GENEVIEVE ASHBOURNE'S POV

Marahas na hinila ako ni Lucius patayo.

Mabilis naman akong nagtago sa likod niya.

Habang ang hari ay matindig na nakatayo while repairing the scattered place using his power. He didn't say anything. In one sway of his fingers, those lifeless body on the ground already covered with white clothes.

"bring them back to their own hometown." The King command.

In just a blinked of an eye, he vanished in front of us.

Napalingon ako kay Lucius nang marinig ang buntong hininga niya.

"bakit?" tanong ko sa kanya.

He ordered those soldiers to clean the mess and started walking.

"The King is still not fully recovered. The formidable barrier established by the King is beginning to falter. And that indicates that the power of the king is slowly diminishing, while the enemy is getting stronger. Thay manange to infiltrated the palace and created chaos without arousing suspicion."

"Ha? I thought the King already gained his power and strength before the ceremony? Isn't he's been recuperating for weeks?"

Umiling siya.

"It's not that he's unable to regain his full power. Rather, during the revival process, an unexpected event occurred that severely shook his foundation. The Queen mysteriously vanished right after the revival, and as mates and each other's source of energy, the King and Queen are meant to stay together. Without the Queen's presence, it will become increasingly challenging for the King to maintain his strength and power, causing him to grow weaker with each passing day. The Queen herself is also affected by this situation, and nobody knows her current whereabouts or if she is even alive. Even the great sorcerer couldn't feel her essence. While the King can't use his full power to track his Queen." paliwanag niya.

Nakailang pasikot-sikot na kami dito sa loob ng main palace. Parang may mga pinasukan pa kaming mga hidden passage. Hanggang sa tumapat kami sa isang kulay itim na pintuan.

Pinanood ko lang kung anong mga ginagawa ni Lucius. He pressed something and suddenly, the huge door opened.

Malawak ang room na ito at hindi to basta isang kwaro lang. It's more likely a dungeon. Walang bintana kaya tanging mga ilaw galing sa mga torch lang ang nagbibigay liwanag. Pero ang nakaagaw ng aking pansin ay ang Hari na nakatayo sa gitna. It's a formation actually.

He's like enduring something. Hindi na siya ang makapangyarihang Hari na tumatak sa isip ko na nakikita ko sa labas. This time, he's trying to get rid of somehing that torturing him from inside.

"w-what's happening?"

"This is what I told you earlier. His own energy will attack him at some time that cause him feel weak at that moment. And that circle formation is helping him. The only way to make the King's energy stable is the purification power of the Queen. They both have that kind of power but it needed a stable energy to perform it. The King's situation couldn't use it because it may backfired on him instead."

I felt something on my heart. It's something like I wanna help. Sa situation na nakikita ko ngayon ay parang gusto kong lumapit to help him ease the pain his enduring. I saw how he wanted to shout the pain but he stay still and manage to fight it.

Napahawak ako sa pisngi ko nang maramdaman kong may umagos na tubig. No, it's a tears. Am I crying?

Pinunasan ko iyon at sinubukang lumapit sa circle.

"what are you doing!?" mabilis na pinigilan ako ni Lucius.

"I-I just w-want to help. Lucius I can heal right!?" desperadang hinawakan ko ang braso niya at pinakiusapan siya.

"M-maybe... at least I can ease the pain! Let me get closer to him. I will try my best to help!" I desperately said.

Hinablot niya ang mga kamay kong nakahawak sa braso. He looked at me with disbeliefs.

"you're still amateur in using the power of healing, Genevieve! Do you think it can help him!? Even the elder of the sorcerers and the great healer in Serendell couldn't do anything! You can't even enter in the circle! How can you even think that your mere healing power could help him! You'll die first before you could get close!" he shouted. Kita ko sa mga mata niya ang pinaghalong galit at pag-aalala.

Hindi na ako makapagsalita at natulala sa kanya.

Dahan-dahan niyang binitawan ang mga braso kong mahigpit na hinawakan niya kanina.

"don't risk your life to a situation that is not sure if it's deserve your sacrifice." Mahinahong sabi niya sa huli nang makita niyang natulala ako matapos niya akong sigawan sa mukha.

"what are you two doing here."

Napalayo ako kay Lucius nang marinig ang maotoridad na boses ng Hari. I look at him and gone the weak and tortured King earlier. Bumalik ulit siya sa dati. It looks like he's already done in controlling his own energy for now.

"we'ere here to check on you, your majesty." Sagot ni Lucius.

The king look at me. He's like saying something.

"You can get out first. Wait me outside and don't wonder around, there are many mechanism that you might trigger." Utos sa akin ni Lucius. It is what the king wants me to do anyway kaya lumabas nga ako.

NARRATOR'S POV

"is there any news about the Queen." The king asked.

"forgive me for my incompetence, your majesty, but didn't find any trace about the Queen. I already searched every places and even the most isolated place of Izacaetopia but I failed."

Nanatili ang walang emosyon na ekspresyon ng hari.

"there is still one place you didn't search, and it's a place that it's hard for you to infiltrate."

Lucius gasp at the thought.

"The domain of Abyssal Shadow!" he exclaimed.

Tumalikod ang Hari, in one sway of his hands, a dark purple pants already floating in the air. It is surrounded by a dark energy. The king put his both hands at his back. Lumapit din si Lucius at tumabi sa Hari. They both look at the purple dark plant infront of them.

"Azure Isle. This is the name of the place of the Domain of the Abyssal Shadow. Even me, didn't know how the ruler of Abyssal Shadow is capable of. They are getting stronger by absorbing dark energy from the people and the dark energy produce by this plant."

The King paused, and Lucius didn't speak and wait for the King to continue.

