Valeriana felt guilty for making the guy cry that she took out her handkerchief and offered it to him with slight hesitance. She didn't intend to shock him at all.
"I'm really sorry." She told him, panicking. His tears were nonstop that it was somehow hard to believe he was turning into a demon.
Well, it wasn't as though he wanted it willingly.
"Please . . ." His cheeks were red as he doubled over the table and hid his face into his hands. "I desire nothing else than to have this stop. All I ever . . . wanted . . . I--"
His aura was unsettled, rowdy, and gloomy. His depression and stress was apparent that his thoughts were incoherent and so was his speaking. Bertram, also known as Kyrell, was undoubtedly going through the hardest stage of his life.
Valeriana had more than just a small vision of his memories. She had a peak into his experiences as a prince that she could not help but sympathize with him. As cheesy as it sounded, she could not help but shed a tear or two.
Now she knew how personal it was to become a Direct Controller and how heavy it really was to have this sort of ability.
"Edeltraud . . . I am so sorry." He whispered.
She just saw the worst moment of his life. There was no one who would ever want someone inside their heads, right?
"I'm in no place to demand anything since I basically was the one who wanted to help." She told him. "But can you hear me out?"
He didn't answer.
"It must be hard going through all these so I am not going to beat around the bush." Valeriana paused and bit down on her lip. "You must not let this get to you, like what Sir Edeltraud said. You have to know that a legitimate demonic transformation will involve the soul. I'm not yet sure but the infection takes a hold of the aura. The negativity infects the physical body. If you continue to stay stressed and depressed like this, you really will transform into a demon."
He breathed in deeply as he looked up. Bertram wiped off his tears, his face hinting his humiliation. "It is unbecoming for a man to cry in front of a woman."
"Do me one favor then, Your Highness." She began. "And smile."
The prince gave her a dubious look. As he opened his mouth to, probably, protest on her outrageous idea, she beat him to it and spoke first.
"I know it might sound weird. But, in this life, you literally can't afford to be unhappy no matter what kind of crap's thrown at you. I learned that from someone." Credits to Lord Lienhard for this. Valeriana really owed him. "It's hard to find this happiness, but I want you to think that there wouldn't be rainbows without the rain. Life's too short."
His tears had stopped, that was for sure.
"U-um . . ." She started to turn red as she realized what a fool she was making herself out of. "Okay, I know it's really strange, b-but . . . uh . . . er . . . ugh--"
Moments later, he looked down on his lap. His shoulders trembled that Valeriana panicked at the impression he was giving off.
Oh, no. He wasn't crying again, was he?
"Kyre--I mean, Prince--"
"AHAHAHA!" His roaring laughter echoed throughout the entire room that Valeriana had to turn her face away to hide her reddening cheeks.
Geez, seriously.
He really was crying again.
Of laughter of course.
"Y-you . . ." Bertram gasped, holding his stomach. "You sound so much like uncle!"
She deadpanned. "Yeah. Sure."
The drastic change of mood seemed to help him lighten up, his aura was definitely a lot better. The results were unexpected, although quite effective.
His laughter eventually faded and the boy wiped off his tears with the handkerchief he was offered. After a while, he gazed at Valeriana and put on his poker-face.
Finally.
Just when she thought they could go back to being serious, he cracked up once again.
"HAHA!" He snorted.
"Alright, alright . . . I get it. Please stop. I don't even think you can call yourself a prince with all the noise you're making."
"I'm sorry." Her companion chuckled. "I could not help it." A pause. "Uncle was the only person I truly liked. He made me laugh all the time and gave me all sorts of treats when I was sad."
Valeriana smiled.
Seemed as though the man was not bad at all.
"Just being reminded of him makes me laugh."
Valeriana nodded.
"Even so, I wish to apologize for not having told you who I really was. If someone knew their prince was this way, I doubted what sort of reaction they would have."
"I understand, really." She cringed. "And I'm sorry for punching you that day--"
"Never mind that." He cut her off. "Instead, let's focus. What is this method you speak of?"
She gulped. "I am not quite sure how to do it since it has only happened a few times--twice, to be exact. I don't even know where to start. I don't think I can touch you carelessly because you saw what happened."
He nodded. "This infection has to have somewhere it's coming from. Let's start here. Where do you think it is?"
Her eyes flashed at the realization.
Valeriana then stood, towering over the prince who, in return, watched her carefully. She scanned his aura and recalled the lesson discussed to her by the lord.
"Do you mind standing?"
Bertram did.
"There are five points visible on an aura." She explained, more to herself than him.
Valeriana was not very observant of these things. Usually, the movement of a person's aura was distracting enough.
