Zenith rubbed her tired eyes as she looked around the place.
She stood on the dimly lit corridor, her body leaning heavily against the wall.
Resisting the urge to yawn, she looked to her side.
A tall boy stood there, his long black hair tied while his golden eyes stared at the front.
"Depressed boy," Zenith called, her ember eyes staring at him. "Where is Himl?"
"I don't know," he replied, his gaze darting cautiously around the corridor. "Siersha just called here. Didn't say much."
"Sa," Zenith groaned, shifting her attention to Amaury, who paced up and down. "Could you stop that? You're making dizzy."
Amaury stopped abruptly, his expression tense. "I'm going to check on Heather."
"She'll be fine," Zenith replied, shrugging off his concern. "You're worrying too much."
"How could I not!" Amaury snapped, glaring at her. "She could be in danger—!"
"We'll check on her together," Aimar interrupted, his voice calm but firm. "Just wait for Siersha—"
"I'm here." A voice, cool and steady, echoed down the corridor.
All eyes turned toward Siersha, who strode toward them with Carson and Elise trailing behind.
"What's going on?" Amaury demanded, stepping forward. "And where's Heather?"
"Dark Trinity mbers have infiltrated the palace. Pasithea might be the target," she inford, looking at everyone. "Elijah and Himl have gone to check on her."
"What about Heather!" Amaury snapped, his voice rising.
"Her room is next to Pasithea's," Elise chid in, her green eyes glowing faintly in the dim light. "Elijah must've reached her by now—"
"I'll go after her—"
"Listen," Siersha interjected sharply. "We have a bigger problem."
"I spoke to Pasithea before she went to bed," Elise explained, looking at them. "She said she couldn't sleep and was going for a walk around the palace."
"Wait, that ans—"
"She isn't in her room," Siersha completed Aimar's words. "She is probably sowhere within the palace or, worst case—kidnapped."
"We need to find her," Zenith said, her sleep vanishing as a serious expression etched on her face.
"But how?" Aimar asked, looking at them. "We can't cover the entire palace—"
"We split," Zenith said, looking around the place. "Group of two. Siersha will be with ."
"Carson, you're with Amaury," Siersha directed, her tone brooking no argunt. "If you find Himl, tell him to... actually, never mind."
Carson nodded gently as he gazed at Amaury, who was already moving.
He sighed, trailing behind him.
"Hey, depressed boy," Zenith said, glancing at Aimar. "You stick with Elise."
"But—"
Ignoring his protest, Zenith turned on her heel and started walking, Siersha close behind.
...
...
...
Zenith and Siersha quietly walked through the silent corridor.
They remained cautious, scanning the place for any movent.
"So," Zenith began, her voice low, "did Himl co to your room first?"
"Yeah," Siersha affird, her voice low. "My room was closest."
"Is that all?" Zenith whispered softly. "Pretty sure my room's just as close."
Siersha stopped abruptly, her crimson eyes narrowing as they locked onto Zenith. "Are you implying sothing?"
"? Of course not," Zenith replied with a dismissive look on her face. "It's just weird... he seems to talk with more than you—"
"You are thinking too much, Zenny," Siersha cut into her words. "There is nothing between us."
"Right," Zenith mumbled, nodding as they resud their walk.
But her mind kept trailing back to a mory.
A blurry mory of a child who looked oddly similar to Himl.
And even 'that' girl looked like—.
"Oh God...."
Zenith's step abruptly halted as she tried to take in the scene in front of her.
She covered her mouth, nausea threatening to overwhelm her.
The corridor ahead was a massacre.
Ten bodies lay sprawled on the floor, each cleanly dismbered.
Blood, guts, and brain matter painted the walls and floor.
"How did this happen?" Zenith asked softly, turning to look at Siersha.
"I don't know," Siersha calmly replied.
"Didn't you co from this path?" Zenith pressed, clearly finding sothing amiss.
"It wasn't like this when I passed," Siersha said simply, continuing to walk.
Grumbling under her breath, Zenith followed, careful not to slip on the blood-slicked floor.
Zenith looked at Siersha suspiciously.
To her, sothing felt off about her.
"Zenny." Siersha's whisper snapped her out of her thoughts.
Zenith ducked behind a large vase, following Siersha's lead.
Siersha peeked her head out, looking at the four guards patrolling just ahead.
"Should we subdue them?" Zenith asked, looking at her.
"No." Siersha whispered, shaking her head. "We should save our mana."
"Do we have to?" Zenith asked, staring at her. "You aren't so weak to save...."
Her words trailed off as Siersha looked at her intimidatingly.
Zenith grumbled as she quieted down.
As the guards passed, the two crept forward, slipping through a side door into another section of the palace.
Zenith pushed the door open, only to freeze.
A guard stood directly in front of her.
"Shit."
Zenith whispered as she summoned her staff.
The guard reached for his sword, but Zenith was faster.
Without hesitation, Zenith moved her staff in the space, making a rune of 'earth' followed by a rune of 'barrier.'
They rged seamlessly, subrging into the ground.
The mont the guard raised his sword, a labyrinth of interlocking earth plates covered him.
Whichever direction the guard tried to move, the plates shifted to block that path.
"Help!"
The guard yelled, and Siersha quickly pushed Zenith back.
A swift punch to his throat silenced him as Siersha looked around.
"They are coming," she said, noticing the buzzing around the palace.
"Wait a minute," Zenith whispered softly as she moved away.
Siersha looked down at the guard struggling to breathe.
An urge to kill him and drink his blood surged through her mind, but she quickly suppressed it.
