AS Neptos promised, he trained Chloe on her Water Element. He stayed at their house that night and never mentioned about the Blood Star's ability.
Neptos Rein was silent and observing. He only talked when he deemed necessary. However, he wasn't able to hide his surprise when Chloe introduced him to her friends who were living with her.
There was the Lornn, the Lewelyn, the Travis, and the Dale. Four of the most prominent tribes that aides the Blood Star in the war were gathered together even before the Blood Star was revealed. He wondered where the Liu was.
He heard that the Liu suffered greatly from a fight against a witch. And a Saranian was among this group. Neptos couldn't believe how fast the Fates worked.
Indeed, the delay was too long, he said to himself.
The next day, Chloe went home battered up. Jared had teleported her while Zabdiel arrived after them through his power over the wind. He was carrying her things and his face was filled with terr
THE Dark Forest stretched from the center of Vestia where it separated the Krystalline Palace and the Krystalline Academy towards the North, and then bended from North to the East until it made a full turn to the eastern boundaries of the land of Markus and Vestia.The forest lived by its namesake. Nothing can be seen when one stepped into it. There were Black Shaols, terrifying shadowy creatures of their archnemesis. They were trapped by the Knights of Shaula there during the last great war against the Illinor.No one knew what will happen if they stepped inside the forest. Maybe there were brave enough to enter but none were able to come back to tell their tales.Jucel Greyn was standing just at the entrance of the Dark Forest that divided the Krystalline Academy and the Agāte Tower. She snuck into the academy at night, knowing that there will be no student or even teachers staying at the towers at this time. With her complete ability over the wind, she had no tr
JUCEL sat at one of the benches in front of the Rubi Tower, facing the gate of the Krystalline Academy. The moon was hanging above her, illuminating the whole place. She could also smell the scent of the night flowers.She glanced at the figure walking closer to her. He handed a bottle of water to her which she accepted."Thēsk," she muttered. Jucel pop'ed the cap of the bottle and drank the water in it. She looked at the two men tied up under a tree not far from them, completely unconscious. "What shall we do with them?"She heard another pop from her side. "Turn them over to the Krysts," he clipped before he drank the water until it was empty.Jucel turned to him. Students from the Krystalline Academy regarded him as a rogue individual. He looked down at those he regarded as weak. His greatest rival, both in popularity and strength, was Lucian Liu.But as Jucel watched him under the moonlight, he was not what those rumors say about him.He looke
FRUSTRATION and disbelief.Those two were the most prominent emotion Chloe felt right now. She sat at one of the branches in Graire Province, not far from her home which she shared with the Seven Geniuses and Jucel. Her head was pounding and her teeth were clenching."Your presence is too overwhelming for the students in Krystalline Academy. The Headmaster didn't want to make this academy a chaotic school."Chloe made a 'tsk' noise through her clenched teeth and heavily leaned her back on the trunk. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.That was not surprising at all. She should have foreseen it. The queen obviously couldn't hurt her directly. But she can make others kill her."Tss, lliōde," Chloe cursed as she jumped from the branch she was sitting on.The young brunette landed her feet on the ground smoothly. She froze when she heard a chuckle."Well, well, well... Look who's here," a brusque voice startled her.Chloe turned. T
JARED was standing at the middle of the open field. He had followed Jucel until here and suddenly lost her. He decided to stay still, knowing that she can feel him through the wind. Once he make sure that she's not showing up, he will teleport back to the house.It was already midnight. The moon was higher than the rest of the night. He knew that Jucel was having her regular routines: leaving the house in Graire and travelling at night. He didn't know where she was going and what she was doing but he knew that she was hunting for something important.He tensed when the wind began to pick up in a swirling motion in front of him. His eyes narrowed when it turned into a figure and Jucel emerged from it, carrying the familiar book. It had been so long before he heard about this book again. Did she finally finished reading it? Prince Ciaran would definitely be delighted if there's a way to identify a witch, based on the title of the book."I know you're following me, Ja
JARED appeared right outside their house. Clive and Zabdiel raced to the corner and vomited. Despite the nausea, Chloe didn't waste time and ran towards the door.The windows were open so light poured inside. Laughter was heard around the house. She couldn't believe her eyes.The laughter stopped when Chloe walked in. The young woman couldn't keep her eyes away from the figure that stood confidently beside Neptos as they talked. His blonde hair that seemed to light up the whole room like the sun, and his calm blue eyes that looked like the sky in the morning. Chloe stared at him with wide eyes."Lu...Lu-chi," she gasped.Lucian turned to her and spread his arms. Chloe ran to him and threw herself at her older brother. They lost their balance and landed on the sofa where Kieran was sitting but Chloe didn't want to pull away. She buried her face on Lucian's chest while she clung on his neck, as if she would lose him if she released her hold on him. She's crying
