NOAHThe soldiers move away little by little, making way for someone to walk among them, and the person who walks among them is the Mage Direl. He smiles at us. Facing us, he raises his hand, and using his magic, tries to take Dagma away from me. What, perhaps, Direl did not know, is that the sword was awakened by me, and will not obey his commands. His eyes widen as he notices that he's no use trying to take her away from me.— But what is this? Why doesn't she come to me? he asks, and then stares at me intently. — I think I'm sure of your identity now, boy... Or rather, Your Majesty!When I hear those words said, I feel butterflies in my stomach, my hands sweat, and a bad energy spreads through my body, and I'm sure he's not here just to take Andrew, or to arrest us.— What are you talking about? The only one who has a title of nobility here is Andrew!— Don't be modest, introduce yourself to your subjects, after all, we are facing the true heir to the throne! — he says in a tone of
NOAHI'm only twenty years old and I've waited my whole life to be able to avenge my parents' deaths, I've imagined this moment for a long time, but I never thought it could be the way I'm living it now. I always thought about the possibility of exposing that Alexander was responsible for the slaughter that killed them, but I never imagined that they were my adoptive parents, and that I was the daughter of Kings Moriam and Sattir, and finally I had to unmask Direl, who apparently it feels like lying to the bloody King, and still having to expose my true identity.— Because I am the heir of Moriam and Sattir!That sentence echoed so strongly through the throne room, it's as if I felt their presence in this place, cheering me on, pushing me forward with every speech, with every action I took before the criminals who took what was theirs, and which naturally would be my one day when they are no longer here. Unfortunately, the Machiavellian plans of these terrible men took their lives, de
NOAHDirel lowers her hand, and the King falls to the ground. The Wizard faces everyone around him with a smile on his face. My mouth opens and closes, I can't get anything out, I look to the side and see Andrew static, mouth open, eyes wide. Meanwhile, Guilhermo, who up until now had only watched the confessions unfold, manifests himself, gets up and runs over.— What did you do? — approaches Alexander, touches his neck. — He is dead! You killed the King... Guards arrest this man!Guilhermo speaks haughtily, but none of the soldiers makes any move to leave their place to arrest Direl.— Are they deaf? This man killed your King, come on, arrest him!Direl smiles at his manifestation, walks towards the King's body, pushes William to the side, bends down and takes his crown from Alexander's head, an artifact probably made of gold, with some stones, of what appears to be diamonds at its ends. . Direl holds the piece, walks towards the throne, when he arrives before him, sits down, smiles
NOAHIt was not easy to escape from the palace. If we didn't have Balck's help, we would be trapped in the dungeon. We had to use the palace's secret passages to get out of there, we took an alternative path to the one we usually use in order not to have the displeasure of encountering soldiers of the King, or rather, of Direl, who calls himself as such, after taking the life of Alexander. Walking through so many trees, a very narrow stretch, the sun begins to show signs of its departure, the few rays that I can still see are orange and far away, and the night already seems a reality.— It will be dark soon, I think we better hurry if we want to reach the territory today! — I speak in a worried tone, Balck pulls my arm, I look to the side, towards him.—So does that mean the King really died? And who killed him was the Wizard Direl? — he asks in a low tone.— Yeah.— And Andrew, how did he react to all of this? — Balck asks, I stop walking a little, and answer him.— Even though Alexa
NOAH— The situation is more complicated than before, and it's not that I have a solution to our problems, but I think I know where Killian is!— Like this? Did you find it?— No, I had a dream about Killian, and with the news of Alexander's death, the place where he was in my dream, now it makes perfect sense to think he's there!— Because? What exactly happened in that dream?— I walked through the palace of Venas, I went through several corridors until I found an open door, I went in and found him lying in bed. He would open his eyes and tell me a few things, and one of them was that Alexander was dead, and that now a darker time would begin in Ascabaltt if I didn't help stop him, and when I asked who it was that I should stop, I I just woke up!—Then he must be in the palace of Venas, but how? Did someone imprison him there?— I don't think so, who lives there is Andrew's mother...— I know she lives there, but how would Killian end up there?— That we have no way of knowing at th
NOAHDuric's words are perfect for the moment, they reflect the feeling between Balck and Yan, making everyone emotional. I try to control myself, but the tears are stronger than me, they flow down my face, especially when I see my brother crying. Emotion takes over the place when Duric concludes his speech.— Today I want to wish you all the happiness in the world, and that love lasts a long time, and continues to be the great guide of your relationship. As head of this rebellious territory, I celebrate the love of Balck and Yan, and declare them married... Be happy!They hug, exchange a peck, and everyone applauds. To think that at the time of ancient humans people of the same gender suffered prejudice for declaring their love, something like that is so outdated that I can't imagine how it was possible.Even though I'm happy with my brother's marriage and happiness, I can't stop thinking about everything that's happened in the last few weeks, and especially how strange and distant A
