The day faded into dusk and the stars began twinkling above the moonless stars. The melodies from the night creatures mingled with the soft brush of the waves on the shore. The blow of the breeze grew colder as the night fell darker, giving more icy chills on the skin rather than its usual soft, gentle caress. Three men hid behind the gigantic rocks near the shore; each were carrying sharp swords on their waists. One had age struck him at its finest though still stood mighty and strong whilst the other two were twice younger than him. They watched as the lonely, white fortress disappeared before the vast view of the ocean ahead. After it was concealed by the darkness after the sun had sunken down, a light broke into one of the window at the center tower that faced the vast grounds. And then it spread to the bridge which connected the eastern and western towers. But that wasn't all of it, on top of the center tower, a much more blinding light poured out as though

"Ferlah!" Prince Zaeius ran towards her. Keir and Bo followed him from behind. Ferlah was chasing her breath as her vision was threatened to get covered with black patches. Her purplish mouth gaped half open on her pale face, trying to breathe more air. "Ferlah, hang on! Take this!" Keir sat down beside the prince as he offered her a pill of pain reliever from his pocket. Ferlah struggled to swallow it in so Keir held her head up and she finally manage to do so. She couldn't utter a word anymore as she felt her tongue froze from the pain that was attacking her entire body to the bones. After Keir had gently put back Ferlah's head on the floor, blood began pooling underneath her. She was heavily wounded by the arrows on her tentacles. Though she had pulled out all the arrows with her power, it still cannot save her from being critical. For the arrows were poisoned by a purple poison, a poison that only Purple Smoke have but not

Bo was just as more shocked as Keir and Prince Zaeius. "Yes, you heard it right. And no, I'm not joking nor making things up," Ferlah concluded to erase their doubts. "Grandpa, I don't know what to say," Keir said in the midst of confusion as he turned to his grandfather to seek for an advice. He don't know what he should feel because half of him was relieved as it would mean that he would no longer bear such heavy responsibility on his shoulders. While the other one was slightly disappointed. "How do you know that the guardian you said possessed the guardian's quality?" Bo asked with doubtful eyes. "I have my proofs," Ferlah said, sharply eyeing at Keir. And then she turned to Bo. "How about you? Do you also found a guardian?" Bo and Prince Zaeius automatically looked at Keir. With this, Ferlah had made it clear. The guardian that Bo was referring to was his own grandson. "Wait. So

King Astius was even more confused and at the same time furious at the nonsense words that she was talking about. This caused him to quickly knock her hands off him. He then aimed his sword at her. But when he did this, Purple Smoke disappeared again. They could only hear her laughter reverberating on the walls of the royal hall. And then they began hearing her whispering or laughing in their ears one at time that made them swung their swords in any direction, wishing to hit her. While in the midst of hunting her, they suddenly heard Kalen yowled in pain. When they looked at him, he was already wounded on the lower left side of his stomach. There was blood profusely gushing out of it that he was quickly weakened, leading his knees on the cold, marble floor with one hand holding the area. They only realized that they should have killed Purple Smoke when they had the chance. But they stood weakly against her overwhelming power that her presence alone could ma

Keir slowly brought himself up. His race twisting from the pain on his back. King Astius came in front of him with two of Méah's men on each side. King Astius had ordered them to prevent Keir from going after Méah. Keir looked at the three of them with confusion all over his face as the two men pulled out their swords and aimed it both under his chin. "Your majesty, what is going on? Why...why is she here? Why did you let her go? I don't understand," Keir asked question after question, breathing heavily with widened eyes. "Just calm down first, Keir. And I will tell you everything." King Astius walked back to the table and sat down. He gestured them to follow him. The two men lowered their swords and put it back on their sheaths. Keir did as the king ordered, giving malicious looks on the two strangers beside him. He first recognized their uniforms and was convinced that they were from Eastias. What he didn't understand was