The next day, the imperial palace bore witness to a grim procession as Gnostic men matched in, dragging Arion with his legs ensnared in chains and a heavy iron collar choking his neck. Thorian followed closely, an aura of grim determination hanging about him like a shroud. They brought Arion to his knees before the imposing throne of the emperor.
Thorian's voice cut through the tense silence, declaring, "I captured this man last night, having murdered three men, Your Majesty."
A gentle smile curled on his lips, feeling satisfied with his action. He believed that very soon, the guy would be gone for good.
Arion's eyes opened gently, realising he was in a different place that was built in silver.
Glancing forward, he saw the gray haired man wearing a crown, so he confirmed he was in the palace.
Thorian, without hesitation, commanded the men to bring the lifeless bodies of the victims aforementioned into the palace. The chilling sight of the corpses, which were in coffins, cast a pall over the proceedings.
Amidst the morbid silence, Arion spoke, desperation in his voice, "I was summoned to the sect, and on my arrival, I saw some men secretly disposing of a corpse."
The emperor's eyes darted towards Thorian, expecting an explanation. But to Arion's astonishment, Thorian vehemently denied any involvement in summoning Arion.
"That's not true! I recognize that guard's face."
Arion, desperation in his voice, pleaded with the suspicious guard, "Weren't you the one sent to me? What are you driving at? Show them that I was summoned!" as his eyes conveyed the urgency of proving his innocence.
The guard hesitated before stepping forward, only to vehemently deny any prior acquaintance with Arion. Arion's shock was palpable, and he couldn't help but smirk at the falsehood that was being made against him.
"Your majesty, this man is weaving a web of lies. Murder is unforgivable. As the saying goes, 'one who kills by sword should die by sword' — so, without objection, his penalty is death," Thorian insisted sternly.
The atmosphere around Arion heated up and he gritted his teeth. He imagined why on earth he was being framed!
An unexpected interruption pierced the tension.
"Isn't that the enigmatic Golangane immortal mage?!"murmured some of the men in surprise.
It was Master Chen, the great immortal who had vanished for years.
Despite his shabby attire, disciples knelt in reverence as he approached. Even Thorian, though vexed, could not deny the respect owed to this mysterious figure.
"How have you been, Master Chen?" They chorus.
Master Chen exchanged pleasantries with the emperor. The emperor was curious about Master Chen's intervention.
Then, with a penetrating gaze, Master Chen turned his attention to Thorian, and Thorian, with a sardonic smile, acknowledged the disruption.
Master Chen questioned Thorian's judgment, saying, "How can you tag this young man a criminal when you haven't ever seen him kill?"
Thorian retorted, "I believe you said that because you didn't know. He was clearly seen killing three men last night. As a matter of fact, I personally witnessed that."
Master Chen's response was cryptic. "Then possibly, you were waiting for him to take the bait you set for him."
Thorian felt frustrated slowly, however, queried,
"If i may ask, what do you mean?" But Master Chen deftly sidestepped the question and turned to the emperor.
"Your majesty, I have evidence to prove that this man here wasn't attempting to kill those men," he declared. Thorian was astounded by the claim and wondered how Master Chen could possess such evidence.
In a breathtaking display of power, Master Chen conjured a haze of smoke in the air, displaying the events of the previous night. Arion's heroic struggle to defend himself against the assailants was captured vividly. It was evident that Arion was not trying to kill but to protect himself.
Thorian seethed with anger as he watched, especially the part showing how Arion had resisted his own attack. He struggled to come to terms with the fact that the men had aimed to kill Arion.
Arion, on the other hand, had lingering mistrust. He doubted if he should trust Master Chen with how he saved him the second time.
Master Chen continued to present more evidence, including that of the masked man who had taken the carriage. Thorian felt a cold sweat as he realized that it was his son who he had told to wear a mask while disposing of the corpse.
"Additionally, taking closer inspection to these corpses, one can detect arrow wounds which does not agree with the weapon this young man had."
Master Chen, with an air of mystery, concluded, "This is clear evidence that the men were attempting to erase all traces of their crime. The leader, fortunately, escaped. I promise to expose the leader's identity to you, your majesty."
Thorian's heart pounded all of a sudden, fearing that if the leader's face was revealed, his own secrets would be laid bare. He moved to intervene, but Master Chen cut him off.
"...but that will have to wait until next time. I am yet to know who he is," Master Chen declared with a sly smile, leaving Thorian to wonder about his true intentions.
With the compelling evidence provided, it was indisputable that Arion was not guilty. The emperor ordered his release, and Master Chen argued that Arion deserved more than freedom after enduring such harsh treatment and injuries.
The emperor promised to reward Arion with magic, to be obtained at the Ten Billion Magical Closet upon his recovery.
"The accused subject has been found innocent, and as requested, he would be compensated with twenty thousand magical powers by the royal palace. Please, accept my apologies," said the emperor.
Thorian clenched his fist. Realising all his plan resulted to was favouring the guy, he fumed harder.
