Chapter XVIII

  “Now, like I said, I don’t want anybody knowing about it and I would also rather you don’t touch it either,” Abi had whispered to her son moments before Nigreos arrived on the doorstep. “There’s just one exception: if there’s ever an emergency where you believe your own life or the lives of those that you care about are at risk, take the syringe and place the needle into your arm. Then, inject it into you.”

  The boy had frowned, clearly hesitant at the thought. “Like a shot? But that hurts, doesn’t it?”

  “It does,” she replied. “But hopefully, you’ll never have to use it. I need to emphasize this more than anything, Eric. The power in that syringe is dangerous, both to you and to those around you. It is only to be touched when there’s nothing else you can possibly do—the last chance of last chances. It could potentially even kill anybody who gets too close to it. That’s why…it needs to be protected. That’s why it shouldn’t be used. Do you understand?”

  His eyes were wide and she could tell that she scared him, but whether she liked it or not, that was probably a good thing. She really didn’t want him to ever use it and she was only telling him this because if he was ever at risk, that creature would be the only one that could protect him.

  Finally, Eric managed a weak nod and forced a smile. “Okay. Only in emergencies. I promise I won’t touch it unless I need to.”

  “Good boy.”

  That was her final conversation with her son, and as Abigail Reiner walked down her driveway with her old friend at her side, she could only hope that her final warnings would never be necessary—that there wouldn’t ever come a time when Eric was forced to take that syringe containing The Angel and use it.

  When they’d first struck their deal, the creature of Cansi had told her that it may not be compatible with Ijirian blood, let alone blood that was mixed with that of a magicless. Eric’s body may not be able to safely contain the power of Cansi, but if Ijiria came to Omaruo with hostility in mind, it was a risk he and Scott may have to take. The Angel had promised her that it would protect her family at all costs, so now Abi had to ensure they remained safe. Somehow, Nigreos Noctis had discovered her hiding away in Omaruo, so her first priority as they marched back towards the entry point was to figure out the exact circumstances that led to the Master of Darkness being there right then.

  “Nigreos?” she began softly as they stepped off the driveway and turned onto the street. “You said back there that King Markreas was the one who ordered my return…so how did he find out I was here? And for that matter, how did you find out?”

  The man glanced down at her with a conflicted expression, his white eyes concealing whatever emotions were within him. “Abi… Why did you hide this from me? You told Princess Ilirianna, and you told Ryokumo, yet you never once thought to inform Album and I? Were we not the same as the others in your eyes? Did I do something to you that would prevent me from gaining your trust?”

  He responded with a question, one she felt obliged to answer under the current circumstances. “I don’t know how much you’re aware of, but I started sneaking here to Omaruo not long after the incident in Hiriech. Back then, I didn’t know you very well, and because you and Album were part of the elite—the elite of Noctalus no less—I feared you would have felt a duty to turn me in. I was afraid of risking Scott’s safety, so I hid it from you, and by the time I felt I could trust you, I had been hiding for so long that I worried telling you after all that time would only make you hate me… So I kept it a secret… Simple as that.”

  “B-but… Ilirianna’s the Princess, Abi,” Nigreos retorted with confusion. “She’s more elite than you can get, so—”

  “I never told Ilirianna,” she corrected. “Rather, I think she suspected it without ever voicing it. In fact, I only outright said something while we were in Noctalus for the solstice. No, Kumo was the only one of the royal team that I actually talked about it with.”

  The Master of Darkness furrowed his brow, as if that answer didn’t make any sense to him. “N-no, but Ryokumo couldn’t have… Wouldn’t he have told me? I thought the Princess was the one keeping him quiet.”

  “Liri?” Abi gazed up at him with confusion of her own. “Why would Liri have been behind that?” She watched him struggling to process everything, and while she would have liked to give him time to do so, she truly was desperate to learn the circumstances of her exposure, as well as what her fate may be upon her looming return to Ijiria. “Look, enough about that. What are the chances you’d just let me go back? You could return to Ijiria and tell them I was dead—that I wasn’t here. You can prove me wrong for not trusting you and keep my secret safe! I swear, Nigreos, I never wanted to offend you! I never wanted to hurt you, it’s just…” She paused, feeling her emotions welling up. She meant every word of what she was saying. “It’s how things happened…”

  It was just as they exited her neighborhood that Nigreos drew to a gradual stop, and this time, he couldn’t look her in the eye when he responded. “No, I can’t do that. You don’t belong here. A mage of your caliber belongs in Ijiria—in the Citadel.”

