Chapter 6: Trust and Betrayal

Hidelga cannot fight back anymore, she was all tired of struggling since Sur entered her door, now it's Leon.

So instead of struggling for her to be released, she just let it take over and wait until it is all done.

Leon's hands slid to her face, her head, her hair, her neck, and nape, then her arms then after sliding encircling her waist and to her back. Then he drew his body closer to hers until she was fully and totally enclosed within his arms and against his frame.

Then slowly he pulled back separating his lips from hers, Hidelga stoop covering it.

'It's just a kiss... A very.... long..... hot kiss'

At that very moment, she didn't have anything in her mind and was speechless.

Then he came closer for another short kiss. Then after, continuously giving her smooches.

"What are you doing here?" she pushed him away. "Why did you return," she asked.

She was in a very critical situation. She knows it and that is in her mind but still, it was flooding and seething, the emotions and the sensation, that will push her to the edge.

'Is this what they called temptation?' she thought.

"I came back because I love you," he said plainly.

She was surprised and her heart seemed to skip a beat.

"What?" she asked, muttering.

She pushed him away and distanced herself. "Quit playing around," she said with unbelief because of how easy he utter the thing.

"Is this how you deal with a confession?" he said with a solemn face.

"Stop acting like a child," he said with a seductive look that pierce through her while trying to assert himself implying everything that he meant in every word.

"I want your answer," he demanded.

"I want you now and I won't leave until you say yes and only a yes," he said.

She was silenced.

By that time she finally remembers the lewd dream she had last time which she thought was a dream.

She got embarrassed because she was the one who initiated things.

She turns her back to him, unable to give him an exact answer.

"W-what will happen if I say no? and what will happen if I say yes?" she probes deeper.

"If you say no. I'll kiss you again until you say yes and if you say yes. Come with me" he said briefly.

"I understand what you mean, I understand what you want. It was just so fast and... easy," she explained

"We have all the time we need to know each other." he counters.

"What if you are just tricking me," she said, protecting herself.

He smirked. "So you're thinking that I'm a pervert who just flings around and sleeps with girls leaving them with an offspring?" he asked.

Leon moves closer and pushes Hidelga back to her bed.

"If that's what I meant, do you think I'm going to ask you to come with me? (implying that he will rather sleep with her and not ask her to come with him) " he asked.

'This guy doesn't know how to be romantic, gentle, and sweet. I think I should get mad to get away' she thought.

She was about to speak when Leon said "Forget it".

'What!?' she thought. "Wait." she suddenly slipped.

He gave her a narrowing look.

"So, you're just playing hard to get, huh. Let's have enough of this" he said.

'Damn, is he good at mind games?' she thought (he just saw through her).

"Stop doubting my intentions. I am not like any other guy. I have already told you what I want, so decide now and we'll be leaving soon." he said.

"I also need to deal with other things first regarding my position," he said. "and I'll be needing you here by my side," he added.

She was moved by what he said mostly at the last part of the statement.

"Okay. I'll come with you" she answered briefly.

The stirring thoughts and seething emotions made her a little unsettled that day but somehow made her feel happy and excited yet afraid.

Later on, she asked Leon if she could say goodbye to her friends before they leave.

Then the next day before any sun rays shine in the sky, they already left.

The tension in the air increases and the cold atmosphere has brought chills into the skin.

"I..." she stopped.

Although she has a lot of things to say, she doesn't know where to start.

"It's okay to take it slowly," Leon said.

"But take in mind that I have my rules," he said.

"and what are those rules?" she asked.

"You figured it out along the way but for now, let me tell you one thing that 'Fewer the words, the lesser the mistakes, your words might bring us in trouble so be careful with it," he said.

"Always have your mind guarding your mouth. It will protect us," he said.

She nodded and smiled. "I'll take that in mind"

Then they go on their way.

'You don't need to shut them all up. You just need to choose whom you will trust' Kal's statement rang inside his mind.

The cold emperor seems to listen to his friend's advice.

__________________________

Meanwhile on the faraway shore. When the darkness swallowed up the oceans and the only light that can be found is from the celestial above and the ship they were below.

The first prince's fleet was all traveling to reach the center of the world.

It has been days already since they left the shore but haven't reached the outside of the empire yet probably because the empire has a very wide territorial boundary that it'll take months to go off from its border.

The journey will not be that easy and many who tried to search for what they are seeking lost their way and vanished into the sea but still the first prince's hope was set up high.

"Lady Sylvia didn't bother to come," Jonathan stated.

"Because she's afraid," the prince said while he was inhaling the fresh northern breeze.

"Cannot blame her," he said, shrugging while wearing a loose button-down shirt.

"Sir, how will you find the 12 immortals? Do you have any plans? Are we able to win against them? If your father is no match then so are we? We might all end up dying." Jonathan stated.

Prince Howard smiled and said, "Allow me to answer your doubts."

The prince confidently spoke. "My father was a previous researcher and a researcher has their journals," he said.

"My father already met them before, so we can track them from the footsteps he had taken," he said holding a very thick relic notebook.