Thorian bowed before the emperor, seeking forgiveness for his hasty accusations.
As Thorian departed, his anger smoldered beneath a façade of humility. His meticulously crafted plans had been destroyed , leaving him with more yearn to have Arion's life as soon as possible.
"I will finish him on my own the next time I get him!"
At Heka sect, a guard informed Lysander about Master Chen's arrival. Delighted, he rushed out to greet his long-lost brother. However, his joy turned to astonishment as he saw Arion covered in blood, clutching his brother's neck.
"What happened to him?" Lysander whispered, but loud enough for others to hear. Putting aside the pleasantries they should have exchanged after decades of separation, Lysander ordered the guards to take Arion inside for treatment.
Once everyone had retreated inside for Arion's sake, Master Chen, standing alone outside with a few guards, marveled at the improvements Lysander had made to the sect. The changes in interior and exterior design, as well as the impressive space created for newcomers practicing magic, left him smiling in amazement.
Then, he heard a familiar feminine voice calling his name. Without a doubt, he recognized it as his niece, Liora. She hugged him cheerfully and asked, "How have you been?"
"I'm good. I believe you have been doing well all these years, right?" Master Chen replied.
"Yes, Uncle," she smiled. "So, have you come back to live with us from now on?"
"No, I won't stay," he said, disappointing Liora. She asked him why, and he explained, "I didn't visit intentionally, but brought an injured man back to where he stays."
"Which man? Is he a member of this sect?" Liora inquired. Master Chen confirmed that he was, piquing her curiosity further as Heka mages were not allowed to engage in fights, and even she wasn't an exception.
Who could this injured man be?
It was at that moment that she realized she hadn't seen the stable worker. Suddenly, the sect seemed deserted. Confused, she asked Master Chen for the man's name, but he didn't know it.
In Arion's dorm, he sat on the bed with Lysander while others remained at the door, watching as arrowheads were removed from his body. Lysander cast a spell, and Arion's body began to roll in an orbit as magic flowed into him.
After Arion had been fully treated, Lysander and the others left. As they reached the entrance, they encountered his daughter and brother. Having finished with the injured man, Lysander invited his brother for a drink, and they departed. Liora walked softly to Arion's doorstep.
As she gently opened the door, a hand grabbed her inside and leaned her back against the door, which slammed shut with a resounding thud.
She looked up into the bluish, icy eyes of the stable worker. Their proximity stirred something in her, and even after Arion realized it was her, he didn't let go of her hand but drew her closer.
Her heart pounded and she felt heart spreading through her chest.
"What is he attempting?" Liora wondered in awe as she locked eyes with Arion, her hand resting gently on his bandages.
Arion continued to gaze into her eyes, making her fear that something unexpected was about to happen. He finally broke the silence and said...
"Why were you peeping into my room? Show some courtesy, will you?" Arion questioned, still holding her close.
"I... I... I was..."
Arion released her, and she took a deep breath, recovering from the shock. She explained that she had just wanted to check if he was feeling better. He sat on his bed, wincing from the pain.
"How are you feeling now?" she asked, causing him to explode with frustration.
"Are you making a jest of me right now? The door is open for you if you don't have something else to say besides jesting at an injured man," Arion retorted.
"But the door is closed, not open," she joked with a smile, but Arion didn't find it amusing. She sat beside him on the bed, and he flinched away.
"What... what are you thinking? Why would you sit so close to me on the bed?"
"That explains better what you were thinking when you held me so close to you," Liora accused.
"Okay, forget it," he said, looking away. Liora smiled, noticing the change in him.
"You've become much nice since the Bloodstream Cave. I can't forget what you told me when I was about to give up on life. It encouraged me to want to live."
Arion found her unbelievable. "You're not a child; why can't you forget such a simple thing? I didn't mean it."
"Really?" She asked, smiling. She was delighted to feel free around him, unlike the last few months. She realized her feelings when she was with him and decided to stay longer.
Arion, too, felt surprised. Even with the child of the man who had killed his parents, he felt an unusual sense of comfort, as if he had found his place in the world.
"Hey, what are your favorite snacks?" Liora asked. "Tell me, and I'll prepare them for you."
"I don't like anything!" he said, somewhat harshly.
"Then I'll pick something you'll like, and you'll promise me it's your favorite snack forever," she declared. Without waiting for his response, she continued, "I bet you'll love my homemade raspberry cookies. What do you say?"
"What's that?"
"It's a cookie made from raspberries. You'll really enjoy it!" she said.
Arion saw no reason to refuse, confident he wouldn't like it. "Okay, I promise I won't end up liking it."
At a balcony in the Gnostic sect, Thorian clenched his fist, thoughts roaring loudly.
"After all I've done to gain the emperor's trust, he chooses to believe others over me. He must pay the debt of my time and effort."
He raised his brows and declared aloud, "I don't want his trust anymore. What I desire now is the throne. With my escalated magical power, not even the most powerful mage can stop me. I will soon become unstoppable!"