A/N: Above is the photo of General Collosul, but much older :D  

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The group was welcomed by a huge double door by the end of their long walk. It's smooth and dark wooden surface gave the impression that it was easy to breach. Yet, when they entered the room, Zoe noticed that it wasn't actually wood, but gemstones with dozens of seals visible beneath. How they managed to carve that? She had no idea. But with the symbol of an olive green shield and a golden tree in the middle of the door, she knew the room must be special, probably the King's office.

The moment they were inside, the scent of lavenders became faint, replaced by the smell of old paper and a hint of leather. Zoe craned her neck at the two platforms stretching above them, every corner was occupied by books. Just the sight of thousands of colorful covers screamed its name as the haven for book lovers. 

She twirled over the carpeted floor, sizing the room. It was a lot bigger than their library at home, wide enough to hold a party for fifty people. It could have been much lovelier if there were more decorations. Only the towering window provided the room with life, giving a perfect view of the distant town and field of lavenders.

"Here should be fine," King Spero said, seating Arlette on one of the cushioned chairs at the fireplace. He offered Zoe the other seat, but Darcy refused his offer. "What is it that you wanted to talk about?"

"You already know, so cut the act," Darcy exclaimed between gritted teeth.

The man chuckled a chilling tone as he leaned on his desk, having his back on the tantalizing scenery. For some reasons, Zoe thought that he was like the older version of Darcy, yet with two times the mysterious aura. There was something about him that yelled untrustworthy at all sides.

Maybe it runs in the family, she thought.

He searched his desk topped with paper works and books thicker than Zoe's palm, picking up a silver pen and started twirling it around his fingers.

"Indeed," he said, matching the young Prince's cold stare. "May I know where you found her?"

"I should be the one asking you that." Darcy finally freed her wrist, instantly clenching his hand into a fist. "It was clear that the Heroine would be born in another realm after the cycle."

The pen hit the floor as his eyes turned to Zoe as if seeing her for the first time. "So you found her in the other realm?" He stood, crushing the material underneath his heavy armor. "You, of all people should know the punishment for your actions."

"Don't change the topic!"

"Wait a second!" Zoe struggled for words. "What do you mean by punishment? Is he gonna be put in jail?"

"Oh, much worst, young lady." He smiled, tempting her to push him out of the window. "You see, we are forbidden to enter your realm, for it will disrupt the flow of life and death. During the Ancient times, our world was united, but after the Dark Age, a barrier was made to prevent destruction from reaching your realm."

His attention slid to Darcy with eyes full of inquiries and amusement. They lingered there for a moment before going back to Zoe. "For a long time, no one dared to cross the barrier for it requires... a payment."

"Payment?" she echoed, her brows knitting together.

The King nodded. "However, I can't disclose it with you, young lady. It's an information only passed down to members of The Council and the Royal families. But to answer your question earlier," he continued, "yes, he would be thrown in jail and all of his powers and his title as royalty would be stripped away. After that, he would be sent to the impenetrable prison of Quebaras and never leave that place."

"Never?"

"'Til his last breath." The King reassured.

Horror spread across her face as though the shadows of the night decided to stay there for vacation. Even though she wanted to strangle the young man with her own hands, somehow, the idea of being left alone in a place she was unfamiliar was frightening. She knew that Darcy was hiding something, yet she couldn't bring herself to distrust him. After all, he was taking care of her. She may sound dependent, but she appreciated his company, especially the fact that he was here, fighting for her right as the Heroine.

"As the ruler of Lumiresia, I could simply arrest him and present you, young lady, as the proof of his forbidden exploit." Zoe swallowed and felt cold fingers laced around her wrist. There was no need to look, for she only had one ally in this room. "But as his older brother, it's also my responsibility to cover for his mistakes. I can't allow more shame on the name of Ludivics and I believe my little brother had enoug--"

"If you wanted to waste time, then do it on your own," the young Prince interjected. "We'll just come back some other day."

The King chuckled once more, making his resemblance to Darcy increased by a point. "You never change, little brother."

"Enough with your stalling. Now tell me, you can clearly see it, right?" The young bodyguard spat, uttering pure bitterness. "Her power is far greater than the one you claimed as Heroine. You're making false claims again!"

He simply shook his head, some of his black hair brushed on his strong shoulders. "Is this about Hachal's theory? My best friend has been missing for seventeen years and with his work left incomplete, it can't be considered as reliable."

He walked across the room and stopped beside Arlette, making the small girl shift uncomfortably. "My theory, on the other hand, has proven me correct." He placed his hand on the young girl's shoulder, freezing her in place. "I found her in the small village of Esmir while I was doing my usual search. I've been in that place so many times that my eyes must have missed her. She may look like an ordinary girl if you based it on her soul, but there's more to her than meets the eye."