  “W-what?” She narrowed her eyes, having far from expected that response. Instead, she would have thought he’d have cited his duty as Master of Darkness, or argued that nobody back in Erika would buy such a story. For him to state that he was doing what was good for her severely rubbed her the wrong way. “Nigreos, only I can determine where I belong, and that’s here in Omaruo, with my husband and son.”

  He slowly shook his head, his jaw clenching as he muttered, “I’m sorry, but we’re going home. I promise, though, that we’ll keep Markreas and the Masters from punishing you. If I have my way, things can go back to how they used to be. It can be like this nonsense never even happened.”

  “Excuse me?” Suddenly, as she listened to the guilt that crept into his voice, she began to understand what may have taken place, and that thought left her feeling so angry that she knew she needed to confirm it before she lost her temper. “You never answered my question. How was I found?”

  Nigreos sighed irritably. “Does it matter?”

  “Of course it matters!” she shouted, causing him to flinch as if she’d struck him. “Please don’t tell me… Was it you? Did you tell King Markreas, Nigreos?”

  His back was now turned towards her so that she couldn’t see his expression, but she could hear the long, deep breath that preceded his horrific answer. “There was an odd change in Master Grunly a few weeks ago—one that was far too suspicious for me to overlook. Album and I confronted him, and with a little pressure, he told us everything. I know Princess Ilirianna brought him here, and I know the two of you were trying to convince him to retire—to give the Princess the chance to appoint her preferred successor.”

  “No…” Abi whispered under her breath, picturing how Grunly must have felt in that moment, believing that what was about to happen was his fault. “No, please tell me you didn’t…”

  “As I said, you don’t belong in a magicless realm, so Album and I went to Markreas and told him the truth. Princess Ilirianna and Ryokumo were put on trial this afternoon, and while they were acquitted, King Markreas allowed me to use a realm dagger to retrieve you. So here I am, doing my job. But don’t worry, I won’t tell them anything about your family. I don’t want to hurt you, I just want you back where you belong.”

  When it was Nigreos she sensed entering Omaruo, Abi had felt some relief that the person picking her up was an old friend—someone she could perhaps try to reason with. Yet, as she stood there listening to him speak, she suddenly realized that her initial feelings were mistaken. He pressured Grunly, he sold her out, and then he marched himself there to pick her up in order to satisfy his own narcissistic beliefs that she belonged in Ijiria.

  This man was not her friend.

  He had betrayed her.

  He was there to steal her away from everything she loved, from the life she wanted to live, and throw her back into the hellish existence she had escaped seven Omaruan years ago. Abigail Reiner felt rage bubbling up inside of her, and though she forced it down, she couldn’t help but internally come to an undeniable conclusion.

  Nigreos Noctis is, without a doubt, my enemy.

  ***

  Ilirianna wasn’t sure how long she spent slumped against that wall as she pumped healing magic through her body, but at some point, she managed to rise to her feet and remain balanced without the need to lean against anything. The entire time, her eyes never strayed away from the now darkened throne room, the blue fires having extinguished with the death of their caster. She was breathing deeply, mentally processing the fact that the deed was done, and that the blood of the King and Queen was on her hands. Despite years of insisting she would never use violence to claim the throne, that she wouldn't stoop to the Kosah-Rei’s methods of making Ijiria a better place, she had succumbed to the temptation. She would justify it by arguing that it was the only way to save Abigail, and while that was absolutely true, it didn’t change the fact that she was a killer.

  She killed her own mother.

  She assassinated the King of Ijiria.

  These actions would haunt her for the rest of her life, and maybe they truly would taint her reign the way she always suspected they would, but in the end, it wouldn’t matter.

  In the end, she had used the Teritus anyway.

