Chapter II: Danger is Sweeter

He squinted as the bright rays of the sun welcomed his day. The sound of birds chirping outside was audible, as a soft gush of wind entered and brushed his cheek.

Holding his right arm up to his face to block the blinding light greeting him, he slowly rose up from the soft mattress he was lying on and carefully turned his head to check his surroundings. As he did that, he suddenly felt a sharp pang of pain on his back as if he was stabbed by a knife. He winced and cursed as he painfully moved his limbs. Turning his back from the rays of the sun which was coming from the huge window beside the bed, he adjusted his eyes and was greeted by an unfamiliar room. There was an oakwood bedside table on his right, a dresser near the door and a mirror in front of him. The room was rather plain but it was clean nonetheless. It's walls were painted green.

"Where the fuck am I?," he muttered to himself.

Standing up from sitting on the mattress, he slowly approached the mirror and saw himself, half naked and bandaged from his stomach up to his neck. He grimaced in pain once more as he tried touching his chest. His head was suddenly flooded with memories from last night.

"Am I dead? I should've been dead... I fell..."

A sharp cry left his mouth as his heart was filled with grief and guilt. He felt so powerless that he thought he should die for it. But he knew that he shouldn't, for he has to survive and fulfill his grandfather's wishes. He clasped his hand over his mouth as his body shook while he sobbed helplessly. Hopelessly. He never cried before, even when he was still a child, but now his soul was just in pure anguish that he couldn't stop the tears from falling.

Few footsteps came rushing towards the door then a few knocks came rapidly.

"Sir? Are you alright?," came from a voice of a woman. It sounded squeaky yet it was somehow filled with concern.

He looked at the door. Tears were still rolling down from his cheeks. He barely remember what happened after his fall but he has a few faint memories of the man who saved him since he was awake a few times while the green-eyed man was tending him.

"Pull yourself together Hanji," he whispered to himself as he breathed deeply and wiped his eyes.

Letting out a deep sigh, he composed himself and walked towards the door, turning the knob. As he opened it, two maids bowed before him and smiled.

"Sir. You seemed to be in pain a few moments ago... Is everything alright?," the squeaky voiced woman asked him, smiling yet it was evident in her deep blue eyes that she was worried. She had the look of someone in her late twenties, her golden hair was neatly braided, reaching her waist. A few freckles covered her nose and as she smiled, it showed a few crooked teeth and charred lips. He looked at her and noticed the tattoo mark on her neck.

5273.

"What the fuck?"

Baffled by this, he also looked at the other maid beside her. She was a few inches shorter than the blonde woman. Her hair was black which made her skin look so pale. She has similar eyes with the other but her button nose and mouth are small and compact, which made her look younger, —like she is still in her mid or late teens. He frowned as he saw a tattoo on her neck.

7201.

Trying his best to hide his curiosity by switching his focus on his current situation, he shifted his gaze back to the blonde woman standing in front of him, waiting for his answer.

"I... I apologize but I am fine. My back just ached a bit but I am okay."

Staring at him, the woman sighed in relief as she bowed again.

"Let us be back in a few minutes to tend and change your bandages, sir. Our master will be back in a few hours."

"Thank you so much... I will be glad to see your master that now I am in a stable condition and be able to extend my thanks personally to him...," he said. "May I ask, if it's alright, would it be okay to know the name of your master? So that I will be able to express my gratitude to him in the grandest honor."

The younger maid finally smiled and answered, "Yes you may, sir. We address him here as Master Kai, but he is known as the second son of the Duke, Quin Kaylus."

He suddenly froze from what he heard.

"But I apologize, good sir. He won't be back until this evening for he is to attend the Grand Passing Ceremony which is a very important event for our whole nation. He instructed us to clean your wounds and check up on you after an hour for your medicine."

Images of the darkened soldiers laughing with their scorching fire flashed his head. His body started to sweat heavily as he felt the sharp pain in his chest. A memory of his grandfather filled his mind. Tortured.

Find my apprentice. Find Quin Kaylus. Capax Infiniti.

Breathing heavily, he forcefully grabbed the shoulder of the blonde woman and intensely looked at her straight in the eyes. A low guttural sound escaped his mouth, as he hissed.

"Now, tell me! Where the hell is this ceremony going to be?!," he snapped at the woman without being aware that he shouted loudly, his mind overwhelmed with his distraught emotions and grief.

The maid was frightened at his sudden demeanor and was shaking badly, but his grip was too tight she had no choice but to answer him.

"I—it's g-goin to be i-in t-the H-holy P-palace of L-light, s-sir," she stuttered as her face went pale with fear.

Without second thoughts upon hearing this, he shoved her away and ran outside, ignoring the pain that started to envelope his body.

❇❇❇

Grabbing hold of his coat, he went to join his mother and brother on the carriage that was waiting by the gates of their father's property. It was a few miles away from his own mansion, that he had to drive one and a half hour to be able to get there early. And now he's here, and he has yet to endure another long ride in a carriage since it was a custom during every ceremony to only ride a horse carriage when heading to the event. The reason? He doesn't even know why.

His mother smiled at him and he returned it with a beaming grin as he politely kissed the back of her hand. His older brother Reymönd was standing beside her with pride, and was looking good with his long dark hair slicked back up to his back.

