ELEAND flipped through a series of paper-clipped pages from a mailing envelope resting on his table, and he furiously clenched his fist.
It was the divorce papers. His wife was not joking when she threatened to file a divorce. They had been married for over five years, and he thought everything went smoothly.
“Damn!” he cussed even more. He drew breath through his flared nostrils and clutched his loose man bun hair.
These past few days, they were arguing about one thing—having kids. Brandy was not interested in giving birth because she loved her almost perfect figure. He could not blame her; it was her ultimate investment for her work.
Although he understood her predicaments, they had planned to build their own family right after they got married. Why a sudden change of heart?
Brandy Sheldon was a Filipino-American supermodel, and they got married in their early twenties. And this time, he tried his best to convince her to have a child because they were not getting any younger.
They live in California at present. He spent most of his time managing their branch of Altierra Insurance Company, together with his elder sister Elida. While his parents resided in the Philippines along with their other siblings, Erone and Ezekiel. Their family came from a wealthy Filipino-Spanish descent.
“Bro, what’s wrong?” his sister curiously asked. Elida entered his office with important documents at hand.
“Brandy wants a divorce.” He hardly shook his head. His sister knew the current situation about his married life, and she never failed to give him a piece of friendly advice.
“Well, you deserve someone better. There are lots of ladies in line to replace her. If Brandy wants out, then let her be.” Elida lightly shrugged.
“I don’t understand. I gave everything—money, love, and time! I’m certain that she loves me. All I want is a happy family. Am I that selfish?” He harshly sighed.
Eleand had to look in a better perspective, that maybe he should just respect Brandy’s decision to be childless.
But he always wanted an heir. He loved and pampered his wife a lot. Until now, he could not believe that they wasted all their efforts nurturing their marriage for the past five years and led to a divorce.
“Life is not fair. You have to accept that your marriage fails. Brandy doesn’t love you anymore. You see, there are other ways to have a child, like surrogacy or adoption. I bet she doesn’t like the idea, does she?”
“Yeah, I even suggested those. She became more aggressive with that recommendation.”
“Then so be it. Move on. Brandy is just making excuses.” Elida cheered him up.
Eleand remained silent. His sister hit the bullseye. Because he constantly made efforts to win his wife back, but Brandy stayed adamant about her decision.
“I’ll talk with my lawyer and let him handle everything. Brandy wanted this. Then I’ll set her free.” His forehead creased in frustration.
Eleand immediately called his lawyer over the phone. It was hard for him to let go. Well, at least he did his part to make their marriage work. Trying to win her back would be useless because she simply wanted him out of her life.
Elida walked near him after he ended the call. “Come on, get a life! You are trying to kill yourself, drowning in unnecessary works. Why don’t you have some fun like you used to? Just because Brandy left means it’s the end of the world.” She gently tapped his shoulder, “How about playing archery after work?” she suggested.
“Sure,” he exhaled deeply. They loved archery. They could hit the target even with their eyes closed. They played it since they were still kids.
“Cheer up! Would you like to go somewhere to chill?”
“Not now.” He sighed and continued, “I don’t deserve this. But you’re right. Life is not fair. I’m thinking about going on a vacation in the Bahamas or Maldives.” He tilted his head high. He needed to unwind and contemplate his life. Because if he could not properly focus, it would affect his decision-making relating to work or even personal choices.
“That is a good idea. Go on a vacation for a month or more. I’ll handle everything while you’re away,” Elida said with assurance.
“Thank you, sis.” He plastered a smile on his lips. Luckily, he had a supportive sister. His friends were very few that he could just count on his fingers. But he was blessed with the best family. All his siblings loved each other, and they were very close until now.
Eleand should fix his life back to normal. Accepting the divorce made it harder for him because he was so sure that they loved each other so much. However, there were no permanent things in this world. The girl who used to adore and cherished him left for good.
Fuck those beauty standards! He muttered in silence. Eleand did not even care much about her physical appearance. What mattered most was her personality and character. Her beauty was just a bonus.
His head was in chaos. The Brandy he knew would never leave him in this mess and let him feel miserable.