  Ilirianna walked forward to the doorway, finding that the entire floor had caved in and that everything had gone crashing into the room below. The thrones were laying in pieces, the pillars had smashed most of whatever had been directly underneath, and there was no sign of the banners that had once decorated their historical room.

  What am I supposed to feel right now? Should I be guilty for killing Mother? Should I be ecstatic at finally getting to throw all of her bullshit back in her face? Should I feel noble for sparing this realm of King Markreas Iiji? Or maybe all of the above? My head’s a swirling mess of contradicting emotions… But now isn't the time to dwell on it. In the aftermath of all this, I’m going to be Queen, so it’ll be my job to help the Citadel recover. The Masters will look to me for guidance… Her features then turned stern as determination flooded through her body. So guide them I will. I’m going to walk us into a real Age of Prosperity.

  Spinning on her heel, putting the wreckage of the throne room behind her, Ilirianna stalked back the way she had come, intending to find the nearest Master and report that her mother had mysteriously combusted while they were talking. She would ask about Keskivaara, inquire about Leiolai, make any accusations she could in order to deflect blame onto the remaining Kosah-Rei so that nobody would ever expect her to be the culprit. Luckily, she didn’t have to walk long, for just as she reached the shaft, the disk sank into view to reveal Piura and Nakoma, who both appeared panicked.

  “Liri?!” the Master of Fire exclaimed, his eyes instantly flickering to the singed parts of her clothes. “Are you okay?! We heard an explosion, so Piura was guiding me here to check things out! What was the noise?!”

  Nakoma was clearly desperate to determine what was going on, and while she didn’t take any pleasure in answering him, she also couldn’t bring herself to feel bad for him. Since she needed to play the role of a victim, a daughter who had just tragically lost her mother, Ilirianna forced tears into her eyes, made her voice tremble, then spoke.

  “I don’t… I don’t understand… I was just… We were talking… I…”

  “Sister…?” Piura pressed, her features pale as she almost certainly began to deduce what happened given that it was Piura who told her their mother’s location. “Don’t tell me…”

  “The Kosah-Rei’s combustion magic killed Mother. She exploded right before my eyes… The throne room is… It’s been destroyed…”

  Piura’s hands flew to her mouth, her eyes wide with horror before her legs gave out and she collapsed to her knees. Meanwhile, Nakoma didn’t react even a little, as if his brain had shut down in an effort to not hear her words.

  “That’s…” the Master murmured, his crimson eyes turning blank. “That can’t be right… Toranei’s…dead? But how could they have cursed her? And who ignited the ring? Did Firrik and Sartella…somehow…?”

  Ilirianna meekly shook her head. “I don’t know. I can’t…think right now… Do we have eyes on Keskivaara? Could he have escaped somehow?”

  “There’s no way!” Nakoma exclaimed in frustration. “I—? Piura!”

  Abruptly, Ilirianna’s little sister pushed herself to her feet and took off in a sprint directly for the throne room. Nakoma’s hand shot out to try and grab her, but the younger Princess was too quick and was soon out of reach. Nakoma hesitated, glancing between the sisters and clearly torn on whether to stay with Ilirianna or go after Piura, so Ilirianna made the decision for him.

  “Stay with her, Nakoma,” she ordered. “I’ll be fine. I’m going to track down either my father or one of the other Masters. The rest of the Citadel will need to know this happened.”

  “But—”

  “Go with her!”

  Shouting her order this time, she cut Nakoma off and aggressively pointed in the direction Piura had gone. The Master of Fire stared at her with surprise for but a second before he obeyed, turning and rushing after Anna-Piura Iiji. Ilirianna lingered a little longer, and once she was certain the two of them were gone, she dropped the mask of mourning and stalked onto the lift.

  Casting Ortumo, Ilirianna descended the Citadel, making for the ground floor where she and Ryokumo had decided to meet, their plan being to go and intercept Nigreos and Abi as soon as they returned from Omaruo. Since her friend’s job was relatively straight-forward, she was hoping he would be there already, and those hopes were answered.

  Upon slowing to her desired stop, she found Ryokumo Caeli leaning against the wall just outside of the shaft, his hands folded over his chest and his foot tapping with anxiety. When she came into view, his head snapped her way, and when he realized it was her, he pushed off the wall and gazed at her expectantly.

