Chapter 71 - Musiy ear.

  The carriage came to a halt with a chorus of neighs from the horses. The sudden stop stirred me from my thoughts, and I heard the familiar clid cck of the carriage door opening to my right.

  An elderly man, short in stature and presumably the carriage driver, appeared at the doorway. In a hushed tone, he called out, "Master. Master. Young Master!" His voice was low, careful not to disturb the others still sleeping.

  Instinctively, I turo Cillian, raising my left hand to wake him. But before I could touch his face, his eyes snapped open. With startling speed and a hint of pain, he grabbed my outstretched hand. His eyes were wide and alert, blinking rapidly as he registered who I was.

  Reizing me, Cillia out a low sigh and released my hand. I was taken aback by his rea, w what could have prompted such a defensive response.

  Seeing Cillian awake, the elderly mareated. Cillian rose carefully, taking care not to disturb the others. As he exited the carriage, he gnced over his shoulder, silently mouthing 'e' before walking away.

  Puzzled by his behavior but unwilling to miss a ce to front him, I gently lifted the coral-haired boy's head from my p and pced it on the seat. I stood up slowly, my feet ag from the prolonged wear of heels.

  As I stepped out of the carriage, my eyes were fixed on the ground, wary of my unsteady footing. When I finally looked up, I saw Cillian's retreating form. The gentle breeze ruffled his short hair, and his hands were tucked into his pockets. His pale ivory skin seemed to glow in the surroundiy of our new location.

  Despite his lean frame, g the muscur build of an average man, Cillian's face more than made up for it. I found myself momentarily captivated by his appearance, even as questions about his strange behavior and our current situation swirled in my mind.

  As I stepped out of the carriage, I was greeted by the gentle sounds of the m. The air was crisp and , filled with the st of damp earth and the distant hint of salt from the o.

  *Snore*

  *Snore*

  My attention was drawn to the carriage driver's seat, where the old man was fast asleep, his snores a soothing apao the m's tranquility.

  "Guess, everyoired on awhile," I thought, smiling softly to myself. I closed the carriage door behind me and began walking towards the lush green grass that marked the end of the road. The cool bdes tickled my feet as I stepped out of my heels, leaving them behind like discarded shackles. With my dress clutched in one hand, I ran into the field, my long, bright e hair streaming behind me like a fiery banner.

  The wind caught my hair, whipping it into a wild dance as I ran towards Cillian, who stood at the edge of the o. The sight of him against the backdrop of the sea was striking, his figure silhouetted against the rising sun.

  As I reached his side, I felt a sense of peace settle over me. My heart was at ease, and my smile lingered, a refle of the serenity that surrounded us.

  As I stood beside Cillian, the beauty of the se before us took my breath away. The o stretched out, aernal expanse of azure blue that merged with the sky on the distant horizon. The water's surface shimmered in the early m light, like a million tiny diamonds dang on liquid gss.

  The soft song of marram grasses whispered in the breeze, a green lulby that spoke to my soul without a single word. The sah my bare feet was a gentle hue of gold, almost earthen and muted, yet it was the humble star of this breathtaking se.

  My smile lingered as I felt a sense of peace wash over me. The rhythmic sound of waves pping at the shore created a soothing melody, perfectly plementing the visual splendor before us.

  Cillian raised his right arm, drawing my attention to the bck designer wat his wrist. It was clearly a luxury timepiece, likely featuring precision engineering and unique plications that set it apart from ordinary watches.

  He had a watch? Since when? I thought, my eyes widening in surprise. AND DANG MAN. BRO's rich like hell. Must've cost a lot. I thought. My gaze drifted away from the watbsp;the sight of su expensive acade me wonder about Cillian's background.

  Wait. Isn't his personality slightly simir to the "Hey. I'm the son of the rich CEO?" I pondered. Cillian's as didirely fit the profile of a spoiled rich kid, especially sidering his efforts to save a vilge from the Tons. Yet, there was something about him that hi a life of luxury.

  My smile faltered as these thoughts ed me, my gaze drifting back to Cillian's profile, now i on his watch. The time read 4:58 AM, a remihat the day was still young, full of possibilities and uainties.

  As Cillian studied his watch, which read 4:58 AM, I found myself p the plexities of his character. Like the o before us, there seemed to be hiddehs to Cillian that I had yet to fully uand.