ELEAND gripped the recurve bow and hit the target many times. He only stopped when he ran out of arrows in his quiver. He played with Elida almost two hours ago, after their office hours. And now he just noticed she was not playing anymore. She confidently stood beside him with a beaming face.
“Great shots! Talent like that should play in the Olympics.” Elida smiled. A glint of appreciation mirrored in her eyes even though she could do the same stunt, too.
“Shall we play in the next Olympic Games, then?” The corners of his mouth turned up. He arranged the bow in his hand and gave it to the staff near them.
“We’re done, thank you.” The male staff thanked them in return.
“Ah, yes! Since we’ve been a champion in National Archer’s Tournament, maybe we should play in the Olympics.” She laughed at her joke, “Let’s eat dinner at my house. I’ll cook your favorite steak.”
He shook his head. “Don’t bother. I need some time alone. Don’t worry. I will do nothing stupid,” he reassured her because it might upset Elida.
“Okay, your choice,” she nodded. She knew him well, and he would not jeopardize himself.
“All right, I have to go.” He softly patted her shoulder and gave a half-smile.
Eleand quickly changed his clothes before leaving the archery range and went to his car parked outside the establishment. Somehow, playing with the arrows made him feel at ease. It helped him to be less preoccupied.
His lawyer went to his office earlier. He signed the documents needed to hasten the process of the divorce. Brandy demanded nothing from his vast fortunes except the custody of their dog Eclipse.
THE keycard lock made a clicked sound when Eleand tapped his card. His eyes widened when he saw someone inside—a person he did not expect to see at this moment.
The fresh-looking face of his wife ran over his vision. Still alluring, even without make-up. Her naturally black hair gently flowed, and her lips tried to curve a smile. Beside her was a huge red traveling bag.
“What are you doing here?” he asked in an icy voice. They had a terrible argument almost a week ago, and she was never home since then.
“I-I came here to say goodbye,” her voice low and still.
He met her gaze. Pain and sorrow were unconcealed in her teal-colored eyes. Or maybe he just imagined things, hoping that they would be back together.
But he signed the divorce papers already. Either of them could not back out that easily.
Eleand simply shrugged. “Okay, goodbye then,” he said as if not interested. He clenched his fist and walked past her. But he paused after a few paces and confronted her.
“Is this really what you want?” he asked. He tried to relax. If this would be the last time to see each other, at least they could talk civilly.
“Yes,” she gently nodded. Her voice sounded sure. She vehemently closed her eyes, unbothered, when tears slowly cascaded into her cheeks.
For a moment, Eleand was speechless. But he was more surprised when the look in her eyes suddenly shifted from sadness to anger. She seemed to glare all of a sudden.
Was she that mad at him? He could not remember a single thing to make her troubled. Well, except for wanting to have kids.
His expression hardened. “Tell me what I’ve done wrong? We were both happy these past few years until recently. I thought we had just a misunderstanding. I don’t understand why you despise the idea of having kids and build our own family. If it is because of your damn figure, then I find it bullshit!”
Brandy looked tranquil again and somehow regretful. Her mouth twitched into a half-smile, “You’ve done nothing. In fact, you are perfect for me. But this has to stop. Fate bound our relationship to end from the start.” Tears welled up in her eyes again, and she continued, “I’m sorry, Eleand. I hope you find your true happiness. Because now, I can’t give you that anymore. I love you, but love is not enough to save us. I will just ruin your life if you continue loving me. We can’t have a child—I don’t want to.”
He hardly gritted his teeth. Indeed, this time it was all over. Eleand found the courage to tilt his head up and forced himself to smile bitterly.
Brandy lowered her gaze, grabbed the handle of the traveling bag, and walked out of the house in silence. Eleand sharply exhaled when he heard the purr of an engine from the garage.
It hurts like hell! He wanted to throw everything he could touch, but he controlled himself. Because even if he threw a fit or even burned their entire house, he could not save his marriage. He was all alone now.
