A black-cloaked figure skipped over a wobbly fence of a farmhouse while cloaking under the night. Two blades were hung at each side of the waist while a bag that was shaped like carrying a rectangular object was carried on the back. The way the figure jumped over the fence as light as a feather showed how skilful the person was. It entered the hut and quickly returned outside without the two blades. Then it continued its journey toward the stone wall which encompassed the crown city of Midland, the Midlake city.

It lurked around the wall, concealing itself from the sentries on the wall, until it reached a small waterway which was only large enough for a ten-year-old child to crawl. Yet the figure passed through it, although it groaned due to inconvenience, after removing the rusty iron bar.

It successfully passed the wall and reached inside the city. The streets of Midlake were scarce of commuters as the time was late to walk around leisurely, though there were still some lights from dying lanterns. The mysterious figure masterly evaded the sentries and patrols as if it knew their exact routes. Soon it reached another stone wall, twice the height of the earlier one. It carefully looked around to see if anyone was watching, and then it sneaked into a place where there was no path except bushes and trees. After a few paces, it stopped and knocked on the wall rhythmically. Miraculously, a path of the big sturdy wall, which seemed like an impenetrable fortress, opened like a door and a secret passage appeared.

A man in armour with a purple cloak was waiting inside; bearing on his chest two galloping horses, the emblem of Midlake. He respectfully extended his arms to take care of the cloak as the mysterious person handed it over to him. Long beautiful golden hairs fluttered in the air as if they were finally set free to show off their beauty after the dirty cloak was removed. He bowed and said, "Princess, you have finally returned. Everyone was dead worried about you after the terrifying news reached us. Especially your brother, the king was asking about you, day and night."

"Yes, I suspected that my brother will be doing so. Even I was shocked. The whole island of twin rivers burned down to ashes. I was not expecting that. Anyway, tell my brother that I have safely returned and the mission was a success too."

"so you got the book? That's great news. I shall inform the king and the counsellor of your return while you may take a bath."

"No. I will go to them directly right now."

"I am afraid you smell of sewer, your highness. You will break his heart if he found out his sister had to undergo such length for the mission."

"Oh shut up, Luther. I know I smell bad. But this is a matter of utmost importance. With a puff of perfume, I will be fine."

"Then take my cloak to cover at least. You look hideous, princess."

She glared at her captain guard for calling her hideous. "You are lucky that you are my brother's best friend."

"And yours."

After Ethan and Clara stole the book of Sahel hidden in the twin-rivers island, a watcher immediately informed the Ayeegee of Crown Temple in Midlake through a pigeon, to send reinforcement and encircle the entire region so that no one could get out. Unfortunately, that news reached the ears of lord Mordu' directly who happened to be residing in the crown city. When the lord heard that his army with a dozen of Templers failed to protect a book of his secret possession, it enraged him beyond reason. He got off his throne and flew over to the island immediately.

From the sky, he stared down at all the sinners below, those who tried to steal his belonging and those who failed to serve him. Then he bestowed the divine judgement upon them; which was witnessed by the all residents in the crown city across the big lake.

A chronicler recorded the event in the annal as followed; A frightening amount of our good fathers and brothers, dutiful husbands and sons were lost to the curse on that spiteful island, a land where the evil resides. At the 2nd dawn of the 3rd week of summer in the 14th reign of King Louise, His holyship flew over the royal lake in a graceful yet threatening manner, for he heard our prayers. With his limitless mercy and love for his children, the evil which many failed to extinguish was finally dealt, the curse was lifted and the sins were washed, by his holy hands. On one hand, a gust of wind, so strong, it cut off all the leaves and twigs, flattening all poisonous flowers and plants that many were fallen victims to. From another, a golden blaze of flame, so powerful and so divine, it burnt away all traces of evil to ashes. For three days and three nights, it burnt as bright as the sun until there was nothing left for evil to seed.

"Cleo! You are alive!"

Her entrance made the king jump in exhilaration. He had been dead worried when he saw that infernal blaze over the twin rivers two days after she wrote a message to him that she would be going there. He hugged her earnestly.

Louise is Cleo's cousin from her father's brother. He is two years younger than her and is a more passionate person. Since young, he was a crybaby who always relied on his sister or his friend, Luther. He was crowned king when lord mordu' indicted King James, Cleo's father, of heretics. King James noticed that the Temple had been raising an immense amount of riches through donations, tithes and gambling houses. According to Temple, gambling is the ultimate form of faith in God, putting one's fate on a dice that will roll and land God decides where. However, King James announced that such faith is corrupting the very soul of men, destroying diligence and forgetting self-reliance, paving the realm to the path of destruction. The clash between the Crown and the Temple happened for the first time since King Dane's rule. The whole royal family, the King, the crown prince and the queen to the king's brother family, except 7 years old Cleo and 5 years old Louise, were given divine punishment by Lord Mordu'.

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"How could you think I am dead, brother?"

