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.
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
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….”
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
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
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