Lila's body lay motionless by the shore of the spring, her hair damp, her body cold. The cave was silent, the only sounds were her faint breathing and the echo of dripping water.
Moments later, footsteps echoed through the cave.
"Lila!" Davien called, rushing towards her, falling to his knees beside her body.
"Lila, Lila, come on, wake up," he said softly, tapping her face—but she didn't respond.
Without wasting another second, he lifted her into his arms and ran out of the cave.
By the time he reached the palace, he was drenched in sweat.
"Go to Master Shiho and tell him to come immediately," he said to one of the maids before entering his room and placing Lila gently on the bed.
Moments later, Master Shiho and the Queen arrived, their expressions calm.
"She is breathing well,right?" Shiho questioned.
"Yes, she is," Davien replied, "but her body is too cold, and she isn't waking up."
"Alright, everybody leave," Master Shiho said, checking her vitals.
"Prepare the room in the east wing, close to mine, for her," the queen ordered one of the maids standing by the door.
"I will take my leave. Master Shiho, please take care of her. And Davien—meet me outside."
"Yes... you should leave too," Master Shiho said to Davien.
"But..." Davien began, wanting to argue, but stayed silent.
"She will be fine," Master Shiho assured him. Then, with a bit of hesitation, Davien turned and left.
"Davien," the queen called as soon as he stepped outside the room. "You remember your promise, right?" she said softly. "Come, let's go somewhere quiet."
"Hmmm," Davien replied as he followed her.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Somewhere in the Mainland...
A man dressed in casual clothes walked gracefully through the streets, moving from shop to shop, buying things here and there. Then, suddenly, he turned toward a narrow path and began walking down it.
Out of the shadows, two figures appeared.
"Have you found them?" the man asked.
"Yes, my lord," one of them replied. "We asked some people if they had seen a strange man, and they said they did—that he went down a narrow path ahead. They also mentioned he was with a girl."
The man nodded slowly. "Good. I'm sure you know what to do."
"Yes, my lord. Follow me," the figure said.
They walked down the dark path from the first shop to the last .
"This is the one," one of them said.
"Are you sure you didn't choose the wrong one?"
"No, master. This is the one."
If I find out this is a lie then.....,the man said, kicking the door open and stepping inside.
"We have nothing for sale here. Please go to another shop," the young boy behind the counter said nervously.
"No, no, boy," the man replied coldly. "no boy do alot. Bring him to me."
Immediately, the two figures walked over, grabbing the boy and dragging him forward.
"Hey! What are you doing? I told you, we have nothing here! Let me go!" the boy shouted, struggling.
"Boy," the man said calmly, "let's make this quick. I ask the questions, you answer. Understand?"
"What do you mean? I don't understand," the boy stammered.
"A man came here with a lady, didn't he?" the man questioned, his voice low and sharp ignoring what the boy said previously.
"I… I don't know what you're talking about! It's been only me and my master here!"
The man sighed. "It seems you don't understand the situation you're in." He pulled a knife from his pocket, the blade thin and shiny as he slid it through his fingers. "I'll ask you one more time. Did a man come here with a woman?" He looked at the boy, his eyes full of killing intent.
"If… if I tell you, promise you'll let me go?" the boy said, his voice trembling.
"Of course I will boy," the man replied smoothly. "I never go back on my word. Now, speak."
"Well… a few days ago, a tall, brown-haired man came with a woman. She was injured, though," the boy said nervously.
"What caused the injury?"
"I didn't hear them clearly because Master sent me out, but… it was something about a beast attack. I'm not quite sure. But they later left the shop with Master." The boy's voice grew desperate. "I've told you everything I know, so release me now!"
"Where did they go?" the man pressed.
"I....I don't know! Master didn't tell me! Now let me go!"
Hmmm,"I would have let you go," the man said with a cruel grin, "but you talk too much. You might tell others."
"But you promised!" the boy cried, struggling against the two figures holding him. "Let me go! I'm warning you, or else—"
"Or else what?" the man said, amused.Don't worry boy they wouldn't do anything to you."Take care of him. You know what to do." He said to the figures,turned and started walking out of the shop.
"Yes, my lord," the two figures replied.
Stopping by the door, the man turned back with a cold smirk. "And… thanks for the information. It was really useful, I'll remember you.
"Wait! Wait, what do you mean?! Wai—"
The boy went silent, his voice trembling as hee tried to speak, "Please… let me go. I've done nothing wrong…"
The air grew colder and still. Then a flash—a sound like something being torn apart. The two figures stepped back distancing themselves from the boy.The boy's body went still, his breathing ragged. Silence fell over the room, heavy and quiet.
