The moment the atmosphere changed, Rey Reed needed no one to tell him that it was the blood lord. The man had visited him three times before, and he seemed to have known his aura. Besides, the blood lord is the only one strong enough to create such eerie and choking air.
One of the reasons Rey hated him was because of his grumpy attitude. The Blood Lord believed that he was superior to everything that exists in the universe and multiverse. He believed that he was untouchable, and he had proved it to Rey so many times.
'Maybe he's right,' Rey thought in his mind.
He had seen what the blood lord could do and what he could achieve. With the little time he spent with him, he learned that this man always acquires what he desires.
During his stay and training in the underworld, Rey learned that The Blood Lord likes taking rather than giving out. He's a man who loves squeezing from the universe and nature whatever they can give. He knew how to torture people using everything in the universe, especially their names and minds. If there's anything that Rey has learned from him, it's the fact that the mind is the greatest weapon and weakness of humans and both night-walking creatures.
Even though Rey didn't flinch at the sight of the blood lord, he was still trembling deep down. If this man could find him in the middle of an ocean, definitely nothing could stand in his way if he were to do everything he threatened.
"What did you want?" Rey seethed in rage because the man invaded his privacy.
The blood Lord laughed, and his voice was like the roaring of a thousand men.
"Just checking on an old apprentice!" The blood lord elucidated, shrugging and walking around the room freely as if he owned it. "Can't I check on my boy again?"
"Your boy?" Rey scoffed, giving him a death glare. "You said I should visit my father before embarking on the quest you gave me; then why are you here when I haven't reached my father yet?"
The blood lord smiled, and replied, "I'm the one that also gives you this direction," slowly, he started circling Rey alone. "I came here to remind you how important your task is."
The blood lord looked straight, and Rey followed his gaze. The man is looking directly at Lucienne Vldisalav, who is still suffering from the trauma of the aura, together with the two sailors.
Rey gritted his teeth as he guessed what the blood lord was trying to tell him. He was warning him that his emotion for Lucienne Vldisalav would divert his attention from the main quest, and the blood lord is someone who lacks patience. Apart from that, he didn't like it if something or someone came in his way.
Rey had seen most of his attitude when he was in the underworld. The blood lord never allows him to rest unless he accomplishes his day-long training. He keeps pushing him without rest, even when Rey feels like dying.
"She's just a replica of Kyle Faith, that's all." Rey lied, trying to block the thought in his mind from the blood lord and hoping that the man wouldn't probe. "I ain't going to fail. All you have to do is give me space and time to think."
"How can I let you be when you don't even know your location or where you're going?" The blood lord demanded. "Besides, if you keep giving her an emotional look, how will you kill Kyle Faith when you find her?"
Rey yelled at the top of his voice; "Kyle Faith is my mate!"
However, he regretted it instantly. He seemed to forget that the blood lord didn't tolerate nonsense. He had let his rage overcome him.
The Blood Lord's malevolent grin widened as he focused his attention on Rey Reed Smith, intent on breaking him because of his rude attitude. The air crackled with dark energy as the Blood Lord extended his shadowy influence, seeking to unravel Rey's mind with the subtlety of a serpent in the dark and to show him that he was superior.
Rey, now at the mercy of the Blood Lord's psychic onslaught, felt the very fabric of his thoughts unravelling. Whispers, like ethereal tendrils, crept into the corners of his mind, sowing seeds of doubt and despair. Images of his past mistakes and regrets flashed before his eyes, each moment magnified with a cruel clarity that twisted his perception.
He should have remained silent when the blood lord was talking. He shouldn't have yelled at him. But how could he keep quiet when the man sent him to murder his mate because of his father's mistake?
Rey wanted to replay all the memories in his head, but the torture from the blood lord overcame him, forcing him to yell in pain. It seemed like his head was about to explode.
The Blood Lord's voice, a haunting melody of torment, echoed in Rey's mind. "Rey Reed Smith, your futile resistance amuses me. I shall make your mind your greatest adversary."
The sinister words reverberated in Rey's consciousness, each syllable a dagger that pierced through his mental defences.
Dark thoughts, like a poisonous fog, enveloped Rey's every rational notion. His once-clear purpose now wavered, clouded by a tempest of self-doubt. The Blood Lord exploited every fear and insecurity, turning Rey's psyche against him.
In the depths of this mental maelstrom, the Blood Lord conjured visions of a nightmarish future in the underworld and threw them at Rey's mind, forcing him to watch it like a movie.
