2024-03-10 23:24:25
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Dead Soul Exorcist 68 | Nyxshade's Manor
One year ago."Kieran, where are you going? We should be going together to Remirer!" Kieran's mother's gentle voice, for the first time, echoed through the beautiful corridors of their home."I don't want to go to the palace," Kieran hoisted his heavy backpack. "Besides, I want to go to Grandpa and Grandma's place. I deserve to enjoy the holiday the way I want."His mother stared at him with wary black eyes. "Something happened at school, didn't it?" she accused. "Something between you and Dravon, isn't it?!""NOTHING HAPPENED!" Kieran shouted. He didn't mean to shout, and as he saw the hurt look in his mother's eyes, Kieran immediately set down his backpack and reached out to touch her face. "I'm sorry, Ma. Nothing happened between me and Dravon. I just... I just want to go somewhere peaceful."Suddenly, his mother pulled Kieran into a hug and stroked his hair. "Since when hasn't this house felt peaceful to you, my dear?" his mother whispered, shaken. Kieran could feel his mother's t
Dead Soul Exorcist 69 | The Queen's Offer
A few days ago,In the Queen's Palace, Frostwyn North, in the realm of Varidianth.It was Elios Silverlake's first visit to the Queen's Palace in the northernmost region of Varidianth. Just a year ago, before the tragedy of Umbravale unfolded, Queen Varidianth still resided in her palace in Remirer. A classic-style palace with numerous towers and surrounded by high walls, earning it the name Ruby Citadel. It was within these walls that Seraphina and Dravon spent their childhood.However, since the tragedy in Umbravale, Queen Varidianth decided to relocate part of her government to Frostwyn, the furthest region from the Kingdom of Valorthorn. Not only in Frostwyn, but specifically in the 'north' part of Frostwyn, which consisted of icy mountains. Thus, the palace was built right at the foot of the mountain, in a position seemingly impervious to attacks from the Kingdom of Zyronox and other realms. However, according to Elios, such a position only made it easier to be cornered."Her Maj
Dead Soul Exorcist 70 | The Cold Prison
A few days earlier, in Frostwyn.In his life of not yet twenty years, Will had never set foot in a prison. But the prison in Frostwyn was the coldest he knew. With floors and walls frozen, the air was so dry it was difficult to breathe. From distances that felt too close, Will could hear someone's groans and the sound of their breath. But he couldn't see anything except the dim lights far away.Will tightened his formal cloak, trying hard to maintain his expression as Dravon turned towards him. Whatever he felt at the moment, all the fear and discomfort he felt now, Will wouldn't show it. Because he knew Dravon was more hurt by being in this place.Nevertheless, Will's poker face wouldn't deceive anyone. Without a word, Dravon took off his torn cloak and draped it over Will's shoulder."Sorry," Dravon finally said. "For putting you in this position.""Well," Will shrugged on Dravon's formal cloak onto his back, grateful that at least the cloak was warm enough for him. "Given how dire
Dead Soul Exorcist 71 | Grass
One day earlier, in Frostwyn.The dark sky outside his spacious room window revealed streaks of green aurora, resembling a veil from heaven.Elios gazed at the sky for a while before letting out a long sigh. He promptly shrugged off his thick coat, leaving him in a thick black sweater.The room heater had just been turned on, so the temperature in the room was still too cold. But within a minute, it would soon warm up. That's why Elios opened his wardrobe, intending to grab a comfortable T-shirt to wear. It was then he found a piece of paper on top of his neatly stacked clothes. Written in rough and messy handwriting, all in capital letters."TONIGHT, I WILL ALSO SLEEP IN THE SERVANTS' DORMITORY, YOUR GRASS. YOU CAN CALL ME BY PRESSING THE BELL BUTTON ON THE NIGHTSTAND. REGARDS, LANA."Elios chuckled at the possibility of misunderstanding the affectionate letter. But only for a moment. Because the next second, he remembered Lana's gaze on him in the Council Chamber.After twenty-nine
Dead Soul Exorcist 72 | First Duty as Duke