  -5.00 AM-

  The moment the clock struck 5, an imperceptible shift occurred imosphere. I felt it, a subtle ge that I couldn't quite define, but it was unmistakably there.

  As the clock struck 5, an imperceptible yet unmistakable shift occurred imosphere. The air seemed to thi, charged with an unspoken urgency that I couldn't quite define. Cillian's head sowards me, his eyes log onto mih an iy that startled me, like a sudden jolt of electricity.

  "2 minutes," he said, his voice low and urgent, each word ced with desperation. "2 minutes," he repeated, his eyes wide and filled with aion I couldn't quite pce. It was as if he was fighting against something, his gaze pleading for uanding.

  "Ask me any question," he demaurning to face me fully. He took a deep breath, visibly trying tain his posure before adding, "Ask me anything and I'll a." His words hung in the air, a promise of revetion in a moment of chaos.

  My face was a mask of shock, but I didn't wait for my emotions to catch up or my mind to question his sudden ge of behavior. Instinct took over, pushing me forward.

  "Hints. Give me hints on anything," I excimed, urgency rushing into my tone. I was unaware of what or why, but something pelled me to say that.

  Cillian's response came swiftly, his words tumbling out in a rush. "I know it all, but I 't do anything. I'm tied to Minsan. I'm the 7th key and you're my lock. It's either ride or die for both of us. Roxana isn't dead, she's responsible for it. Xerxes is ected to Minsan. I save us both. Just be patient, and don't e looking for me either," he excimed, urgency creeping into his voice.

  As the final seds ticked away, Cillian suddenly unched himself at me in a swift, thrusting motion. I lost my bance, my feet slipping on the grass as he ed both his arms tightly around my neck. His breath was warm against my ear as he whispered, slow and steadily, "I love you."

  In that moment, something surreal happened. Cillian's body began to break apart into tiny crystals, shimmering in the early m light like a thousand tiny diamonds. A bolt of lightning cracked between the sun and the o, its sound thundering through the air. The day instantly transformed into midnight, the sky darkening as if night had fallen in an instant.

  Cillian's fragmented form sublimed into the air, leaving me alone in the sudden darkness. The world around me was silent, except for the sound of my ed breathing.

  The sudden shift from day to night jolted the carriage driver awake. His eyes widened in fusion and fear as he took in the ued darkness. Turning around, he spotted Luxana in the distance, a solitary figure against the inky bck sky.

  Panic gripped him as he gnced back at the carriage, still where he had left it. Without hesitation, he rushed towards Luxana, who had now colpsed onto the ground.

  "My dy, I'm- I'm sorry for sleeping so long. Please five me a into the carriage," he said, his voice trembling with a mix of and embarrassment. "I will take us home faster, I promise."

  The driver's eyes darted around, searg for his other passenger. "And where is the master though?" he asked, turning in circles as if Cillian might suddenly appear.

  In his flustered state, the driver failed to notice Luxana's distress. Her face ale, her eyes wide with shock, and her body trembled slightly. The driver's y prevented him from seeing the turmoil that gripped her, his focus solely oifying his perceived dereli of duty and the mysterious ge in time.

  As Luxana stood there, her mind still reeling from the sudden disappearance of Cillian, she turo the carriage driver. "Take the others home," she said, her voice firm despite the turmoil within her. "Get them to safety."

  The driver nodded, still fused but obedient. He rushed to help the others ihe carriage, his movements swift and effit.

  Luxana watched them for a moment, her eyes lingering on the carriage as it began to move away from her. She took a deep breath, the cool night air filling her lungs, and turo walk away.

  But as she did, her form began to fade, like mist evaporating in the m sun. One moment she was there, standing alone on the grassy slope; the , she was gone.

  The carriage driver, who had been gng back to ensure everything was in order, spun around, his eyes sing the darkness. But Luxana was o be seen. It was as if she had vanished into thin air, leaving behind only the fai whisper of her presence.

  The driver's fusion turo arm as he realized what had happened. He leapt from the carriage, rushing back to where Luxana had st stood. But there was nothing. No sign of her, no hint of where she might have gone. She was simply gone.

  The night seemed to grow darker, the shadows deepening as if they too were trying to ceal the truth of Luxana's disappearahe driver stood there, frozen in uainty, as the carriage tis journey without him, leaving him alone in the darkness.