"Why…" he whispered weakly, before his body gave out, falling to the ground. Blood spreading beneath him like water. The two figures walked past him without a glance, stepping out of the shop as if nothing had happened.
"Master, the mission has been completed" one of them said.
"Good," the man replied. "Now find them—and bring them to me."
~~~~~~~~BACK IN THE PALACE,...
Minutes later, she stopped on the bridge over a little pond.
"Do you remember the Kingdom of Raylorn?" Davien asked.
"Yes, I do — the fallen kingdom," the queen replied. "Don't tell me…"
He was silent for a moment, then continued. "During the kingdom's invasion, the elders somehow managed to escape with a few of their people. I was Elder Heldrin's subordinate."
"So how does this relate to her?" the queen asked.
"Well, you see — on the day the kingdom fell to ruin, the king and queen went missing. After sending troops to search for them, we found the queen dead in the woods, with a hole in her chest and her heart missing.But we couldn't find the king. Later, we realized that the baby the queen was carrying was no longer in her womb. Some elders claimed she faked the pregnancy, others said she had a miscarriage. But Elder Heldrin insisted it was true and ordered us to investigate further.
"And we did. Later, we found out there was a couple who didn't have a child, yet suddenly returned with a newborn — and it happened on the same day the kingdom was invaded."
"So what are you trying to say?" the queen questioned.
"Remember when the Raylorn people started a belief — or rumor — about a child who would bring either chaos or blessings to the world? A child who would balance or disrupt the nature of the world, said to be born once every hundred years from the queen of their kingdom?"
"Yes," she replied softly.
"Well, you're probably wondering why the world is still the way it is. The dark ones and witches made sure to kill such children — and they succeeded, every time. But not this one," Davien finished.
"How sure are you that she's the one?" the queen asked.
"Well… she looks exactly like the queen alot.And she used her powers — though I'm not entirely sure how. But tell me — how could someone who's never been trained, or gifted with magic, survive a beast attack?"
The queen leaned back thoughtfully. "Hmm… I see now. This girl is really important to them. But why trust me with this? Anyone could use it against you."
"You let us use the spring before I told you the truth," Davien said.
"hmmm," the queen replied quietly. Then she added, "But one more question."
Davien looked at her with an unreadable expression. "Go ahead."
"Does she know all of this?"
"No," he said. "I'm sure she doesn't. But she might have a clue that she isn't her parents' biological child."
The queen nodded. "Alright. It's getting late. See you tomorrow." She turned slowly and headed to her chamber.
Davien remained where he was, gazing at the sky as the moon shinning brightly over the courtyard.
Somewhere in the mainland…
Warning! warning! warning!~~~~~
Their leader — the same man from before — was in a dimly lit room that appeared to be an inn, he laid on a bed with a woman .
Oh wow my lord,you are quite the hungry one woman said then the man grabbed her big cherry blossom and bit the tip of it while caressing the other.quick a talkative are you he said by her ears then she maon louder ......
Out of the shadow,two figures appeared by the door, kneeling with their heads bowed and hands outstretched.
"My lord, we have found them," one of them said.
"Good,"he replied while moving in a slow rhyme with the woman on the bed.,...his tone slow and controlled. "Where are they?"
"M–my lord, they are in the queen's palace," the second figure answered.
What! he said sharply,standing up from the woman's body and sitting on the edge of the bed, come here he said pulling her forward, lie down on my leg he said tapping his legs
The woman on the bed glanced up in confusion, but he ignored her completely then pulled her down her soft buttock facing him"Continue," he ordered the figures. while rubbing the woman's buttock.
" what again," he asked sliding his hands in-between her inner thighs up to the woman's intimate area.she gasped covering her mouth.
"My lord, we discovered that they went directly to meet the queen, and she received them. Later, the girl disappeared but returned after some days."
"Interesting," the man said darkly slapping the woman's butt hard and firm the once white big buttock turned pink. "my lord",she moaned please be gentle.
"we tried to break in, but the queen's security is too tight."the other figure continued
"Damn it," he muttered, then he slapped her butt again, moving the other hand faster, and dipper getting her wet and sticky. making her cry in pleasure and pain. "Find a way to enter the palace. I'm giving you only until tomorrow."he said pulling her down from his leg, placing her in front of him then guiding his clo into her mouth moving her head up and down use your teeth well he whispered to her.
"Yes, my lord," they replied in unison. Without raising their heads, the two figures turned and vanished into the shadows.
The man exhaled slowly, get out he told the woman,
My lord did I do anything wrong she question.
Get out before I change my mind he said his gaze fixed on the window. "So… the queen has her now," he murmured, his lips curling into a cruel smile as he lay back on the bed.