As the moon cast its silvery glow over the quiet estate, Heinrich silently slipped into Lucien and Alex's room, his footsteps barely audible against the polished wooden floor. With practiced ease, he approached Lucien's bedside and gently shook him awake.
"Lucien, it's time," Heinrich whispered, his voice carrying a sense of urgency.
Lucien stirred from his slumber, rubbing his eyes groggily before recognising Heinrich's silhouette in the dim light. Without a word, he nodded, silently acknowledging their nightly ritual.
Together, they stole out into the cool night air, the soft rustle of leaves and the distant hoot of an owl the only sounds accompanying their footsteps. Underneath the star-studded sky, Heinrich began Lucien's nightly lessons in earnest.
With patient guidance, Heinrich instructed Lucien on the intricacies of Starvol, teaching him the art of wielding its power with precision and finesse. Each night brought new challenges and revelations, as Lucien gradually honed his skills under Heinrich's watchful gaze.
It became apparent that Lucien's training was not merely for his own amusement but rather a preparation for the trials that lay ahead. As tensions brewed on the horizon, Heinrich knew that Lucien would need to master Starvol if he hoped to navigate the perilous path that awaited him.
And so, night after night, they continued their clandestine meetings, the bond between mentor and pupil growing stronger with each passing lesson. For Lucien, it was a journey of self-discovery and empowerment, a testament to his determination to rise to the challenges that fate had placed before him.
Six months passed since Lucien and Heinrich began their secret training. Lucien had dedicated himself earnestly to mastering the power of Starvol, diligently honing his skills under Heinrich's guidance. As they concluded one of their sessions, Lucien remarked, "I think I've got all the basics down for now."
Heinrich nodded approvingly. "Those should be enough," he replied, his voice betraying a hint of weariness.
Suddenly, Heinrich's demeanour shifted as he was overcome by a violent fit of coughing. Lucien's expression twisted into one of shock and concern as Heinrich vomited a pool of blood, his body wracked with spasms of pain.
"Oi, Gramps, are you alright?" Lucien exclaimed, rushing to Heinrich's side and catching him before he could collapse.
Heinrich, pale and weak, grabbed Lucien's collar with a trembling hand. "Don't get anyone," he rasped, his voice strained. "Or everything we did will be for naught."
Confusion and panic washed over Lucien as he frantically looked around for help, his mind reeling with the sudden turn of events. But Heinrich's grip tightened, his eyes pleading with Lucien to heed his words.
"What do you mean?" Lucien demanded, his voice tinged with anger and fear. "What's happening to you?"
Heinrich let out a heavy sigh, his strength waning with each passing moment. "Starvol becomes one with its wielder, as you already know," he explained, his voice barely above a whisper. "But when it's forcibly ripped away and merges with another, the previous wielder... rots away at an unconscionable rate. It's the price we must pay for obtaining such power."
Lucien's mind raced as he struggled to comprehend the magnitude of Heinrich's revelation. The weight of responsibility bore down on him, his resolve tested by the grim reality of their situation.
"Hey, Gramps, you're kidding, right? If that's the case, then why would you give me Starvol to begin with?" Lucien's voice quivered with disbelief, his eyes searching Heinrich's face for any sign of reassurance.
Heinrich's expression remained solemn, his gaze meeting Lucien's with unwavering resolve. "With my age, I'm not as strong as I once was in my prime," he explained with a heavy sigh, the weight of his words hanging heavily in the air. "Facing my son, even with Starvol, would have led to my defeat. I sought a successor to oppose him."
Tears welled up in Lucien's eyes as he struggled to comprehend the gravity of Heinrich's sacrifice. "How long...?" His voice cracked with emotion, the fear of loss palpable in his trembling words.
Heinrich's response was filled with a somber acceptance of fate. "If I were to say, I'd give myself a week," he admitted, his tone tinged with resignation yet tempered with a sense of determination.
Silence enveloped them, the weight of Heinrich's revelation settling like a heavy shroud over their shared moment of vulnerability. Eventually, it was Heinrich who broke the silence, his voice steady with purpose.
"I've gathered some intel," he began, his eyes alight with a fierce determination. "Cassius will be at Zenthia tomorrow and will stay there for a couple of days. He's sure to find out you've succeeded Starvol over there. It won't matter then because he will be away from the other captains. This will be our chance to stop him."
Lucien's mind raced with apprehension, his heart heavy with the burden of responsibility. "How can I stop him?" he implored, his voice laced with uncertainty. "I haven't even unlocked Starvol's true potential."
Heinrich's hand found its way to Lucien's shoulder, a reassuring anchor amidst the storm of doubt. "Listen to me," he urged, his voice brimming with unwavering faith. "There is no other way. Find a way to stop his tyranny. I will pray for fate to be on your side, Lucien."
"Lets get you somewhere you could rest on, gramps," Lucien said with a sad voice, his concern etched in every word.
Heinrich managed a faint chuckle, despite the pain etched across his features. "Well, Gramps is better than old geezer, I suppose," he quipped, a feeble attempt to lighten the heavy mood that hung between them.
Lucien's lips twitched into a small smile, appreciating Heinrich's effort to inject some levity into the somber atmosphere. But beneath the surface, his heart ached with the weight of impending loss, the reality of Heinrich's sacrifice settling heavily upon him.
Somewhere in an undisclosed location
"Oi, hurry up, you useless runt! We need to be at Zenthia by tomorrow!" The shout echoed through the dense forest, carrying the sharp tone of a stern and aggressive woman.
A slow, timid voice responded, filled with fear, "I'm trying my best here. Carrying all this luggage isn't exactly a walk in the park, you know."
"Don't you dare talk back to me like that!" the woman snapped, her tone laced with fury.
Quivering with fear, the man quickly apologised, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to—"
Interrupting him with a dismissive wave of her hand, She cut him off, "Save your apologies. We don't have time for your incompetence."
Desperate to divert her attention, the man changed the subject, his voice trembling, "Um, do we have a client waiting for us in Zenthia?"
With a scoff, She replied, "No, we already have a client from Vanguard. But they've informed us that our target will be in Zenthia tomorrow, and they're a formidable one at that."
Trying to reassure himself, the man muttered, "It doesn't matter how strong they are. After all, no one is stronger than you,
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Scarlett."