The room Fey referred to as Kieran's turned out to be a large chamber once occupied by his parents. With a heavy heart, Kieran walked down the corridor, inevitably reminiscing about how he used to pass through this place as a child, awake in the middle of the night due to bad dreams.Standing in front of the grand wooden door, Kieran clenched his fists. He used to knock on this door and call out to both his parents. "Pa... Ma..." Two words that would never feel the same unless he said them to summon both of his parents.After steeling his resolve, Kieran pushed the door open. A strange scent of blueberries immediately greeted him, accompanied by the dim light from the bedside lamp on the nightstand. The room was spacious, with three walls lined with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves. On one side, devoid of bookshelves, lay a large, freshly made bed adorned with satin drapes.Approaching the nightstand, Kieran switched on the lamp atop it, casting a bit more light into the roo
Dead Soul Exorcist 73 | Savoring Adversity
Rain cascaded heavily in the skies of Valorus. The temperature plummeted outside, causing the windows to be veiled with a thin layer of mist. Yet, Dravon remained fixated on the droplets clinging to the glass before trickling down. It seemed easier than absorbing the stifling atmosphere pervading the room.His foster father, the King of Valorthorn, sat slouched on his throne, weary, observing the experts elucidate the events that had unfolded. Meanwhile, his foster brother, the Crown Prince, simply savored his wine, lost in thought."In short, Your Majesty, although both patterns drawn in Rainvale failed, they will remain active if His Highness completes the next two magic patterns," said one of the pattern magic experts, quoting from a book even children could read. Dravon struggled to stifle a yawn."Two patterns," the King reiterated after yawning. "But shouldn't there only be one magic pattern allowed to be drawn in a year?"Another expert interjected greedily. "Absolutely correct
Dead Soul Exorcist 74 | Star Hill
Gently grasping the mane of his large, white steed, Dravon relished the raindrops trickling down his face. As they journeyed down the quiet roads towards the distant hill, Dravon lost track of time spent on horseback. Perhaps around three hours. Yet, he felt no weariness. For it was the first time he had ridden in a year.Though Dravon's current mount was but a large white horse rumored to be frail and short-lived, he held a deep affection for the creature. He even bestowed upon it the name Hope, aligning it with Will's name, though Will need not know. Silently resolving to ride alone more often to foster a closer bond with Hope, as he had grown too accustomed to traveling by carriage.For what seemed like an eternity, Dravon finally caught sight of Star Hill. The hill earned its name for its round, modest size, crowned with garden lights and fairy lights adorning its trees. One of the grand estates, a source of pride for the Zephyr family, the oldest and most respected lineage in Val
Dead Soul Exorcist 75 | Josie's Decision
After two days staying at Manor Nyxshade, Kieran appeared at the breakfast table the next morning looking disheveled. His hair was tousled, with dark circles under his eyes. A foul smell emanated from his unwashed body since yesterday."Oh my, are you alright?" exclaimed a startled Julian. Meanwhile, Serena looked equally weary beside him, absentmindedly tracing her fingers over the soft ham sandwich."I'm alright, Jules," Kieran replied. The next moment, he coughed. However, Kieran simply sat in his chair, at the end of the table. As he passed, he gently stroked Lunabelle's head, who was quietly finishing her sandwich."I feel utterly drained realizing I'll end up like you in the future," Serena muttered wearily. "Imagining I'll become exactly like my father—ugh!""You're all too soft," Seraphina commented sharply. Serena glared at the woman, but Seraphina simply ate her sandwich calmly, using utensils. Yet, Seraphina was right. This morning she was even neat and fragrant in a beauti
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138 | Endings That Become Beginnings
