Two World's Mirror | TIMESLIP | BOOK 4

17 - Priceless

17 – Priceless

As the group looked towards the kneeling male, coughing out blood as he held his chest. Amato looked up towards them, his eyes flickering as they finally changed fully to brown. Ether Boboiboy looked towards his father with solemn eyes, unable to form words towards the man he had just killed. "I... had seen this... once before..." Amato uttered, coughing blood as the blood his chest started forming droplets to the floor. Ether Fang looked at him with alarm, Zion biting his bottom lip as he sighed. Boboiboy looked at the king, feeling conflicted as he himself is reminded of his father. "A death... in an empty field. My son... you've done... well." Amato uttered as the ground started to shake, making the group look around to see the floor beneath Amato cracking.

The cracks separating them from the king, they looked over the cracks. Red and white mists present as it soon flew into the air, making it spiral down beside Amato while seemingly creating a figure. 'This presence... I know I've sensed it by the castle...' Ether Fang thought as he looked towards the figure soon red and pink mists appeared as it built up as female figure. They all were alarmed to realize who it was. "My son..." She called as Amato gave a small smile, looking up to her, his eyes getting paler. "Mother..." Amato uttered as reached out his hand, Mira pulling at her hand to hold his, closing her eyes. "Are you... finally free?" Mira asked as a tear fell from her eye, making the group feel slightly bad. "Let's... go now, mother... we've done too much... already." Amato uttered as she opened her eyes, nodding to her son's words. The wind surrounding them thicken as Ether Boboiboy looked towards the small cracks, seeing his grandmother look at him with a small smile before they both disappeared.

Meanwhile, inside the castle of Crimoire, Tarung groaned as he held his head. 'No... how could those measly mortals—to defeat a mortal like Amato!—this is not ideal.' Tarung thought as he felt weakened, his head throbbing as he shut his eyes. Upon opening it, he was alarmed by the sight of Amato's figure on the stone table moving, looking towards him with a fierce sight. 'Was it fun... prancing in my thoughts?' Amato asked in an echo-y voice, making Tarung wide-eyed. As Amato stood properly, walking towards him as he gave an intimidating sight. Tarung soon recalled the last stance he took before the king, both still yielding their swords. 'I want to see you suffer... like what you've done to me... and my poor sons.' Amato uttered as he soon stepped away from Tarung, moving towards the white light and disappearing from the dark space.

"A useless puppet! What has staying in this realm taught you!?"

As Tarung felt a heavy hit on his chest, he awoke from the darkness, looking back to who seemingly shoved him off. Bentley's grim expression bore down to Tarung, making him internally shudder with the fearful aura emitted by the male. "Forgive m-my imprudence... my king... I may have underestimated the other rift dwellers..." Tarung stated as he knelt on one knee, feeling threatened by Bentley's orange gleaming eyes. "You should be grateful that they were clueless enough to enter the Crimoire Castle. Had they proceeded—seeing the castle's barrier—I'd kill you myself." Bentley stated as he summoned his scepter, making Tarung nod as he remained looking down. Inside the castle walls, a golden haired male cautiously hid in the rooms. His unreadable expression prevalent as he tried to find the enslaved and captured prisoners from the guards.

Whilst the aura surrounding Crimoire turned ever-so dark, the Ethereal Palace remained under lock from outside. Zion and Ether Boboiboy remained in the throne room as they kept recalling the last breath of their father, their heart slightly torn. "Your highnesses—" They both looked towards Ether Gopal who bore a serious expression. "—as you've requested, we've sent someone to look around the village. There are no strange anomalies by the borders as we speak." Ether Gopal stated as they nodded. "The people from the other rift? Are they unharmed?" Ether Boboiboy asked as the General nodded, making Zion nod back and gesture for him to go. Ether Gopal felt the whole palace tensed and dismissed by the twin Emperors. "Hey, other Gopal." A familiar tone called as he turned to see Fang and Ciciko. "What is it? Is there perhaps something wrong with the area I've placed you in?" "No, it's nice. But this is something about the battle I happened to go with---alongside the two Emperors." Fang stated as he looked at the male with curiosity.

"During the final moments of the battle, the other Fang as well as Boboiboy—our rift's Boboiboy—noticed that the eyes of that king kept shifting from red-orange to brown." Fang said as Ether Gopal furrowed his brows. "That is unusual... my predecessor served the late king, but from most stories surrounding the king, his eyes were naturally brown." Ether Gopal said as Ciciko heaved. "Perhaps someone else—you've all mentioned that he was estranged to a degree at one point, right? Could that have something to do with what happened before?" Ciciko said as they all felt conflicted by what they know and recently discovered. Ether Gopal was about to speak when his head throbbed, making him shut his eyes. 'Adam? What has happened?' 'Sir... I've discovered the prison for the captured guards.' Adam voiced as their eyes looked at the tired guards.

Ether Gopal felt disturbed when some were immobile on the floor, seemingly bleeding out. 'What happened to them? This—' 'Two red cladded males started an execution before the group... and most were stabbed for their amusement—and those who fought back... well.' Adam voiced in a solemn tone, making Ether Gopal grit his teeth. 'But—there is more general. Whilst I hid in the village—guards in patrol for Crimoire mentioned a strange organization by the name of Lostvayne.' Adam stated as Ether Gopal became confused. 'An adorable organization... one that I've contributed in before, general.' A familiar voice said as Ether Gopal opened his eyes, soon seeing Marcus approaching them with a calm smile. Ether Gopal soon connected the ideas from what he learned.

'So... that Lostvayne... was the hexal-demon group born out of the hex... I see that you've found your previous allies... Marcus.'