"Camelia, are you certain about this? It feels like a trap, a dangerous ploy set by those old fools. I can't bear the thought of you walking into such peril."

Silverish-blue eyes looked at the male in front of them. Dry red lips opened to speak up before closing quickly. The male bit his lip in agitation before quickly looking away in regret.

There was nothing to be said. 

Camelia was a grandmaster who had lived far past most human civilizations' ruin points.

As such, how could he not know what was in the heart of those greedy councilmen?

Of course, he knew that those fools wanted to send him to his grave. But what option did he have?

"I know very well that all this is a trap set up by the council to see me suffer. But still, I must keep the 'Seeds of Apocalypse' alive and well. Those kids need to grow up well, or this world will fall into ruin.

You know that better than anyone else, Head Priest Zayne. Isn't that why you became a Vessel of God's power and helped in my creation? It was all to keep the world safe."

Camelia spoke in a rather cold voice.

In his words, the frost was cutting enough to make Priest Zayne flinch. But despite this, he quickly pulled himself together and looked Camelia in the eyes.

"That was a mistake. I was arrogant enough back then, and my power blinded me. However, my view has changed over time. I no longer think of you as a weapon. Rather, you are-"

"It will be fine! This is what I was born for, and this is what I want to end my life for as well. Please, take care of those kids for me. I am asking you this request, not as the High Saintess, but as a friend. 

Please, keep those kids safe and ensure they grow up as humans."

Camelia extended his hand toward Zayne's and clasped their hands together.

Zayne looked doubtful, but he sighed in regret. 

He recognized the look in Camelia's eyes well. He would not back down, no matter what he said or did to him.

"I understand. I will not stop you since you are determined to walk down this trap. But please, promise me that you will return and find me."

Zayne asked, but Layla did not answer him. 

Instead, he pulled his hand out and walked toward the dungeon before his.

The council had worked hard to find where this dungeon would open and had already made all the necessary preparations.

But Camelia was not afraid.

As the highest-grade magician, this did not scare him much. The only thing he was worried about was failing his duty.

The curse that bound him made him that way.

Just as half his body entered the dungeon entrance, a hand grabbed his.

"Camelia, don't go. Without you, I-"

"You will be fine. I will make sure to come back. And even if I don't, you will manage. Think of these kids as my legacy, and take care of them."

Those were the last words Camelia said to his companion before disappearing into the dungeon.

That was the last anyone other than his described and saw of his.

...

The inside of the dungeon was hot. It made Camelia's magic evaporate when he tried to cast it.

Despite this hurdle, Camelia continued to move past it all and reach toward the deepest parts of the dungeon where his charges were being kept.

This dungeon would not have taken such a long time to clear if Camelia had access to his magic. But last night, the elders had held a ceremony while Camelia had been forced to bleed his life force out.

He was exhausted and out of mana but kept walking toward his goal.

"Ah, Saintess, Camelia. Or rather, the one born for the Calamity, the highest-grade magician, Camelia Root, welcome to your doom.

You have lived a good life until now, serving the country and keeping the calamities in check, but this is your end.

For the sake of the council and the children, please die. Once you are gone, no one will be left to shackle these Seeds to prevent them from reaching their potential-!"

The speaker wore a hood over his face, but Camelia did not have to be a mind reader to know who he was.

His spell blasted the kidnapper, causing the man to put the kids out cowardly. The kidnapper was using whatever means to save his life.

"So, our current monarch is a coward who does not dare face me heads on. I feel ashamed for your court magician. He ended up training a coward like you."

Layla was not speaking smack. Instead, he is just stating facts. 

But his tone felt jabbing, causing the king to feel as if he had been rubbed incorrectly.

"You are calling me a coward? At least I have more emotion and sense than you! You care nothing about the world and the people. Thousands of people die each day, but you do nothing to help.

But just because you exist, people get hopeful and pressure me always to send you out. This situation is your fault."

Camelia neither confirmed nor denied what the king said.

He did not feel responsible toward the common people, but everyone else thought differently.

All his titles and wealth had been bestowed on him so that he would grow a heart and help more people.

"I am a tool birthed for one purpose, so I shall see it till the end. And if I have to remove you to do that, I will do it."

Camelia was running low on magic, and the emperor had too much stored magic to get hurt. Despite that, the emperor lost until he smirked and snapped his finger.

The ground suddenly began to shake, and it parted to show Camelia the people he had come here to save.

"Teacher please run! This place is not safe for you! You need to get out of here now. The emperor, he is-"

_____

There will be a lot of sex, and the relationship will be a little Dom/Sub kind. Mainly because I wanted to write