The scenery around Nine was pitch black with many shattered fragments of different scenarios dancing around in a zig-zag manner.
A sharp pain pricked his eyes, enough to make him blind but no matter how much he tried to scream nothing came out from his mouth.
His lips were sealed. He recalled he was originally standing with Alec in a forest but afterward, everything was a blur.
What happened? And what was this place? His head buzzed with pain. Amidst the hundreds of fragments showing hundreds of different scenarios, he caught sight of a particular fragment floating at a distance.
A familiar figure with dark blue hair stood atop a broken building. His hands were painted red with blood and his usual bright blue eyes looked dull.
Nine eyes shifted amidst the pain to stare at the figure with a dazed expression.
‘He looks older… A lot older..’
He mumbled in his dazed mind. The figure looked below only then did Nine gaze down to see a few more figures.
It was blurry that’s why even after ranking his eyes through the fragment he didn’t recognize who they were. However, even if it was blurry he could see the condition of the figures didn’t look good. Half of them were kneeling limply on the ground and the remaining half were pointing their weapons at the floating figure.
The blue-haired figure’s facial features looked ghastly pale as a bitter yet twisted smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.
‘I am sorry.. I am sorry… I didn’t mean it… I didn’t mean to kill him…’
He moved his lips faintly to mumble in a barely audible voice but Nine expression turned dark when he caught the faint movement of his lips.
Nine gasped. He opened his eyes and saw an unfamiliar ceiling.
“What…the..?”
Nine blurted out and the moment these words left his mouth a sharp pain shot up to his spine, making him scream in pain.
A loud worried cry echoed beside his ears.
“Young Prince!”
Nine pupils dilated when his eardrums buzzed loudly. He grabbed his ears with a painful expression.
“Shut up shut up shut up!”
The person seemed to have sensed his discomfort and a pin-drop silence enveloped the place.
After a long silence, Nine finally lifted his eyes to look around himself. He was lying on a middle-size bed.
The room roof looked unfamiliar and except for the bed, it was devoid of any other furniture.
He took in a deep breath when he saw a few familiar figures standing around his bed.
“Young prince, do you feel any discomfort in your body?”
Nine didn’t reply to the old man who worked for his mother and followed behind him to tail his movement. His mind was still muddled as he gazed at Ratric and Geroge standing on his left.
They wore somber expressions and Ratric’s voice sounded rather grim.
“What did you see? You were out for two weeks? Also…”
He sighed with a complicated expression as he eyed Nine figure.
However before Nine could understand the meaning behind his words, the old man who called him young prince immediately resorted angerily.
“The Royal Academy doesn’t have the right to know about this topic. This is a matter related to my Kingdom and I have contacted the Queen. She said to bring the prince back home immediately.”
Ratric gazed at him coldly and scoffed.
“I was the one who saved his life timely. Moreover, the moment he stepped into the Royal Academy he became one of my people. You can’t take him back without my permission.”
Amidst their angry discussion, the room door slammed open and a few youths stepped inside with worried expressions.
Ratric snapped his head to look at the door. He narrowed his eyes at the middle-aged man who was tasked to stop everyone from entering the room.
The man cowered under his gaze and blurted out with a sweaty forehead.
“I am sorry Sir. The kids didn’t listen to me. They forcefully barged inside even when I threatened them. They said they wouldn’t return until they saw their friend.”
Retric released a sigh as he gazed at the youths standing between the door with resolute expressions.
He dismissed the man immediately and waved his hand at the youths.
“Nine is awake just see him and leave because he needs rest.”
Alec and Carcel nodded. Bia was sitting on Mia’s shoulder, she narrowed her eyes to look at Nine. He looked dazed and she noticed a few grey strands on his head.
-‘Indeed everything has a price… he lost his lifespan.’
She mumbled inwardly. Even though she knew Nine was a mermaid, she wasn’t aware that he could glimpse at the future through a unique ability. She only found out about this when she heard Retric and Geroge’s conversation secretly.
With a sigh, Bia immediately informed Kyle who had been worried about Nine the moment he heard about his condition.
Alec and Carcel approached the bed with worried expressions. The two girls followed behind the duo with steady steps. Lara’s usually cold face had softened a lot in the past few months. Now, her eyes reflected pure worry for the dazed youth sitting on the bed.
Alec stood beside the bed after Retric and Geroge retreated to give the kids some space. He moved his hand to pat Nine shoulder.
“Are you alright?”
Nine turned around to look at Alec with a strange expression but then his expression sank when he finally remembered what he saw and heard a moment ago. A rare angry shout erupted from his throat.
“You bastard!”
With a burst of strength that appeared out of nowhere, Nine clenched his fist to punch Alec.
Alec was caught off due to his sudden outburst. He blocked the punch out of reflex but still staggered backward because Nine used too much strength in his punch.
“?”
He looked at Nine with wide confused eyes. Not just him all eyes stare at Nine seething expression with shock. Why did he punch Alec out of nowhere!?
However, before anyone could speak. Nine cried out loudly.
“You killed him! You killed Kyle!”
A pin-drop silence enveloped the room and Alec blinked with a dazed expression.
“What?”
He sucked in a deep breath. No way it was impossible.
“Why would I kill him?”
He resorted but this time instead of replying Nine fainted again. Ratric rushed forward and checked his body.
“His condition is not good because his body is too strained.”
The old man who had been silently watching the kids’ interaction finally spoke up with a cold expression.
“I am taking him back. There is no way he can enter the Secret Realm because his body is losing strength with each passing second. I believe you can sense it too Retric.”
He narrowed his eyes at Retric who frowned. Retric knew Nine unique ability was not high-grade or else why would the Sea Continent let go of such a precious person? However, it seemed Nine had used too much of it unconsciously.
Retric thought for a few seconds and massaged his temples. The old man was right, there was no way Nine condition would recover within a month. Also, his body needed proper treatment.
In the end, he nodded. It was better for Nine to go back.
Alec stood in a corner of the room with a complicated expression. Carcel and the two girls were standing behind him. They watched as the old man took Nine away.
When the old man left, Geroge and Ratric turned around to look at Alec.
They weren’t sure what Nine meant by ‘You killed Kyle’ because he didn’t divulge anything else. But no matter what Alec was a good seedling and they had observed him for the past few months.
There was no way Alec would harm someone without a reason. Also, Kyle was someone who disappeared a few months ago. Han did inform them that the kid was alive but because Retric and Geroge left the Kingdom to train the kids they didn’t have time to check on Kyle.
Retric waved his hand at the kids with a serious expression.
“You all should leave. Go train with the others. Don’t worry your friend is safe he just went back home.”
Alec released a large breath and left the room with Carcel and the girls. However, the sentence ‘You killed Kyle’ echoed in his mind again and again. freewёbnoνel.com
‘Why did he say it? And why would I kill Kyle?’
Bia narrowed his eyes to look at Alec with a wary expression. She hummed. Nothing was certain. Who knows what will happen in the future?
After another two weeks, Alec stopped thinking about the matter regarding Kyle and placed it at the back of his head. He focused on his training because he knew himself, there was no way he would harm Kyle without a good reason.