He felt like an outsider, as they all were dressed formally while he was just dressed in his usual long leather coat with his unruly brown hair being messy and tied in a bun, on his nape. He looked nothing like his family who are visually pleasing, leaking of royalty and elegance.

It's not that he couldn't afford such fashion. He just couldn't bear it when he wears something so formal for it makes him really uncomfortable. And he was still feeling drained from last night when he saved a guy who fell from a cliff. He had already gone to sleep but was awoken by a disturbing nightmare.

In that dream, he was writing down notes while observing the roses in his garden, when suddenly the skies turned red and shadows crept from the ground. He knew he was dreaming and yet, he couldn't wake himself up. Panic had started to build up in his chest as he clutched on his pen, hoping it'll be enough to protect him. The shadows were starting to crawl towards him, making him fall unto the rose bushes filled with thorns that painfully pricked his skin. He was struggling to get up as he felt the shadows reach him but his shirt was stuck. The dark beings were grabbing every limb of his body and started to engulf him. Air escaped his mouth as he felt his lungs tighten in his chest.

As he thought that he was to never wake up, the loud roar of thunder made him gasp for air as he finally made it to his senses. He never went back to sleep anymore. Instead, he went to the kitchen, and was making himself a cup of hot cocoa when a faint scream reached his ears. Even with the raging storm, he headed out without hesitation and searched for the source of the scream. He soon found himself walking towards the cliff of his turf, just beyond the trees near his mansion and saw a man lying on the ground, with some limbs dislocated. And that was how he ended up tapping his healing magic that left him currently worn-out.

The guy kept murmuring stuff when he was tending his wounds about some things he couldn't understand. It was about something that's going to happen. Something about darkness. Ceremonies. Well, he did really felt like there was something wrong but he didn't know what it is and he doesn't want to start thinking about it. He was staring blankly outside by the window of the carriage when his thoughts were interrupted by his brother.

"Kaylus, is everything okay?"

He smiled while asking him. His face was filled with kindness and understanding and it has always been like that eversince when they were still children. His brother was five years older than him but never did once he made everything between them unfair because of that gap. He was the one who taught of equality and has been a great leader to their kin, especially when their father is busy with his work of being a Duke and an Elder Leader of the Council. That's why his brother, Reymönd Jael, is the one chosen to be the next keeper of the fifth stone. And he is proud of him and would always support him no matter what.

"Yes brother, I'm fine," he replied and even nudged his brother at his side while grinning.

"Even if I'm having a bad feeling about this day brother, I wouldn't ruin it. I'll support you. Because you've always been there, for me. The time when everybody else was against of me being a magician, you were the only one who accepted me for being who I am," he thought.

When they arrived to their destination, his brother took their mother's hand and assisted her in entering the Palace. Kaylus was the last one to go out and the moment he stepped outside, he was struck by the marvelous beauty of the place. He barely remember how it looks, for he had only visited it once when he was twelve. The Palace was filled with intricate designs and ornaments. It's white marble walls greeted them at the entrance. Along the hallway, there was a line of luscious fragrant flowers in vases made of ice. The whole space was already occupied by a crowd,—royals, nobles and people of authority—and he was already lost among them.

Trying to keep his composure, he walked and squeezed his way to escape the horde gathering in the hall. He guided his way to a wide wooden double doors that showed another hall full of people. Royals and nobles alike went rushing in the middle of the hall and headed towards a big staircase that leads to a wide veranda.

He was sweating so bad that he thought about wanting to take his shirt off. His stomach started to feel weird as he felt claustrophobic and anxious about his surroundings. But he couldn't have himself be affected with his inner struggles for he doesn't want to cause any bad reputation to his family. Again.

Breathing deeply, he paved his way to the right wing of the place and headed to a huge garden located in the middle of the Palace. Large balls of energy were emitting different spectres of light to the surroundings. There was a stage situated a hundred steps away from him as people gathered around it. He walked a few steps ahead as he tried to look for his brother and mother on the stage. Instead he saw his father, a man in his mid 60's with a grey beard covering half of his face. He was wearing a green velvet robe bearing the Seal of the Guardians: a symbol of a fist wrapped in a circle. There were four others who stood beside him that wore the same robes with the seal.

Shifting his gaze to the group of people gathered around them, he saw his brother beside the stage with his mother. They were talking to a guy dressed in a military uniform but Kaylus couldn't pick up what they were conversing about. He noticed his brother was starting to feel irritated but he could see that Reymönd was trying his best to keep his composure. They were approached by a couple of nobles lead by an elderly woman with grey hair held up in a bun. She was wearing a violet overcoat and her neck was embraced by a scarf made of white fur. As she held her hand, it showed a ring with an eagle symbol on it. The other nobles along with her approached the officers who were quite taken aback from their sudden appearance. After a few moments, Reymönd and his mother were able to pass through. He could see them greet their father with an embrace as the other nobles walked their way up and approached the other guardians on the stage.

He felt a pang of hurt as he watched them happily chatting with each other and not even noticing he wasn't there.

"Or maybe they're glad I'm not there."

A sudden heat hit his right hip as he was about to walk away from the stage. He looked down to see what it was and saw that his ruby bracelet, which he placed in his right pocket, was glowing bright red.