Chapter 9: Imprisoned Memories
The council chamber was steeped in intense tension. The flames of the torches danced, casting shadows on the faces of the most powerful hunters of the continent, aligned around the great round table. The air vibrated, saturated with magic, as if each breath could trigger a storm.
Hawks, seated nonchalantly with his arms crossed, stared at Degel with a provocative smile.
— "So, prince of ice, still as weak as ever? Do you plan to stay frozen like a statue, or will you show me there's more than frost running in your veins?"
Degel remained impassive, his polar blue eyes fixed on the void before him.
— "I don't fight to flatter the ego of insolent fools, much less idiots," he replied calmly.
Hawks clicked his tongue and stood, his eyes glowing with a golden light.
— "Insolent? No, just realistic. You hide your weakness behind silence. That's why your father disowned you. Come on, let's see what the so-called heir of eternal winter is worth—if you can still even be called that!"
Arthur suddenly stood, his voice cracking like an order.
— "Enough, Hawks! This is not the time to settle childish quarrels."
But Hawks sneered, not even bothering to look at the king.
— "With all due respect, Arthur… only the King of the Golden Light can give me orders. Not you."
A stunned silence fell. Even Rhea, gritting her teeth, straightened, ready to reply. Alexander, ranked number one, remained impassive, his cold gaze dissecting the scene.
Suddenly, Suo calmly placed a hand on Hawks' shoulder.
— "That's enough," he said simply, his black eyes gleaming.
Hawks frowned and turned his head toward him.
— "You think you can silence me, shadow hunter?"
— "No. But I can teach you to respect silence… permanently, if necessary."
Their gazes clashed, waves of dark and luminous magic colliding. The ground trembled under the pressure. For an instant, the hall seemed ready to explode.
Then Alexander, still seated, slowly raised his hand. His voice, calm yet powerful, made the air quiver.
— "Enough. We are not here for childish games. Hawks, Suo… put away your invisible weapons. If you wish to fight, wait for the next tournament at the Tower of the Gods to settle your differences."
The tension abruptly fell, as if a leaden weight had been lifted. Hawks sat back down laughing, though his eyes still burned with rage toward Degel and Suo.
The meeting resumed, refocusing on its true purpose. Arthur laid out the gathered information.
— "The Hidden Continent is preparing. Foreign creatures are arming themselves. If they march on our kingdoms, the balance of the entire world will be threatened. I ask each kingdom to deliberate and prepare alliances."
A murmur rippled through the room. Even Alexander slowly nodded. Yet the atmosphere remained heavy, as if a shadow already loomed behind their shoulders.
The next day, guided by Arthur's directions, Seth passed through the gates of the Crystal Forest. There, waiting for him, stood Merlin, the eternally young mage with sparkling eyes.
— "Welcome…" said Merlin softly, almost joyfully.
Seth frowned.
— "Uh… hello."
— "Arthur told me someone wanted to see me. So here I am, entirely at your service."
A shiver ran down Seth's spine.
— "Well… the thing is, I've lost my memory. And I'd like to know if there's a way for you to bring it back."
Merlin's enigmatic smile deepened. He tilted his head, placed a hand on his grimoire, and his eyes lit up with a deep green as he tried to probe Seth's mind. But something blocked him, as though his memory was locked by some unknown force.
— "Strange… I can't probe your mind or use memory protection magic on you. This has never happened to me before."
Seth was both surprised and disappointed. He realized that even the great mage Merlin could do nothing about his amnesia, which must be caused by something far deeper than he could have imagined. Merlin invited him for tea, and they talked for a while. By nightfall, Seth returned to the palace, endlessly searching for answers. And then night fell.
That night, Tara woke with a start, drenched in sweat. Her dream still burned vividly in her mind: Kael, pierced by a blade. Arthur, crushed by a shadow. Seth… screaming, drowned in his tears. She buried her face in her hands, shaken by silent sobs.
— "No… no, this can't be…" she whispered.
But she kept it all to herself, not daring to tell the others.
At dawn, Suo invited Seth to meet him at the training arena.
— "Come. Show me what you're really worth."
— "Tch… You think I'll give you the satisfaction?"
— "If you refuse, I'll simply say you're afraid."
Seth clenched his teeth and accepted. The duel was fierce. Shadows against flames, speed against raw rage. Every clash made the stone walls tremble. Suo, agile and cold, read every movement of Seth with breathtaking ease. But Seth, driven by his hunger to win, attacked relentlessly. Suo, however, did not even unleash his shadow magic, fighting only with his sword—using barely a fraction of his true power as a demon hunter.
The fight ended in a blazing shockwave, with Suo as the clear victor, Seth panting, realizing the vast gulf of power between them. Suo allowed himself a rare smile.
— "Not bad… Seth. But you're still far too unstable in battle. If you keep this up, you'll be killed before the fight even begins."
Seth turned away, though his heart pounded. He wanted to become as strong as Suo.
Far from the capital, beyond the forbidden seas, an army rose within a crimson mist. Monsters with nightmarish forms, armored giants, crawling beasts covered in demonic runes.
A general, his skin black as stone, raised his axe toward the sky.
— "The hour is near. The kingdoms of men have no idea what awaits them. We shall march, and their walls will crumble like sand!"
Roars of horror and hatred answered him, shaking the heavens with apocalyptic thunder.
War.
But then… someone appeared.
To be continued…