  This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

  Her response was simple.

  “It’s done.”

  ***

  In the entirety of his nearly one hundred and ten years of life, Edwar Grunly had rarely felt lower than he did over the course of those last twenty-four hours. He was watching his legacy fall apart before his eyes, experiencing the accusatory and hateful gazes of his colleagues and friends, and worst of all, he was the one responsible for the fate that would soon befall Abigail Reiner. The young woman whom he met in that little barn all those years ago, the one he had personally sought out due to the rumors creeping south about her philanthropic activities in the northern villages, held more respect from him than almost anybody else he’d ever known. For so long, the Masters and the King had been pushing him to elect an apprentice, and he always insisted he would only do so if he found somebody worthy of the responsibility that came with the role.

  He certainly cared for the other Masters, but he struggled to say he respected them. Many of them were just there for power, for prestige, or for some other personal benefit. He always got the feeling they hid things from each other, and from Markreas, and that they would allow the entire Empire to burn down if it meant they could keep their hold on power. Due to his age, he had also been present for many variations of Masters. He had served alongside the predecessors of every single living Master, and even alongside some of their predecessors, so he knew the types of people who sought out these positions. What Grunly wanted was a Master of Nature who would serve the people, who would gladly give up power for the sake of others. Abigail Reiner was that person, so when she graduated the Academy, he was prepared to nominate her as his successor with all the pride in the world.

  Her disappearance left him shattered, unwilling to try and find somebody else, and holding onto a vain hope that she may return someday. He realized that his foolish decision would only result in Markreas naming a Master no different than the others, but he was stubborn. It was only when he got to see Abigail again, when he gazed upon her precious son with his own eyes, that he accepted she wouldn’t succeed him, so he came back and agreed to Ilirianna’s suggestion about Iris Mackia. Abi had trained her back at the Academy, so with any luck, Iris would have picked up on some of Abi’s philosophies. It was the closest thing Grunly was going to get, so he prepared himself to fight back against King Markreas’s opposition and appoint Iris no matter what.

  “Fine then, I’ll stop beating around the bush and just say it. Abigail’s alive, isn’t she, Master Grunly.”

  That single sentence spoken by Nigreos Noctis was the beginning of his rapid downfall, for he hadn’t been able to process it fast enough to deceive him. He’d been so excited to have the Master of Darkness over for a visit since nobody spent time with him anymore. He missed Abi’s company, so when her old friend requested his time for a bit, he was ecstatic, if not a little nervous about accidentally letting something slip the way he had on the way to Ankalla. He meant what he said to Nigreos and Album about being proud of them. But Nigreos had figured it all out, had taken advantage of the situation to back Grunly into a corner, and dragged the truth out of him.

  He was the one who would bear the burden of whatever fate befell Abi, Scott, and Eric. Despite everything Abi had done for him, he couldn’t keep her secret longer than a month, and as Nigreos went straight for Markreas and spilled nearly everything, only keeping her family secret, Grunly watched it all collapse. Markreas forced him to retire, revoked his ability to choose his successor, and left him as the Master of Nature no longer.

  Grunly felt powerless.

  He felt worthless.

  He wished he could crawl into a ball and just die, for he feared having to look Abi in the eyes when Nigreos dragged her back. He was terrified of the furious, betrayed look she would place upon him. That was why he still begged Markreas to opt against executing her.

  “My King, I understand that I am in no position to ask this of you, but please… As one of your oldest friends, I beg of you, do not punish Abi for what she’s done… Do not execute her… I couldn’t bear the thought that…such an unfair fate befell her.”

  But Markreas refused to give a clear answer. “Ed, you’re right, you are in no position to ask that. I won’t guarantee her execution, but I won’t promise against it either.”

  That was why, as he joined Markreas and Reigious in a walk around the corridors, he was furiously trying to figure out any possible way to make the King see reason. He was so deep in his mind that when Markreas suddenly requested healing, Grunly stammered through a response, not fully understanding what the problem was.

  But then, something terrible happened.

  “GET BACK, MASTER GRUNLY! It’s the Teritus! He’s been cursed!”