"What about her family?" Zoe asked and saw the other girl flinched. Although she was her competitor, she couldn't help asking, for she too was worried about her family.

"She's an orphan," King Spero answered. "If you will excuse me, may I ask your name? I believe we haven't formally met." He gave Zoe a slight bow and offered his right hand, "I am Spero Ludivic, Jao's older brother and the King of Lumiresia."

"I'm Zoe," she replied with a straight face, feeling Darcy's grip to tighten. Even without his warning, she wouldn't dare touch the hand of Darcy version 2.0.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Zoe." His smile vanished as he retracted his hand, replaced by a faint glare from a predator with wounded pride. "You must be wondering about the theories we were talking about. How about you take a seat as I explain?"

"There's no need for that," Darcy said with pure irritation in his voice. "I need an explanation now! You're clearly buying yourself some time to come up with another excuse!"

Thunder boomed from the distance, or so Zoe thought, as the King's face was clouded with grim. "We may be brothers, but you should never forget that I'm still your King. My patience also has its limits."

He sighed and approached his side table, taking a sip of his tea beside an untouched meal. When he faced them again, a familiar smug smile was back on his face. "Either way, my little brother, we brought these two ladies here because this matter concerns them and I think it's only right if we enlighten Zoe, so as to not leave her out. Arlette already had her briefing."

For a moment, Zoe labeled his actions as completely disturbing. Gilbert and Siegfrid always scolded her, and no matter how many teas they drank, it took days before their anger settled down. Well, it was a different matter for Siegfrid. But she simply couldn't understand the King's reaction, something must be wrong with his head.

Or maybe that was one of the qualities of a King?

Darcy broke from his gaze, turning to the gloomy fireplace as if his glare could lit it to life.

"Good." The King muttered, bringing Zoe back to her self. She watched him stroll and stopped at the far bookshelf, pulling a leather bound book the size of two dinner plates. "To start, our world is connected to yours. Although a border was created during the ancient time that restricted its inhabitants to cross the others, the connection in our realms remained."

He paused, turning the brittle pages with care. "The connection I was talking about is life and death. When a person from your realm died, that person's soul would travel here and be re-birthed. The same goes for your world. If a Mamorian died, his or her soul would travel to your world and be re-birthed. Of course, all their memories will be gone."

"So, there's no afterlife?" Zoe asked, scratching her head.

"Well, that's a different matter, Zoe, but if you want we could discuss--"

"About the theory," Darcy supplied, making the King grunt in response.

She had no idea where this was going and such information sounded so ridiculous, yet here she was, trying her best to wrap her mind around his every word. Just the mere thought of being re-birthed startled her.

"Now, with the theories," the King continued. "Hachal's theory centers on this. He believes that the Heroine must be in your realm, which explains why no one found her for thousands of years. Unfortunately, the day when he has something important to announce regarding his research, he went missing and his house was set on fire, erasing the traces of his work."

He closed the book, allowing a few dust to dance in the air. He pushed it back on the shelf and spun to meet Zoe with a solemn expression. "That time, I knew someone was behind his disappearance, yet I have no means of knowing who. We found a few leads but only brought us to a dead end." 

He stepped beside the tea table and ran his fingers on the rim of his tea cup. "And so I tried to find him in every corner of Mamoria, only to face the bitter reality that he might be dead. Although I wanted to avenge him, I was faced with a wall and rendered powerless. After that, I came to an idea of continuing his research and finish it to deliver my revenge."

"Can't you cut the drama and get to the important part?" Darcy blurted, letting go of Zoe's hand to cross his arms.

"Why don't you just enjoy this time, my little brother?" He gestured towards him with an open palm. "You rarely come home and as your older brother, I am worr--"

"Just continue with the damn theory!"

The King sighed, massaging his temples. "As I was saying, I followed his research through the telegrams he sent me and that's when I stumbled on another piece of our missing history, a tale about the Guardians. And that time marks the beginning of my own theory."

He looked up at them after playing with his teacup and continued, "It was said that they are in a deep sleep somewhere here in Mamoria, for they were bound not to leave this realm to maintain balance. And that brings me to a conclusion, if the Guardian of Light died, her soul must also be bound to this world to maintain balance. If she leaves, the darkness would be too dominant. In my opinion, the reason we could not find her for centuries was that someone already knew about this and was killing her reincarnations."

The room remained silent as the information sink in. Zoe suddenly felt the urge to sit as her knees began to shake. The King's theory was simply believable compared to the incomplete theory of a missing historian. It was like a one sided debate, with no hope of ever winning.

If everything he said was true, then who was she? And what was the purpose of the strong power inside her?

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Dedicated to Sam_otaku_elric

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XOXO