[Kallistar, Akasha.]
It had been so long since I had visited this place.
It had been so long since I was in Akasha.
Now, as I stood outside the teleportation building, I couldn't help but take a deep breath.
'…It feels like ho.'
I thought to myself, looking around the place that weirdly felt nostalgic.
And the more I stood under the sky, the more obvious the change in mana beca.
"Where shall we go frist my Lord?"
I turned my gaze to my side where Arawn stood along with .
I hadn't brought anyone with this ti except Arawn.
'…Both Aimar and Elijah need soti to settle their minds.'
"Imladris." I mumbled softly. "That's where the eting will be held."
Well, that was what I thought should happen.
Taking in a deep breath, I let mana slowly lift up in the air.
I heard gasps from those walking around but I paid them no mind.
Turning my body, I shifted it towards the golden tree.
Arawn followed my lead, waiting for to guide him.
My body moved at an extrely high speed as the tree grew bigger.
---
It took only a few minutes to reach the place without any problem.
'I rember it took us two hours with a car.'
My body slowed down as I reached the gate of the empty city.
As soon as my feet touched the ground, I felt Mariam's gaze on .
'…Hmm, it would have been difficult to do this before.'
Arawn seed to notice that as well, huh?
A faint breeze passed through the empty streets.
The city of Imladris looked the sa at first glance.
Clean roads, tall pale buildings, the golden glow of Nuaria in the distance.
The aftermath of the battle of Red Crown still lingered in this place.
I stepped forward through the open gates, walking towards the castle.
But as I walked I couldn't help but notice the patches marking Nuaria.
The tree looked much older and drier than the last ti I saw it.
And unlike normal beings, I could see the flow of mana.
Mana that was being lowered and diverted.
'I should have stopped closer.'
It took a while before I entered the castle.
But instead of walking through the main door, I moved towards the garden.
To be more specific, I walked towards the statue of the first head. It was still the sa since I last saw it.
I lowered my gaze as I looked at the words written on it.
Buinal Train Sgaeyl.
1056 F.H.W-II — 0018 S.H.W-II.
So much had changed since I last saw the statue.
Then, my gaze lowered to his last words. "The way to True Godhood is Akasha."
"A strange last words for soone who was peak demigod." A soft voice echoed from behind. "Don't you think?"
I slowly turned around to look at Mariam walking towards .
Her gaze shifted towards Arawn and she didn't hide her surprise.
"You are…?" She asked, glancing at .
I walked in front of Arawn. "Soone I know."
Mariam's gaze lingered on him before she shifted her gaze to .
Slowly she walked towards with a soft smile. "It's been a while."
I looked into her eyes. "…Yeah, it really has been a while."
For a mont, neither of us spoke.
Mariam stopped an arm's length away.
"You look different," she said.
"So do you," I replied. "You don't seem to look at like a monster you need to control."
Mariam's smile faded just a little.
"I never thought of you as a monster," she said quietly. "I just…wanted to make sure you don't turned out like 'him'"
She raised her trembling hand and gently touched my head like I was her child.
"I'm glad I did that."
I didn't move when her hand rested on my head.
"Call when you need, my lord." Arawn said, before he vanished from the place.
I also stepped back, away from her grasp.
Mariam didn't mind, her gaze was on the place where Arawn stood before.
"That's really odd." She said softly. "He seems to soone with no mana but he is strong, right?"
"He is stronger than you." I replied, walking past her. "Now, do you mind telling what is actually going on."
"It started few months ago," she said. "First, the mana density dropped slightly. At first I thought it wasn't much but as ti passed it kept getting worse."
I didn't interrupt.
"After that," she continued, "there were more frequent earthquakes and other weird things began to happen."
"Like what?" I asked, glancing at her.
"Madness." She replied, her voice soft but concerned. "In just last month almost hundreds of residents have gone mad."
"Anything common in them?"
"No." She shook her head. "They were all at random tis in random places."
I slowed my steps.
"Describe the madness."
Mariam folded her arms, thinking carefully.
"They hear whispers," she said. "Not voices they recognize but sothing calling from very far away."
My expression didn't change.
"Then they begin acting strange. So of them dig at the ground with their bare hands until their fingers break."
So it wasn't just mana loss, it was sothing that was influencing others.
Like ntal corruption spreading through the mana network.