  Reigious screamed out as he desperately tried to heal his father, and Grunly found himself revolted by the intrusive thought that went through his head. If Markreas dies here, would Toranei spare Abi?

  It stayed his hand for but a second, yet a second was more than enough. Markreas’s body erupted into a blinding orange light, and to make matters even worse, the force of the explosion caused Reigious to smash through the windows and plummet over the side. They were dozens of stories into the air, so if Reigious lost consciousness then he was going to die. Could Grunly have prevented it? If he’d not allowed that thought to enter his mind, could he have done something to save them? Nobody had ever attempted to use magic to prevent the combustion, so could the Master of Nature have managed it?

  What have I done?

  “Ed… Heal…”

  Grunly’s eyes had been locked onto the shattered window, so when Markreas breathed out those words, his head snapped down to gaze at the charred body beneath him, only for his eyes to go wide with shock. Despite the combustion going off, Markreas’s torso was not destroyed, rather his entire lower body had been blasted off from the hips down. He didn’t have time to ponder what may have happened. All he knew was that it was his duty to save his King, so Grunly rushed forward, dropped to Markreas’s side, then ripped open the man’s buttoned tunic to place his hands against his chest and pump him full of healing magic.

  “Benedio!” Grunly chanted. “Benedio!”

  “Ed… Where… Reigi…?”

  “It’s okay, Markreas, just breathe! Your son’s going to be fine!”

  He was lying, but only because he needed Markreas to be as alert as possible—to not succumb to the pain. Somehow, he was the first person to not immediately die of this magic, and Grunly suspected that was simply because he was an Iiji. His control over his abilities rivaled almost everybody else in their realm, so Grunly deduced that he must have reacted in a split-second, directing his fire magic to his lower half and letting the Tertius eject it all away from his vitals. Unfortunately, there was nothing left of that part of his body, meaning Grunly could not return his legs to him.

  I have to save him! he shouted internally, sending as much mana as he possibly could into Markreas’s body. I refuse to be like those other Masters! I refuse to sacrifice my duty and my King for my own benefit! I wanted Abigail to succeed me so that somebody would prioritize others above themselves, so instead of trying to save Abi by letting Markreas die, I will save her by letting him live! Markreas is a man of honor, so if he’s indebted to me, he will listen! He will spare her if I ask him to!

  “Benedio!”

  Yet, he could feel Markreas’s life fading away. The magic wasn’t working. Was it because Grunly was too weak? Or was it due to some other effect of ejecting the Teritus the way the King did? Had parts of his internal systems been ravaged as well? Was it not just his lower body?

  “Benedio!”

  Come on, Edwar! You’re the Master of Nature! You can’t let him die!

  All other thoughts left him as he sent more and more mana into the King, trying to weave the more complex healing spells into his system. If his organs were burnt beyond repair, then Markreas was doomed, and as he continued to cast, he started to identify that as the case. His lungs were damaged, his digestive system was in pieces, and his heart was only barely pumping. If he didn’t get oxygen to Markreas’s brain soon, then even if he lived, he may be partially brain dead.

  “BENEDIO!”

  He could feel his own body weakening, his brain becoming fuzzy and his vision unclear. He was using too much mana, but he could sense that it was working. None of those organs were completely incinerated, and so long as he had even a tiny scrap of them, he could bring them back. He reforged each and every part, putting Markreas’s body back together piece by piece. He was hardly conscious by the time the King’s lungs were fully healed, and though he heard shouts behind him, indicating that others had finally reached them, Grunly had no idea who it was that suddenly arrived.

  Everything had already gone black.

  ***

  The second Abigail Reiner’s foot hit solid ground, she felt a sickness enter her stomach at the realization that for the very first time since the Battle of Stellareid, she was in Ijiria. The rest of her body followed suit, and soon enough, she was standing in the obsidian Portal Room of the Citadel. And waiting right there against the far wall, wielding a realm dagger in her hand, was Album Luz. Nigreos may have become her enemy, but that woman right there was the single biggest threat to her husband and son—the one who would doom them to the erased realm if ordered to. Nigreos had already confessed that Album had not only been present when Grunly was confronted, but that she had also agreed with the decision to sell her out to Markreas and the Masters. As far as she knew, Scott and Eric were still a secret, but how long would that last?

