Caesar was only a few meters away when, from beneath the ground, a fiery explosion erupted, consuming me in a blaze of unrelenting flames. The inferno surged skyward, tearing through the castle roof and piercing the heavens.
"Jaze!" Meredith's voice rang out, filled with terror. Though I couldn't see her, her panic was palpable.
The pain was indescribable, a searing agony that crushed me under the relentless pressure of the flames. My thoughts were scattered, and my strength drained with every passing second. The torture seemed endless, but gradually, the intensity began to wane. The flames subsided, leaving me crumpled on the ground, barely conscious.
The acrid stench of my burnt flesh filled the air, clawing at my senses. A wave of dizziness washed over me, threatening to pull me under, but I was abruptly jolted back to reality by the sound of laughter, followed by a resounding burst of applause from a man.
"Queen Andromeda, I apologize for interrupting your ceremony," a deep, commanding voice announced. "But I am here as the king of the wolf clan to claim my would-be bride."
Through the haze, I could sense Meredith's presence close by. Her aura was steady, but she remained still, unmoving.
Queen Andromeda knelt beside me, gently lifting my head. Her piercing gaze met mine as she whispered, "I was right all along. You're the Messiah of the Blood Clan."
With a solemn expression, she placed my head back onto the ground. "Do not rise, Jaze.Do not let her see your face."
"Greetings, King of the Wolf Clan, and welcome to Ethereal," Queen Andromeda said, her voice steady and regal. "You claim my daughter as your would-be bride. On what basis do you make such a claim on a member of the royal family?"
"On the basis that the late King of the Blood Clan sealed an agreement with his blood," the king declared. "It states that the daughter of the next to succeed the throne will be my bride. Here is the proof."
From behind me, the voice threw an object, which Jack caught deftly. Meredith knelt beside me, her hands trembling as she attempted to lift me.
"Meredith, no," the queen interjected sharply, her tone firm yet quiet. Meredith froze and withdrew her hand, though she remained kneeling beside me. I could feel her heartbeat—fast and unsteady. She was sobbing softly, but her aura still radiated unwavering resolve.
I heard Jack's measured footsteps as he approached the queen. He extended the object to her, his movements precise and deliberate.
"This scroll declares that my daughter is to be wed to the king of the Wolf Clan, bearing the blood seal of the late king," the queen announced, her voice cutting through the murmur of the crowd.
"The king is deceased, and we have new governance. Today, the princess is to be betrothed to a new protector and partner," a member of the royal council retorted.
"And who might that be?" inquired a younger, feminine voice.
As I felt the pain in my limbs subside and the stench of my charred flesh dissipate, I realized my skin had miraculously healed. I scrambled to my feet, grasping a tattered cloth to veil my face. Meredith supported me, steadying my balance. My attire was in tatters, exposing my chest and stomach, with only my trousers, though torn, remaining intact.
"I am the protector of Her Highness," I declared, my voice hoarse, still healing from the burns.
A feminine laughter broke out among the assembly.
"Why do you hide your face, Ethereal? Are you fearful that we might enchant you?" the young woman asked, her tone laced with mockery as she stepped closer into the circle.
"It is from serpents like you that I shield my face in revulsion," I retorted impulsively, aware of the potential repercussions. Her aura, though unseen behind my covering, was tainted with the essence of innocent lives lost.
"I like you already," the woman, whose face I could not see through my veil, responded with a giggle.
"Enough of this! I refuse to give my daughter to you, King Lucas. Our people cannot intermarry with yours, and you know well that our kinds cannot coexist," Queen Andromeda retorted, her voice fierce and resonant.
"A deal is a deal; your daughter will be mine, and I will refrain from attacking your people as per the agreement sealed with our blood in the scroll. A monarch's blood is worth more than mere words," King Lucas of the Wolf Clan declared, his voice gruff yet not overly loud, his aura radiating with fierce determination and willpower.
The queen fell silent for a moment before responding, "Get the hell out of my kingdom."
"Are we the Blood Clan or not? Grab them and throw them out. Use all your strength," Jack commanded, and the royal members charged towards King Lucas and the enigmatic woman at his side.
"...ek um ne emerevus," the woman's voice echoed, and a blinding burst of magical white light filled the throne room. Everyone, including the queen and Meredith, cried out in pain. As the light faded,
"Meredith!" I screamed, my hearing impaired by the explosive sound of the magic. Meredith was gone. I tore off my face covering to find everyone on the ground, clutching their eyes in agony. I looked up to see flames piercing the ceiling, and I heard Meredith's voice in my mind calling my name. In a blur, I ran along the walls of the castle, upside down to the roof through the hole created by the blast. At the apex of the castle, I saw the shards of the red crystal, which protected the kingdom from the sun, scattered around.
Ahead, I saw Meredith, unconscious, held by the woman in a black hooded coat. Beside them stood a tall, broad man in a fur-collared coat with a cape. The woman held Meredith in one arm, a staff in the other. King Lucas turned to me, and I muttered under my breath, "The pendant!"
"Oh, this pendant? Well, I need the princess pendant to travel to the border. I had one, but my son's servant lost it in the earth world. Farewell, beast of the dark," he snarled, breaking into an evil laugh. With a forward glance, he, Meredith, and the woman leapt from the apex of the castle.
"Meredith!" I yelled, jumping after them, nearly catching her outstretched hand when they vanished in a red glow. I plummeted towards the ground, a blast of pain coursing through my limbs until I blacked out.