Chapter 30: Trails of Poison

Chapter 30: Trails of Poison [A.N. : Sorry that it took so long before this Chapter was posted. I was caught in a difficult position with this Chapter and had to modify a lot otherwise it would just feel like an information dump. Dw though. I fixed it so its a good read now. If you have anything to point out, Leave a comment and I’ll be sure to reply to you. ( ͡~ ͜ʖ ͡°)] In the main hall, people could be seen in almost every space. They were from different places and different races, and the appearance of everyone could be described with one word. Aristocrats One inconspicuous character wandered about ’harmlessly’ through the crowd of people. Very few noticed him, and those who noticed him didn’t look at him twice. He looked around, using his ’eyes’ to take note of the auras of the people present, noticing the strong ones and the weak ones. As usual, the attribute that appeared the least was the space attribute. He could count less than ten in the whole room with most of them being very low-level cultivators. It felt like Mozrael had been sitting there for only a few minutes, enjoying the comforting wind. But in reality, almost three hours had passed when she finally decided to go back inside to join the rest. She stepped in and the size of the crowd immediately made her uncomfortable. Suffocating. That was the word that ran in her mind. Worse still was the fact that she couldn’t see any familiar faces to make her comfortable. People stole glances at her but pretended not to notice her. She was glad she rarely made a public appearance. Henndar was in a meeting with ambassadors from each Kingdom, Kethra was discussing with some of the officials, and Aramith and Lia...she couldn’t see any traces of them. She searched for a less crowded spot and moved there, feeling slightly better. As she studied the crowd, a peculiar little fellow caught her eye. He seemed her age, but she just felt he was odd. One could see people talking, laughing, and eating, but this one did none of those. He only stood there, eyes darting all around as if in search of something or somebody. Using a bit of her power, she scanned him but sensed nothing at all. He had no Youm, not even a tiny bit of it. That was odd, but what intrigued her the most was the fact that he had no aura. His presence just wasn’t there. Only people with higher ranks can hide their presence from those lower than their cultivation rank so well, the lower your rank, the more difficult it would be to hide your aura, but to completely hide your presence when you have no cultivation registers only one word into a person’s mind. Suspicious. Just then, the boy turned to her and the chill she felt as they made eye contact could not be described. Just as she was breaking eye contact, she caught a glimpse of a smile that gave her goosebumps. Hordin was hurt. He came in very late after most of the action had finished. The old man had refused to attend the occasion, deciding to stay in his room. From the time he set foot into the large space, he’d wandered alone, not knowing what to do. Everyone else was way above his age and that made him feel alone and left out. The least he could do was get to know some people at least so he could get some information. That was basically what everyone else was doing and out of all the people crowded in there, the only people that seemed his age were the prince and princess of The Vermillion Kingdom Who’d entered hours ago, But those two had the strangest aura he had ever seen. He only met them once, but that encounter made him want to stay away from them. He couldn’t figure out what their attributes were, and their aura was so powerful if they were to flare it a bit, he was sure he would suffocate. At that age, they couldn’t be above the bronze gate, and the girl...wasn’t she the one they were celebrating today? She was supposed to be now entering the world of cultivation but how could she be so powerful? As they passed him, he was sure she smiled at him, but the prince...he glared openly. he was glaring at everyone and they all averted their gaze. Hordin had been searching for people his age he could interact with. In the vast grounds where he found himself, everyone was conversing with other people, so the least he could do was find someone. At least he could gain some information on a topic or two, and if lucky enough, he could get some confidential information from an unsuspecting victim. But...where could he find that someone? That was the big unanswered question. He roamed about for so long till he saw his age mates, the prince and the princess who he was sure hated him although he couldn’t figure out why. Because of that, he removed them from his mind as possible people he could interact with. He wandered some more, and after another while of aimlessly moving about and being stared at by people older than him who he guessed were wondering what he was doing, he found someone. She had long, dark hair and blue eyes that drew him in. He just couldn’t take his eyes off her and felt his heartbeat quicken when she turned to him. She was frozen as well and he thought he felt something- a connection, and smiled, expecting a similar reaction from her, but she just looked away when she saw his smile. Her expression, he saw was one mixed with suspicion, fear, and a bit of disgust. Well, that was what he remembered seeing. Hordin