  How long would Album Luz refrain from screwing her over more than she already had?

  The Master of Light no longer looked anything like the young woman she had known at the Academy. Her entire body was pure white, she donned the suit and tie that was once used by Acostav, and her eyes lacked the joy and soul of that cheerful friend. In their place were deep black orbs that fixed Abigail with an unreadable gaze. There was no smile on the other woman’s face, no laugh, no sign of that person she had once called a friend. Abi narrowed her eyes, far from in the mood to pretend. The joyful reunion with Album that she had thought about once or twice was a mere fantasy, for the two of them gazed at one another as adversaries.

  “So you’re back,” Album muttered emotionlessly.

  “Seems I am. Should I be wary of you, Album?”

  The Master of Light shrugged. “Who knows. Good to know where I stood in your eyes though. Good to know I was never to you what you were to me.”

  Abi’s lips tightened as she silently acknowledged that’s how it appeared, and though she wanted to argue against it, she knew it would seem hollow under their current circumstances. She could try and claim Album was as much her friend as the others, but the simple fact of the matter was that she told Ryokumo and Ilirianna everything, and told Album nothing. It was a decision solely due to Album’s position in the Noctalus government, but it was a decision she made nonetheless.

  Neither of them said it, but it was understood regardless.

  They were no longer friends.

  “Thanks for your help, Album,” Nigreos grunted as he stepped from the portal.

  She shot him a disgusted look as well, surprising Abi as it seemed more hostile than the one she gave her, leaving her wondering if something had happened between the Noctalus Masters while she was gone. If they no longer liked each other either, then it left Abi sad that their once close team was now anything but.

  Album said nothing to Nigreos in response, said nothing further to Abi, and instead turned around to walk towards the door. Nigreos and Abigail followed closely behind her, but when she shoved it open and stepped outside, they were met with desperate screaming and the sounds of chaos.

  “WE NEED A HEALER, FOR GOD’S SAKE! GET A FUCKING HEALER!”

  Abi’s eyes went wide, an old instinct that she hadn’t used in a long time kicking in as she darted through the doorway and past Album, her head shifting in the direction the shouts were coming from. She took off, ignoring the protests from Nigreos and Album behind her, as she sprinted around a corner and caught sight of a group crowded in the hallway, huddled around something she couldn’t see.

  “I’m a nature mage!” she called back, silently praying that her years of magical inactivity hadn’t left her rusty. “What’s happened?!”

  The people blocking her way dispersed, providing her a glimpse of a person laying on the ground, his body blackened and his clothes seared as if he had been severely burnt. Abi dropped down to crouch beside him, a gasp slipping from her lips as she noted the few strands of emerald hair sticking from his head.

  He’s an Iiji? Wait, is this Reigious?!

  She got her answer from one of the people around her. “We don’t have a clue what happened, Miss! The Prince just fell from the sky! I was rushing back in to get away from the battle when he just slammed into the mud! I don’t know what floor he came from, but he must have used a bit of magic to cushion the fall! No other way he could've lived! He was burnt like this when I found him!”

  “Understood,” Abi said, pushing all of the many questions from her mind as she placed her hands to Reigious’s cheeks, then chanted, “Benedio. Benedio. Benedio.”

  “Battle?” Nigreos demanded, he and Album having come up behind her seconds ago. “What battle? What the living hell has been going on here?!”

  “M-Master Noctis? Master Luz?” The man who had been speaking frantically bowed before adding, “I’m not quite sure! I was on my way back from Market Street when I saw some man with…I don’t know, lightning I suppose, fighting two other mages! I didn’t get a good look at their faces, so I ran to get the guards when I found the Prince! I dragged him back inside to get Master Grunly, or some other nature mage!”

  “Lightning…” Album uttered under her breath. “Then Keskivaara got away?”

  “These burns…” Abi began, watching as Reigious’s skin turned back to a healthy color, his hair growing back and his body returning to normal. “He clearly wasn’t combusted by the Teritus, but if Keskivaara was involved, then is it possible somebody else exploded? Tell me, Nigreos, what happened at Ankalla?”

