Adventures Beyond The Void (Season 1)

Chapter 14: A Talk About Worlds

3RD POV

It wasn't long before they arrived at the king's office. About three or four minutes had passed since they left the meeting room, yet despite the short distance, the walk felt longer than it should have. The atmosphere was tense, almost suffocating from Nicholas's perspective.

The two princes didn’t bother acknowledging them. They walked ahead in complete silence; backs straight, steps measured, their presence heavy enough that even the most oblivious person alive would understand that approaching them right now was a terrible idea.

Nicholas couldn’t help but recall the exact moment the king had spoken.
Thalor’s eye had twitched just barely, but enough to say everything: He was angry. Very angry. Eliric, by contrast, showed nothing. No tension in his shoulders, no tightening of his jaw, not even the faintest shift in expression. His only response had been a polite nod before leading the group onward. Yet despite that serene facade, Nicholas still felt the same thing he sensed from Thalor: an unmistakably unwelcoming aura radiating. It was subtle and somehow even more intimidating.

To make matters worse, Zana had left earlier to attend to her magic-warrior duties. Without her beside him, Nicholas felt….exposed. Despite only knowing the girl for two days, her presence managed to soothe his nerves for reasons unknown. All he knew was that she wasn’t here now, and it made everything feel ten times worse.

And of course, the constant glares and whispers didn’t help either. Every pair of eyes they passed seemed to carry suspicion or disdain, aimed squarely at Selin and the two disguised humans. Nicholas could barely keep his anxiety from bubbling over. Hunter, however, was the complete opposite, not bothering to hide his irritation, meeting every glare with an even sharper one. Eyes blazing, jaw set in that familiar “try me, I dare you” expression.

Unlike him, Hunter was never afraid to stand his ground. It didn’t matter who it. He refused to be looked down on. And that's something Nicholas admired, though he'd never admit it out loud. Opening the single door, they entered the office. Thalor turned his head and faced the three he was tasked to accompany.

     Thalor: - You are to wait here until the king arrives. And you better not touch or damage anything, unless you want to be executed.

His tone changed now. His voice sounding angry.

     Thalor: - I don't understand why he wants you here. People like you are nothing but trash! Manaless commoners like you two should've stayed to whatever backwater village you crawled from. And YOU shouldn't even be allowed to exist!!

He screamed the last part, an accusing finger pointing at Selin, his eyes glowing ever so slightly. Hunter was about to shout something back at the man, but  the red-eyed woman raised a hand, silencing him.

     Selin: - Since the king has granted us permission to enter his office, it means we have more worth than you give us credit for, my prince.

Thalor didn't seem pleased with her response. Honestly, it looked like he was seconds away from attacking Selin, but was thankfully snapped out of his murderous trance, when Eliric placed a hand on his shoulder. It calmed the taller prince down a bit. At least, enough so he wouldn't act out of line.

Eliric did not wish to waste any more of his time being here, now that he had fulfilled his father's request, so he headed towards the door, followed by his brother shortly after. The two young adults confused Nicholas greatly. Their behavior towards them was extremely cruel and harsh. Of course, that could easily be explained by what Selin had said. If status and magic were everything in this world, then being a commoner with no magic at all would certainly be a reason to be looked down upon.