The Nether Alchemist: Tales of The Necessary Evil

MORNING ROUTINE

KING'S PALACE

A servant was stationed near the king's throne, nervously awaiting his next task. King Vonner sat upon the ornate seat, absentmindedly nibbling at his nails. Over the past two days, he had remained confined within the palace walls. The news of Mr. Starkridge's demise had left him with a chilling realization: he could be the assassin's next target.

Beside him sat the queen, her silence as profound as ever. The servant struggled to maintain composure, his fingers fidgeting restlessly behind his back. He periodically wiped away beads of sweat, desperate to conceal his escalating fear from the king's attention.

"Tell me the authorities haven't managed to locate that boy yet," he demanded, his voice a mixture of incredulity and anger, punctuated by an unintentional spray of spittle. He made no effort to wipe away the droplet that clung to his chin. The servant found himself momentarily distracted by the anomaly, just as the king continued his tirade.

"Sir, no. They're claiming they're unable to establish contact with him. He's not used any public transportation and isn't registered as an Ithean citizen. They're unable to track his movements," the servant explained.

King Vonner erupted from his throne, smoothing out a crease in his jacket. His trousers had sagged around his knees, revealing pink socks adorned with floral patterns. The servant almost let his guard down, momentarily captivated by the peculiar socks.

The monarch snatched an empty glass from an armrest and hurled it across the chamber. The glass whizzed by the servant's ears so swiftly that he barely flinched, only registering the shock when he heard it shatter behind him.

"Tell that dumb police director that if he doesn't bring me that bastard before dark, I'll have his head!" the king said. As he ascended the stairway to his chambers, he burst out of the room with loud steps.

The queen descended the thrones in style, delicately picking up her lengthy gown. Because the servant saw she was wearing heels and would fall, he ran over to her and grasped her hand, seeking to assist her descent.

She drew her hand back, almost tripping over herself. The servant could see her huge eyes and shrinking pupils through her white veil draped over her face. He observed the black ring around her eyes, as well as the bloated bags underneath them, as she peered at him.

Until he recognized the hand he was reaching for, the servant had no idea what he had done. The queen's wrist was swollen and painful, with red blotches all over her flesh. The servant spotted the bruises on her face after a closer look.

She tried her hardest to conceal them underneath her makeup and veil, but they stood out far too much to be overlooked. Her face was covered in lumps, and a scarlet blotch across her neck indicated that she had been abused by her abusive spouse. The servant was speechless and stood there for a long time, unable to make a decision.

She walked down the stairwell, avoiding eye contact with him. She finally stepped onto the marble floor and made her way to the stairwell. The servants noted the queen's limp and how she favored her right side, occasionally laying her hand on her hip as she walked up the stairs, albeit it was subtle.

SUNSET CITY

The students were roused from slumber by a refreshing morning breeze. Norval consistently proved to be the earliest riser, often up even before the day shift receptionist had arrived for her duties. He encountered the night shift receptionist asleep at her post and jolted her awake with his inquiries about the day's plans for his morning exercise. Shortly thereafter, just as dawn was breaking, Luciana and Jalon stirred from their sleep, well before the night sky had surrendered to the radiant embrace of the rising sun.