BODIES THUDDED on the ground one after another. Aricson watched as they fell without nobody lifting a finger, or the opportunity to do so. His gaze was immediately directed to the person in front of him.

The unconcerned gait of the Regis was apparent while he strode with assurance as if he was walking on his own terrains, seemingly bleak like the biting winds seeping into Aricson's skin. Damp air circulated within the stone walls and the breeze only intensified the further they ventured.

Aricson tightened his coat but it did nothing to ease the cold. Magic could easily solve his problem if not for the place they were currently at.

As someone with an elemental flow, the Abandoned Grounds of Desmidonia were somewhere they avoided if they must. It was an area filled with ancient magic no one could decipher and no spirit could enter.

If this was a ploy of the Regis, there was no doubt Aricson would succumb as those people who sprawled on their path. Nevertheless, he had no option but to trust the king of the demons.

For the Regis to show himself and declare such words, there was no doubt in his mind but to believe him.

The concave arch of the ceiling became wider and more people appeared. But, they could not even reach a meter before they feebly fell on the graveled dirt.

Aricson's face became more distorted the more he witnessed this impossible scene. He would not believe it if he had not seen it with his very own eyes.

Those people were all members of the Abyss Faction. This organization consisted of every race from what he had observed but none stood a chance. With how powerful the Regis was, he could annihilate all races.

Still, Aricson's mouth was sealed. He was not an insensitive person not to know his boundaries.

The two men continued their way into the dimmed cave until they reached a place that resembled a prison with all the metal doors embedded in the solid rock walls. The Regis walked with no pause and opened the door at the far end.

"Damn it!" the Regis grumbled. This time the change in his expression became obvious and those dormant green irises became a flashing red in the lowly lit room.

However, it returned to normal before Aricson could react. He went to the Regis side and saw nothing inside.

"What happened?" he asked.

"They're gone, boy, and we're in deep shit. They must already be in his chamber."

"We should hurry then." Aricson spun on his feet but hearing no movement from the Regis, he turned around once more. "Won't you come?"

An uncharacteristic deep sigh left Regis's lips. "For fvck's sake, I don't want to meet him," he grumbled under his breath.

"What?"

"Do you know why we walked and I have not teleported?" he asked, without any context.

Aricson was wondering that too since they arrived inside the cave entrance with just a snap of his hand. He simply shook his head as a reply.

"Because the moment I do, we'll be instantly directed to the chamber."

There was a subtle furrow on Aricson's brow. "Isn't that we're currently heading to?"

Another deep breath escaped the Regis's mouth instead of answering. The Regis looked up with defeat. "You owe me one, Aevum!"

Aricson's stare toward the Regis grew stranger. He did not understand what was going on and merely waited for the Regis's next words. Just as he expected, the Regis focused his eyes on him.

"The four Harbingers are currently in the hands of the leader of the Abyss Faction. Do you still want to come with me? Unlike those flies we encountered, the person in the chamber could defeat all members of the Association if he wished to and I have no right to interfere what he will do to you."

He listened to his explanation but his mind was stuck on the first sentence. "How are there four Harbingers? isn't Elise the Harbinger?"

"In a sense, yes. But she is a mistake. In fact... every single one of them was a mistake," the Regis corrected himself. "As I've told you before, you have to make a Kismet Pledge with Elise."

"As much as I wanted to agree, I cannot do it without Elise's approval and I would not dare humiliate her," he said.

Aricson frankly thought the Regis was jesting when he said a similar statement before they got here. However, the seriousness of those irises was evident but Aricson was not willing to do it.

Kismet Pledge was an intimate act hidden behind closed doors. He would never subject the woman he loved to such a public deed even if it was at an expense of a grim consequence.

"Boy." The smile became relaxed as if to mock Aricson. "Making love isn't the sole way that you can do a Kismet Pledge. History has been distorted over time and only in the later years that it evolved to become something like it. A simple kiss would do and of course both of your consent."

"Still, I don't think Elise would agree in such a short time. Isn't there any other way? We have to go quickly. Won't she be in danger the longer we spend time here?" he probed, his voice still controlled without the impatience he was feeling.

"She'll have no choice or else she'll be bound to him instead. As for your other concern, you don't have to worry. He won't hurt her," the Regis said with a guarantee.

"Aren't we talking about the god you mentioned earlier? Elise is a Mundran and she'll have no chance against him."

"I told you, he won't hurt her even how much we dally here."

Aricson let out an exasperated sigh. "Just who is 'he'? How can you say that with such assurance?"

A lopsided grin reflected on the Regis's face. "Hint. We're in his territory."

"The Origin of Destruction?" Aricson answered instantly but how he wished he was wrong.

There were only several known gods in the history of Elith but the most famous were the Guardians of Origin. They were the gods that made Elith what it was today. History stated the Origins were equal in power but when the Ruin of Elith began, it was proven that Destruction was the strongest among the four. But what solidified his conclusion was the fact that Destruction was praised by the shifters who resided on this continent.

"Heh. Correct," the Regis replied with a tone like he was talking about the weather.

Despite anticipating the affirmation, Aricson could still not believe it.

"How?" His voice was almost hoarse from the utter disbelief. "The Origin of Destruction was sealed during the first war and he needed the Harbinger to even begin the prophecy of the Return of Destruction."

"Boy, don't humans have an academy to let you learn? What do you think will happen if Destruction completely disappears? The balance will be broken. Dark and Light. Chaos and Creation. Void and Essence. Life and Death, Inception and Destruction. One is bound and as significant as the other. At most, gods can only be sealed," the Regis paused. "At the present, he is still locked up but his consciousness had already come back the moment the first Harbinger arrived in this world."

A moment of quietness ensued, leaving Aricson in a trance after all he had heard. To learn that what his race was preventing had already begun before he was even born made him realize how futile it was to attempt to even prevent it in the first place.

"Does that mean the Origin of Destruction was the one who created Abyss Faction?" Aricson prompted after a while.

"Of course. Who else do you think can do it?"

"If so... What about you? Who are you?"

The two men's gazes clashed. One full of suspicions and one with nothing but indifference as if he was an audience fully entertained by a charade.

"Heh... I thought you'd never ask." The Regis's lips curved higher. "But you were correct, I will never answer."

"You are the Origin of Death," Aricson voiced out his speculation, nonetheless.

The land of Nerov had never once changed its leader. Knowing that Destruction was alive meant other gods were too. This assumption would also ascertain how the Regis' physique and the skills he had shown were unlikely for a demon.

The smile only became deeper. "Think whatever you want, boy. But first, listen to me if you want to stay alive."

༻❁༺

U n S c e n e s

Q: Elise will be fine, but what about the others, Regis?

Regis: Oh, them? That crazy bastard will be too obsessed to even mind others.