I extended my hand, and the baby dragon gently nuzzled against it. I could sense a connection, an unspoken understanding between us. As its guardian, I decided to name the baby dragon "Lumina," inspired by the radiant light it emitted.
It struck me - Ariana had created this rune. Maybe she was controlling the mother Astral dragon by using the baby dragon. But I have no evidence.
I played with the dragon for some time while I was waiting for Elijah and Ariana to arrive. I had a lot of questions in my mind. I placed my hand on Lumina and conjured a memory spell. I began to cloud, and I could see various memory fragments. I touched one of the memory fragments.
It showed me a scene where Lumina and her mother were playing with each other. I felt guilty and distressed at the happy moment. I had destroyed their bond.
I jumped to the next memory fragment; this fragment was the answer to everything.
I witnessed the truth behind Lumina's plight. It revealed that a few days before, Ariana, driven by her ambition to find the Crown of Eldoria, had placed a slavery rune on the baby dragon. With this dark magic, she gained control over the mother dragon, forcing it to do her bidding.
The scenes unfolded, showing Ariana manipulating the astral dragon to serve her desires, and I couldn't help but feel a surge of anger. Lumina lost her mother because of Ariana's selfish ambitions.
I better confront her. I angrily thought.
Elijah and Ariana arrived safely at my location. I glared at Ariana and pointed my astral sword at her. "Your Highness, release this dragon immediately."
Elijah was shocked by this revelation. He took out his sword and pointed it against me, "Hey, dimwit, what are you doing?"
I glared at Elijah, still holding my sword, "You see, Prince Charming, Your girlfriend there placed a slavery rune on this poor baby dragon and controlled her mother, the dragon we fought." I pointed to the Lumina, who was floating in the air.
Elijah furiously said, "What proof do you have?"
Ariana, maintaining her facade, scoffed, "This is preposterous! Why would I do such a thing?"
I made my sword disappear and created a memory box, "If you open this memory box, you find the truth behind the slavery rune." I gave the box to Elijah.
Elijah contemplated while opening the box, "I trust Ariana."
As Elijah opened the memory box, scenes played out before him—Ariana inscribing the slavery rune, manipulating the astral dragon, and exploiting Lumina's mother for her purposes. The evidence was undeniable, and Elijah's expression shifted from trust to disbelief.
Ariana realized that her cover had been blown. She pleaded, "Elijah, it's not what it looks like. He's manipulating these memories. I would never do such a thing."
I interjected, "Your Highness, the memories don't lie. Ariana betrayed the bond between Lumina and her mother. We need to free them both from the enslavement."
Elijah stammered, "Ariana, is this true?"
"Don't tell me. You to trust a person who you met a few hours ago?" Ariana said, grabbing Elijah's face.
Elijah clouded his thoughts, "Fine. I'll trust you, Ariana." He came near me and said, "Dimwit, I'll remove the slavery rune."
I pushed him away, "Only the person who conjured it can remove this rune."
Before I could say anything, he removed the slavery rune. He looked exhausted - the removal of a rune conjured by another mage and leading to dire consequences. He fainted suddenly. I grabbed him by his hand.
I looked at Ariana, "Are you happy? Your boyfriend sacrificed himself for you."
Ariana smirked, "Does it look like I care? He is just a pawn in my life." She disappeared from the Astral Realm.
Concern etched on my face, I carefully gathered Elijah in my arms and focused on returning to the mortal realm. We arrived at the Thaddeus mansion, and I gently laid him on a comfortable sofa.
As I contemplated the situation, Seraphina appeared, her emerald eyes widening. "What happened?"
I explained the events in the Astral Realm, detailing Ariana's betrayal and the toll it took on Elijah. Seraphina sighed, "Love can be a complicated force, Magnus. Let's tend to him and hope he recovers soon."
We took care of Elijah, ensuring he was comfortable and safe. Seraphina cast healing spells, mending the strain caused by removing the rune.
Days passed, and Elijah gradually regained consciousness. As he awoke, he found himself in an unfamiliar place. Confusion clouded his eyes until they settled on me and Seraphina.
