"Ziyi will go with you," the chief said, "I shall go to the duke's residence with your companions."

"Alright." I said, suddenly Prince Simon came and stood beside me, "Will you be alright?"

"Haoxuan will be with me as always, and besides I am not that easy to defeat, your highness." Prince Simon nodded at me, while Ayla and Azarael gave me a glance before they all walked away with the chief of the tribe.

And I went ahead with Ziyi, she took me deeper into the forest and as we walked side by side I finally asked her, "Where are we going?"

"I am taking you to Eros."

"How do you know where he lives?" I asked and Ziyi sighed, "Eros is my twin brother, since we were little we could always sense each other, we would always know where the other is. We just always knew."

"Are you okay with him being killed like this?" I asked, "I am going to be his killer."

"My brother died the day he killed our parents and tried to kill the elder. Since he was a child, he had a hunger for power, and his path was a dark one, my parents, elders, everyone tried everything to bring him onto the correct path but alas we couldn't save him.

One time he even tried to kill me, he was performing a dark ritual that required a sacrifice and he chose me, fortunately my father saved me, I was only fourteen at that time and on that day I knew that I had no brother.

For me my brother died that very day and I have already grieved his loss, the one we are going to kill is nothing but a monster."

I nodded, she glanced at me and then at Haoxuan, "Does your slave never speak?"

"He is not my slave." I said sternly and clearly, "Haoxuan is my knight and he is very dear to me, I want you to give him the same respect you give me."

"Okay. But you do not seem to be from here."

"Yeah I don't live in the forest."

She rolled her eyes and said, "That's not what I meant, where are you from?"

"I am from the capital."

"Oh then why did you come to the duchy?"

And just like that I learned that Ziyi loved to ask questions, she was a curious girl who did not know when to shut up. However I did not mind her asking me questions, I learnt that she was only seventeen, she is still just a child, who wants to explore the world.

She also told me that she could see people's aura. She could sense curses and evil spirits, she was truly gifted with magic.

"So you guys are going to war against your monarch."

"Yes."

"Hm..." she was going to ask something else again but before she could, I sensed something was wrong and immediately stopped in my tracks, the other two stopped as well. Suddenly I saw snakes crawling towards us, and two snakes came flying right towards Ziyi, I quickly took out my sword and cut them in half.

"He's here." Ziyi said as she looked around with worry, suddenly there was fog around us, I quickly took out two small bottles of my blood and handed them to Haoxuan and Ziyi, "Drink this at once." they drank it without any question.

I looked around and felt a presence among the trees, I closed my eyes and tried to focus around me, then suddenly I opened my eyes and took my dagger and threw it up on a tree.

Suddenly we heard a grunt and someone fell down from the tree, I walked towards that person ready to strike, but suddenly hundreds of snakes fell all over me biting me everywhere, their teeth bit into my flesh, breaking my skin, their venom entering my blood.

I heard the figure laugh as it stood up, I saw a man standing in front of me, his hair was a mess, and his smile was scary, he was only wearing his lower garment and he was carrying a bag on him, "You are different from the rest, the poisonous fog does not affect you, and whatever medicine you gave to those two made them immune to my attacks as well, you look healthy and powerful, eating your flesh would be so much fun."

I shook all the snakes off me and killed some of them. Eros waited for me to faint or die, but when I raised my sword and walked towards him as if nothing had happened his smile vanished, "How is it possible, how come you are still standing even after being bitten by such venomous snakes."

"Go and ask god yourself." I said as I charged towards him, Eros stepped back.

"Who are you?" he asked.

"Why did you curse Duke Ashvald's daughter?" I asked in return and he laughed, "Oh Arielle, that cunt. I cursed her because she was a bitch, I used to love her. I used to observe her every time she came to the forest, my forest! I became her friend and I showed her magic. I showed her so many hidden magical spots.

We made so many good memories, we spent so much good time together, I thought that maybe we had something, I wanted her to become a part of my world so I confessed but that cunt rejected me! How dare she! How dare she reject me so I cast a spell on her.

She would only see me everywhere, she would only hear my voice, when she is sleeping she'll see me in her dreams, she'll hear my voice, when she is awake she will see me everywhere around her even if I am not there, she will hear my voice only. She won't be able to eat, sleep, walk or function properly.

In that way she will never forget me, she will regret rejecting me and will slowly lose her mind. I was waiting for her to come to me and beg for mercy and then I'd accept her, but this time I will make her my slave."

I felt angry and disgusted when I heard that. I charged at him.

He tried everything to defeat me after that, he spewed curses at me, threw poisons at me, used magic on me but nothing worked, I was immune to all his poisons and curses.

And as the moments went by he was getting more and more desperate and flustered, and in the end he finally stumbled back, "Stop, stop, I will give you the book back." he said as he threw the bag towards me, "Please spare my life."

"You did not spare the life of your own parents, of your people when they came to get you... then why should I spare yours and you also cursed the duke's daughter to suffer so badly, all because she rejected you. A person like you should not be allowed to exist anymore. You were already given plenty of chances, you wasted them all." I slowly walked towards him and he backed up against a tree, he pleaded for his life and begged for mercy, while I just raised my sword and beheaded him.

His head fell beside his limp body and blood splattered everywhere. I turned back and picked up the book and handed it to Ziyi.

"I hope your elder will remember her deal."

Ziyi held the book and smiled, "She will."