Julius's POV
I wandered through the town streets with no particular hurry, letting my steps follow the natural rhythm of the crowd. The place was lively in that quiet, everyday sort of way that made everything feel almost peaceful. Vendors shouted about fresh bread, a few kids ran past chasing each other, and rchants haggled loudly over prices like their lives depended on it. If soone looked closely, they might even call the scene comforting.
It was strange.
Because beneath all that normalcy, everything was slowly collapsing.
The people here didn't seem to notice it though. Or maybe they noticed but simply chose not to think about it. Most of them were laughing, chatting, or complaining about ordinary things like food prices or lazy workers. No one was looking over their shoulders. No one seed worried about the future.
To them, the world was still stable.
To them, tomorrow would co just like yesterday.
"People rarely worry about sothing unless they are directly involved in the conflict," Moriarty said calmly beside .
He walked with the relaxed posture of soone who belonged here. His clothes were simple, plain, the kind you could buy in any market stall. Nothing flashy. Nothing suspicious. Just ordinary fabric stitched into an ordinary outfit.
I wore sothing similar.
It was honestly impressive how effective the disguise was. Not a single person gave a second look. I passed by soldiers, rchants, and even a few nobles without anyone realizing who I was.
The Prince walking among them.
"Most people prefer to pretend everything is fine," Moriarty continued, glancing casually at a nearby stall selling roasted at. "They convince themselves that life is normal. That nothing bad is happening."
He gave a small shrug.
"I can't really bla them. Humans are like that. They hold on to routine because routine makes them feel safe. Even when the ground beneath their feet is slowly cracking apart."
A cart rolled past us, its wheels creaking loudly against the stone road.
Moriarty watched it go before speaking again.
"The truly dangerous part," he said, lowering his voice slightly, "is when people stay ignorant about things they should actually know. When the truth finally hits them, it doesn't co gently."
He tapped his finger lightly against his temple.
"It cos like an earthquake."
He gestured toward the crowd around us.
"And they will be the first ones crushed by it."
I looked around at the sa people he was talking about. A group of workers laughing loudly. A mother holding her child's hand. A couple arguing over sothing petty.
"Well, these people are partly to bla for their ignorance," I said.
My voice was calm, but there was no sympathy in it.
"But the bigger problem lies with the people sitting on the throne. Their ignorance is what's dragging everyone toward disaster."
We passed a fountain where a few travelers were resting.
"The Queen hasn't done anything to solve the situation," I continued. "And every day she delays, the situation only gets worse."
I let out a quiet breath.
"How can soone like that call herself a ruler? My mother isn't fit to lead this kingdom."
The words ca out colder than I expected.
But I didn't take them back.
"Honestly," I added, my lips tightening slightly, "none of the won in this family are."
Moriarty turned his head toward . For a mont he simply stared, as if examining my face for sothing hidden.
Then he smiled.
A slow, knowing smile.
"That's exactly right," he said.
His tone carried that familiar confidence, the kind that always made it sound like he had already solved the puzzle while everyone else was still searching for the pieces.
"You are the one who deserves to rule."
He looked ahead again, watching the crowd move through the streets.
"And once your sister is removed from the picture, your victory will be guaranteed."
His voice dropped slightly.
"After that, Prince Julius, the entire kingdom will be yours."
He paused briefly.
"And with it, everything you desire."
I clicked my tongue quietly.
"You really enjoy repeating that part, don't you?"
He chuckled softly.
"Well, motivation is important."
"You don't need to remind ," I replied. "That outco is already decided. There's no one else capable of ruling besides ."
The idea felt obvious.
Natural, even.
"I see," Moriarty said.
He tilted his head slightly, like soone who had just rembered sothing interesting.
"So tell . Have you thought about what I ntioned before?"
"You an the part where you said it's my only chance of beating him?" I asked.
Even saying the words out loud irritated .
It felt like swallowing sothing bitter.
