“Show in,” the king ordered, masking unease behind the measured timbre of command. Ieuan advanced into the gilded chamber, bowing deeply, features arranged Into patriotic anguish. “Your Majesty, rumor says the Roaring Storm Bell remains missing while unrest spreads through Celestia. My heart cannot rest, therefore I come to offer counsel.”
Aurelius gestured for to rise. “Speak plainly…”
“Sire, demonic souls gather, and the Malevolent Path Hall watches for weakness. Taking into account the Celestial Palace’s hesitation to take action, our realm is beset within and without.”
Ieuan sighed before continuing, “First, we must strengthen ties with the Celestial Palace. A royal marriage would secure their banner. With their backing, Malevolent Path Hall will think twice, and the demonic souls can be checked.”
Aurelius’ brow knit. “I have considered such an alliance, yet Jared still investigates the Roaring Storm Bell. We must weigh every move.”
Ieuan hurriedly uttered, “I beg Your Majesty not to delay. The bell has been gone for days with no clue. If the proposal stalls, Celestial Palace may doubt our sincerity. Enaricus holds considerable sway there. Binding our princess to his son would grant us his strength to probe Malevolent Path Hall and raise our standing among the divine clans…”
“Reports say agents of Malevolent Path Hall linger near Celestia, eyeing the sealed demonic souls beneath our streets. Without the Celestial Palace behind us, should they unite with other factions, our kingdom could not endure.”
Hearing this, Aurelius fell silent. Ieuan might be dramatizing, yet his warning carried truth the king dared not dismiss.
The realm groaned beneath threats at every border. Fresh allies were a necessity, not a luxury.
He had already weighed offering Lorraine’s hand to Enaricus’ heir, hoping proximity would expose any collusion between Enaricus and Malevolent Path Hall. Ieuan’s suggestion fit the scheme perfectly.
“You make a persuasive case,” Aurelius conceded. “Very well… You will oversee the marriage. Three days hence, you will escort Princess Lorraine to the Third Hall and see the ceremony completed.”
Ieuan felt a flicker of triumph flash through his chest, yet his face remained a portrait of humble devotion. “Your Majesty, your will is my command. I shall not fail the trust you have placed in me.”
Once the gilded gates of the palace slid shut behind him, Ieuan hurried back to the Prime Minister’s Office.
There, beneath the glow of lanterns and towering shelves of scrolls, summoned his most loyal confidants with a single clipped order.
A bespectacled strategist stepped forward, lowering his voice. “Sir, has His Majesty truly agreed to the marriage alliance?”
Ieuan let out a low, contemptuous chuckle that curled in the quiet hall like smoke. “Of course, Aurelius swallowed the bait. A marriage alliance? A convenient ruse, nothing more.”
His eyes sharpened, the chill of a dagger hiding behind a polite smile. “In three days. not only will we spirit the princess away, we will force Aurelius to hand over the Ritual Manual itself.”
Gasps rippled through the room. Several advisers paled. “Sir, the Ritual Manual? You truly intend to…”
“Precisely…” A glint of near-mad ambition blazed in Ieuan’s gaze. “That manual details how to strengthen or shatter the demonic soul seal. Once it is mine, we will join forces with the Malevolent Path Hall, tear the seal apart, and unleash the demonic souls…”
“Chaos will flood all of level six. Cloaked in that chaos, I shall eliminate Aurelius and those shriveled elders of Roaring Storm Church. When the dust finally settles, the entire level six will belong to me.”
Shock widened every eye, yet behind the fear another emotion stirred-greed. If Ieuan seized level six, they, the trusted few, would ascend with him.
“Sir, your wisdom is unmatched!” they chorused, bowing as one. Ieuan flicked his sleeve. “Enough flattery… Go prepare…”
He paced before them, words crisp as marching orders. “I will personally command the escort convoy three days from now. You will station your people in the shadows. Once we clear Celestia’s gates, abduct the princess at once. Remember… Swift and silent. No witnesses.”
“Yes, Sir!” The answer thundered through the hall. Elsewhere beneath the same moon, Jared raised a fingertip shimmering with gentle spiritual light and pressed it to the center of Yuliana’s brows.
“Hold on… I’m taking you somewhere safe.”
Before the final syllable faded, Jared swept his arm. The Pentacarna Tower rippled into existence, its nine luminous tiers humming like a distant choir.
He did not hesitate. One arm steadying Yuliana, crossed the threshold. A heartbeat later, the world around them shattered and re-formed into an entirely different realm.
