Chapter 75

𝕾𝖔𝖓𝖌 𝖙𝖔 𝖑𝖎𝖘𝖙𝖊𝖓 𝖙𝖔: 𝕰𝖑𝖊𝖈𝖙𝖗𝖎𝖈 𝕿𝖔𝖚𝖈𝖍 𝖇𝖞 𝕿𝖆𝖞𝖑𝖔𝖗 𝕾𝖜𝖎𝖋𝖙

***

His voice reverberated within the four corners of my room and before I could open my mouth once more, a sudden smoke appeared right in front of us, making the candle flames dance with the silhouettes of the ones present within my room.

While my eyes gaze on that smoke, the silver rays of the shining orb attached from the cloak of the night, slowly unveiled the grayish figure that was coming out of that darkness.

It felt like I was in that abyss again, the voidness that I once in that I couldn't escape even if I wanted to, and yet, when that black smoke unveiled the person, my eyes that stared becoming one with the dullness of that whispery hue, shone in a never-ending light.

Before I knew of it, my feet already moved on their own as if they had a mind that I couldn't control and eyes that stared directly at that person remained as if I couldn't see anything or anyone else than him.

The hands that I tried hard to let stay at my sides, flew their way around his neck and that comforting sense of warmth was enough to curl the darkness and fade it with the whispers of time.

"Vestia?" I heard him ask but I never once intended to respond, not when I knew that my chest felt a little heavy and I didn't even know why it mattered so much to me.

Was it because I'd just found out the answer from Key or was it because of the words that he had said to Key that made me run over to him as if I couldn't even help but suffocate the young man?

"Why? Never seen a friend that so worried about her other friend?" I asked as I let go of that warmth for a moment before finally pouting and looking at him but I only chuckled when I saw his face.

His eyebrows were knitted, his lips parted while his eyes continued to narrow but I could still see the softness in them, until his sight landed on Key which I followed later on.

"Key, did you do anything to my master? Did you put such magic on her? If you do, then I just have to kill---"

"Lexus," I said as I descended both of my warmth to him and finally gazed upon the pure soul of his that had nothing but a light that could have once saved me if I hadn't found that new light where I once descended to my doom.

"Don't ever say those words to Key as he never meant anything. He didn't even do anything wrong with me. I just came looking for you because we immediately found something that would turn the tides"

"Found something? Turn the tides? Vestia, did Key say anything about the Belfore East to you?"

"Yes, he did but it was way more than that, it was from the moment when I came to meet Gludius from his guild," when I said those words, I felt his hands clenched over my waist, but it was only that time that I found something else from his eyes.

A glint of crimsonness that wasn't there before. That's when I realized something, but I kept my mouth shut.

Yet he immediately exuded some breath from his mouth that I knew would keep him from looking into my eyes once more.

Still, the warmth that I was making him feel was enough to divert my thoughts, and looked at him looked at elsewhere but when I tried to focus my sight on him, I could see his red his cheeks were and the corner of his ears.

"Lexus, are you feeling all right?" Then as if my body had a mind of its own, before I could even see his wide eyes looking into my mirror, my forehead was already touching the warmth that Lexus had.

Yet, I got no signs of illness from Lexus. As if Henry was the one who made me do these things, because he was the first one who did this to me and whenever I felt as if someone's face were red, especially my friends, I wouldn't hesitate to do it.

"It seemed that you're fine, I guess there's nothing else but to let you know what we've been discussing earlier and you wouldn't believe----Lexus?"

I didn't know why I halted from saying my supposed words but the moment I fixed my gaze on him, I could see his hand was on the back of his mouth and his eyes were unsteady looking elsewhere but they couldn't remain in one place.

His eyebrows were knitted and in a few more seconds, his hand was already covering half of his face, while he tried to bite his lower lips, I could eventually feel the tight grip he had from his other hand on my waist, as he kept me pulled from his intense warmth, I could eventually hear how his heartbeat pound.

As if it was running in a marathon.