"I can somewhat tell you're still anxious. I'm not an expert on seeing or examining auras since I haven't exactly had this ability for long. If you can, do you have any way that will calm your aura down?"
"I can't think of anything except . . . meditation, perhaps?"
"Please do that."
"If that is all, then it is nothing."
The prince approached the bed and threw himself on the mattress. After that, he got into that position--his legs folded and both the back of his hands resting on his knees. He then took off his cloak and threw it to the other side of the room. Not long after, he closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and started relaxing himself.
Valeriana observed his every movement. The result was obvious. The activity of his aura slowly died down until it did nothing but small ripples. The sight of it resembled the calm waves of the sea when the wind was almost nonexistent.
And to her shock, she saw it.
Five points as she was told. Five open holes on all the places she expected. There was one on top of his head, between his eyes, on his chest and two on each palms.
So this was what it looked like.
Bertram's brows twitched, as though in pain. His lips twisted and Valeriana reached out to calm him down as her vision of it was wavering as well.
"Calm down. I see them." She reassured him and approached. "If there is a place the infection is most likely in, it's the aura."
He somehow managed to calm himself down after that.
These open channels was said to be a connection of some sort. As Valeriana drew closer to him, something occurred to her.
His connection was being blocked.
The girl felt a sense of trepidation bubbling in her chest. These open channels was not even open. There was something lodged on them, and it was absolutely dreadful.
A parasite.
Valeriana realized something after seeing this. These open channels, as she could remember, fed the soul. If something was blocking them and leeching off on the nourishment that should've been meant for the user, how was he even able to live?!
Lord Lienhard mentioned it himself.
The closing of these open channels only meant death.
Unless, of course, if the soul was being fed something else.
The girl, with uncertainty, reached to the hole on his chest. This part, in particular, made her feel disgusted in a sense. It was a similar to the feeling she got from demons.
As she poked her hand into the open channel, Bertram's eyes shot open and looked straight into hers.
"It hurts." He gasped.
"Please calm down . . ." She struggled.
The fifth-ranker became cognizant of the awkwardness in their position. After all, she sort of had her hand inside his chest--that's what it seemed, at least.
Oh lord, what in the world was she doing? She didn't even know what was going to happen if she continued.
Her instincts, however, said otherwise.
Her fingers managed to reach something and so she firmly gripped it, disgusted by the slimy feeling that greeted her. Bertram's eyes further widened.
"Don't--"
"I hope this isn't your heart." She muttered, then pulled it out in one go.
She fell off the bed at the force she put into it and lost contact with the thing she basically just ripped off of Bertram's chest. Something escaped into the room, black smoke fogging the area as the object floated over their heads.
Valeriana covered her face with her arm at the smell--the putrid scent. She gazed at the object warily and briefly shot a look at Bertram.
He was frozen shock, not to mention in pain, that he had fallen back.
The door burst open and Seraphina ran in, hand prepared to draw her sword. Her face looked alert and her brows furrowed. "What's going on?"
"It's that!" Valeriana pointed to the black thing.
It uncurled itself later on, revealing the form of a centipede-like insect demon that reeked of that horrible scent. It had a long, sylph-like body and tiny arms.
"I smell miasma." The lady knight stated. "What happened to--"
She was totally looking somewhere else.
It couldn't be that she couldn't see it, right?
The parasite roared a deafening scream that resembled the cry of a bird with a mix of a lion's. Needless to say, even Seraphina had to cover her ears at the intensity.
"Where is it coming from?" The woman questioned, confirming Val's thoughts.
She definitely could not see it.
This was so déjà vu.
Valeriana began her crabwalk away from the stupid creature and pointed at the direction of the demon. It had its red eyes blinking at her direction.
"You can't see it, but it's there."
Seraphina looked to where she had her fingers pointing. "An invisible demon?"
"I don't know just kill it!"
She felt a pulse from inside the pocket of her jeans just in time Seraphina jumped like some sort of cool ninja and sliced through nothing but air. To Valeriana's horror, it wasn't as though her aim was off, she completely passed through it!
The girl hurriedly fished out the pulsing object and realized she had Cifaro with her the whole time.
The parasite demon was hunching over in attack position that Valeriana screamed out the words, "Sierra vu eldon sith!"
Cifaro transformed into a sword and managed to slice the creature in half just as it came at the girl with another one of its ear-piercing screams.
Valeriana's azure blue eyes shut close as the sword emitted light when it made contact with the creature. Immediately, the demon's body disintegrated into nothingness, leaving behind no evidence of its presence in exception for the foul-smelling miasma in the air.
She didn't even realize she was holding her breath until then.
Seraphina looked confused. "What happened?"
Valeriana gave her a dubious look. "You totally just passed through it!"
"I am guessing you killed it, then?"