"I decided to trust you, Dravon," Kieran replied. "But you betrayed my trust in you. Over and over again." He maintained his smile, as the tip of his sword was still in Dravon's grasp. He pushed his sword harder, but Dravon's defences were as hard as granite. The prince began to fight back, until the blade of Kieran's sword slipped out and pierced the bed. The Valorthorn prince immediately jumped out of bed. His diamond-hilted sword formed in his hand from millions of pieces of magic light. "Read my mind, Kieran," Dravon growled, almost pleading. "So that you may know what truly happened." Kieran's gaze dimmed. "I don't want to know," he refused. The next instant all the glass in the place shattered and struck Dravon. The Crown Prince immediately ducked, creating a protective wall of magic around his body. Dravon gritted his teeth as he got back to his feet. "Alright if that's what you want, we fight," he said. The man immediately swung his magic sword at Kieran. Both their swo
137 | Blinded by Vengeance
Kieran was woken up by a jolt on his shoulder. He opened his eyes, instantly overcome by a feeling of nausea. But when he realised that it was Julian who woke him up, he was shocked to death. Because Julian's clothes were soiled with blood and sweat. In his hand was a sword, which Kieran realised he had borrowed from a palace knight. Around them was only chaos. "I think they mixed something into my drink," Kieran said. "A lot of something and—" "That's not important," Julian interrupted. "Everly betrayed us. But somehow she didn't give me enough sleeping pills. So I woke up early, and saw a lot of dead souls out there. A lot of them. The phone rang, and I called Serena's father. It was just as bad there. There's a plague of dead souls that's attacking our entire kingdom." Each sentence pierced Kieran like a sword. He quickly got up from his chair and for a moment desperately fought off the dizziness and nausea. Even so, he immediately searched for Elios Silverlake's whereabouts, an
136 | The Fall of Chessboard
"It's weird seeing four revenants in one room," was the first thing the King of Varidianth, Elios Silverlake, said as they were all ushered into the Throne Room."Yeah, maybe not as weird as all of us seeing you suddenly become King, Elios," Jace replied kindly from the corner of the room. But everyone ignored him, especially Morana."We may look like immortal, rebellious seventeen-year-olds, but I hope you know that recently the number of revenants has increased due to the rise of The Malevolent Sorcerer-King. I hope it's not you," Morana said calmly.Elios immediately stood up from his throne chair, as if he was uncomfortable sitting there. The man approached all the prisoners, with a sad smile. "You don't look like a seventeen-year-old to me at all," Elios said. "But the fact that you're here, away from Zyronox, I think proves that you're in good hands. For a long time, Princess Morana."Morana gritted her teeth. "Don't think you know me just because you know my name," she exclaime
135 | Indecisive between Two Sides
In her entire life, Everly had never heard of the Black Tower. But from the bones scattered in the corner of the room, it was most likely the same place as the Red Tower in the northern area of Valorthorn that was reserved for the exile of traitors. The difference, though, was that there were no alogojos and torture devices waiting here. There was only darkness and emptiness, which was actually another form of torture."So..." Everly tried not to glance over as her cousin, Oliver, inched closer while rubbing his hands together. "How have you been?"After the past six months of being exiled by their extended family simply because of the curse in her blood, the words 'How have you been?' really felt ambiguous. Nonetheless, Everly shrugged. "As you can see, Odd," she muttered. "I'm confined here with you on traitorous charges. And since that's the way it is, I try not to protest."Oliver laughed awkwardly, as if he thought she was trying to be funny. But she wasn't. There was nothing fun
134 | Fixing the Past
Dravon was right, that Kieran did not need mind-reading magic to know what had just happened. He could feel the coldness of William Zephyr's gaze on him, penetrating his skin. He could feel the emptiness that Dravon hid behind his casual demeanour. But it was the fact that Dravon came straight to him after his fight with William that bothered Kieran. It made him, inevitably, remember the past between the two of them in Umbravale."You think," Dravon muttered as he leaned against the magic wall. He casually removed his court robes and placed them on his lap. Kieran had never noticed it before. How graceful Dravon was. How he was more fit to be a prince than a king's son really was. How friendly and kind he was to his peers and the people who worked for him. "What will become of us. I mean, what fate awaits you and me."Kieran huffed. It was more because he felt cold than because he wanted to be cool. Dravon's magic fire was right behind his back but he couldn't feel