  She suspected his hesitation was out of surprise that she knew so much despite having been in Omaruo, but he recovered soon and began to explain. “I can’t tell you everything because it’s classified, but we brought Keskivaara back as a captive. Of the other leaders, Sartella and Firrik were the only survivors.”

  Sartella and Firrik? Abi grimaced, recalling how those were the only two Kosah-Rei who defied the expectations of her sixth sense. Of course it’s them…

  She at least took some solace in the fact the other four were dead and gone.

  “And the Teritus? Was it ever recovered?” she added, to which Nigreos muttered,

  “No. That was something that worried us. The cultists we interrogated claimed that Firrik randomly ordered them all to be destroyed. Not sure how or why, but a thorough search of the fortress turned up nothing.”

  Abi’s lips tightened, and suddenly, she began to fear what may be going on, though she refused to put it to words. She was spared by the sudden exhale of Reigious as his eyes snapped open and his breathing turned heavy.

  “It’s okay, My Prince!” Abi rushed to reassure him. “You’re okay! You’re healed now!”

  Reigious was staring at her like he was seeing a ghost, a somber expression creeping into his eyes as he processed who he was staring at. “Abigail? You’re back…? You saved me?”

  “Of course I did,” she answered. “Now what happened to you? What do you remember?”

  He hesitated, clearly taking a second to think, before he exhaled sharply and sputtered out, “My father was cursed by the Teritus! He began to glow orange, so I tried to save him, but then I… I don’t remember. We need to do something! The King may be dead!”

  “What?!” Nigreos exclaimed, his words similar to the shock of the many onlookers gathered around them. “Reigious, where is he?!”

  “He was with Grunly up on the residential floor!” he shouted. “Please! Do something!”

  Without another word, Nigreos turned around and bolted towards one of the lifts, shouting back at Abi to stay by the Prince’s side for the moment before he disappeared from view. Reigious was sobbing uncontrollably now, so she hoped she wasn’t overstepping boundaries as she leaned forward and pulled him into a hug, hoping to soothe the young man.

  “Thank you, Abi… Thanks for saving me…” he cried. “I won’t let anything happen to you. I promise… I promise, Abi… Thank you…”

  All she could do at that point was hold him, but while she was being warm on the outside, there was a cold realization forming internally. In the same night that she was dragged back to Ijiria for punishment, Keskivaara got away, and King Markreas was assassinated? If anything happened to Toranei, then Abi would know without a doubt that it couldn’t have been by chance. After all, that would mean that Ilirianna was now the one in the poston to pardon Abi, and as she thought of the role of the Kosah-Rei’s weapon of mass destruction, she could only recall Ilirianna’s confession of what Tali told her back in Stellareid.

  “Album, what’s going on?! I just passed Nigreos and he said Reigious was wounded?!”

  Abi heard Ilirianna’s voice behind her, so she turned her head and took in the sight of the Princess hurrying over with Ryokumo right at her side. She seemed genuinely horrified, which was understandable given that her brother was nearly killed, but having known the woman as long as she had, she could sense an underlying guilt that may have been an indicator in its own right.

  “Liri!” Reigious exclaimed, sitting up as he gazed at his elder, half-sister. “Liri, Father was cursed! He’s going to die, Liri!”

  Ilirianna came to a halt, her eyes flickering between Abi and Reigious as she almost certainly figured out what happened. As she and Abi stared into one another’s eyes, the Princess appeared torn to see her, happy to know she was alive, and grateful for taking care of her brother. Abi got up, trading spots with Ilirianna so she could comfort Reigious as the nature mage stepped back to where Ryokumo was lingering. She pulled him into an immediate hug, keeping her dear old friend close to her as they reunited after quite a long time apart.

  “Abi…” Ryokumo whispered. “I’m so sorry.”

  “Is Toranei dead, too?”

  Ryokumo stiffened at that abrupt question, though she hoped that the still nearby Album didn’t notice anything. Depending on his answer, she would know what just happened, and she had a feeling that he understood what she was really asking.

  “Yes, she is. You’re going to be safe, old friend.”

  Abigail Reiner was left taking in those words without any clue what she was supposed to feel about them.