"You're safe, Elijah," Seraphina reassured. "You're in the Thaddeus mansion. Magnus brought you here."
Elijah's gaze shifted to me as he muttered, "Thank you."
I nodded in acknowledgment of Elijah's gratitude. "You're welcome. You went through a lot, and I couldn't leave you stranded in the Astral Realm."
Elijah tried to sit up, and I gestured for him to take it easy. "You might still feel a bit drained. Removing that slavery rune wasn't a walk in the park."
Seraphina added, "Indeed. You showed remarkable strength in dealing with such powerful magic. But rest assured, you're in good hands."
As Elijah adjusted to his surroundings, I couldn't help but feel a sense of responsibility for his well-being. "If there's anything you need or have questions, feel free to ask. The Astral Realm can be overwhelming, especially for someone who's not used to it."
Elijah gave a weak smile, "I appreciate your assistance. I wanted to ask you about Ariana."
I poured a glass of water and passed it to him, "Let's not talk about her. I pity you for being saved by a girl like her."
Elijah took the glass from me, "Actually, I knew she was going to betray me. I wanted to confirm with my own eyes. "
I raised an eyebrow in surprise, "You knew she was going to betray you? Why didn't you do something about it sooner?"
Elijah sighed, taking a sip of water, "It's complicated. Ariana and I have a history that goes beyond recent events. I thought I could change her. But deep down, I knew her true nature. That's why I needed confirmation."
Seraphina said, "Love can blind us to the faults of those we care about. It's not uncommon to hope for change, even when the signs are clear."
Elijah nodded, "Exactly. Now that I've seen the truth, I can focus on what's important."
I leaned against a nearby table, crossing my arms, "And what do you consider important now?"
Elijah smiled, "Saving the mortal realm from her."
I leaned back, "To be honest, I thought you wouldn't trust me."
Elijah asked me to come closer, and he whispered, "I have a secret. I can read people's minds through my eyes. But it has a limit."
Intrigued, I raised an eyebrow, "Reading minds, huh? That's quite the secret power you've got there."
Elijah nodded, "It's not foolproof, and I can only do it under certain conditions. But it helped me understand your intentions."
I chuckled, "Well, I hope my thoughts are entertaining for you, Prince Charming."
Elijah sighed, "Oh, shut up, dimwit."
Suddenly, Alina banged open the door. "Magnus! We found Regulus!"
I stood up, "What! Where is he now?" I started packing some things into my luggage.
Alina replied, as she was helping me, "He is in the border city, where Rowan is doing military training."
Elijah, overhearing the conversation, stepped forward with determination in his eyes. "I'll join you. If Regulus is in the border city, we must act swiftly. Plus, I want to settle the score with him."
I glanced at Elijah, somewhat surprised by his sudden resolve, "Alright, but Prince Charming, you are injured."
Elijah moved his hands sideways, "I heal faster than normal people, so don't worry about me, dimwit" He gave an assuring smile.
I sighed, "Fine. But be careful. If you are in danger, call me. Okay?"
Elijah smiled, "Okay."
We finally headed towards the border city 'Calior.'
As we arrived at the border city, we noticed an unusual atmosphere. The air was thick with tension, and the city seemed on edge. Alina, ever perceptive, whispered, "Something doesn't feel right. We should proceed with caution."
Elijah, though determined, acknowledged her concerns. "Agreed. Let's not rush into this blindly. Regulus is cunning, and we must be prepared for anything."
We decided to find information discreetly, blending into the surroundings to avoid drawing attention. There were hints of Regulus throughout the city streets, and we wound our way through the alleys, cautiously observing our surroundings.
Suddenly, a shadowy figure emerged from the darkness. It was Rowan. He looked at us with a mix of surprise and concern. "What are you doing here, Magnus? And who are your companions?"
I briefly explained the situation, emphasizing the need to confront Regulus. Rowan decided to join us after seeing how serious the situation was. "I can help you navigate the city and locate Regulus. But be wary, Calior is filled with hidden dangers."