"The Third Circle?" Kieth asked, sounding genuinely confused.
Mart, on the other hand, was thrilled. "Brother, you really reached the Third Circle? How? That was so fast!"
Arcellus chuckled, ruffling his younger brother's hair. "C'mon, follow me."
Kieth walked with them through several rooms, marveling at the surroundings. The place was an incredible mix of the modern and the mystical—a combination of an office and a magical zoo. Kieth had never seen anything like it. The design felt modern yet old-fashioned, with the entire structure powered by magic. The lighting cast a faintly aged aura, enhancing the unique atmosphere.
They eventually stopped in front of a large door that swung open automatically. The four stepped into a spacious room that resembled more of a home than an office. Kieth noticed open doors leading to a bedroom, bathroom, and other living spaces.
"This is my office," Arcellus said with a shrug. "I sleep, eat, and work here."
"You don't go home?" Kieth asked, raising an eyebrow.
Arcellus shook his head. "No, not unless it's an emergency. Well, Mart is really the only family I have, so yeah."
Mart and Serel were already exploring the room, their eyes wide with curiosity, like children seeing a new place for the first time.
"So... they don't let you out, or...?" Kieth trailed off.
"They do," Arcellus replied, leaning against the desk. "I just don't prefer going outside. Mainly because every time I leave for a decent while, the department I'm in charge of screws up."
"What department do you belong to?" Kieth asked.
"The Department of Artifacts," Arcellus said with a smile. "We create artifacts, collect them from around the world, and study their uses. You name it."
"Is that so? Seems hard," Kieth commented.
"Oh no, it's easy—if you understand it," Arcellus said nonchalantly.
Mart suddenly chimed in. "I'm hungry..."
"We brought the bag, didn't we?" Kieth asked.
"Yeah, but they took it away. They don't allow outside food down here," Mart grumbled. Serel, too, looked hungry.
Arcellus sighed. "Oh well. I'll just order them to allow it."
"Really?" Mart's face lit up.
Arcellus stepped outside for a moment, returning shortly after. Not long later, food arrived, and the four of them sat around a table to eat. While the others enjoyed the meal, Kieth quietly picked at the fruits. His attention drifted to the table, where several documents were spread out.
"Hey, uh... can I have a look at these?" Kieth asked hesitantly.
Arcellus, chewing on a mouthful of food, waved dismissively. "Sure, it's nothing confidential anyway."
Kieth leaned over and examined the papers. They were written in old English, and he struggled to make sense of them. Finally, he turned to Arcellus.
"Hey... you deal with artifacts, right?"
"Yep, sure do," Arcellus responded, swallowing his food. "You need something?"
Kieth thought for a moment before asking, "Hey, can you tell me about an artifact that teleports?"
"Teleports?" Arcellus pondered. "Yeah, we have some artifacts that can teleport, but it's usually short distances."
"Short? I see. What's the longest one?" Kieth pressed.
"The longest one can teleport up to 100 kilometers. Why do you ask?" Arcellus replied.
Kieth shrugged, trying to hide his growing curiosity. "Like, it looks like stars with a weird spiral sort of thing?"
Arcellus paused, washing his hands with a quick flick of magic. Water surrounded his hands, cleaning them before evaporating. He thought for a moment, then walked over to the pile of documents. "Show me. Where did you see an artifact like that?"
Kieth hesitated before responding, "It isn't here... I just wanted to ask if there's one like that."
Arcellus furrowed his brow. "Have you seen one like that?"
Kieth didn't want to tell him that he is from another world, but he couldn't resist the opportunity to get closer to the artifact that might take him home. "Yes... I did."
Arcellus turned to Mart, telling him to stay with Serel. He motioned for Kieth to follow him. The two exited the office, leaving Mart and Serel behind, confused but unbothered. Arcellus took Kieth to a place filled with files and began sifting through them. They sat down, and Arcellus handed Kieth a stack of documents. Kieth scanned the papers, but they were written in old English. He could barely understand them, so he focused on the pictures, flipping through them quickly to see if any matched the artifact he was thinking of. Arcellus, on the other hand, was thoroughly engrossed in the search.
"You sure are excited," Kieth commented.
Arcellus looked up with a grin. "Of course I am! I haven't come across an artifact this rare and interesting in a long time. I've read about almost every artifact there is."
They spent hours going through the documents, but found nothing. Kieth sighed in resignation. "Thanks for looking into it."
Arcellus smiled but then glanced at the clock. "Yeah, it's getting late for you three, right?"
Kieth nodded, and they headed back to the room where Mart and Serel had already fallen asleep. Kieth gently woke them up. Mart stretched, yawned, and groggily woke up, while Kieth picked up Serel, who was still deeply asleep after the meal.
Mart rubbed his eyes. "So, what were you guys doing?"
Arcellus smiled and ruffled Mart's hair. "I'll tell you sometime." Then he turned to Kieth. "Hey, Kieth, I'm sure you're not lying about the artifact. You know, in this world, even if someone lies about an artifact, the lie can turn into a truth. Not that I'm calling you a liar."
Kieth smiled. "I know. Still, thanks."
Arcellus paused before asking, "Kieth, can you come here tomorrow too?"
"Of course," Kieth replied.
Arcellus led them back out, tapping the ground 13 times again, signaling the way to the pit. "Just jump," he instructed.
Mart gave Arcellus a quick hug, and then Arcellus waved goodbye to Kieth, Serel, and Mart. As the trio jumped into the pit, they were pulled upwards, emerging from the library. Waiting for them at the entrance was the carriage, and they climbed in, settling down for the ride.