"Lexus, did Oratio do anything to you?" I asked but he shook his head and after a few more moments, I felt Key's soft and yet leathery hands come in contact with my shoulders.

"Master Lexus, I will borrow Lady Vestia for a while as I have to ask her a few words, first, are you okay with that?"

"..." Key didn't wait for Lexus to respond until I saw him nodding and in one corner of the room, Key immediately placed one of his hands on my back enabling me to bend, and as I did, he leaned his face closer as he covered his mouth and whispered something.

"Lady Vestia, I think that Master Lexus had some surprised attack whenever you would do those things so I advise you, if ever he wanted to beat me or the other phantom members, could you please do the same thing you just did earlier-----"

"What are you talking to my master, Key?" This time, it was Lexus who managed to interrupt Key because even before he finished his words, I could already hear Lexus' knuckles being beaten by his other hand.

Now that we turned our backs to look at him, I could eventually see some built-up fire while Lexus continued to hold his knuckles.

"Key, I think it's not the right time to do what you just suggested, perhaps, it's already too late..."

"Lady Vestia, please, Master Lexus would eventually---" Key indeed hid from my back but before I could even respond to him, in a blink of an eye, Key was already floating in the air and as I knew it, when I opened my mouth my hands couldn't reach where Lexus was already.

Instead, I heard this squishy sounds like someone was hitting another and I could only close my eyes when I could see Lexus was being sensitive with Key once more.

After waiting for a moment, I could see how Key's distorted face turned back to normal while his hands continued to massage his cheeks.

"Damn, that hurts a lot, Master Lexus"

"So, do you want another? I could give you one if you just won't shut your mouth..."

Then Key acted like he had already wiped his mouth by sliding his hand from left to right.

"Lexus, I think you were too mean to Key and Jer when I first met them"

"I'm just making them learn their lesson, Vestia, besides, Jer couldn't make it since he had some urgent matters and the others were still busy. I guess some other times, I would eventually make them see you"

"Then I guess I should be prepared by then..." I looked at Key and smiled as he did the same but when Lexus narrowed his gaze on the young man Key almost jumped while putting both of his hands in front of him and chuckled with a wavy voice.

"But then, I came because I have to tell you something," Lexus said and he was trying to pick something within his coat but I held one of his hands first.

"Then let me be the first one to talk and let Key talk as well, is that all right?"

"As you command, Vestia," I could see his eyes shining from the silvery rays but then it was enough to turn dull when it descended on Key.

I nodded to Key and closed my eyes for a moment before finally exuding some air from my body.

When that happened, I looked at the dark envelope and back to Key who was doing the same thing until we looked at each other's souls and continued to nod.

"It's about the information from Gludius, about the plan of the Hildigger empire on the war that would partake years from now and you wouldn't believe what we've just known..." I said and Key continued to nod while looking at Lexus.

Then Lexus sighed as he nodded as well, but then he just dismissed the other information as he had already plastered in front of us a scroll, and when he unfolded it, it was a map but of a different place.

"I knew about that Hildigger empire, and perhaps, you could talk the rest later on, but this couldn't be delayed because every second corresponds to the movements of the places..."

"Where did you get this, Lexus?" I asked

"Don't tell you, Master you get this from---"

"As you're about to say Key, yes Oratio gave this to me in response to my queries. This was the map to the Belfore East as well as the map to the Hildigger empire. He had said something about the Hildigger and the prophecy about it, but within the Belfore, it was more dangerous"

"More dangerous, why? Key said to me earlier about the illegal trading but before he could continue, you came..."

"Because the illegal traders didn't know what the outcome for the slaves that they were selling also from the slaves there. The illegal buyers were buying slaves not because they wanted some servants, but because they were being experimented upon"

"Experimented? As in is Alchemy involved in this Lexus?"

"You once asked me Vestia that if magic users exist then must other creatures as well? Perhaps this was the answer"

"Wait, Master and young lady, I think I also found a similar case like this three decades ago, and the very first case that I've found was in this empire and not from any other country..."

"Where did you find that Key? Or should I ask, did any nobles from that time performed alchemy?"