133 | End Everything
The two of them climbed more and more stairs, until they were on a fairly high floor in the Black Tower. The higher they got, the cleaner the rooms became. It was as if no one had dared to climb these stairs before.Until finally Will stopped at the highest floor, as the only room that had furniture in it. A canopied bed, a sofa set, a dresser and a closet.Dravon was not at all surprised, he simply lit a fire in the two lanterns that lay on top of the pair of nightstands in the bedroom, and sat down on his dusty, fragile bed. A centipede poked out of the hem of his blanket, but Dravon deliberately ignored it."So," Dravon asked cheerfully. "What did you want to talk to me about, Will?"Will moved closer to him. All his cool demeanour slowly crumbled, replaced with a fragility underneath. "We lost badly," he muttered. "But it's not too late. I know atop this tower we can still paint the final magic pattern. Or we can go home to Valorthorn, and def
132 | Black Tower
When the cloth covering their eyes was finally opened, only darkness and cold greeted them. A building, which Julian finally realized was the Black Tower. Although it seemed like this place wasn't as scary as Lord Swiftwind had told him about. Or perhaps, the wizards around him made Julian feel that way.After the presence of the knights enclosing them had long since faded, Dravon snapped his fingers, summoning blue magic flames that danced around them all, burning what Julian realized too late to be bones. The bones of those who were once trapped in this place."We are only three hours away from the palace," said William. His pale and handsome face looked beautiful against the blue firelight."Maybe only an hour," Dravon muttered as he looked at every burnt bone. Not at all bothered by the heat. So like it or not, Julian thinks about Jace. That those who have fire elemental magic cannot burn. "They deliberately chose a circuitous path to confuse us.""Now what do we want to do?" Oliv
131 | True Love
Arlo finds Lunabelle in her room. His foster sister was sitting on the bed, while Lana combed her hair. From Lana's chuckle and Lunabelle's annoyed voice, Arlo realized that his sister was discussing romantic matters with Lana. Also complaining about Arlo. Because they both remained silent when Arlo entered the room."Well," said Arlo cheerfully as he sat on the sofa with his legs propped up on one of the arms. "It seems like you two are doing fine while Varidianth is getting destroyed overtime."Lunabelle's pink eyebrows rose. "What's going on with Varidianth? The plague of dead souls?""Yeah, almost actually," Arlo answered. "But what I want to say is, Seraphina died." Lunabelle froze in shock. And Arlo proceeded cautiously."Seraphina was killed by Prince Vikrant. After that, we were forced to appoint Elios as king. So that's it. You are officially a royal princess again," he explained. Then added grimly. "Yet Elios sentenced Dravon and his fri
130 | Make Peace and Forgive
Previously, the Black Tower was just a bedtime story for Kieran. Different from prison, this place was used to lock up nobles who betrayed the kingdom. The location is unknown, and the place is very dark without the slightest source of light. It is said that every prisoner locked up there would rather die than stay there for the rest of their lives.Now, Kieran knew that it wasn't just a fairy tale.His eyes were covered by a black cloth while his hands were tied by another cloth. He, Julian, Serena, as well as Dravon, Oliver, William, Everly, and their servant whose name Kieran didn't know, were forced to sit in a horse-drawn carriage whose cabin was quite long. During the uncomfortable journey because the carriage kept shaking due to rocks or roots, they could hear the galloping of the horses of the knights accompanying them."It's really sad that now you and I are on the same train, heading to the Black Tower, Kieran," Dravon said sarcastically. Only the two of them understood how