THREE missed calls appeared on Eleand’s phone screen, two from her brother Erone overseas and one from Elida. His phone was always in silent mode, and he was not checking it that much. He tried to make a return call to Elida when her doorbell rang, followed by loud knocks. Did Brandy come back because she forgot to bring something?His forehead furrowed before he got up from the couch and opened the door. His brow raised in surprise when he saw Elida standing there, trying to catch her breath as if there was something urgent.“Hey, why in a hurry?” he teased. His sister appeared wasted. Her long hair was disheveled.Elida gripped his right arm as if getting strength. He suddenly felt worried.“Pack your things, Eleand. We need to catch the flight going to the Philippines right now.” She walked past him and sat down on the couch.“What’s the matter?” he aske
THERE was nothing but darkness. The only thing in Eleand’s vision was an inky view. Maybe he died already. He remembered the impact crashing through his body when the truck slipped down the ravine. Who would survive such an accident? He couldn’t be alive.Eleand anticipated a grim reaper to look after him at this moment. He tried to debate with himself if he should fully open his eyes. If he had been honest, of course, he was not ready to die. But his time on earth was done, and he was powerless to contradict the law of nature. Death was inevitable anyway.After some serious internal struggle, he opened his eyes slowly. He somehow expected what was going to happen. And he was just not ready to see what a Grim Reaper appeared to be. But he would undoubtedly come with it.Everything will be fine now. Eleand calmed himself. His eyes adjusted to a dim light until he could thoroughly look around. The r
“WINZI, where have you been?” Ahldrin asked the newcomer. He sounded displeased.“There’s an Alundra on the loose. It needs to be captured or killed before it goes berserk,” said Winzi.“I can handle that,” Ahldrin volunteered, “Nahil, come with me.”Raven’s black wings materialized from Ahldrin’s back.It stunned Eleand. He could not even wince. Black and green light covered the two, and they vanished before his eyes.They are scaring me like hell! Eleand lost count of how much he cursed hard. He felt his throat drying because of fear. He even tried to joke on himself that he just watched a fantasy movie to alleviate his state of mind. But hell no, why those creatures had wings? What in the world was happening?He flinched when Winzi scrutinized him. She looked dead serious as she examined him as a whole.&ldq
ON THE other side of Mirasaen, Nahil quickly maneuvered to follow Ahldrin on air. Both of them chased the Alundra. She couldn’t help but smile while staring up at the serious face of his companion. Ahldrin was tracking the scent of the beast. It was not new since they considered him as the best tracker in Erganiv. He was also the General of the Land and Aerial Army of Noyuh. This fae was a skillful warrior, both on land and air.“Hurry!” Ahldrin shouted.“All right,” Nahil said softly.They magically created Erganiv over ten thousand years ago, using ancient spells that caused a continental drift. They established this domain intentionally to protect their peace from the threat posed by the neighboring realm; they separated the Erganiv from the continent of Alegerio. The royal faeries made this decision. And using creation magic, with the help of their deities, they built this place becau
AHLDRIN immediately bowed as soon as they arrived at the palace. The Lady was confidently sitting on her throne. She wore her green off-shoulder gown embroidered with gold. In her head lies her golden crown with medium-sized ruby in the middle. She was Aserah, the Lady of Noyuh. She possessed the highest position in the Golden Palace, the overall in charge of their domain.“We get rid of the Alundra,” he said after giving his respect.Aserah stood from the throne. “Good.”“It’s surprising to know why the beast escaped from a heavily warded prison.” Nahil dived into the conversation.Nahil was Aserah’s second-in-command, and he was the third. He couldn’t care less about the hierarchy of positions. He owed his life to Aserah since she welcomed him into her land.He originally came from Gwiazda. He was the youngest son of Lord Lavino, who governed the Do
ADJACENT to the other side of the table, Eleand nervously stood while internally struggling with what to do. A shiver ran to his spine when he met the gaze of the lady that seemed to possess the highest rank among everyone else in the room.She might be Aserah.There was something about her, something ancient. A goddess. He just couldn’t find the right words to describe her. Her golden hair was swirling in curls. The crown resting on her head suited her regal beauty. Her eyes were emerald green with a ring of gold!His throat dried as these legendary creatures surrounded him; their celestial beauties carved perfectly—curved and pointed ears, glowing skin, and their colorful bright eyes were impeccable. But no matter how perfect they may look, he knew they were equally deadly. One wrong move, then he might join his creator instantly.“T-Thank you for letting me stay,” he tried not to stutter when he heard Aser
