"Even if you beat them, things won't return to how they were."
"What do you mean, Thea?"
"This is... look at it..." Thea replied with a gasp. "They destroyed it."
Julien began to lose his temper. He scratched the back of his head, which didn't feel itchy at all. Throwing away his heavy breath and sweeping his gaze across every corner of the room, Julien retorted, "What are they— gosh! So, that's what made you cry, Thea?"
Thea nodded obediently. She turned her head, looking at the collection of plaques and trophies she got in various races as a winner. Destroyed The objects. It's broken and can't be saved. Everything was caused by the fistfight that happened between Hugo and Marc some time ago.
"You're crying for your trophies?" again, Julien tried to be sure.
Thea nodded, then lowered her head and went back to crying. "My trophies, Julien," she said, sobbing. "I got those trophies because I always remember the smile and passion my mom and dad gave me when I was on the race circuit."
Julien rubbed the top of Thea's head. Drew, a smile wrapped in concern on his face. While rubbing Thea's back gently, Julien said, "I'll fix those trophies. Don't be sad."
At the same time, Marc opened his eyes first, then Hugo. Marc was about to attack Thea like before but undone it. First, because his body is firmly tied to the chair, he feels guilty even though he doesn't understand what Thea said. The way Thea stared at the glassware scattered on the floor implied sadness and disappointment. Marc saw it. Marc understands.
Marc opened his mouth but soon clasped it together. He knew that no one would understand what he was saying. Even Marc didn't understand what they were saying. The language they speak is different.
"Thea? Why are you crying?" asked Hugo when he first opened his eyes and watched Thea shed tears for the first time.
"Shut up, you idiot!"
Thea left the living room but returned to Julien as her uncle was about to untie the knot wrapped around Hugo's body and was about to ask Hugo a few questions.
"You can leave now," Thea opened the door as she let Hugo out. "Leave the man here. Don't mind me, and there is Julien with me."
Hugo nodded in agreement. The big tall man passed Thea, obeying her request to rush to leave the place. But when Thea was about to close the door, Hugo held back the iron door.
"Be careful," he said before leaving.
Thea closed the door hard, letting the loud beating sound echo inside and outside the room.
"You can speak Traditional Xaera, right, Julien?" asked Thea to Julien as she watched Julien meet Alpha Marc.
Julien turned his head, then nodded slowly. "What can I do for you, Thea?"
"A lot," she replied. "But, before that. You have to answer my question."
Thea pulled Julien away from Alpha Marc, having him talk face to face on one of the couches, the only one in the corner of the room.
"Do you know that I am a summoner?" Thea asked straight to the point. However, that's what she wants to know.
Julien was unmoved. Instead of answering, he just looked at Thea and Marc, who were sitting peacefully quite far away from him and Thea.
"The man confessed that he came because he heard my call. Wait—"
Thea frowned. She tried to remember Marc's remarks when he strangled her. Thea was sure she didn't understand what Marc said to her at the time. However, now, as if knowing what The Alpha said, she suddenly told Julien about what was conveyed to her. Just understanding the language is not. Not at all.
"I don't understand what he's saying, Julien," Thea continued in confusion but enthusiasm. "Really. I don't know what he said at all just now. But I just told you that he—"
"He confessed that he could be here because he heard your call?" Julien cut in.
Thea nodded. Her eyes have perfectly rounded a pair of Julien blue irises. "That's right, Julien. I suddenly became clueless with everything I'd been through a few hours back."
"Who is that man?" Julien thrust his head into the place where Marc was sitting tied.
.Thea swallowed her saliva nervously when she got all of Julien's attention. Several times Thea blinked, staring at Marc for quite a while.
"Marc Serling Gray..." the answer is as it is. "The alpha. It was the prince who lost the war."
Hearing his name mentioned in traditional Xaera, or people today often refer to it as Ancient Language, Marc said, "You already know who I am?"