The idea that I couldn't defeat him on my own was… unpleasant.
But the worst part was knowing Moriarty probably wasn't lying.
I wasn't the kind of person who trusted easily. Not anymore.
Charlotte made sure of that.
The mory of her betrayal still lingered sowhere in the back of my mind like a scar that never quite healed. She shattered everything back then.
And yet…
Sohow Moriarty had managed to slip past all of that.
It was strange.
It felt like he had slowly worked his way into my thoughts without even noticing. Like so persistent infection that kept spreading no matter how much you tried to ignore it.
Honestly, it was irritating.
I hated the feeling.
But at the sa ti, I couldn't deny sothing important.
Without him, I wouldn't even have this opportunity.
Without him, revenge would still be nothing more than a fantasy.
"If that's really the only path forward," I said after a mont, "then I'm fine with it."
Moriarty nodded approvingly.
"Good."
His voice carried a hint of satisfaction.
"It's always refreshing to see soone fully commit to their decision."
***
Not long after that, we arrived at the base we were currently using.
The entrance itself was hidden beneath an abandoned structure on the outskirts of town. Nothing about the building stood out. If anything, it looked like the sort of place people avoided because it seed boring.
Which made it perfect.
After passing through the concealed entrance and descending the stone steps, we eventually reached the underground chamber.
The space was enormous.
The air slled faintly of dust and sothing older.
Torches burned along the walls, casting flickering light across the chamber floor.
And right at the center of it all was the thing that imdiately caught my attention.
A massive magic circle.
It stretched across the stone floor like so ancient symbol carved into the earth itself. Layers of complex markings spiraled outward from the center, glowing faintly with a dull crimson light.
I stared at it for a mont.
"What exactly is this?"
"This," a voice answered calmly, "is where the ritual will take place."
Gaspard stood near the edge of the circle, holding an old book that looked like it had survived several centuries of bad weather and questionable storage decisions.
He flipped through a few pages before glancing up.
His eyes shifted toward Moriarty.
"Actually," he said, "there's sothing I'd like you to explain."
His tone was calm, but there was clear annoyance beneath it.
"Why does the Prince have to be the one performing this ritual?"
He closed the book with a soft thud.
"If we're discussing power and experience, then between the two of us, it would obviously be more beneficial if I were the one receiving it."
Moriarty didn't look offended.
If anything, he seed amused.
"There is a very important reason for that," he replied.
He stepped forward slightly, clasping his hands behind his back.
"This ritual isn't sothing we can hand out based on preference. The candidate must et certain conditions."
His gaze slowly shifted toward .
"Specifically, they must be soone who has already been touched by the power of the Great Ones."
The torchlight flickered across the magic circle as he spoke.
"And Prince Julius here has already received a blessing similar to the power of the Great Red."
He gave a small nod.
"That alone makes him the most suitable candidate."
Gaspard frowned slightly.
Moriarty continued speaking before he could interrupt.
"More importantly, you lack the necessary compatibility."
His tone remained polite.
But the words themselves were ruthless.
"Yes, you managed to create a form of partial immortality," Moriarty said. "Which is impressive in its own way."
He paused briefly.
"But unfortunately, it is flawed."
Gaspard's expression darkened.
"You are no longer young enough to withstand the power of a Great One," Moriarty continued calmly. "If you attempted this ritual, your body would collapse almost imdiately."
He raised one finger.
"First, your internal organs would begin failing."
Then another.
"Then the magical energy would tear your body apart from the inside."
His voice remained completely casual.
"And after that… well."
He gave a small shrug.
"You would die."
He looked at Gaspard with a polite smile.
"And from what I understand, it would be quite a painful death."
The chamber fell quiet for a mont.
Then Moriarty turned back toward .
The torchlight reflected in his eyes.
"Which is why," he said slowly, "the Prince who carries the power of fire…"
His smile widened slightly.
"…is the perfect vessel to inherit the power of the Great Red."
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