Rey stood helpless as he witnessed a twisted reflection of himself, tormented and broken, wandering through desolate landscapes of suffering and despair. The air was thick with hopelessness, and shadows clung to Rey's tortured form.
Without being told, Rey knew this was the future that awaited him if he failed the Blood Lord's assignment. And for this to happen, that means the blood lord has killed everyone that matters to him, just like he showed him a few days ago.
The Blood Lord's voice reverberated through the dark visions, confirming Rey's guess. "This is the fate that awaits you, Rey Reed Smith. A pitiful existence, lost in the eternal abyss. Your failure will condemn you to a life of perpetual torment, a mere plaything in the hands of the underworld's malevolence."
Rey struggled against the mental onslaught, his mind a battlefield where the Blood Lord orchestrated a symphony of despair. Yet, through the darkness, a spark of resilience flickered within Rey. He clung to the fragments of his true self, resisting the insidious influence that sought to shroud his spirit.
The Blood Lord, sensing Rey's internal struggle, intensified the psychological torment, determined to crush Rey's will. Rey, drawing strength from an indomitable core, tried to resist the visions of despair that the blood lord plunged into his mind, but it was futile.
During the mental chaos, he whispered a defiant vow: "I will not fail you, master! I'll not divert from my mission, and nothing will stand in my way."
"Good boy," the man said, releasing Rey. "You will find Kyle Faith and make her pay for the sin of her father."
Rey breathed heavily, trying to relax his muscles and giving the blood lord a dreadful glance. "I'll find her, but I need to find my father first. You said you'd grant me the chance to see him in this realm before you sent me back to my universe."
"Of course, I'm keeping to that promise." The blood lord smirked, feeling triumphant. "Why did you think I told you to go to the Kingdom of Vastadia? It's where you will find the clue to your father's tombstone."
Rey sighed in relief, and the blood Lord turned around, walking toward the direction of the fire chamber. "As long as you still have your power, I'll always be in touch, young apprentice."
The blood lord flickered his hand, and the fire roared out as if yielding his call and engulfed him. Rey watched as he vanished into the fire, and everything returned to normal.
The moment the blood lord vanished, he yelled a warning tone to Rey; "Beware, apprentice, you've summoned something great from the depth of the ocean with the blood of those that you killed."
Rey slumped on the ground, totally exhausted from the strength he used to defy the blood lord and withstand the mind torture. Heavy sweat broke out from his body, and his breathing was heavy, and he didn't even pay attention to the Blood Lord's warning.
The two sailors slumped to the ground, totally drained, and Lucienne quickly held a pole for support as she staggered.
"That man, who is he?" She murmured, her voice barely above a whisper. "His aura is too much for me to withstand, even as one of the high-ranking fighters in the eternal guardian coven."
Rey sighed, forcing his body to rise. "He's the reason why I won't be following you to the Arcadia Empire."
He walked past Lucienne, brushing her shoulder as he went to meet the sailors. "Take me to the kingdom of Vastadia!"
There was something about Rey as he said those words to the sailors—determination.
"I'm sorry, My Lord, but that's partially impossible." The first sailor stammered.
Rey sent him a death glare, conjured a painful thought in his mind, and was ready to fling it at the sailor if he defied his order or tried arguing with him again: "Take me to the Kingdom of Vastadia, now!"
Lucienne quickly came between them: "What he meant is that you can't get to the kingdom of Vastadia without passing through the Empire's water."
"They will recognize this ship and stop us," The second sailor explained, "Once they discover what we have done, they will attack us, and we will be outnumbered. Even with your power, speed, and reflex, you can't win."
Rey pondered their speech for some seconds, but he couldn't think of a way out because he didn't know anything about the empire's kingdom. If it was not for Garry, he wouldn't know about their banner or the horns and spikes of the empire. Garry is the one who tells him everything he knows about the Middle Land and the kingdom surrounding it.
Suddenly, an idea was created in Rey's head: "Who is the Empire King?" He asked the sailors.
"Regina the glorious," The first sailor replied, and his eyes widened as if he realized what Rey wanted to do. "You want to meet her?"
"She's a female!" Rey exclaimed, rubbing his chin. "Interesting! I'd like to meet her."
Lucienne came beside him and asked, "Are you sure this is what you want? Once you enter the Arcadia Kingdom, it won't be easy to get out."
"It's what I want," Rey insisted, and he faced the sailors. "Get to work, men; we will sail for your empire.
Without further argument, everyone got to work, and Rey returned to fueling the fire chamber.
"To the Arcadia Empire indeed!" The first sailor yelled, "Let's get to work because we have a long day's journey ahead of us."
To be continued.