Nicolas slowly looked up to him, shaking and teary eyed, "But, they— they already killed Alisa and— and Arthur, there's nothing else we can do"
"There is, you still have that sword"
"Sword?"
"Yes, the glowing thing that you used that night, when— when you almost killed me"
"Kill? Like they did to Alisa and Arthur?"
Hunter could only bit his lip in anger, clenched his fist before pulling Nicolas a little bit farther, but it was no use. One of the swordsmen rushed towards them and he could only shield the prince with his body. He fell to the ground and the man got a hold of the prince.
"LET HIM GO," he tried his best to push through the pain clung behind the man. Locking his neck, and after one swift blow, he broke his neck, "Your majesty, you need to take hold of yourself. They're going to kill Alisa again if you kept on going on like this!"
"She's already dead"
"She's not," he filled him with lies as he finally got his attention, "She's waiting for us outside, if— if you don't fight back, they're going to kill Alisa again"
He left the prince kneeling on the ground as he tried to fend off the enemy with the best he can. Placing the gamble on his last provocation. Nicolas froze, his eyes constricted as the explosion that took his dear friend replayed continuously inside his mind.
As Hunter took an arrow to his lower abdomen, Nicolas stood up.
Emitting radiant blue around his body, the prince slowly conjured the stem of Hunter's nightmares back to reality as he once again lose himself to the same anger he felt back then. He turned around, deflecting the arrows to his sides with ease. The swordsmen who gave him a hard time got a dose of their own medicine as Nicolas effortlessly parred every attempt to his neck.
As the hatred radiating from his sword intensified, the troupe finally realized that they're totally out of his league. They all tried to return back to the giant tree but with one wave of Nicolas's sword, their point of retreat caved in.
"Must you really leave when the party is only getting started?" he took down the closest target with one strike. "My memories are still incomplete but I know you came back for me. You have the audacity to come back here at Gregoria after you took everything from me," he pointed his sword to one of the archers as he sat down, "Go on, draw that bow, but I assure you, your head will fly in its stead"
The man retracted his weapon, "You think we're scared of death? Even if we die here, as long as we can take your head, our soul will go on and rejoice our victory"
"I see, so you still have no idea you've already lost. I don't know what's your deal with soul but your creeping me out. You don't have to die though. I am more than willing to spare you. You just have to answer me why in this mess up world do you want to kill me"
The group exchanged gazes as they are puzzled by his question. Seconds later, the archer began to laugh, followed by the smiles of his comrades that seemed like a celebration.
"You're saying you don't know? How comical, everything we did so far, every life we've sacrificed, it was all for nothing but a fuss. Oh, how wrong we've been, Donnor," he continued cackling before switching to a more serious tone. "But I guess this is fine too. As long as you still don't know who you are, we still have time"
"What do you mean"
"I'm afraid that's all you can squeeze from us, your majesty," his bow turned to particles as he held the arrow close to his neck and the other's followed his lead, illuminating their ecstatic faces, "Tread lightly Prince of Gregoria, nurture your soul well and never lose sight of who you are"
Blood painted the ruble, their swords and bows gradually lost their glow, reverting to light particles as their horrifying smiles we're immortalized.
"By this point I can safely assume that they're a cult right?" among the ruble came the book they found, floated towards him before settling on his left open hand, "Isn't that convenient"
He browsed through the book only to be disappointed. It no longer had any clues about his peculiar ability but one last message from his grandfather.
"Isn't this place wonderful, it calms the soul and eases the mind, what's more peculiar is that in here, I don't feel thirst, I don't get hungry. If I we're the one to decide, I would stay here forever. Laying down on the glowing grass as I watch the fireflies decorate the leaves. Documenting the peculiar plants and it's reason for existence.
I have no idea how long I've been here but it must have been years. My brother must already have a family by now, but I know I can no longer go back. After all, it took me years just to find this place, moreover on the other end of the continent.
How I long to see those plains of Gregoria once again. If only one of the exits to this cave would lead back there, I would take the chance to ask forgiveness to them. Oh, how I wish for it to be, it would have also made your journey simpler if only that well had permitted my entry before, but I guess that's all in the past now.
I realized that I've been worrying about the future that I probably won't even get to see. Forgive me, my blood, but this is as far as my attempt will go. I'm going to live my life"
"So, you bolted at the end, maybe you indeed have lose screws," he closed the book, "All is not lost though, at least he left some clues. He found this place on the other end of the continent, so how did we managed to find it here at Gregoria"
"It must be like those stories, a space that has no permanent address. Something that only shows up to those that we're called, my mother used to tell me stories about it. A place that also opens itself to deserving souls"
"Souls here souls there, what in the world are you all talking about. Just die already like the rest of them"
Hunter tried to laugh only to cough blood.
"Just so you know, I still hate you. I have no intention of helping you. I'd very much prefer to take your head but this is fine too, a slow death where you can slowly feel your body losing its functions as it gets cold," Nicolas walked pass him.
"Your majesty—"
"In case you have forgotten, your plead for forgiveness won't change anything. I will never bring Alisa back," Nicolas exclaimed as his sword glowed even brighter. Hunter knows how much hate that glow contains, he had seen it before.
"I know," he weakly breath. "But I'm doing all I can to try and make amends for what I did. I have been training as a knight for the past two years now, hoping that I can at least atone even a bit for my sins," Hunter got down to his knees, shaking from the pain.
"Who cares about what you feel. Don't you know how much pain you've cost me and Mrs. Valorona? All you can do now to atone is to die here, never seeing the light of day," Nicolas pointed his blade at the boy.
"Believe me my Prince, I know that what I did was unforgivable and the pain I had cost you is far from bearable. I don't have a family that will miss me even when I'm gone, my mother, she died after the incident, but please understand. It's not only you who was scarred by what happened," he lowered his head to the ground even more.
"I too had suffered the consequences for my actions, every day and every waking second for the past nine years. I'm doing my best to obtain the forgiveness I can't even give to myself. That's why for— for the past years after their memorial was raised, I tended it in the dark without no one knowing. Hoping that I'll at least see a spark of the light that I, no, we lost that night."
"Are you expecting me to believe you?" Nicolas could only laugh, with parts of his memory back, his hatred for him had reach a different kind of level. He was about to move on when Hunter finally fell to the ground.
He debated, staring at the sword on his hand and forced to choose between his pride and hatred or saving the life of the boy. Taking a deep, he remembered the vague memory of Alisa. Bright smile, soft voice with a caring tone. The perfect portrait of kindness and beauty.
He reminisced about her cheerful laughter and their boundless banters as he asked himself, "What would Alisa do in this situation," he hates to admit it but he already knows the answer. Taking one last glance of his sword, he reverted it to particles before sighing.
Moments later, they found themselves in front of the bridge, traversing the path towards the castle gates as the other knights came to their rescue.
"Are you awake," he asked, tapping Hunter's cheeks.
"Barely"
"This does not mean that I've forgiven you. I don't care if you become a respectable knight, I don't care what you do with your life but remember this, I still haven't forgiven you. So, if you somehow lived never show your face to me ever again. The next time I see you, I might really kill you myself"
Horns sounded as the knights finally got a hold of the injured boy, behind them is the Queen, worried sick and crying as she caged the prince in her arms. Frederick on the other hand was unamused, wearing the meanest look he can give.