After getting the girls' attention, the priestess spoke.
"I've seen it—the fates. Your fates are more intertwined than you could possibly imagine. The sin of pride, the curse of death—the two of you will move the world in ways you can't imagine."
Thena and Thia stared at each other before looking back at the priestess.
"Hmmm, we appreciate the heads-up, Grandma. But please, can you tell us where the prince is?" Thena asked.
The priestess smiled and turned to Thia.
"No prince came this way. But a king did. He brought Serapha, the Daughter of Fate, to us, and he was carrying Ashell within him."
"King? Serapha? Ashell? Who are those?" Thena asked. "We came here for Prince Kin—not a king, and definitely not Ashell or Serapha," she complained.
Thia, on the other hand, had heard what she wanted. The prince—or king—was indeed carrying the curse of Ashell. He was, in fact, the third apocalypse. She turned to the priestess and spoke, interrupting Thena in the process, much to her displeasure.
"Where did he go to? The king—where did he go?" Thia asked.
"He went to seek help from the land of Horus. He is searching for something and seeking someone."
"The land of Horus?" Thia muttered.
"Jubai," their guide spoke. "The family that leads Jubai are blessed by the god Horus."
"Jubai? How far is that?"
"Six, maybe five days... perhaps even a week, depending on how often we stop," the guide replied.
"That's long," Thia said.
The priestess spoke once again, this time her voice heavy with distress.
"Trouble looms on the horizon. The demon is victorious and deadly. All those who oppose him will die at his feet. The king will not be spared."
She grabbed Thia suddenly.
"You have to find the king. If he goes to Jubai, it will swallow him—body, soul, and all. What he seeks will be his fall. The demon can see what they see and hear what they hear. Find him before the demon does. There is no time!" the priestess cried out before collapsing.
Thia held her and prevented her from hitting the floor.
The masked guards stepped forward and helped the priestess up. Thia looked into the priestess's eyes—they were empty and unnerving, as if she had seen something insidious.
As the masked figures helped the priestess back to the temple, one of them turned to Thia and spoke.
"Only fools ignore her warnings. I believe you are not a fool, Guardian of Death."
Once they were gone, Thena was the first to speak.
"Why is everyone being so poetic? Guardian of Death, Sin of Pride, swallowed souls, and all that blah, blah, blah!"
Thia turned to her angrily.
"Even now, you hide it," she said.
"Hide what?" Thena asked.
"Your secret. They exposed it—the Sin of Pride. The demon of pride is also known as the Sin of Pride. You are the Sin of Pride, aren't you?" Thia said.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Thena replied.
Thia wanted to press further, but Iku's voice resonated in her head.
"Now is not the time, my lady."
"We have to leave," Iku's voice continued. "If what the priestess says is true, then we have to catch up with Ashell before anyone else does. He's needed if you want to stand a chance against the demon."
Thia spoke aloud, still frowning.
"We still don't know who harbors this demon, where he is, or what his goal is."
"We'll get those answers. I'm sure we will. But we have to leave—now."
Thia turned to their guide.
"We're going to Jubai. Lead the way."
The guide immediately moved.
"How do we get there?" Thena asked.
"We go through Cosant. It's the fastest way but quite dangerous. We'll take the Ghalu River in Cosant all the way to Jubai. It'll save us a few days."
"Great. Let's go," Thia said, and they all left.
---
In the City of Cosant
The city of Cosant was unlike most cities in the desert. Despite its location near the heart of the desert, it was spared the full harshness and barrenness of its surroundings, boasting various oases and lush greenery. The city was lively, even given the dire situation of the region.
In the castle belonging to the Sulten of Cosant, a man stood in the garden, his gaze restless as he looked around. Sultan Lee of Cosant, a short and slightly rotund man, wandered among the vibrant plants, his expression somber. He appeared uneasy, his eyes darting nervously.
Shortly after, another man entered the garden, followed by two individuals with their faces covered.
The Sulten immediately ceased pacing and hurried to meet them.
"Thank you, Teng. I hope no one saw you?" he asked.
"No, Sulten," Teng replied.
"Great. You may go."
Once Teng left, Sulten Lee turned to the man covering his face.
"I don't know if I should say it's nice to see you, Lord Farouk," Sultan Lee said.
"We are in unpleasant times, Sulten," Farouk replied, removing his hood.
"So, you asked to see me. Normally, I wouldn't grant you an audience, but... we've known each other too long. I'm only doing this for your sake."
"And I appreciate it," Farouk replied.
"I believe you have an idea why I'm here?" Farouk asked.
"Yes, unfortunately, I do. I heard you found the prince. But what good will a good-for-nothing like him do? He's already lost the throne. Neither Jai nor Burak will spare him if they find him. He has no allies, and no one cares whether he lives or dies."
Farouk gestured to the person behind him, and the boy removed his hood, revealing his face.
The Sulten stared in confusion, then turned to Farouk.
"Who is this?"
"I'm Prince Kin, Lord Lee," Kin replied sharply.
The Sulten looked between Kin and Farouk for a moment before bursting into laughter.
"The prince? Are you serious? You are the prince?"
"What kind of sick joke are you playing, Farouk?" Sultan Lee said, barely holding back his amusement.
Kin clenched his fists, his frustration evident. He wanted to lash out but controlled himself. Instead, he spoke with anger.
"The Tosmik Project," Kin said.
The Sulten froze mid-laugh.
"What did you just say?"
"The Tosmik Project. You were placed in charge of the project by my father, but due to your negligence, it failed."
"What are you talking about? The project was sabotaged by miscreants from EXOAL. They were the reason it failed!"
"Oh, that was the official story. The truth? A whore from a brothel stole the plans from your vault. Your drinking and whoring caused the leak of such classified documents. Tosmik was meant to give us an edge in beast-crystal combination techniques. Instead, your negligence ruined everything."
"How do you—"
"I know you'd think Farouk told me this to sell my appearance as the prince. But the truth is, neither Farouk nor my father knew. Only my mother did. After all, she helped you cover it up."
"She was quite the blabber mouth you know. She told me all about it when she was trying to explain to advantages of doing favours. The whole blackmail thing." Kin said.
Sultan Lee's expression shifted, his amusement fading entirely.
"You... you're the prince."
"Seems like I finally got your attention, Sulten Lee."