CHAPTER 38.4AbductedTHE KINGDOM WAS in a chaos after the news about Prince Lucas Sutcliffe of the Vintress Kingdom was reportedly missing. It was just by chance when Selene and Merlin found out and the news had spread like wildfire even among all Four Kingdom along with the news that Morfran Demelza was behind this scheme. It was only after a group of merchant found the Prince’s vehicle partially destroyed and his companions were all passed out or dead.The only survivors were Lucas’ personal knights and the driver but it’s difficult to say that they didn’t suffer from any serious injuries. It just so happened that help arrived on time and they were managed to get saved.Still... Lucas’ body can’t be found anywhere.And this enraged even King Alexander who immediately requested – no, insisted – to visit the Kingdom of Izquierdo as soon as possible to help find his son.“Pakiramdam ko galit ka talaga sa ‘kin dahil sa nangyari,” ani Merlin sa communication crystal.Kausap noon ng mahi
CHAPTER 38.5Trails of SomethingLUCAS CAN’T REMEMBER what happened entirely. Just bits by bits and some vague voices that gave him an idea what the conversation could be all about.After he was greeted by an insane Morfran Demelza, Lucas lost his consciousness, but as soon as his body regained the willpower to shake whatever Black Magic was embracing him and he was able to open his eyes ever so slightly, he found himself travelling with Morfran and the supposed ‘Grand Magus’. Out in the woods where he could feel no sense of familiarity.It turns out that he’s abducted, not killed. But he also knew that he’s injured since there stung a pain around his side. Although it’s closing now, healing all by itself, Lucas still found himself uncomfortable with his dampened clothes – possibly from the blood that drew out from his wound.Lihim siyang napamura sa isipan matapos niyang tignan ang buong kapaligiran. Apparently, they’re riding a carrier carriage. Something used to transport and deliv
CHAPTER 39.1SparkTHE SEARCH TEAM were doing great at tracking the trails left by Lucas. At some point, there was a time where the ‘vehicle’ that the missing Prince of Vintress Kingdom was going on circles, as if the Grand Magus and Morfran Demelza knew that Lucas was leaving trails of his own blood for them to follow. But at the same time, it only happened once so they assumed the possibility that Morfran and the Grand Magus got lost around the woods.“Haring Alexander, patungo po sa abandonadong bayan malapit dito ang dugo ni Prinsipe Lucas,” report ng isa sa mga kawal ng Vintress.Right, there were two search teams in this mission. A group led by Selene from the Izquierdo Kingdom’s knights and the one who accompanied King Alexander.Ipinilig ni Selene ang ulo at inilipat ang tingin sa kalapit bayan. Ito ang pinag-uusapan nila ni Haring Alexander kanina. Na-raid daw ito noon nang maupo ang mga Demelza bilang bagong namumuno sa kaharian ng Izquierdo. Ikinatatakot daw kasi ng mga ito
CHAPTER 39.2What Matters More?“BAKIT MO SIYA biglang pinatulog?! Gusto kong maging abala sa pagdidisiplina sa mayabang na Prinsipeng ‘to! Alam mo ba kung ga’no kabigat ang ginawa niyan sa ‘kin at sa anak ko?!” nanggigigil na reklamo ni Morfran sa Grand Magus na kaharap niya, ngunit tanging ang itinapon lamang nito sa kanya ay ang pagtitig.Walang emosyon sa mukha nito at base pa lamang doon, alam na ni Morfran na pagod na itong makipag-usap sa kanya. The thing is, it has only been a few days! Nanatili siyang tahimik ayon sa kagustuhan nito ngunit nitong nakaraan ay kapansin-pansin ang pambabastos nito sa kanya dahil hindi na siya ang hari sa kaharian ng Izquierdo.Hindi niya matanggap na minsan pa siya nitong tinawag na ‘fallen royalty’ at tinanong pa ng ‘sa sobrang taas ng lipad mo, ‘di ka ba natakot no’ng nahulog ka?’and he will not accept these slanders about him! Hindi niya matanggap na kinakaya-kaya na lamang siya ngayon ng mga taong noon ay kinatatakutan siya!Kasalanan ito la