The butler was enlightened although he still have a little trace of concern.

The first prince looked away and closed his eyes. 'Do you think I'm Dim-witted?' he thought.

The Heavens know about the weakness and sins of men. Humans are like weak containers or vessels that will easily break by running into their own pit to die with other more helpless victims.

So, the Heavens let the other weapons be destroyed and selected 12 guardian threaders to be immortals and keep the balance in every part of the world.

The palace's 'neglected prince' and the secret deadly weapon of the former emperor which had been hidden was now unveiled after he ascended the throne. However, having him doesn't make the previous emperor victorious in taking over the whole world and that is mere because of the 12 immortals.

They hold such great power that hinders the former emperor's great ambitions.

A few days later, when they finally reach their destination. The first prince opened the journal again to check the details and jumped off to where he was lying to reach for the binoculars and gaze at the distant ocean floors.

The center of the world is not exactly located at the center but it is called by that name because it is somehow a gate between humans and some unknown things. The former emperor jotted it down on his notes.

"From the count of 3, all Threader will hit that part!" The prince exclaimed after calculating through the binoculars.

"What part?" the captain asked and looked at what he was pointing at.

From the distance, the water looks normal but when you look at it a little closer the waves have two opposite directions or movements which clash against each other.

"What on earth," the captain said in shock.

"Ready!?" the prince exclaimed.

Then he commanded all of his people to unseal their sacred weapons then he unseal his.

"CHARGE!!!" he shouted.

Now when the spot was hit by all the threaders. It turns into a sinkhole, almost a black hole. It is not just sucking the water in, not just the ships but absorbs also the power of most of the other weaker sacred weapons until it drains up to destruction.

When it was done it released a very powerful blow that hit the sky and darkened it. The lightning lowered down so that it even reached the face of the ocean.

"The Heaven was furious!" they shouted.

The spot somehow turns into a giant eye-like form. Just like an ordinary sinkhole but the center was waterless and the area surrounding has a descending water level.

The waves rise and slowly surge. Everyone was in great shock and filled with terror.

"My sacred weapon!!!" some shouted in great anguish.

"YOU BROUGHT US HERE TO BE A SACRIFICE!!!!" The head commander said and grapple the first prince on his collar.

He simply slid his hands and twisted the general's arm to remove his grip from him and he grappled him back. "You said you'll come with me to avenge the destruction of your people," the prince said.

"YOU SAID NO MATTER WHAT IT COST!!!" he exclaimed.

"We are all in this together and I'll promise you a better empire. Are you with me?" He seriously asked.

Most of them still agree but some people doubted him especially those people who lost their sacred weapons.

The first prince commanded to set forth a boat so he could come near to the center.

"I'll go alone, so you won't all doubt me," he said but Jonathan, having bad feelings about it, insisted on coming with his master.

When he was almost at the center. The commander uses his sacred weapon and targets the first prince's boat. "You're just a crazy desperate prince" he muttered as he released the attack.

The boat where the first prince and his butler are, was destroyed and they sank into the ocean.

"And you are a history to remember" the general muttered. "Let's leave" he commanded and all the ships turned to leave.

However, In the Center Kingdom.

The current emperor suddenly jerked and vomited blood simultaneously at the time when the gate between life and death was opened.

'What the? The Whispering Paradox!' he thought

The Whispering Paradox is a formless sacred weapon that entangles to the heart, so every time Emperor Evan used it. It stings in a linear pain that spreads throughout his chest and creeps to every blood vessel in his body. From head, neck, wrist, stomach, popliteal area, eyes, groin, and so on.

"Sire!!" Stephen exclaimed, "I will summon the royal physician" he was about to leave when the emperor pulled him. "NO!!! Don't you... dare call anyone!!!!" he commanded.

"What do you think will happen if this reaches them?" he said.

"WHAT WILL HAPPEN IF THEY DISCOVER THAT THE THRONE IS IN GREAT THREAT BECAUSE OF MY CONDITION!!! he exclaimed.

Along the corridors, Duke Canon decided to go back to his quarters.

'So there is a problem with the emperor's health but still he won't comply to marry?' he thought.

Afterward, the ocean finally returns to its normal state however the Heavens are still in their furious anger. The sky is still gloomy and the waves are still surging.

"PRINCE!" Jonathan shouted, he searched all around for the first prince, he even used his sacred weapon to locate him.

When it was hopeless. He submerges into the ocean to look for him.

Stirring around he was stunned when he saw the center of the sinkhole.

It was all deep darkness with nothing to see yet containing a vast energy.

There he finds his master swimming into that immense darkness so he has no choice but to follow him.

When he reached the inside. He found his master in a waterless part. Indeed, there is a waterless part separated and surrounded by a great stirring dark smoke.

"Sir," he said.

There was no light except the huge dark gleam in the center.

"We found her," he said, turning to him with a wide grin.

"Found who?" the butler asked and through his sacred weapon, he is seeing a much greater power residing on what the prince was carrying.

He was carrying something on his arms, covered by his cloak.

"It goes as planned," he said.

"Let's go back. We'll be taking care of the traitors" he uttered.