West Kingdom's villages, couldn't help but be worried about the lord who was inside the room that he was assigned to guard. "What is going on, general? Why is the lord acting like that for months already?"
The whole issue that happened was never brought out to the public. Only a small number of people knew about General Rosalyn's existence so they shouldn't know about the death of a girl who was tasked to replace her temporarily in that tower.
Moreover, those outsiders didn't even have the slightest clue that there were people who were actually living in that deserted tower, thus it was better to keep it a secret as it is. Well, they should keep it a secret, otherwise, the Mad King might eventually be alerted that his true daughter was never in that burning tower in the first place.
However, the news of the sudden change of temperament of their lord was inevitable to come out as rumors of him being locked up inside his study have already spread like wildfire.
After staring at the closed door for a long time, Reyr then turned to the side and gave the middle-aged man a small smile. "The lord will be fine."
Fred only looked down at his feet and sighed after giving the general a bow of respect. "We always pray for the lord's health, general."
Later that night, Fae's small circle of friends gathered at the front gates of the fortress, even including the other generals who never even got to see the girl before her death.
Together, they created a bonfire and burned their letters that were addressed to the deceased, hoping that the ashes of the papers might reach where their souls were and will deliver their message to them.
Rosalyn was bawling her eyes out while Cage couldn't even look at the fire. Reyr can only stare at the ashes that were being carried by the wind as he thought of the girl who he has become fond of. The glow from the fire reminded him of the night when he had to drag his best friend away from the burning tower to stop him from making things worse than it already was.
Reyr then looked towards the direction of the black castle and released a deep breath.
Zevlin, the Lord of Obsidian, the man who couldn't take the next step, only locked himself in his study and never showed up.
The final farewell is about to proceed but the man who grieved for the girl the most didn't even appear.
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⚘ A/N ⚘
As you might have already noticed, I thank people a lot so yeah, here's your daily dose of my gratefulness!
Thank you so much to all those who read up until this point, who voted, commented, shared their suggestions and theories, and added this story to their reading list.
I love you all! Your love for this book means the world to me.
Keep safe always! 💖
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Dear Readers,
This author loves you.
Yours truly,
ACLIXAM
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