She sighed, rubbing her temples.
Her mind wandered back to Himl, and she unknowingly swallowed her saliva.
"You alright?" Zenith asked, making her turn to look at her.
"Y-yeah," she replied with a curt nod. "I just rembered sothing good."
Zenith nodded back as she grabbed her hand. "Let's go."
She brought her close to a window where a table was already placed.
Siersha frowned. "What are you doing?"
"We are going up," she said, playing with her staff.
Swiftly she made a rune of 'air' in the space that engraved itself on the table.
She then cast a rune of 'barrier' and a rune of 'Force.'
The table started floating in the air.
Zenith opened the window, pushing it out before jumping on it.
The table trembled but didn't fall.
"Co on," Zenith said, looking at Siersha. "It won't break."
Siersha drew in a deep breath as she jumped as well, landing on the table.
"Runes sure are amazing," Siersha mumbled at her.
"You haven't seen my mom use it," Zenith replied, her voice filled with pride. "Given enough ti, my mother can even trick death."
Siersha looked at her doubtfully, but Zenith wasn't in the mood to explain.
Sending more mana on the 'force' rune, Zenith made the table float higher.
Slowly they started to reach the rooftop of the palace.
But before they could, a white owl started to circle over their heads.
*******
'Where did she go?'
I groaned in frustration, stepping out of Pasithea's empty room.
This doesn't make sense.
Was she already kidnapped?
'Unlikely.'
If that were the case, there would've been signs—a struggle, sothing. She wouldn't have gone quietly.
'Then she is within the palace.'
"What should we do now?" Elijah asked, walking to stand beside .
"We split and search for her in different directions," I replied, ruffling my hair. "You and Heather should go back the way we ca."
"What about you?" Heather asked, looking at .
"I will look for her deeper in the palace," I replied. "Pasithea might still be sowhere nearby."
"Alright, good luck," Elijah said with a solemn nod before he and Heather took off.
I stayed rooted in place for a mont, my mind working overti.
'Where can she go?' I wondered, rubbing my chin.
Maybe she's with Mariam or the others?
No, that wouldn't make sense.
Elife didn't call her.
Then where?
'The garden?' I thought as I already started to move.
Things keep on getting worse.
First that random marriage offer, and now this.
[]
And it's a pain in the ass.
I don't want to beco a fucking political pawn for others.
Edwin is already enough pain, and I am already tolerating Siersha because she is giving life energy.
[]
'...'
Okay, maybe she isn't that bad.
I turned sharply, heading through an arched corridor, but then I stopped dead in my tracks.
The place—.
The air around felt different—heavy, tense, charged with mana.
Soone had been here recently.
I picked up my pace, thinking that I had found Pasithea.
The place started to beco oddly heavily guarded.
And it didn't take long to reach a corridor with a bright light.
A twisted scrap of steel was thrown to the side that looked like a door.
I slowly and cautiously started to walk toward the open locker?
'...'
My eyes squinted as I looked at the room filled with different precious-looking items.
At the center was a broken glass that may have had sothing stored in it.
I started to walk inside the treasure room until my gaze landed on the portrait at the far end.
My steps ca to a halt.
It was a family photo with a tall man with vibrant red hair and spiral-golden eyes sitting on a throne.
Beside him stood a woman with flowing green hair and a serene smile, holding a child in her arms.
I couldn't look away from the little girl in the portrait.
I recognized her imdiately.
...Iffa.
She was my spirit daughter.
*****
A soft humming voice echoed within the garden of the royal palace.
An ethereal girl sat alone on a stone bench, her eyes closed.
Her long, radiant red hair cascaded behind her while her golden eyes filled with spirals remained closed, a scar marring her captivating face.
Nyria always liked to be alone.
One of the few things that didn't trigger her OCD was complete darkness.
She, unlike many, found comfort in darkness that stopped her from becoming uncontrollable.
Not like it mattered to her.
She had already co to terms with her violent nature.
Her gentle humming ca to a halt.
A group of guards who were patrolling the palace slowly started walking toward her.
The place was dimly lit, so the guards had to co close to get a clear look.
Nyria slowly opened her golden eyes.
Her gaze calmly took in the twelve or so guards glaring at her.
"It's not the Princess," one of the guards said, his voice tense. "Let's go."
"Mind explaining to what's happening?" Nyria asked, calmly standing up.
One of the guards stepped forward, his expression hard. "Princess Pasithea has gone missing. We're searching for her."
"Is that so?" Nyria's eyes narrowed as she studied them.
Their stances were too uneven, their postures wrong.
"Yes," the leader replied. "Now, if you'll excuse—"
"Who's behind this?" she interrupted coldly.
"Look, we don't have ti—"
His words ended in a wet, grotesque sound as his head split cleanly in two, his body crumpling to the ground.
The remaining guards froze in horror.
Nyria sighed, brushing a strand of red hair behind her ear. "I hate uneven numbers. Now I'll have to kill another to make it even."
The other guards quickly took out their weapons.
In one swift mont, Nyria's hair turned from vibrant red to golden.
The spirals in her eyes now gone, replaced with bright gold.
Marks started to erge on her body as she stepped forward.
Crack!
With every step Nyria took, a symtrical world started to appear around the place.
It was as though reality itself was breaking—a mirrored realm forming, each shard reflecting the terrified faces of her prey.
Nyria slashed at the reflection of a guard within the fragnted world.
The guard in reality let out a scream as his arm fell limp, severed from his body.
Nyria smiled, her cold voice echoing.
"This is going to be fun."
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