Flashback
A ten-year-old Zerath's face slammed against the ground - and by this point, he had long lost the count of how many times his master made him eat dirt. His face was a muddy mess, red with bruises.
"You're so slow," came a nonchalant and bored voice.
Zerath gritted his teeth. "Easy for you to say when you're hiding in the fog."
"Hiding? I can't see you any better than you can see me."
"Then how are your hits landing so perfectly?"
"Why should I spoonfeed you everything? Figure it out by yourself. Let your brain have some exercise."
His gaze darkened, but he refused to yield. If the fog affected their visibility the same way, then there was something else he was failing to do.
Okay, maybe I should stop rushing headlong like a maniac.
There was always something to be done. It only mattered how one used the resources available to them in that moment. He stood still, breathless and fighting down the panic of running blind.
It's hard to see, but the fog doesn't affect my hearing. My skin can still feel the air around me. If I just concentrate hard enough-
A twig cracked somewhere behind him, and he lunged towards it. To his horror, he found himself holding a slithering snake.
"Ah!"
He threw it away as fast as he had grabbed it, earning an unforgiving hiss. Baring its fangs, it slithered towards him to make him its sumptuous meal.
Zerath bolted at once but got knocked off his balance when his foot caught on a tree's root. The snake lunged. He reached for his dagger - only to find it missing. His eyes widened, and he swept the ground frantically.
Did it fall off somewhere? Damn it!
The snake's mouth opened wide in full glory to devour him. Frozen, Zerath squeezed his eyes shut.
But then a dark shrouded figure dropped from high above. Before the snake could react, its neck was already trapped in a vicious grip, while the other hand seized its slithering body.
Zerath's eyes opened ever-so-slowly. Witnessing the ease and finesse with which his master controlled the snake, his jaw dropped. Through the fog, his golden eyes met her deep blue one, emanating a killing chill.
"That dagger is useless if you cannot keep it at your side when it matters the most."
"It fell when I-"
"The reasons won't matter once you'll be dead," her grip on the snake's neck tightened. From the furious hissing from a few moments ago, its body now rattled with fear.
She cocked her head to the side, thoroughly unimpressed. "What a troublesome disciple."
"...It's too foggy," Zerath lowered his head, embarrassed.
"It's always going to be foggy. Answers don't come to you so conveniently when it's all rainbows and sunshine. Look what's behind you."
Zerath blinked and turned his head. As the fog cleared, he found himself barely a few feet from the edge of a cliff. A few more steps and he would have fallen straight into the abyss.
"You might've avoided tripping on that root had it been more visible - but then it would've been the last mistake of your life."
The cliff beyond made his throat go dry. "The snake would've killed me the same."
"Only because you let the dagger fall off carelessly."
Zerath had no excuse for that, so he remained silent.
She yawned. "You're far too fixated on the fog. Let the beyond be where it is. Instead of trying to cheat your way, open your senses wide enough to see what's in front of you. It's right there in your face. If you let other things distract you, that beyond will only keep getting farther and farther away."
Present
Zerath opened his eyes, but his thoughts remained elsewhere.
It's right there in your face.
"Eurus's mother."
Lucian looked startled. "My lord?"
"She's nature's spirit. That's why Eurus's ice is so powerful."
"Yes."
"She has unique powers as a God's spirit, just like the Blessed does. What if she was taken away because of that very identity?"
Zerath recalled where she was chained - and the altar that stood before it.
What was that altar for? Was it built centuries ago or was it added around the time Eurus's mother was taken away?
That altar. I need to find what that altar means…
—
"Ugh, this work never ends!" Vespera grunted with displeasure. Her hands had already turned dry and lifeless, yet the pile of bedsheets seemed infinite.
"Ah, forget it! My beautiful nails will rot off at this rate."
She stroked her chin, thoughtful. "I need to find a scapegoat."
She abandoned the washing chamber and took a leisurely stroll along the corridor in search of her target. Her eyes landed on a much younger maid, watering flowers in the courtyard, and she brightened immediately.