"Anyone important affected?" I asked.
She hesitated.
"…Two minor family heirs. One senior mage from the research tower." she paused "and three children."
My jaw tightened slightly.
Children were the most sensitive to mana fluctuations.
Of course, they were affected by it first.
'In any disaster, children and woman are the first to targeted and lose their life.'
I rubbed the back of my neck as I examined the situation.
Given my current condition, I didn't really want to get involved in this.
But my intuition was telling sothing definitely wasn't right here.
If I left now, then maybe I would be digging my own grave in the long run.
Rubbing my temples, I looked back at the demigod. "Are the other family heads arriving to discuss about it?"
"Yeah." She replied. "They should be her anyti soon."
I nodded my head as I thought of the things that I needed to do.
'First, I need to warn Drake about Amaury's plan.'
'Then I also need to—.'
Hmm?
I turned my head as I felt the presence of a demigod rushing towards the mansion.
A presence that was so familiar that it made my blood boil.
'…Edel.'
"I will deal with him." Mariam said, moving away. "In the an ti you should et with her."
I let out a sigh as I was left alone within the garden.
Well, not quite alone. I put my hands in my pocket as I turned around.
From the other side a young woman walked towards .
She had the presence of an empress around her.
Her eyes were now cold and calculating, nothing like the innocence that I once rembered.
Golden hair tainted with green moved gracefully with her every step.
Pasithea stopped right in front of .
With a small bow she said. "It's nice to see you again."
"A queen bowing to others doesn't look good." I replied, looking at her. "Don't do that again."
"My kingdom and my people wouldn't have been alive if not for you." She replied, straightening her back. "I would bow in front of you as long as I live."
I clicked my tongue in annoyance. "You have gotten sharper."
The elf gave a faint smile.
"I had to," she said. "In my life of work, softness ans death."
Her eyes studied carefully.
"You ca for lady Mariam, didn't you?"
"And why did you co?" I asked, walking away. "The matters of Akasha had nothing to do with you."
"Lady Mariam called as well." She replied, matching my steps. "To talk about the migration of elven people."
"Migration?" I asked, tilting my head.
"….After the massacre of Gerald family, the population of elves had gone down significantly in Akasha."
She replied, a bitter smile on her face.
"Due to this, a lot of beings from other races were harassing them."
Would you look at that?
The oppressers had beco oppressed.
I glanced at her. "A dose of their own dicine."
Pasithea didn't argue.
"That's why we want to move them," she said. "Akasha might actually not have any Elves in the future."
"…I see."
I mumbled, glancing back at the golden tree that glowed softly.
Pasithea grew silent and so did I as we walked without speaking.
"I have gotten a lot of marriage request lately." She said, suddenly. "Especially from the heirs of Kandam Continent."
I gave her a sideways look.
"And you're telling because…?"
"Because politics," she said calmly.
"Marriage is the easiest way to secure protection right now."
"And the worst way to lose freedom," I replied.
She didn't deny it.
"My people are scared," Pasithea said. "I just wish there was soone there with even if it was in na."
"That's normal," I said. "And rember power gaps always attract predators."
She stopped walking for a mont.
"Should I refuse them?" she asked quietly.
"Yes."
The answer ca without thought.
She studied my face, searching for hesitation.
"You say that because you don't have to carry a dying race on your shoulders."
I didn't look away.
"And you think tying yourself to so prince will save them?"
"It might delay things."
"Delay isn't survival," I said. "It's just slower collapse."
She just smiled, nodding her head in response.
"I just wish I was strong enough…." She mumbled. ".…To not have to sacrifice my freedom."
"....."
She was carrying a lot on her shoulders.
After her family's death she had grown up a lot.
We walked a few more steps in silence.
After a while I said. "Submission doesn't make you stronger."
She exhaled, a faint, bitter laugh leaving her lips.
"You sound like soone who never had to kneel."
I looked at her.
"I've knelt," I said. "That's why I don't recomnd it."
That made her pause, and she was smart enough to not ask more.
"By the way." She said, in an attempt to change the topic. "Have you heard about the marriage alliance between Uzu and Asura?"
"Who is marrying?" I asked, not really interested. "Lysander?"
"No." She shook her head. "It's lady Epione and Heir Zavien."
I stopped in my tracks.
"What?"
***
[A/n :- Read Author's thoughts]
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