The Refuge of Fate

Chapter 36 - Seventh Spell

"Why do you want to take control of both the living and the dead?"

Pier stopped walking when he heard the question. The Sovereign of Darkness who had been silent since earlier and listening to the rambling of the young king copied his actions but he only looked forward.

He did not bother sparing the Sovereign of Magic a glance.

"I said it wasn't my intention for any of this to happen," the white-haired king responded with a shake of his head in an attempt to dismiss Achlysse's question.

Indeed, he never planned for any of this to happen.

Right?

He was merely someone who had a third chance in life through whatever sorcery was performed by his mother and ended up returning to the world he was first born at. He, as Eliam, only wanted to live a life where he no longer had to be constantly in the blinding lights of fame and recognition.

Just wanting to explore the world with his bare hands was his goal. He wanted to learn magic, use spells, and maybe earn a living from it.

That's it.

"There's no way I would've planned all of this to happen right from the start, Achlysse." he chuckled but the Sovereign of Darkness remained unmoving.

His silent chuckle then turned into silence when the stranger remained unmoving and quiet. Pier couldn't read the Sovereign of Darkness.

It was expected.

Achlysse wasn't like any of the other creatures in the land of the living he sees every day.

Achlysse wasn't a human being whom Pier had mastered how to read and control. The Sovereign of Darkness also wasn't any of the monsters with irrational tendencies that he can just outsmart and destroy.

Achlysse, the Sovereign of Darkness, was a being with so much power and knowledge throughout millions of years that he could not rival at this point.

"Eliam, Pier, Silas," Achlysse called his name and the young king stiffened in his spot. His expression turned a little surprised with the low voice that spoke through the darkness.

"You are not like any other of the humans whom I had met living or dead." The statement made Pier's eyebrows raise in question and surprise with the sudden pour of sentiments from the cloaked stranger.

"Along the way, I have met those who are the wisest. They were kings, emperors, even monarchs of the highest place." Achlysse slowly turned his head to the side where Pier was standing.

"Along the way, I have met those who are the bravest. They were warriors, knights, and mages who stood against all the perilous enemies." Achlysse's empty face could be seen once more.

"What are you trying to say, Achlysse?" Pier asked as he was confused with what the stranger was suddenly blurting about.

"Along the way, I have met those who are the purest. Innocent children, good-hearted Samaritans, benevolent priests... there were a lot of them." Despite the Sovereign of Darkness not having a face, for him, it felt like Achlysse was looking him eye to eye.

As if the Sovereign of Darkness was evaluating his soul.

"But I've also met those whose hearts were stained with evil. They were those who harmed their own kind and rejoiced in the pain of others." Pier's eyebrow twitched as he tried to keep up the awkward smile on his face.

He thought they were getting along well.

"Humans who are the smartest amongst the races of the world were most of them. They chose to be the monsters who either openly destroyed everyone or secretly plotted against their kin." Shivers ran down his spine when he heard that specific statement.