"Perfect~"
She had just started toward the courtyard when she came to an abrupt stop. At a distance across the corridor, Leroy was making his way to the other side.
That human delegate…
That way is towards the Ministry of Trade. Why'd he be going there? I haven't heard of him dropping visits to any ministry's office since he arrived.
She contemplated her next course of action.
'You're my eyes and ears in this palace, Vespera. No matter who it is or what it concerns, I must know everything.'
She clicked her tongue.
The last time I helped Sir Balam, it ended in a complete disaster. Besides, my lord has let me off with a warning. He won't be so forgiving the second time…
But if I don't report this to Sir Balam and he learns it from someone else, he'll chew me alive!
It was a frustrating position to find herself in, but she was already drooling at the thought of all the gold coming her way.
I could buy so much more rare stuff from the market! She sparkled.
She glanced down at the young maid once and shrugged.
Well, someone else will deal with the bedsheets. I have gold to collect~
—
Emberlain.
"My lady! Wait for me! Are we truly going to Lady Claudia's residence right now?" Erissa scrambled to keep up with Vivia's pace, breathless and increasingly alarmed.
"Sir Benjamin, shouldn't you stop her?" She urgently turned to him.
Benjamin furrowed his brows. "You're a very capable maid, Miss. Erissa. I believe you don't need my help."
"Is this the time to rake up past misgivings? My lady's reputation is at stake!"
Benjamin ignored her and simply continued to follow Vivia. Like Erissa, he, too, had wanted to stop her from barging into the Grisbane residence. But watching her seething state of mind, he promptly refrained. He didn't fully understand her obsession with Audreya, but there was nothing to be done the moment she exerted her authority.
"Princess Clairette…?" Claudia rushed to her side, breathless and panicked. Her sudden arrival had startled her.
"Welcome to the Grisbane residence, my lady. A-Apologies I couldn't prepare some refreshments for you."
"Please rise, Lady Claudia. There's no need for an apology. What I need is your husband," a chill exuded Vivia.
Raffert appeared shortly after, frozen at Clairette's sight. The tea ceremony was still fresh in his mind as if it was just yesterday. His smile faltered without his permission.
"My lady, what a pleasant sur-"
A sudden choke cut him off as she gripped his neck with a viciousness matching that of a beast's.
"Where is Audreya?"
"M-My lady…!" Claudia's face rapidly lost color, and she begged. "Please let him go…!"
"After he gives me the answers I need."
The deeper her fingers dug into his skin, the more he gasped for air like a fish wrenched from water. "I…I don't know what my lady is talking about…"
"The nerve of you to lie! First you take Audreya away, then hire an assassin to kill Sir Walterce!"
His eyes flew wide. "K-Kill Sir Walterce…? He-he is d-dead?"
"I swear I won't hesitate to end your sorry life if you continue to shed your crocodile tears. Do you think you can fool me with your pathetic act!?" The temperature continued to drop below freezing point.
"I cannot believe you…" Vivia clenched her jaw, "could go so far. These are the people you worked with. Shared blood and tears and sweat to build a name for your entertainment group. And now, not only did you kill Vivia, abducted Audreya and force a false confession out of her - but then went after Sir Walterce, too, just to keep his mouth shut. How much more depraved can you become!"
"I…" he gasped hard, "I don't know…what do you mean, m-my lady. I did n-no such…"
"Start talking. Where is Audreya? Where did you take her!"
Claudia fell to her knees and begged. "My lady, there must be some misunderstanding…Ra-Raffert has nothing to do with this…!"
Her lips curved with a lethal chill. "Is that so? Then could you ask your husband why Sir Walterce confessed that he pressured him to lie against Audreya at the tea party?"
Raffert froze.
"Why did he confess that Raffert is nothing but a noble's puppet, acting on someone else's orders? Tell me. Who's that noble pulling the strings? You can still hope for some mercy if you speak now, otherwise…"
"I…I…That person…is…"