gave up at that point. He wasn’t a person to think much about his appearance, but he was sure he wasn’t ugly enough to scare a girl away. So...why? He walked off to sulk in a secluded corner where he wouldn’t be bothered by anyone. the spot was perfect. It was dark, and no one paid attention to him. "How perfect," he muttered, still sulking as he observed the people. Out of nowhere, he saw the prince and princess walking towards him. In all their grace and elegance, they were walking towards him. Maybe the first time, it was a misunderstanding. A smile blessed his face. ...he fantasized way too early. They stopped a few steps away from him. The princess turned to her brother. "Are you sure she was here? Nothing shows." Hordin was startled. ’she’? I’m not a girl. He looked at his hands and noticed that even though he was a boy, he had the slender fingers of a girl. "Oh, there she is! Was she hiding?" The princess exclaimed. Hordin’s heart burned slightly, but he lost all elation as he raised his head to see them walking away from him. They went to a familiar face. the blue-eyed girl he had seen earlier. Hordin looked at them, feeling a bit of jealousy as they talked normally. With a bit of focusing, he was able to hear their words as if he were with them. As the three engaged in their conversations, Lia suddenly sucked in some air as she remembered something. She looked around and then told them, " I just remembered Dad told me to go meet with someone from a certain kingdom," she said. Aramith furrowed his brows. "Is it them?" He murmured. "Who? What do you mean by them? There are a lot of people here," Lia laughed lightly, but Aramith still felt off. "Why do you have to meet foreigners when the king and queen are still alive?" Aramith switched to using the words ’king’, and ’queen’ which wasn’t his normal behavior. Lia didn’t like him refusing to acknowledge them as parents but separating them as king and queen. She frowned at him. Mozrael also stiffened slightly. She had expected ’mother and father,’ not this cold formality. A flicker of something unreadable passed through Aramith’s eyes "That wasn’t nice of you," she told him. "What wasn’t nice? Besides, where are they?" "Mom was with some of them, having a chat, but Dad is having a meeting with the representatives from each kingdom." "Oh, but still," he persisted. Lia rolled her eyes and turned to leave. "Well, I’ll be off to do something important. Try to keep him from ruining my big celebration, Mozrael. I’m the star of the show today." Mozrael was caught off guard by the sudden attention given to her. Her expression flickered—so brief it might have been imagined. But Aramith noticed the way her fingers curled, ever so slightly, tension coiled beneath her calm exterior. "What?" But Lia was already gone before she could ask. "I hate that about her," Aramith scowled at Lia’s disappearing back. She had just overcome a major hurdle but then she wouldn’t let them enjoy the moment together. He hadn’t realized, but he was acting that way because of the nightmares he had before waking up. A strange sense of unease gnawed at Aramith, though he couldn’t tell why. It wasn’t fear, nor was it paranoia—just a vague feeling that something was... wrong. Hordin who had been eavesdropping suddenly realized that his skin was covered in goosebumps. He couldn’t shake off the feeling that something was about to go wrong. A thought flashed through his mind as he remembered something he had overheard that old man say the night before. It scared him and a chill went through his body. The old man planned to meet some people. He was going to buy some illegal products- dangerous ones. Uncomfortable thoughts kept his mind distracted as time went by. As the hour passed... two hours passed... A third was almost reaching when Hordin saw Aramith rushing through the mass of people. Hordin decided to follow him. Aramith searched long before finding Mozrael. "Oh, there you are." Mozrael glanced at him, tilting her head slightly. "Mm?" "Have you seen Lia? I haven’t seen her for over an hour now. It’s been almost two." Mozrael blinked, her fingers curling slightly. So what? He never got this desperate when she disappeared for a while. Still, she kept her tone even. "I saw her a while ago. She was talking to some people—looked like they were congratulating her on something. I didn’t think much of it at the time, but I haven’t seen her since." Her words should have been enough. But no—Aramith’s brows furrowed deeper, concern settling into his glowing eyes as if he hadn’t even heard her. Mozrael pressed her lips together, looking away. Why does it always have to be her? A flashback of his nightmare assaulted him, giving him a sharp headache. He ignored it and headed towards where he thought he would find her. He searched, asking any guard or servant he could find. Their replies were almost the same- nothing. This was getting more and more uncomfortable for him. He could easily sense Lia because of their special attributes, but after reaching out, he couldn’t find any trace of her. He could sometimes sense her presence, but then it would scatter everywhere, confusing him and alarming him more. No, the dream can’t be real, he thought as he rushed out of the place and made his way to the garden. There, he could think and relax to find her. He sensed around, but then something worse than he could