“SLOW DOWN!” Elida was reaching for her seat belt.Eleand could vividly see the panic on his sister’s face. But he continued driving. Then there was a loud thud! He witnessed her unconscious body covered in blood. Tears fell from her eyes. She repeatedly called his name, then slowly closed her eyes and stopped breathing.“Elida!” he screamed.Thank heaven it was all a dream, but why it looked so real? His sister asked for help.Shit. Sweats lingered on his forehead. He got up and peeked into the window. It was nighttime. The stars shined in the sky, along with the full moon. He had slept well these past few hours.I need to find Elida. He went out of the room without hesitation. He was fortunate enough that nobody was around while he walked down the stairs. Maybe the faeries were all asleep.Eleand quietly walked over and look
THE following day, Eleand woke up early because Lifa was already busy cleaning around. He just saw her out from the bathroom with illuminating flowers at hand. Lifa paused when she witnessed him already awake.“I already prepared your bath. You need to look presentable because you will eat breakfast along with the Lady.”He got up and immediately went inside the bathroom. This palace never ceased to amaze him. He was startled to see the bathroom, spacious enough for its use. There was this pool-sized jacuzzi! He couldn’t care less what kind of magic was used here, but he needed to refresh himself to catch the breakfast with Aserah.Eleand swiftly moved as he could straight to the walk-in closet. He pondered for a moment about the proper clothes to wear. He chose the light blue tunic and black pants. He couldn’t help himself to smile to see various footwear in a row. He picked the black leather
AIROH deeply inhaled while staring behind Winzi. She was sobbing, and he let her mourn. They were the special room he prepared for Wallace inside the palace. Winzi stared at her brother lying inside the ice coffin. It took her some time to finally accept that Wallace was indeed sealed into that ice coffin. The king was not expecting that Harewyn would come back with Winzi a few days ago. The princess knew the bad news. She didn’t hesitate to go with Harewyn, even if it would be an act of treason against the Golden Palace. “Brother…” Her hands trembled while touching the thick ice covering her brother. Airoh pitied the Princess of Alsache. But she had to understand that her brother’s life wouldn’t be the only collateral once Esdras retaliated in full force. All of them lost a loved one, and he understood her misery. He raised his hand and gently tapped her shoulder. “I’m sorry for your loss….”
AIROH gasped for air. After he filled his lungs with oxygen, he shuddered because of pulsating sensation of power moving inside his body. He was submerged in a blinding light, and the force inside him was waiting to be unleashed.He screamed when his body trembled again. He levitated on the air, and the blinding light surrounding his body thickened in a circular motion. His body continued to quiver, and he knew his body underwent changes that he didn’t think he was capable of. He was shifting into his higher form!Airoh was never aware that he possessed this kind of ability. His raven black hair slowly turned platinum white, and it grew longer to his waist.He held his temple because he felt the pressure was too painful to bear. He was startled when he felt something in his head, a crown! A royal headband, a gold diadem with a sun emblem.His golden eyes were more vibrant than before, and he couldn’t fathom his raw
THE KING’S vision went blurry while trying to catch his breath. He witnessed his companions fall one by one. The chaos went still. Even the blazing giant targeted Zuaine’s winged warriors.Four among the eight High Sentinels were defeated. Their bloody bodies fell to the ground as well, regressing.Yerie… please let my companions live…and my queen… His eyes were dark with desolation as he tightly embraced Rieska. They were both lying on the surface. The Ebryaeans warriors surrounded them, fighting the enemies and holding the line.Sorath…give me enough power to fight. Airoh called for his deity again. He trusted his great ancestor that he wouldn’t let him down.But Sorath failed to help him this time. He didn’t feel his presence despite calling him many times. His heart was beating low. Then slower until his body felt numb.