"This plant was used to be pure by nature, the powerful herbal plant to cure and heal. But it is also the roots of evils. Destroying it is easy but exterminating this plants in whole Izacaetopia is way complicated." The king stated.

There is a silence in a seconds.

Namilipit bigla si Lucius when he felt a strong energy entered in his body.

"y-your majesty!"

"endure it for a moment. I'll transfer you some purification power since I couldn't use it."

"but you still didn't regained your full power!"

Hindi iyon pinansin ng Hari.

Nang matapos ang transfer process ay napaluhod si Lucius sa panghihina ng katawan niya while also feeling a strong energy inside his body flowing through his vein.

"You have the core energy of all natures living being. You can merge it with the power of purification and cultivate it here in Ascendance Pavillion."

"I-I don't know about the core energy. I d-didn't even know that I have it." Nanghihinang sabi ni Lucius.

In one snap of the King's finger, Lucius already thrown in the circle and a formation was activated.

"that formation is called cosmic formation. It can help you cultivate and regulate your power. It's time for you to activate your core energy. I'll give 3 days to stay here and help you cultivate. It's not easy to exterminate the dark purple plants, but using the core energy of natures living being, merged with the power of purification, you can purified it instead of destryong. The plants is an ancient in history, purifying it is better than destryong, it could be use again for healing." The King stated.

Wala nang nagawa si Lucius kundi tanggapin ang binigay na opportunity ng Hari. It's for his own good, he can't and must not refuse. Ang mismong Hari na ang tumutulong sa kanya para mas lumakas pa. Bakit pa siya tatanggi? He vowed that he'll protect everyone he loved even if it cost his life. And this opportunity is already infront of him.

"Your majesty....can I have one more request." Lucius said.

Hindi nagsalita ang Hari at hinintay ang sasabihin ni Lucius.

"she's sometimes impulsive and decisive. She didn't hesitate to do things that can always put her into danger. I hope you'll spare her if she'll make trouble again. She's has the purest heart in this universe." He said.

Walang reaksyon na naglakad papuntang pintuan ang Hari para lumabas. For the last time, he put a formidable barrier in the foundation to make it stable kung sakalaing magkaroon ng gulo. Kahit anong mangyari, hindi dapat pwedeng mahinto or madistract ang cultivation ni Lucius, because if this happen, he'll loose everything.

"I'll keep her safe for your sake." The King's last word before he went out of the door.

GENEVIEVE'S POV

"si Lucius?" tanong ko sa Hari na kalalabas.

He stand still in front of me. He look at me with disbelief medyo tumaas pa ang kilay niya.

"you're really something huh?" saad niya na.

"ah?"

His expression changed again like he heard something unbelievable.

"Woman, even Lucius bowed at me before reporting. While you...ambushing me with your question like I am just a mere common person? Nice, interesting." Hindi ko narinig yung huling sinabi niya dahil binulong niya lang.

Saka ko lang narealize na isang Hari nga pala ng buong Izacaetopia ang kaharap ko ngayon. Genevieve! Lagi mo na lang pinapahamak sarili mo! Naasan ang etiquette mo! Simpleng pag bow lang sa Hari makakalimutan mo pa. Huwag mong sabihin na yun ang tatapos sa buhay mo!

Nalukot ang mukha ko at nakuha ko pang tumawa ng tawang aso sa harapan niya.

"ah hehehe" tawa na halatang wala nang pag-asa.

Medyo umtras ako ng konti at nag bow gesture katulad ng ginagawa ni Lucius.

"your majesty." I said while bowing.

"Alright. Get up, you look like a fool." He said saka naglakad at nilagpasan ako.

Nag make face ako sa kanyan habang hindi siya nakatingin.

"Don't wait for Lucius here. His regulating his power inside, i ordered him a new mission for that. From now on, you'll tag along with me to subdue Abyssal Shadow and to confront the one ruled them" He said and after that he vanished infront of my eyes.

"but..." napatitig ako sa pintuan kung saan nasa loob si Lucius.

I used the power of astral projection to see what's really happening inside.

And what the king said is true. Nang makampante ay mag-isa akong naglakad para lumabas. Kaso hindi ko na alam ang mga dinaanan namin kanina.

Nang biglang parang may naapakan ako ay umingay ang paligid. Ay hindi, shet nagliliparang mga palaso pala.

Ngumawa ako!

"wala na bang ikakagrabe pa ang kamalasan ko!" sigaw ko while covering my head kahit alam kong tatama at tatama pa rin sa akin ang mga iyon.

Pero nang wala akong maramdaman na kahit man lang dumaplis sa akin ay binaba ko ang mga kamay ko. I saw a barrier, no, an energy surrounding me. Nagsisilbing proteksyon para hindi tumagos yung mga palaso. Nang natigil ang paglabas ng mga palaso, a red light came out and it look like it's telling me where the direction to get out of here.

Susundan ko ba ito? Baka isa lang itong patibong.

Sinundan ko na lang kesa mabulok dito ng ilang araw bago pa lumabas si Lucius. The energy that surrounding me is still here. Sinundan ko yung red light habang pinagmamasdan ang buong paligid. Mayat maya ay parang may mga naapakan ako dahilan para matrigger ko ang mga mechanism na sinabi ni Lucius kaya laging may mga palaso o iba pang mga patibong ang dumederetso sa akin. Pero dahil sa energy na nakapalibot sa akin ay hanggang ngayon ay buo pa rin naman ang katawan ko.

Nakalabas ako ng lugar na iyon. Nagsara ang pader na lagusan papapunta doon, saka ko lang napansin na sa likod mismo pala ito ng main palace. Para lang itong simpleng pader, yung hindi mo maiisip na may nakatagong lagusan pala.