"What!? No. I mean I am sure you are alive but I was worried when I saw that.. that blaze."

"Huh, got you. I am just messing with you."

"Great. You are still you, a jerk. It means you are fine and I don't need to worry anymore. Anyway, what is that thing in the bag? Is it what I thought?"

She gave a wink at him. It made him jump once again. Since he was too loud, she had to tell him to quiet down. There are ears and eyes in every corner and wall. They did not want to alert the Temple by a rumour that the two siblings met in the middle of the night, plotting something.

At that time, they heard a knock on the door. Their hearts jumped with worry when they found out that someone was at the door and possibly heard them. They could drop their concern only when the ones that entered were the counsellor and their friend, Luther.

"Oh Cleo, my child. You are back." The counsellor warmly greeted her return with open arms as she ran to him for a hug. He embraced her in his chest as his own daughter, stroking the back of her head lightly while muttering, "Oh it must have been hard for you. You did well my child. You did great."

The counsellor is a trusted friend of Cleo's father and the adopted father of Luther. When the clash of crown and Temple happened, he was in Indra of the east continent as a diplomat, long before the incident. So the Temple could not find any excuse to execute him when he came back. Since then, he had taken care of the poor siblings as his own.

"I heard you got the book too."

"Yes, I did, Arthur."

"Fantastic."

"But how did you know? Did Luther tell you? Outside this room?" She looked at Luther with a threatening glare. They were against the Temple which has ears and eyes everywhere. One small mistake could expose their plan. But Arthur reassured her that Luther did not say anything out loud except a wink.

"Have you looked inside? Do you know what is it, the secret that Mordu' is trying to hide?"

"I have looked but I do not recognize any words written on it. Some diagrams seem like drawings of the inside of a man."

"Inside? As in... " Louise asked his sister in a low voice. He could not keep going as he has a faint heart in those things.

"Heart. Ribs. Guts. I believe that this is about something related to the human body. I am not sure. Arthur, maybe, you will recognise some words since you had lived in the eastern continent?"

"Yes. This is Eastern continent scripture. But not Indra. A southern one. Now, this reminds me of something. When I was there, I heard a myth about a madman who opened humans alive. After he murdered 60 people, he was arrested and executed for good. At that time, the madman claimed that he was not murdering but curing them. Clearly, his claim was dismissed. It was a hundred years ago. But that man's name was not Sahel. Azul or something."

The discussion was paused for a moment. None of them had any idea what this book is about or what secret does it hold for Mordu' to be this protective. How precious it was to him, for him to show wrath in front of tens of thousands of people?

"I have someone who might be able to translate these words. I shall ship him from the eastern continent. It will take some time but better than us imagining what these words could mean."

"Yes. Thank you, Arthur. We better be careful. If the temple catches a smell of this, this castle might meet that same fate as the twin river jungle."

"Yes. I will keep that in mind."

Arthur left the secret chamber quickly while Luther scouted the route for him. If the counsellor is seen near the royal quarter in the middle of the night, it will raise suspicion.

When Arthur left the room, Louise slowly approached Cleo. He was indecisive about whether to tell it or not. Cleo saw him stepping around in a circle so she told him to spill.

"Are we really ready?" He told his concern.

"Of what?"

"To fight that man. No. He isn't human. He is a titan or..or a celestial or...a god. What he did to the twin river island is not the work of a human. When I saw that celestial flame from my balcony, it made me realise that we can't win him. Even if we reveal his dark secrets and raise the whole realm against him, I am afraid he will just let hell loose on all of us."

"I understand your concern. Same as you, I was terrified when I saw that flame from the opposite bank. A frightening thought came to me when I heard the cries of men whose flesh was burned alive, the screeching sound of pain coming from the deepest part of their souls; that I did it to them. Because I stole that book, they were killed mercilessly. Among them were good adventurers who came to lift the curse, some were like us to steal the book, while the rest were his men who were unconditionally loyal to him. And he killed them on a whim. He has disregarded the lives of humans. So, yes. He might kill everyone when we challenge him. But it makes all the more reasons to fight him. He is no god. He is a devil who is poisoning our very souls. As the leaders and pillars of the realm, we must take this imposter down. For our future."

After a long speech, Louise agreed with the plan although his heart was still wavering. Cleo went back to her chamber and took a bath secretly. She gave her clothes to Luther to dispose of them secretly since she could not tell a servant to wash them. Crazy rumours would spread if the clothes of a princess smelled like a sewer. While taking a bath, she had a lot to think about. As her brother said, she will definitely die if she face him. She was overly confident in herself when she easily beat most of the monsters and her opponents. She lost her confidence after she witnessed the wrath of Mordu'. She felt so small and so insignificant in the face of him.

"I couldn't even beat an injured ex-Templer," she muttered dispiritedly as she touched the scratch on her neck which Ethan gave her as a present during the fight. "How will I beat a devil?" She submerged in the tub so that she could think better.