"Heck, I'm not even sure what happened." She placed a hand on her forehead as though doing so would help her mind comprehend. "H-how's the prince?"
"So you know." Seraphina stated, sheathing her sword back while gazing at the girl's. She then turned to Bertram and ran over to where he was.
His appearance had not changed. His eyes and hair were still tainted.
"T-these . . ." Bertram stuttered and swallowed heavily. Sweat coated his forehead and soaked his shirt. "The pain was excruciating, but I feel a lot better. What was that?"
"I'm not even sure myself." Answered Seraphina. "Do you lot care to tell me what just occurred?"
"I just . . . pulled out that thing blocking his open channels." Valeriana told her, the magnificence of Cifaro and the fact that he just basically saved her butt made her ponder. "It's a long story, but I think it's the reason why he's physically transforming. He just had a demon parasite practically clinging to his aura the whole time, blocking his connection to . . . uh . . . whatever."
The fifth-ranker stood, wiping off the bead of sweat she had trailing down the side of her face.
"A demon parasite you say. This is the cause of his condition?" She blanched, her complexion paling a few shades. "And to think a demon existed that even I cannot touch. What in the world . . ."
"The way the pack of Cifaro was purified was because of purity itself. I'm not even sure what . . . um . . . Cifaro has to do with it, but I might have an idea." She referred to her sword.
"I suppose a lot has happened today." Bertram whispered wearily. "I am not sure what to make of it, but I thank you sincerely, Valeriana."
"I haven't even purified you yet." She answered, scratching her head.
"You've done a lot for now." He replied. "Perhaps we should see what you can do next time, too. This has taken a lot out of me already. I am not sure if I can handle more of it."
"Time is running out as well. We need to get you back to the palace." Seraphina sighed. "Perhaps they have already discovered the decoy."
"Decoy?" Val repeated.
"Let us just say no one else knows of this meeting."
"You--WHAT?!"
Valeriana accidentally dropped Cifaro on the ground at the revelation. The sword clang and made such a loud sound she winced.
"Except for King Laedin, of course." The woman added.
The color left the girl's face. "T-the king?!"
"I did not leave him with specific information, not even your name." She reassured. "Knowing you wouldn't have liked it."
Valeriana managed to sigh in relief at this. "Thank god."
As she bent down to pick up Cifaro, she apologized for her clumsiness.
"That sword of yours is very strange."
"I know right. He's awesome, though."
"And I think I meant something else." Bertram continued. "It has hit the ground with its blade first and it didn't even scratch the flooring. It should've at least wounded the surface because of its sharpness."
"You have keen eyes." Seraphina nodded at him. "I was just wondering that as well."
"Um . . ."
"Valeriana." The lady knight held out her hand and walked closer to her. "Try cutting my palm."
"No way!"
"It is alright. This is my non-dominant hand and I wish to know something. Sacrifices are necessary for knowledge."
Valeriana held out the blade of Cifaro to Seraphina, closing one eye as she watched her guardian's skin make contact with it. Surprisingly, it didn't cut through.
"It's blunt."
They deadpanned.
A moment later, the fifth-ranker found herself hitting the table nearby to no avail.
"A sword that can't cut." Bertram paused.
"How ironic." Seraphina continued. "But it did kill that beast which could not be seen. Perhaps it is not of this world."
"It came from . . . Cifaro's very soul." She looked down on it and traced her finger along the blade.
Blood drizzled.
Valeriana gasped and sucked on her wounded finger. "O-ouch! Holy shiznits! I thought it was supposed to be blunt!"
"Hm." The lady knight's eyes narrowed. "How strange. Seems as though there's still a long way to go. Anyhow, we must leave. Though it'll be harder to set up a meeting like this next time, we'll just cross the bridge when we get there."
"Why?"
"The security is tight around the palace right now." Answered the woman, her eyes sang a dangerous intent. "Because demons are trying to break in. Lives were lost on the first attack that even Sir Edeltraud himself perished on the encounter."
That butler dude was dead?
"What happened?"
"It must involve my transformation." Bertram concluded. "I myself am also uncertain what in the world was going on, but I will find a way to stop it. Perhaps my cure will be the only way out. I only need your help . . ."
"Then we will do our best with that as well." Replied Seraphina.
"I'm curious. Why did the king allow you then?" She gazed at Bertram, her eyes riddled with confusion. "To meet with me like this? Wouldn't it have been better if we went to the palace instead and we did this there?"
"It is to not alert the enemy. The reason why we left the others uninformed of this . . . rendezvous is because it is better that they not know so that they do not start acting suspicious. This entire meeting is known only between ourselves."
Valeriana leaned into her palms and buried her face. "What exactly did I get myself involved in?"
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