Julien chimed in shock. His blue eyes seemed to light up, like a deep-sea hit by a flash of light. Slowly he walked up to the alpha, looked at all aspects of Marc, and ended all kinds of observations he made on the tattoo of the wolf's head that resembled Marc himself, clearly printed on his left chest.
"Your highness..." Julien spoke in Old Xaera while kneeling before Marc.
Marc looked confused. He frowned, watching Julien kneel before him as he lowered his gaze. To his bewilderment, Julien could speak the language he was in.
"You can speak the same language as me?" Marc asked the question after a long silence.
Julien nodded. He then raised his gaze and returned to his feet after Marc ordered him to stand up and not kneel. Julien even untied Marc, letting the alpha sit on the couch along with him and Thea.
"Thea, for the common good, let the alpha stay with me," Julien snapped bluntly.
Thea shook her head. Refused her uncle's request. "No, Julien. I have to hear the explanation and reason from him. He even strangled me. And it looks like he'll kill me next time if necessary."
"What did the girl say?" asked Marc in Old Xaera.
Julien stared at Thea for a moment, then looked at Marc and gave him an answer in the same language. "My niece said if you strangled her and assumed that you would kill her at a later time if necessary, Your Highness."
Marc was about to answer, but he was closing his mouth again in an instant. Probing. Julien gave him a fierce look. Then he turned all his attention to Thea, who was looking at him and the alpha in silence.
"You strangled my niece, Your Highness?" Julien asked the alpha.
Marc nodded without hesitation. He confessed his deeds. It's not evasive, let alone diverting the conversation, as is often done by those who are never willing to admit their mistakes.
"I've heard that even if the curse has been broken, any mess I've left behind will continue to loom over me. Will repeated all the chaos more devastatingly and horribly," said Marc at length.
The alpha turned his head, looking at Thea, who had now changed places. The girl seemed busy picking up large fragments from her trophies that were still scattered on the floor.
"I have to eliminate the person who broke my curse. Because if we don't, the curse will move on them if the war resumes and we get back to defeat," said Marc.
Julien pulled his head over, looking at the alpha with a frowning forehead. "Is that the case, Your Highness?"
Marc nodded. "The only way that the barbarians wouldn't come back here, follow me, was to kill them. Killed the person who had broken my curse and liberated the souls of those who had been confined to me since that day."
"Do you know who that girl is, Your Highness?"
Another voice filled the room, shocking the three pairs of blue-eyed exchanging stories there. The three turned to the sound source with surprised and puzzled expressions.
"Esme?" said Thea and Julien in unison.
Esme stood in the half-open doorway. Staring at Thea, Julien, and Marc in turn. Her gaze was cold and piercing. Esme raised her left eyebrow as she looked at Thea, who was looking at her with a pounding heart.
"You're a summoner, Thea," Esme explained without being asked. "You're the only summoner left."
Esme turned her gaze on Marc, then said, "We are part of the Maven Family. We have an aunt, a summoner in the heyday of the Xaera Kingdom. She was also the only summoner who lived in that era."
Marc frowned, returning Esme's gaze unswervingly. "Genevieve Maven?"
"That's right," Esme nodded. "Do you dare to kill our niece? Meanwhile, part of Genevieve's soul and abilities are on her?"
Esme took herself into the living room, closed the door, and stretched her hand before Marc.
Marc was about to open his mouth but immediately clasped it together, for Thea approached and stood between himself and Esme, who was having a face-to-face and were about to shake each other's hands.
"Genevieve Maven?" asked Thea to Esme curiously. "Isn't she a summoner often mentioned in history books?"
"Genevieve Maven is my father's older sister, your grandfather, Thea." "That's right," Esme nodded. Dismembered the Old Xaera language she had previously used to talk to the alpha.
Esme caught Thea's shoulder as Thea leaned over, staring into Thea's deep blue eyes, Esme continued, "Now, I'll let you know. That part of Genevieve's soul is in you."
"How can it be?"