CHAPTER 39.3Déad EyesMATAPOS NILANG MALAMAN na nakita ng mga kawal ang kinaroroonan ni Lucas, mabilis nilang pinuntahan ang direksyong itinuturo ng mga ito. And just like what they said, they found Lucas in the center of this abandoned town, surrounded by debris, sitting on a chair all tied up and seemingly unconscious.“Lucas!” tawag niya sa binata bago siya mabilis na tumakbo patungo rito. Ngunit nang tawagin niya ito, wala man lang naging reaksyon ang binata.Of course, she assumed that this may be a trap but she doesn’t really care right now. Selene even ignored it when King Alexander called her name, stopping her from further approaching his son, knowing that there could be something lying across the ground that she might not see or anything.She also assumed that he was just unconscious when Lucas didn’t notice or respond to her voice. Maybe, Morfran Demelza and the Grand Magus knocked him out before showing him like this.She knew that she should be walking on egg shells, not
CHAPTER 39.4Danger“IBALIK MO SA ‘kin ang trono at ang buong kaharian ng Izquierdo kung gusto mo ring bumalik si Lucas sa inyo, Selene Griego,” alok ni Morfran Demelza.Selene sweatdropped after finally knowing what was the cost of Lucas’ life and honestly, she expected this much. Kaso tulad ng sinabi niya, hindi niya pwedeng isuko ang kaharian ng Izquierdo para sa haring hindi naman marunong mag-alaga ng teritoryo. The Izquierdo Kingdom she came back to was destroyed, full of discrepancies, discrimination, and prejudice.Lives were destroyed and poverty was a problem the Kingdom and its government neglected. Only the rich were able to enjoy life full of luxury and most of them are even abusing that power, hence why Selene wanted her next move as purging them one by one. She wanted balance although it’ll be a difficult thing to attain.Napalunok siya’t nagbaba ng tingin kay Lucas na noo’y mukhang wala pa rin sa sarili. She clenched her fists and gritted her teeth. Gusto niya itong bu
CHAPTER 39.5Raging StormTHIS ISN’T WHAT they needed to see. As the previous Grand Magus formed a huge tornado which caught Lucas in the middle as if encaging the man within it so that they wouldn’t be able to do a thing to save him and at the same time, force them to give into their desires, Selene couldn’t help it but to panic even more.Of course she wanted to do something! She wanted to stop this madness and save Lucas! Just like she said, all of this – he doesn’t deserve. Maybe, just maybe, if she didn’t let Lucas leave that day, things would have been different for both of them. She... Underestimated Morfran Demelza and this Grand Magus’ capabilities because she thought that they wouldn’t lay a finger even on a single strand of his hair.“What should we do...?” she whispered to herself until she caught a glimpse of Merlin and King Alexander who seemed to discuss something in a hurry. “Merlin...? Haring Alexander?”Pinasadahan siya ng tingin ng mahiko bago ito ngumiti. Then, he
CHAPTER 40Towards the LightWHO WOULD HAVE thought that there could be a place darker than black? A place of emptiness and void, where not even the light could shine, a single sound would do nothing but echo until he’s exhausted hearing the very same sound, and his sharp eyes couldn’t see even a glimpse of his own hand.No matter how Lucas turned around to see his surroundings, he could see and hear nothing. It was as though he has been thrown into a place where a single soul wouldn’t be able to survive without going insane. He felt as though he’s castigated and forsaken — hope was just an illusion and there might be no escape to this hellish emptiness.How did he end up here?Sa pagkakaalala ni Lucas, nakikipagtalo siya noon kay Morfran Demelza.Nasa kalagitnaan siya noon ng pang-iinis. Pilit niyang ipinapamukha rito na wala itong kwenta, na gahaman lamang ito’t makasarili, hindi ito magtatagumpay laban kay Selene, at mas lalo lamang itong magiging miserable. It was a heated argumen