NOAHHe looks at me intently, lowers his head, then opens his mouth and says something.— Okay, I'll get it for you!— Look for him?— Yeah.— No, I want you to help me look for him!— What? Got mad? You know you can't leave here, Direl is looking for you...— I can't stay here waiting to find out what really happened to him, I can't wait, I want to see him, I need to do this!— Noah, don't be stubborn, you know you can't!I end my discussion with Balck as I know it will get me nowhere. I miss you, I know it may seem stubborn, and reckless, but I need to do something to find you.[...]It rains outside. The rain doesn't seem to want to stop, but along with it, I smell a very familiar smell, which puts me on alert. Andrew is here? How can you be here in this rain? I look around me, and I don't see him in any room in my house, my heart beats wildly, I need to find my love. I open the door, run, following his scent, which is stronger, more intense. The rain keeps falling, but that doesn'
NOAHThe days drag on and I still have no news of Andrew's whereabouts. After that dream, I have other dreams, and I feel like he uses them to communicate with me. Today's training makes me a little tired, restless, until I see Balck from afar, and his expression doesn't look very good, he makes a sign with his hand, for me to go to him. I walk quickly, my heart beating faster than normal, I approach.— What's? Any news from… — he doesn't let me finish.— Yes, I have news from him. Can we get out of here?We leave the training site. We walked towards Balck's house, which is close to where we were. He opens the door, I go in, drag a chair, and sit at the table, while my brother does the same.— So what's new?— The soldiers have returned, and they tell Duric that there is none of the former royal family in the palace of Venas...— What do you mean, there's no one? Is the palace empty?— It's not empty, it's been occupied by a new crop of nobles who seem to support the new King...— But
NOAHThis is wrong!This is wrong!This is wrong!That phrase has been playing around in my head for days, and the memories of that night are so fresh. I remember every detail, but I blame myself for it, after all it is the most absurd thing that has ever happened in my life, Andrew is my cousin, and maybe if I really felt something for him, this would not be allowed according to the laws of Ascabaltt, not that I'm really interested, which would be absurd. I shouldn't feel this way. That kiss wasn't supposed to leave me like this, and it left me extremely disturbed, I haven't been able to sleep very well. No, I didn't feel that way about Andrew, or did I really?I've never felt this way about anyone, it's just too weird. The few times I've been in a relationship with someone, I've never felt as lost as I am right now, what's going on? Why does my mind remind me of the damn kiss every time I think of something that reminds me of him? There are so many questions, and I don't have answer
NOAH— Noah, Noah! — Balck screams desperately as I raise my sword in the air, before counterattacking my opponent. — Noah, your mother is looking for you!— Balck, I can't now! — I answer and continue my fight. — Can't you see I'm in training!— Your mother is coming here...— What? Why didn't you stop her? — I answer, I stop my training, put the sword in my scabbard, and face Balck.— As if there's a way to stop your mother, please, you know there isn't!—I hurry through the large courtyard until I reach one of the entrances that leads to the entrance hall of the palace.— Andrew is at the palace!— What? Who called you?Whenever I think about having any contact with my cousin, my stomach hurts. Andrew is an Alpha Lupus, annoying, arrogant, and thinks the world revolves around him. Since we're kids, there's not been a minute of peace between us, he's always up to something to piss me off, take my peace.— He came to the ball!— But there's a week left for that to happen...— But his
ANDREW — Well, well... It's not that he believed, and followed his uncle's ghost! — the damned Direl manifests himself, and soon afterwards he lets out a great laugh, which echoes throughout the place. — I figured you'd follow your uncle, you're as predictable as your father!The mention of my father makes my blood boil. I stare at Direl with great anger remembering everything that happened.— Who are you to talk about my father? After all, you helped him create this chaos.— Yes, I helped because I took his word for it, that Sattir would be mine, but your father broke his word, in fact Alexander never had a word!— Why did you draw me here? — I ask and observe the place around me, dirty, many cages, and one of them is open.— Very simple, I'll lock you up!The cynical smile on his face is annoying, he walks back and forth, but before he does anything I smell a very familiar smell, and I hear a familiar voice coming from behind me.— You are not going to lock anyone in this cage, you
NOAHLast night's dream doesn't leave my head, I seem to be in an eternal temporal loop. What was it really about? It seemed to be a time that never existed, but that could exist if nothing bad had happened to me, and to my biological parents, and consequently to my adoptive parents. A reality I can never experience. I feel something strange since leaving Andrew's mother's house, Hannah made me agree with the idea that I should wait, I believe she knows something else that I don't, when she told me that, I had the same feeling as Duric passed it to me, they know something, they know Killian's whereabouts, and they know what weapon he's looking for.If I'm going to be the King of Ascabaltt, why are they hiding so much information from me? I know that sometimes I'm very stubborn, and even arrogant in thinking I can beat something, or someone, but everything they hide from me is related to my past, and possibly the future. So, there's no reason to hide anything from me, that's not fair t
NOAH— You must be looking for my son, am I right? — she asks, I shake my head. — I think you better come in, we have a lot to talk about!Hearing this my heart races, I feel that something is wrong, that something has happened to Andrew. She invites us into the house, pushes the door aside and lets us in. I go in, followed by my brother and brother-in-law. The room is not very large, there are some paintings of flowers and landscapes on the wall, a large wooden table with many seats, in the corner of the room by the window.— Feel free! — she says, goes through the door next to the table, and then returns with a tray, with a china vase and some glasses of the same material. — Here's fresh water for you to drink, I think you walked a long way to get here.— Yeah. — I answer, put my backpack on the floor, in the corner of the door, and then sit at the table, take a glass and pour water into it. — You said we have a lot to talk about, does that mean Andrew? Did something happen to him?
