**Two Weeks Later**
The spirits controlling Elira had wounded not only Kael's body but the depths of his soul. After days of relentless efforts by the priests, all the physical wounds on Kael's body had healed. But those deep cracks in his soul… they weren't so easily mended. Some parts of his spirit may have recovered, but a part of it still writhed in darkness.
That was why a few priests still visited him regularly, once a week. Today was supposed to be one of those days.
But they hadn't come.
Kael stood by the window in his dimly lit room, waiting alone. Time dragged on, each second deepening the void in his soul. *Why are you late?* he thought. *Did something happen again? Or… are they never coming back?*
The impatience in his heart grew into a restless unease. A fear he couldn't suppress rose within him. Delays were usually harbingers of bad news.
The silence in the room was broken by the heavy creak of the door. His heart nearly stopped. His breath caught.
The first to step in was the High Priest. His head was slightly bowed, as if weighed down by an invisible burden. Behind him were two more priests. Their faces bore exhaustion mixed with worry; their eyes dull, as if they hadn't slept for days. Kael felt a momentary relief. At least they were alive. He let out a deep sigh, but the anger simmering inside him refused to settle.
Slowly straightening up, he looked at them with a flicker of reproach mixed with hope.
"You're late," he said. His voice was weary, but there was a tremble of restrained anger in it.
The High Priest approached slowly and knelt. His eyes held the wisdom of years and the weight of recent days. His age far exceeded that of a normal human, but for someone who had reached the Ascendant Realm, time was no longer a constraint.
"Forgive us, Sir Kael," he said in a low voice. "We… encountered some trouble on the way. There were complications while heading to the manor."
Kael's eyes hardened instantly. "What kind of complications?"
A young female priest with golden hair and blue eyes stepped forward. Her beauty was dazzling; Kael involuntarily glanced at her face and flushed for a brief moment. But he quickly composed himself. He didn't want to show weakness.
"We ran into some monsters on the road," the woman said. "That's why we were delayed."
Kael frowned. "The monsters should have retreated to their lairs. That's impossible."
This time, it was the blue-haired priest with deep sea-blue eyes who spoke. His voice was calm but cautious.
"We don't know the reason either, Sir Kael. That's why we left someone behind to investigate. There are only three of us today."
Kael exhaled deeply. His patience was wearing thin. The pain in his soul grew more unbearable with each passing day.
"Whatever… I don't care anymore," he said sharply. "All I want is to heal. Start now."
The priests nodded and extended their hands toward Kael, murmuring incantations. Magical words filled the air of the room.
Suddenly, small golden orbs of light appeared around them, drifting toward Kael's body, enveloping him, gently touching his soul.
A soothing warmth spread through Kael. He closed his eyes, trying to clear his mind.
But at that very moment—
A searing pain—no, a bolt of lightning—pierced his mind. Before he could understand what was happening, he was struck by a brutal blow to the back of his head from one of the priests.
His eyes fluttered open involuntarily. All he saw was blinding white light. His world blurred.
"What… are you… doing…?" he barely managed to whisper.
But his voice went unheard. He didn't even feel himself falling. By the time he hit the ground, his world was fading. The buzzing in his ears, the white lights dancing behind his eyelids… they all began to vanish one by one.
And then—darkness.
The blue-haired man turned to the woman. "Did you bring the sealing chains, Flora?"
Flora nodded solemnly. "I did, Camus. Let's finish this and take him to Lord Carol before that soul mage arrives."
Camus took the chains. Together with the elder priest, they fastened the sealing chains onto Kael's body. Each chain was specially crafted to suppress his soul.
When they were done, Camus took a deep breath. "Come closer. I'll perform Shadow Warp."
The elder priest and Flora silently stepped near. Holding Kael with one hand, Camus reached out with the other, connecting with the shadows. The darkness around them began merging with another shadow far away.
Gradually, the surroundings grew darker. And after a few minutes, they were completely swallowed by the void.
---
**Two Minutes Earlier – Elira's Room**
Elira stood by her window, gazing outside. A faint smile played on her lips.
"So, you wanted to escape before I arrived, huh?" she murmured to herself. Her voice was silken, yet laced with thorns. "You can't even leave this room without me knowing. Well… since I've been spared the trouble of dirtying my hands this time, I'll let it slide. Thanks to you, I didn't have to intervene."
Had anyone seen that smile, they would have likely collapsed in terror. Her grin… was like the cold breath of death itself.
A knock came at the door. "I've brought your tea, Princess."
Elira didn't turn from the window as she answered. "Right on time, Lion. Come in."
The door opened, and a tall, stern-faced man entered. Elira turned to him, smiling as she spoke.
"You know you're my guard, not my servant, right?"
Lion gave a slight smile. "Your maid was on her way. I sent her away. I brought your tea myself because I thought you might want to speak with me."
Elira tilted her head slightly. "You're very right. I want you to summon Kael for me now."
Lion stiffened. That smile… whispered death to his instincts.
"Kael… why do you want to see him, Princess?" he asked, gathering his courage. But he couldn't hide his fear. Elira had sensed it.
But her goal wasn't to frighten him. It was simply… timing.
Elira's voice was icy. "You'll understand once we get to his room. You may leave now."
Lion bowed without another word and exited the room. Only one thought filled his mind: *Something's wrong here.*
When he reached Kael's door, he hesitated for a few seconds. Then he knocked.
"Sir Kael? The Princess wishes to see you."
No answer.
"Sir Kael?" he called again, but still, there was no response.
His unease grew. He reached for the doorknob. *No… please be here. Please…*
He flung the door open.
The room… was empty.
But that wasn't all. The air in the room felt off. Magic—dangerous, suppressed magic. His eyes could sense the unseen.
"So this is why she sent me…" he thought. *The Princess… knew this would happen. But why didn't she stop it? Ah… of course. As usual, she got rid of Kael without dirtying her hands. Whatever. I need to report this to Lord Magnus.*
Without wasting another second, he turned and sprinted toward the throne room. The guards at the door crossed their spears, blocking his path.
But Lion… didn't hesitate. He shattered the spears, knocked the guards' heads together, and sent them crashing to the ground.
He threw the doors wide open and stepped into the throne hall.
"Lord Magnus! Emergency! Sir Kael has been kidnapped!"