think of happened. He felt something blocking all traces of her. It felt like a gate was being used to block out her aura, but it would open slightly and Lia’s aura would force its way out a bit. What’s this feeling? He traced it, and his heart sunk as he felt her aura outside farther and farther away, getting fainter and fainter. It could be that he was wrong, but he wasn’t going to take any chances, especially after those nightmares he had. Looking at the situation, it would have been more advisable if he got some help, or at least alerted someone, but he did none. The thought crossed his mind, but realizing it might waste time, he rushed out faster than the eye could see. The night favored him and he was able to slip through the shadows. This was a risky move since others could spot him, but what did he care about? The heaviness in his heart grew stronger and stronger as he traced her presence farther and farther from the palace. Was she kidnapped? The thought burned a flame inside him, but he had to calm down and find her first. Aramith had an attribute unknown to the world, one that would draw unwanted attention if it were ever discovered. Only ten people knew the truth, and even he had yet to master it. Whenever he used it, he risked losing control—his mind clouding, instincts twisting, an insatiable hunger for destruction creeping into his thoughts. The longer he let it take hold, the harder it was to pull himself back. What saved him during his ceremony was pure chance. When he touched the orb, his attribute had manifested as darkness—just like the Damned attribute. And with his naturally pale skin, no one had questioned it. Lia, on the other hand, wielded an attribute they called light. It was as unfamiliar as his, another phenomenon without precedent. They didn’t fully understand it, but Aramith knew one thing—he could sense it. While his power devoured, hers mended. Their attributes were polar opposites, and that contrast made her presence impossible for him to ignore. He was warned. Again and again. Never reveal your true power. Never use it where others could see. But rationality crumbled in an instant. He felt her presence flicker—faint, distant. Something was wrong. His body tensed, instincts surging forward, demanding he act. His fingers curled as a familiar, almost seductive sensation crept into his mind. He felt it whisper, pulling him in, and then it spread through his body. Power. If he let it take him, it would be easier. If he let go, he could reach her faster. He clenched his teeth, forcing himself to hesitate. Just for a second. Was I making the wrong choice? But worry gnawed at him, drowning out restraint. With a sharp breath, Aramith leaped into the sky, darkness coiling around him like living tendrils. His silhouette melted into the night, a formless shadow chasing the fading trace of Lia. A pulse of weakness—faint, but undeniable—flickered at the edge of his senses. She was struggling. His speed increased, urgency surging through him like a storm. Soon, he reached a clearing—a small park. He remembered passing it long ago with Lia and Mozrael when they went shopping. It should have felt nostalgic. But all he felt was unease. The silence was wrong. Not the peaceful quiet of night, but something emptier. As if the entire place had been drained of life. No people. No movement. Just stillness. Dead. How could all people in such a large area disappear like that? Aramith landed, mist rolling off him in waves as he moved toward where he sensed her presence. But with every step, her aura faded. He cut through empty alleys, weaving between buildings. Twice, he hesitated. A trap? His instincts whispered caution, but fear shoved them aside. Then— He stopped. His breath caught in his throat. Something lay ahead in the street. A heap. Motionless. His heart pounded as he stepped forward, dread twisting in his chest. A flash of an image—one he didn’t want to acknowledge—flared through his mind. No. He forced the thought down, but it resurfaced with every step. The moment he was close enough to see the figure clearly, his knees buckled. White. Her signature color. She was breathing—shallow, slow—but that only made it worse. Her clothes were dirty, torn in places. His hands trembled as he lifted her head onto his lap. Her eyelids fluttered open, barely. "You...came...," she rasped, forcing a breath. Aramith couldn’t speak. His body shook—not just from fear, but rage. Hatred. A seething thirst for vengeance. His hands clenched, darkness curling at his fingertips. The edges of his vision blurred, black creeping inward like a vignette, his power stirring, rising, hungry. Then he heard a faint whistle. An arrow struck his back. He didn’t feel the pain. Only the spreading numbness of poison. Another hit. Then a third. Alchemy formations glowed briefly before sinking into his skin. Still, he didn’t move. "Your fate is sealed," a voice murmured from the shadows. Gently, Aramith laid Lia back on the ground. Then, slowly, he rose to his feet. He turned—but saw no one. "You were shot with three arrows, all poisoned. The formation seals your attribute. Within twenty-four hours, the poison will kill you." The voice echoed from above, unseen. A heartbeat of silence. Then, without a word, Aramith lifted a single finger. The poison vanished. The arrows slid from his back, clattering to the ground. His expression darkened.