NOAHI observe everything carefully to assess the environment around me, I feel frustrated and tired, there is no way I can fight, they are small, but there are many of them, by the heaps. I try to concentrate, like I did at Catarina's, I try to get the power out of me, but it seems impossible, I feel exhausted. Desperation starts to take over my mind as all attempts to get the power out fail. Maybe it's because I'm so tired, I don't know, what's the point of having something like that if it doesn't work when I need it? When I use too much I get weak, and when I'm too tired, it doesn't show up? I'm on my own and alone. With no apparent alternative, I take off running into the forest, tripping over my own feet on the way. Branches scrape my arms and legs, slicing my face as I desperately try to brush them away. I scream for help, I call my brother and brother-in-law's name, but the monsters scream louder and louder as they chase me. I dare to look back if I see them running so fast the
NOAH— What if he isn't on Volcann, what if this is one of Direl's grand schemes to lure you in, and trap you? — Yan asks as we walk between the trees of the forest that gives access to the bridge that connects the petrified area of the territory to Volcann.— I don't know Noah, I don't want to be pessimistic, but what if it doesn't work out? Or we don't find it, what will we do?— Oh, shut up, my God! I heard something, shhh!I look around.— What's it?— No, shhhh!— What's it?— I don't know, I think it came from there! — Balck says and points to a dark cavern just a few meters to our right. —There's something there.— What? I ask, approaching the cave.— Calm down, not so fast! — Yan holds me by the arm.— Stay there, I'll look! — Balck says.— Be careful! Yan replies.Balck walks towards the cave, slowly. He stops beside the entrance, half-hides himself in a mound of crowded leaves, and carefully cranes his neck inward. Yan and I watched in silence.— I think I made a mistake, I
NOAHThe days drag on and I still have no news of Andrew's whereabouts. After that dream, I have other dreams, and I feel like he uses them to communicate with me. Today's training makes me a little tired, restless, until I see Balck from afar, and his expression doesn't look very good, he makes a sign with his hand, for me to go to him. I walk quickly, my heart beating faster than normal, I approach.— What's? Any news from… — he doesn't let me finish.— Yes, I have news from him. Can we get out of here?We leave the training site. We walked towards Balck's house, which is close to where we were. He opens the door, I go in, drag a chair, and sit at the table, while my brother does the same.— So what's new?— The soldiers have returned, and they tell Duric that there is none of the former royal family in the palace of Venas...— What do you mean, there's no one? Is the palace empty?— It's not empty, it's been occupied by a new crop of nobles who seem to support the new King...— But
NOAHHe looks at me intently, lowers his head, then opens his mouth and says something.— Okay, I'll get it for you!— Look for him?— Yeah.— No, I want you to help me look for him!— What? Got mad? You know you can't leave here, Direl is looking for you...— I can't stay here waiting to find out what really happened to him, I can't wait, I want to see him, I need to do this!— Noah, don't be stubborn, you know you can't!I end my discussion with Balck as I know it will get me nowhere. I miss you, I know it may seem stubborn, and reckless, but I need to do something to find you.[...]It rains outside. The rain doesn't seem to want to stop, but along with it, I smell a very familiar smell, which puts me on alert. Andrew is here? How can you be here in this rain? I look around me, and I don't see him in any room in my house, my heart beats wildly, I need to find my love. I open the door, run, following his scent, which is stronger, more intense. The rain keeps falling, but that doesn'