  -Helia Pace; Hades's Room, the very night-

  King Hades paced restlessly in his private chambers, the flickering dlelight casting long shadows across the opulent room.

  *Knoock*

  A sharp knock at the door interrupted his troubled thoughts.

  "Enter," he anded, his voice hoarse with fatigue.

  Sir Eldridge stepped into the room, bowing deeply. "Your Majesty, I bring an update on the iigation."

  "Speak," Hades ordered, his eyes sharp with anticipation.

  "Sire, we've made some progress, but the situation remains...perplexing," Sir Eldridge began. "The crash site has been thhly examihe carriage was indeed found at the bottom of a ravine, severely damaged. However, certain aspects of the se are troubling."

  "Go on," the King urged, his brow furrowing.

  "The horses were found dead, still haro the carriage. But their injuries...they don't align with a typical act. It appears they may have been deliberately harmed before the crash."

  Hades's face darkened. "Sabotage?"

  "It's a possibility we're sidering, Your Majesty. Furthermore, we found traces of a substan the carriage's wheels. Our alchemists are analyzing it, but preliminary reports suggest it may be a type of oil, possibly used to promise the vehicle's stability."

  "And what of Prince Rowan?" Hades demanded.

  Sir Eldridge shifted unfortably. "Still no sign of the young prince, Sire. We've expahe search radius, but..." he trailed off.

  "But what, man? Speak pinly!" Hades roared.

  From the shadows behind him, a voice as cold as winter frost and as sharp as a bde sliced through the silenbsp;"But, the thought of your impending doom is musiy ears."

  Hades whirled around, his eyes wide with shod disbelief. There, in the ter of the room, stood Luxana. Her presence seemed to the very air around her, reality bending to aodate her impossible arrival.

  "Lux- Luxana?" Hades stammered, his voice crag with emotion. Tears welled up in his eyes as he beheld his beloved daughter. "Luxana!" he cried out again, his legs giving way beh him as he colpsed to the floor.

  Sir Eldridge stood frozen, his mind struggling to process the se unfolding before him. Luxana moved with preternatural grace, crossing the distao her father in the blink of an eye.

  Hades gazed up at her, his face a mask of joy and fusion. He seemed uo move, paralyzed by the torrent of emotions c through him.

  "But you see, Your Majesty," Luxana purred, her voice dripping with false sweetness. A predatory smile curved her lips as she raised her right hand, fingers f a gun shape aimed directly at Hades' heart. Her eyes glittered dangerously, like shards of obsidian catg firelight. "Shoot," she whispered, her voice barely audible as she mimicked the recoil of a fired on.

  In that instant, hell itself seemed to erupt from her fiips. A torrent of fmes, a searing, unnatural e and red, smmed into Hades' chest with the force of a battering ram. The fire didn't simply burn; it seemed alive, se in its hunger. It burrowed into his flesh, coiling around his ribs like living vipers made of pure agony.

  Hades' scream was inhuman, a sound of such primal anguish that it seemed to shake the very foundations of the castle. His body vulsed violently, limbs filing as he cwed desperately at the fmes ing him from within. His once-regal robes bed and crumbled away, revealing skin that cracked and bubbled like molten rock.

  The stench was overwhelming - burning hair, melting fat, and something deeper, more visceral - the smell of a soul being ied. Sir Eldridge retched, his knees bug as he struggled to prehend the horror before him.

  Luxana's giggle, light and girlish, erverse terpoint to the screams of agony. She flicked her wrist as if shooing away an annoying i, and the fmes around her hand coalesced into a sword of pure fire. The bde solidified, its edge glowing with an otherworldly e light that hurt to look at directly.

  With a grace that belied the brutality of her as, Luxana raised the sword high above her head. The air itself seemed to shudder, recoiling from the unholy on.

  The sword came down with terrifying speed, and the sound it made as it cleaved through flesh and bone was siingly wet. Blood sprayed in an arc, painting Luxana's face with streaks of crimson that seemed almost b the hellish light.

  Hades' body jerked violently, his mouth opening in a silent scream as the bde buried itself to the hilt in his chest. Luxana's eyes bzed with an infernal light as she twisted the sword, elig anonized wail from her father.

  To be tinued...