"IS Chloe okay?" a calm voice startled her. She whipped her head towards the owner of the voice and sighed in relief when she saw that it was only Kieran.His eyes were still blindfolded with a neat white cloth. His brown naturally curled hair was all over as if he hadn't combed it correctly. He was wearing his night clothes: white long sleeved coat tied at his waist, a white undershirt and comfortable white pants."Màh," Chloe said. "Can't sleep?"Kieran walked slowly but surely towards the entrance of the pavilion and sat not far from her. "The earth seems restless. I came to relieve it from its burden."Chloe raised her eyebrows as she stared at him. She had never talked to Kieran alone like this before. He was silent most of the time and tend to hang at the back, listening. He only spoke when somebody would ask his opinion or when he had to speak up. He only followed Lucian and he never did anything that could catch attention from the others. Sometimes, C
SHE didn't know how much she hated Neptos Rein and his unconventional ways. Not until now.Chloe was frowning and glaring at Neptos' back as she followed him around the Galenus City. Those Demetri passing them were looking back. Some were holding back their laughter while others were downright laughing at her face.She was thankful that she had decided to wear her large hoodie up so that nobody could recognize her as the Blood Star. Her baggy pants reached below her knees and she was wearing a new pair of comfortable shoes. But that was not the reason why these dumb Demetris laughed.On one of her sides was a long wooden sword in a wooden sheath. It was too light that she wasn't even bothered by its weight. However, its presence was eye-catching for the people around her."Stop sulking, Chloe," Jucel chuckled but even the shy silver-headed woman was clearly uneasy by the attention they gained from the people. "Carrying a wooden sword wasn't that bad... I guess."Chloe turned to her bes
THE cold wind seemed to suffocate him. There were emotions in his heart that he couldn't understand where it came from. He was standing right in the middle of the vast green land, the mountainous horizon looming ahead and the Dark Forest at his both sides.He looked up and his dark green eyes, the eyes that he hated so much, found the blue cloudless sky. The sun was shining brightly but he couldn't feel its heat. Not on his tanned skin. He closed his eyes and breathe in the cold wind until his lungs ached. He slowly let the air out and looked back to the ground.If only he didn't. He stumbled back in horror until he lost his balance and fall to his rear. His dark green eyes were dilated and he couldn't breathe once again.Stones were carefully placed everywhere as if they were afraid they would never see the bodies on where they buried their loved ones. The vast land of graves. The vast sign of where that heartbreaking death toll happened. The vast land where many of whom they loved la
The ceremony was short and rushed as everyone were exhausted and distraught. They paid tribute to every single fallen Kryst and then buried the Knights of Shaula in their own monuments. Neptos was buried in the cemetery for the Rein Tribe while Vivien Li in her own tribe. Kieran Lornn was brought to the Lornn Tribe in a closed casket, never to be opened.Those who led in the war were given rewards. Barbie Lewelyn, Lucian Liu, Zabdiel Lewelyn, Clive Travis, and Jared Dale were hailed as the new Knights of Bellatrix."I know it's late. But this is how I wanted to honor her," Queen Elisa told them in a hushed voice.Barbie regained her strength two months after and it was enough for Zephrain to make some sentiments with the Krystalline Palace.Zephrain was standing right in the middle of the vast graveyard, the horizon looming ahead and the Mountain Ranges surrounded him, as if looking over on what he had been gazing at for many times in a day... everyday.He heard a rus
When the Knights positioned outside the barrier, Chloe removed her armor from her body. She wore a plain red shirt with gray pants. The young Blood Star sat on the ground, her legs crossed under her.Lucian positioned behind her, standing with his right palm pressed behind her head. "Are you sure about this, Chlo'?" he asked."I must be asking you that, Lulu-chi." Chloe smiled. "I never had the chance to thank Demetrius for this."Lucian gritted his teeth to control his tears. He didn't say anything at all, afraid that his voice might give away his sorrow.Jucel brought the Bellatrix sword to Chloe. The latter shook her head. "You must do it."The freckled woman let out a deep breath. "You're cruel."Chloe just smiled. She stared at the back of a familiar duo. "Mē, Zē." She swallowed. "Thank you."Outside the barrier, Faline Liu and Iwaoka were trying their best not to cry. They neither answered her nor looked back. The three inside wouldn't hear them, anyway.
