Rekindle The Light

Chapter 12: Progress

His father lay limp on the ground. He held Yumi tightly in his arms, her heat rapidly dissipating, melding in with the cold rain. Sirens whined in the distance. His emotions were numbing. His mom's disdainful look.

Nagano woke up in a cold sweat, his cheeks damp from tears, and he breathed rapidly.

That damn dream again.

There was a dull throbbing in his head from his lack of sleep. He slowly sat up and threw his legs over the bed. Staring out of the window, Nagano noticed the sun was already well past the horizon. He walked into the bathroom, splashing his face with cold water. He looked at his disheveled reflection. His hair was unkempt, his eyes slightly red from the tears.

He quickly cleaned himself up, trying to return to his usual facade. When he was done, he threw on a pair of clothes he found in the wardrobe, similar to the simple button-up shirt and slacks he wore yesterday.

A sudden knock at the door made him jump. He was still on guard after being reminded of his sister's death. He walked over to the door and opened it, expecting to see Lilly; however, a young man stood before him. He had short black hair and brown eyes. He stood elegantly, fit for a nobleman, but still resigned enough to be a servant. The young man bowed. "Good morning, Master Nagano. I am Mathew, and I will be your servant during your stay at the palace."

"My servant. What happened to Lilly?" Asked Nagano

The young man sighed at the question, but he still maintained his proper manners. "Lilly is my sister, as well as Lady Hyperion's first maid. Lilly was supposed to inform you, but it appears she has forgotten. I humbly apologize."

"What did you come to tell me?" Nagano was in no mood for small talk.

Mathew seemed to ignore Nagano's harsh tone. "Apologies, Master Nagano. Lady Hyperion has requested your presence."

"Lead me there." Nagano commanded.

Mathew nodded and stepped aside, allowing Nagano to exit the bedroom. "Right this way."

When they arrived at their destination, Mathew opened the door leading into a dimly lit room. A long wooden table sat in the middle of the space. Chairs lined either side of it. Alice stood at one end of the table next to a large chalkboard.

"Good morning, Nagano." Alice said with a bright smile.

Nagano gave a silent nod and looked around the room. There were shelves on each side of the room, which held what seemed to be maps, books, and writing utensils. Cobwebs hid in the room's corners, and the shelves were dusty. He found it strange that a room would be unclean in a royal household, but then he realized Mathew hadn't entered Nagano.

"This is the royal meeting room," Alice clarified. "It's where my father holds meetings regarding any important affairs. Servants aren't allowed to enter." Alice gestured towards one of the nearby chairs. "Please, sit down."

Nagano pulled out the chair and sat.

"I've called you here today to discuss our little encounter yesterday. I was thinking—"

"He's related to Vulkher." Nagano said, cutting Alice off.

"What?" Alice looked confused. "Vulkher, as in the god of Darkness and Misfortune? That seems like a hasty conclusion, no?"

Nagano paused for a moment. He realized he might have jumped the gun. Alice didn't know about his connections with the gods. He didn't want to tell her about Rhox, but he figured now would be a good time to tell her about Vulkher.

He pulled out the orb from the goblin camp and tossed it to Alice. She fumbled it slightly before managing to catch it. "The orb?"

Nagano nodded. He told her about her encounter with the dragon in the darkness. However, he left out the fact that Rhox discovered who it was.