They met the old man as kieth gave him a bag full of sweets and fruits the old man originally refused but gave in to kieth continuosly asking him to take it, as they journeyed back to the manor the three got out and waving to the old man the three came back in time
As Kieth stepped into the carriage, he was greeted by Paulina, who stood smiling warmly. "How was your day?" she asked.
Kieth smiled back. "It was great. I saw a lot."
Paulina then crouched slightly to address Serel. "And how was your day, Serel?"
Serel grinned, swinging her arms excitedly. "Very, very good!"
Paulina chuckled, then turned to Mart. "Your squad captain was asking for you earlier."
Mart's eyes widened. "Wait, really? I guess I'm a bit late, huh?" He turned to Kieth and Serel. "See you tomorrow! Let's go again, alright? Don't worry—I'll convince the captain."
Kieth and Serel waved him goodbye as he dashed off. Paulina turned to Kieth and Serel. "Go freshen up," she said.
After Kieth changed and returned, he found Paulina waiting outside. She gestured toward Serel. "I'll take her to bed. You should go meet Her Majesty—she's requested an audience."
Kieth nodded and made his way to the queen's room. Upon knocking, a calm voice answered, "Come in."
He stepped inside to find the queen sitting near a prepared canvas, her paperwork neatly set aside. She smiled warmly. "Shall we start?"
Kieth took a seat across from her. "Alright. Since you want to make a portrait, we should first focus on shapes."
"Shapes?" she asked, tilting her head slightly, confused.
"Of course. Shapes help give depth to the subject and make everything easier to visualize," he explained.
The queen nodded thoughtfully and tried drawing a circle. It came out slightly misshapen.
"It's more of an oval, but a good attempt," Kieth encouraged, smiling. He then taught her how to draw basic shapes: circles, squares, triangles, and rectangles.
"Now, remember," he said, "the shapes don't need to be perfect when doing a portrait."
"Then why should I try to make them perfect?" she questioned, a curious smile on her face.
"I'm not asking you to make them perfect," Kieth clarified. "It's about understanding proportions. Shapes give you a solid foundation to build on and help you position everything properly."
As the lesson went on, Kieth guided her hand, showing her how to sketch softly and correct mistakes without erasing too often. He explained how the basic shapes could form the head, body, and even features like the eyes and nose. The queen practiced diligently, her focus unwavering.
"See? Now when you draw, you'll know where to place the details," Kieth said, pointing to her improved attempt.
She smiled at him, visibly pleased. "You're a good teacher. I didn't think I'd enjoy this as much as I am."
Kieth chuckled lightly. "You're a fast learner, Your Majesty. At this rate, you'll be making portraits that rival the best artists in no time."
Though it was an exaggeration, it would motivate her. Her portraits still looked like a bad attempt, but all the more, she had room to improve. Since Kieth realized he was probably still being treated well due to teaching her, he decided to stay silent.
The night went on. It was late now, and she was tired as she yawned. Kieth smiled and said, "Shall we end it here?"
She nodded, thanking Kieth for today and dismissing him.
As Kieth left the room, he was expecting Paulina outside, but she wasn't there. He looked around. It was rather dark, with minimal lighting only coming from outside.
He looked out. The moon shone brightly down on the hallways with a glow. As Kieth walked through the hall, he realized he was lost. He didn't remember his room.
"Of course this would happen."
He walked around, looking for anyone. No one was there. Now he started getting suspicious.
"This seems out of the ordinary... guards and maids should still be up. Yet, leave finding them—I can't even see them asleep..."
He ran back to the queen's room.
"Empty room, just like I thought..."
"Alright, this doesn't look right."
Kieth walked around. He was getting uneasy at each turn. Now he started hearing footsteps following him. Every time he turned, there was no one behind him. He was starting to feel scared.
"Alright, alright," he muttered, taking deep breaths as he jumped out of the window.
He landed in the garden. As he got up, his back ached again. He heard someone laughing.
"IMPRESSIVE. I DIDN'T THINK TO GET OUT OF THE LOOP YOU WOULD LITERALLY JUMP OUTSIDE. SURE, YOU HAVE PLEASED ME."
Kieth turned to the voice. It was Arcellus.
"Arcellus?... No."
It looked like Arcellus, but he knew it couldn't be him. As the figure approached, he felt dread. The garden started to change into the forest he remembered—the snowy forest. It had to be an illusion. Then, he saw the dead bodies of Aldric, Evelyn, and the villagers. His breath quickened, and he began to panic.
"Wind Wisp," a voice, different from the other one, called out. Instantly, the entire forest was cut down. Kieth turned to look behind him and saw someone he had never seen before.
"Hello," the voice said as it walked forward. "Nice to meet you. I believe this is our first time meeting?"
The voice turned to the figure. "So then... why are you doing this?" It was sharp.
The body shifted, now draped in a veil, and the voice changed to that of a girl. The figure who made the illusion revealed herself as female.
"I just needed to look into his mind... you know, as he killed someone dear to me," she said quietly.
The man responded, "You think? I believe he was protecting himself, seeing the nightmare that came out of his mind..."
She stared at him and then at Kieth. "Are you siding with him?" she asked.
"Yes," the man replied. "Even if I am, does it change anything?"
She loathed the two but simply vanished. Kieth could tell the man was miles stronger than her, so he wasn't scared at all.
As she left, the man's smile returned. He had slightly tanned skin, black hair, and golden eyes. He looked at Kieth and smiled.
"Nice to meet you. My name is Veliern, and I'm the king of Orynthar."
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