Meanwhile, Barbie ducked under Kirsten's staff and swiped her leg under the latter. Kirsten lost her balance but regained herself, and flipped away before she could reach the hard ground.Barbie stood and twirled her sword while her dagger was positioned in front of her. The electricity from her body was back, recharging her energy through the wrath that she felt.Kirsten charged again and swung her sword before giving Barbie a side kick. The latter crossed her wrists to block another kick but grunted when Kirsten's high heel dug on her flesh. She gripped Kirsten's ankle, electricity ran through the Great Witch who screamed. Barbie hurled her away, the heel ripping her skin in the process.Blood oozed from Barbie's wrists and ran down her fingers then dripped to the ground. She could feel her nerves shaking on her right wrist where a hole from Kirsten's heel dug into. An open wound near her large vein."Tch," Barbie said as she wrapped her left hand around her righ
Snow endlessly falls down from the cloud-covered sky. But despite that, the whole land of Markus was not freezing in cold. The Fire Land was warmer below at the same time colder in the surface. Although the surroundings were frozen in ice crystals and covered with snow, it was not enough to freeze a Demetri.Chloe Liu walked for a few meters to the center and stopped under the tree. Her golden eyes roam around and saw that she was surrounded by Black Shaols.The young Blood Star smirked. "You really brought them out for your gain, Liege."A large man with a black armor emerged from the crowd of enemies, a triumphant smirk etched on his face. He had a golden crown with the symbol of Illinor at the center. He's holding a large sword with broad blade. Chloe thinks he could cut a large tree with it.But, not her.She figured out that the Southern Region has a tunnel underneath it, used by the same enemy fifty years ago to infiltrate the land of Markus. It doesn't fa
The time had been ticking that moment. It runs around the clock day and night. Not even the prince I served, Særi ust Trūx Ciaran, can stop the time all at once. There will be choices to make. There will be memories of pain.The Great Witch, with Kirsten Zūng as its vessel, has ordered a massive hunt for our deaths. The Kingdom of Demetrius, my home, experienced its biggest war in history.Once again, many shall lose their lives for the peace we so wanted. Witches from Illinor began to make their way to the Eastern Region where they will be able to invade the city of Markus.The whole population of the bloodlust witches and traitors of Demetrius bounded off around the Ahn Mountain Pass and made their way to the city of Markus, the city which the great General Dana Rein conquered. The Land rich of Fire Element. There's no mercy, no holding back.I haven't been into this kind of war. None of us have. Bellatrix of Orion, will you save us from sure death?Only I, a Mnemos
Jared landed on the ground face-first. He pushed himself up and sighed softly as he opened his now blazing dark green eyes. He pushed out of the way in time to avoid the axe of the enemy. Jared picked up the fallen soldier's sword and swung it blindly in front of him, cutting deeply on the skull of the enemy.He grimaced as he stood limply, his injury now bothering him than before."Red!" Clive's voice rang through the noise of the battle. He turned and raised his hand to catch his sword. Jared didn't waste time swinging his blade across the approaching enemy's chest.~O~O~O~"Damn it! Where the hell was Kirsten?" Tara asked as she kicked away an opponent and swung her spear to another Illinora.Vivien swung her two white silver swords across the Illinora's face and whirled around the enemy's side before bringing her blade down their injured necks. She put her blades together and ran the blades across each other. The blood was quickly wiped off the blades, clean
Clive and Celine stepped back as another explosion occured at the boundary.Huge dark brown ugly-looking beasts were roaming around; snarling and shaking their heads furiously as blood were oozing from their faces and body.Clive whirled at Celine who was standing calmly beside him. Celine began to bark orders in a calm voice. Fire began to float all around them, courtesy of the Fire Element Krysts."Archers!!" Celine shouted. Clive raised his hands and the fire enveloped him. It made him smile with joy. Being enveloped in fire made him think about the time he discovered his power as a boy.The archers notched their arrows and aimed at the borders. Clive brought his hands towards the arrows, the fire began to lick the tip of the arrow notched.Celine smirked at him and nodded. She looked at those beasts that managed to enter the borders. "Hold!!"Silence enveloped the whole area. Five kilomenters. Four. Three. The archers didn't move an inch.Celine pulled an ar
The Krysts began to follow Ciaran and Zephrain's instructions. The Travis Tribe and the other tribes from the Markus City vowed to help in the war against the Great Witch. They prepared traps everywhere. It took them a whole day to prepare.Lucian and his friends decided to get over the grief they had over Kieran. With Jucel and Celine's efforts, Zabdiel's consciousness came back.Upon hearing about Kieran's death, Zabdiel didn't know what to say. He started to blame himself, but there's no denying that no one wanted to lose Kieran Lornn."Where's his body?""Chloe said he's at the palace back in Vestia," Lucian murmured.Zabdiel could only nod his head and then he went back to his trance, mourning for his older friend. He clenched his jaws and his fists. Zabdiel vowed that he will seek revenge on Kieran's death.Three days came and no Kirsten Zūng appeared. Celine brought Lucian, Barbie, Zabdiel, and Clive to a storage room."What are we doing here?" Clive aske
Queen Elisa stood at the first steps outside the palace. She was covered with wool coat to prevent the freezing cold from seeping through her body. Her white hair cascaded on her shoulder and her crown sat atop her head.The soldiers are already positioned, all of them sitting on the Pegasi - another type of horses used for battle. These horses have the wings of eagles they can fly the soldiers towards Markus and pass the Dark Forest. Because of the vulnerability of the Pegasi under the sun, they had to wait under the weather was colder so they can use them for transportation.Chloe was sitting on her own Pegasi, a jet black horse with stronger, wider wings than the others. Her golden eyes looked up at the Queen and found her staring. Chloe just nodded at her which she answered a small smile and a nod. The Blood Star then took hold of the reins and bounded to the front lines.Jucel and Jared went out of the palace. Jared still looked emotionless as before. Ever since Jucel'