“YOU’RE a fool, Airoh. Even if you find a way to snatch away your queen, she will not wake up unless she is freed under my power. You know my gift. I’m the only one who can wield the magic of unhealing.” Esdras proudly said. “Bring her back to me!” the king’s voice echoed. But it was toned down by the clashing weapons and magic around. Esdras laughed hysterically. He widely spread his arms, and suddenly they were all surrounded by the red smoke. “I’m tired of playing around. Any last words from you?” Esdras looked at each face of the king’s companions. Esdras was surprised when a blue and yellow light appeared coming from the sky. Zuaine just transformed into her other form. Her wings were like the Phoenix—blue, orange, and yellow. She let out a loud whistle in the air. Then a group of winged faeries suddenly came. Esdras shook his head. But he couldn’t hide his surprise when the stars in the sky moved. Ev
THERE was a complete disorder when Airoh released his black fire. Even Zenus did not hesitate to unleash his hellfire coming from his twin swords. Both of them were on Rieska’s side to get her and attempted to run, but they couldn’t make her move even an inch. The magic inside Rieska’s body was stronger than they expected.Furcas attacked them. He released his dark wind magic, which they quickly blocked. Airoh was not new to his sorcery. Any living being in contact with his dark air would suffer extreme torture from the mind.Shax and Lahash helped Furcas to attack them. But Airoh and Zenus dodged their magic aggression.On the other side, Esdras just stood like a spectator. He looked unbothered by what was happening.Everyone on Airoh’s team finally appeared from their hiding place. Some fought on the ground, and others, above, a few gathered around the queen.Although they were severely ou
EVERYONE strolled up at their fastest pace carefully. The higher the elevation, the way went harder, especially the temperature became hotter, and they could only use minimal magic to protect themselves without activating the runes. They couldn’t count the numbers of Shadows killed going up.When they reached the last part of the labyrinth a few kilometers away from the fortress, they had encountered stronger Shadows.The fight was risky. Two of the enemies almost escaped calling for reinforcements. But Zenus acted fast. His two swords had hit the necks of the Shadows then Airoh quickly burned their dead bodies to ash.They swiftly strolled up until they arrived at the foot of the two colossal watchtowers. The place was full of debris, large rocks, and other materials. Rieska had done these terrible damages. Airoh found himself smiling lightly. He knew his queen would never give up without a fight.In the
ALONG with Branigan and Enkille, the king went to Penrith—the town near the border of Cerrathien and Eriraseth. Two days of searching were done, and they couldn’t find a single trace where the queen was taken. There were no clues left in Cerrathien, the Capital City of Muhler seemed deserted.Airoh asked a handful of peasants during his search. They were in hiding, and their body trembled to see him, thinking he was an enemy. But found a ray of hope the moment he introduced himself. However, they didn’t know the whereabouts of the new Emperor. One thing was sure; the war had begun in Muhler when Esdras forcibly took the throne.Harewyn greeted them when they reached an abandoned building. “Thanks to Yerie, we are all safe!”Everyone around acknowledged the king. He checked his subordinates one by one. Thankfully, they all looked good. On the right side, Blythe’s team stood, still had snow traces on
MUHLER lived in tranquility in the past. The night here was spectacular, full of life. There were never-ending festivals in every corner in honor of their different deities. Faeries danced and laughed under the music. But now, the place seemed to weep. Esdras turned this part of the Empire into hell. Almost every corner blazed a fire, and the ashes scattered in the air.He remembered there was a thick forest nearby but gone now. All that was left were the barren land where trees and plants were dried. The small community near the Southern Gate looked like a ghost town. The residential dwellings were all abandoned and destroyed.They had seen other groups of warriors under the possession of the Kaluwahs. They were not considered faeries now, but demons. The price must be really high when Esdras sold himself to Luxus because the demon lord could only take over into the body and mind of a faerie if one bore extreme hatred. The reason why Luxus
THE KING gathered everyone in the war room, the special command center inside the palace. The various maps of Alegerio, Erganiv, and Muhler were set up, and the miniatures of warriors neatly placed on the map rested on the huge rectangular table. Each group of replicas represented their flag color. Even the aerial armies were visible on the map, floating few centimeters above. They looked real, holding their weapons, but only on a small scale.Everybody was seated beside the table, aside from Elida, which the king ordered to rest in her room. He knew she had a lot of questions in mind, but he couldn’t waste more time. The clock was ticking, and the more he slacked off, the queen’s life would be threatened in the hands of Esdras.Airoh calmed himself when his heart beat faster than usual. He couldn’t be impatient; one wrong move would lead everyone to a trap.The strategies were carefully formed. Zenus helped him expl