Ivory Palace
In a spacious room adorned with luxurious furnishings, a man lay on a bed. The mattress was so soft that if a poor commoner were to lie on it, they would undoubtedly fall asleep.
Another man sat on a chair, reading books related to magic, both using manna and lunasi. Any book regarding the methods of using lunasi was considered taboo by the kingdom, except for certain groups. The man had black hair like his father and was dressed in attire befitting a royal aristocrat. He was Soeuen, the elder brother of Souael.
The flower-patterned door of the room opened, revealing a woman. She had hair that alternated between black and auburn as it flowed down. Her skin was as white as snow, captivating anyone who saw her. Her eyes appeared to have two colors: teal when viewed from the front and azure from the side. She wore a white robe embroidered with gold, featuring leaf patterns and a sun and flower emblem on her chest, resembling a priestess from the Temple of Light visiting Souael.
"Soeuen? How is Souael doing?"
"Don't worry, Heanox. His manna regulation is becoming stable." Soeuen responded without turning to acknowledge Heanox's presence.
Heanox approached Souael, who lay on the bed. She leaned closer to his face and raised her hand, placing her palm over Souael's chest. A soothing light emanated from her palm as she performed the luminos ritual to hasten Souael's physical healing and manna regulation. Heanox then kissed Souael's forehead.
"Since I was sent to the Temple of Light, I haven't been able to spend time with my siblings," she whispered sadly and with a hint of regret.
As Heanox moved towards the door, she heard Soeuen call out to her.
"Give my regards to Iwatra."
Heanox nodded weakly and exited the room, walking down the inner corridor of the palace. Several women dressed as priestesses followed behind her as her attendants.
As she walked past several rooms, she heard two voices call out to her.
"Sister Heanox!" Two girls, appearing to be fourteen years old, ran towards her with open arms.
"Oh, Hanna and Ranna. I've missed you both, and you're becoming more beautiful and adorable," she said, hugging them with praise.
"Hehehe, we missed you too, Sister. Of course, we're becoming more beautiful. Did you visit Brother Souael?"
Heanox smiled and replied, "Yes."
One of the attendant priestesses gently touched Heanox's back, reminding her that they needed to leave. Heanox reluctantly released her hug from her twin sisters. Though it was difficult, temple protocol had to be followed.
"My beautiful and adorable sisters, I must go. I'm sorry, Hanna and Ranna." Heanox's voice carried an undertone of finality and sadness.
"Aww, Sister, please stay a bit longer. Have some pastries with us before you go," the twins pleaded with expressions of dissatisfaction.
"I can't, my dears. I have to follow the rules."
Ranna pouted, but Hanna's face lit up with an idea.
"Sister Heanox, promise us that when we visit you, you'll play with us, okay?" Hanna asked eagerly, without waiting for Ranna's agreement.
Heanox hesitated briefly but then agreed. She left with her attendants, leaving the twins behind.
Souael had five siblings, including himself. The eldest was his brother, Soeuen, followed by his sister, Heanox. Souael was the third, and the fourth and fifth were twin sisters, Hanna and Ranna.
The Souael family was part of the royal family of Irj, originating from the larger Mikaila royal family, which founded the country of Mikasia. The Mikaila royal family had three branches: Irj, Jach, and Anz. The political system governing Mikasia was a Theological Royalty.
The Theological Royalty had a unique way of selecting a king. The royal family had to be connected to the Temple of Light. A high-ranking female priestess would choose the king by testing the candidates' affinity for luminos. Whoever had the highest affinity would become the king.
The position of the high-ranking female priestess could only be held by women born into the Mikaila royal family. They had to be virgins and undergo training in the main Temple of Light from a young age. During the selection ceremony for the high-ranking female priestess, held every nine years, the woman with the highest luminos and still a virgin would be chosen.
Soeuen glanced out the window, noticing the sun setting. He checked the manna device resembling a clock on the wall. After ensuring the time, he rose from his chair, always making time for his siblings whenever possible. He faced Rebecca, who stood in a corner of the room, and then walked out without saying a word. Rebecca began to close the room's curtains.
Rebecca approached a single-seater sofa and sat down. She gazed at Souael, lost in thought, as the room became illuminated by the lamps. As the night deepened, the lamps dimmed. After standing all day, Rebecca dozed off on the sofa.
When the room had grown dark, Souael awoke from his lying position. He wanted to speak, but his throat felt dry and rough, making it hard to produce any sound. He struggled to sit up, taking some time but eventually succeeding. As he looked at his upturned hands, one open slightly, a bright light appeared in his palm. He looked around, startled, noticing a faceless human-like figure.
The figure raised its hand, and the clock's hands stopped moving. Everything around them froze in time except for the entity, Souael, the light, and the air Souael breathed.
"Souael, do you remember me? I am the child you reached out to. I am of the Malak race. Do you know what purpose the Malak serve when they come to humans?" the Malak entity asked.
Souael wanted to respond but still couldn't speak, so he nodded, indicating he might understand.
"Whenever a Malak is sent by your god, Allthim, it means someone will become a prophet or an apostle. The good news is, you've been an apostle since you grasped my hand. Every apostle has a task. Your first task is to kill the priests connected to the Yarikh race through lunasi magic. Allthim has named me Dadena." The voice was a blend of male and female tones.
"Am I going crazy?" Souael's voice was hoarse, his throat still feeling rough. His heart pounded with fear, causing him to tremble.
"You will believe you are an apostle and not insane by tomorrow morning. Every apostle uses ilm as a source of power instead of manna. Your ilm is still low, and you don't know how to control it yet. Tomorrow, try taking any weapon and imagine an attack without using any manna. This will help, as I see you understand things better through practical experience." Dadena's voice was calm and steady.
Souael blinked, and Dadena vanished from his sight.
Time resumed as normal after Dadena's departure. Rebecca, startled by Souael's heavy breathing, saw him trembling violently. The room grew dark as Souael could no longer sustain the light in his hand. Rebecca quickly covered him with a blanket and used warming magic to warm him up. Souael continued to shake, showing no signs of improvement. Rebecca considered contacting help using the communication cube on the bedside table, but Souael's grip on her wrist stopped her.
"Hold me, Rebecca," Souael pleaded, still shivering.
Rebecca felt torn between seeking help or fulfilling Souael's request. Feeling his trembling and hearing his desperate plea, Rebecca gave in and embraced him.
They spent the night together, Souael lying down and Rebecca sitting in a chair beside his bed, their hands clasped together. The only sound was the ticking clock as they shared a long, quiet night. Before falling asleep again, Rebecca smiled softly.