Zac couldn't help but shiver as he stepped into the manor. Kai's aura was every where and while Zac had felt stronger aura's from many different people. The combination of his young age, all of the people he had killed and the pure death present in it was a different kind of unsettling.

Honestly Zac was even more impressed by the guards who had to watch over the place. The servants were even more impressive since they didn't even have their own aura to combat Kai's.

As Zac walked through the gates the guards and servants greeted him with a "My prince." Zax nodded to them as he passed.

Connie stepped out of the shadows next to Zac. "Kai has yet to wake up but seems to be doing fine. Nixie just woke up herself an hour or so ago. While she will survive it is likely she will be a cripple for the rest of her life."

Zac nodded and Connie took him to the room Nixie was staying in. Opening up the door Zac saw a young woman sitting up on a bed. Her skin was pale and sickly, her eyes sunken, her body covered in blisters, sores and boils. Nixie weakly raised her head to look up at Zac and as she did small clumps of azure blue hair fell out.

Nixie started trying to bow as she said "My prince."

Slightly drawing on his enhanced physique and magic Zac darted forward stopping her from bowing. "No need." He told her his voice firm but kind. "Even if indirectly you have done more for our empire than most can imagine. You will never again be required to bow to our family and we will see to it that you are taken care of until the day you die."

Nixie looked around for a moment opening her mouth to talk only for her body to be wracked by coughs. Once she had gotten ahold of herself she spoke. "Wh-what do you mean?" Nixie asked her voice quiet and slightly shaky. "Wh-where are the others?"

Zac lowered his head. "I'm sorry Nixie but Kai was the only other one from your group to survive."

At his words Nixie collapsed into her bed crying. Tears ran down her face as she shakily tried to breath all while her body was wracked by fits of coughing. Zac clenched his fists, his anger bubbling over. At that moment he wanted nothing more than to march into Lorthen empire and burn there capital.

"T-tell me w-what happened." Nixie managed to get out.

Zac nodded his head forcing back his own emotions so that he could help his subject. "We have only been able to piece things together from the account of others and assumptions along with what I was able to see. We know that Kai was subjected to illegal magical experiments. We believe that Kai used his two tier 2 bond armaments to wipe out the army before it could arrive. He did succeed in this. Although he was unaware that the general and strongest person there had not yet acted. When Kai was relaxing he attacked Kai."

Zac paused as Nixie burst into a fit of coughing. "S-sorry, please continue."

Zac shook his head. "You never need to apologize to me." Zac told her before continuing the story. "Once the general realized that he couldn't defeat Kai he delayed him and went to attack the town. Me and one of my people attempted to kill him before to could do to much damage." Zac hung his head in shame. "We failed and because of that you are crippled and your friends and husband was killed."

Nixie cupped his cheek her arm shaky and gave him a smile that couldn't mask the pain she was feeling. "This is not your fault. They are not you and you can not take responsibility for what they did."

Zac blinked away moisture in his eyes as he felt a weight lifted from his shoulders. "Thank you." He whispered, his voice cracking slightly.

It took him a couple seconds but Zac gathered himself and continued. "Kai came into the town himself and attacked the general. As you might remember, when the general attempted to attack you five Kai saved you." Zac drew in a deep breath. "From the aftermath it looked as if Kai had positioned himself to block you and the one be believe was called Sarah more than the other. Though you were the only one to survive and just barley. With the exception being Kai of course."

The tears streaming down Nixie's face redoubled as she muttered to herself. "Those stupid men would have wanted that. Wh-" A sob escaped her lips cutting Nixie off. "How is Kai?"

"Kai is fine." Zac hesitated a moment before continuing. "Though… his heart is gone." Nixie's eyes shot open and Zac hastily added. "He is fine and alive. He just doesn't seem to have a heart. We are unsure why and haven't been able to ask him since he has yet to wake up. Though he is completely fine."

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Nixie nodded, looking down at her crippled body. "Is he-" Her voice cracked slightly. "Is he also… like me?"

Zac shook his head. "No he is not." He told her gently. "We are unsure why but the curse failed to affect him like it did with you." Nixie smiled slightly at that but before she could speak the door burst open.

"I'm sorry to interrupt you my prince but Kai is awake and he is… uh… unwilling to stay in his room." The servant said while bowing.

"What do you mean by unwilling?"

The servant hesitated for a moment. "While he has not gotten violent he has very forcefully been moving in this direction while muttering to himself. It vaguely sounds like he is say 'where are they'."

Zac shot up and ran for the door. He had to hurry and get to the boy. Zac knew that if something set Kai off and he used his bond armaments, chances were this whole city would be gone.

"Bring me to him." Nixie said while trying to force herself up out of bed.

Zac shook his head. "No I can't allow you to do that. You can't even get out of bed."

Nixie looked up at him. Her ruined, tear streaked face hard. "When he learns what happened he will stop resisting Seth." Nixie's body was wracked with hacking coughs. "If he does that then everyone dies. I can calm him."

Zac hesitated for another moment but knew that she was right. "Connie help her get to him as quick as you can." He ordered.

Zac spun around and as his foot hit the ground he flexed his ingrained mana memory, activating flash step. In an instant he was down the hall. With each step he disappeared in a flash of lightning. He burned his mana and twelve drops of aether but it was worth it.

Rounding the corner he saw Kai walking down the hall way his eyes far off muttering to himself.

Stepping forward Zac slowly approached him like one would a wild animal. "Hey Kai my name is Zac and I'm here to help you."

In a flash of movement Kai was standing right in front of Zac. "Where are they?" Kai demanded his voice regaining some of its life as his hand twitched around a black medallion.

Zac felt a shiver of fear go up his spine as he resolved himself. Kneeling down Zac told him. "I'm sorry Ka, I truly am but you and Nixie were the only ones to survive."

Kai froze. For a minute he just stood there nothing changing except for his eye which seemed to dull with despair. Kai turned and the medallion in his hand changed elongating into a scythe. With a swipe it's blade cut through stone wall reveling the beautiful open courtyard on the other side. Kai stepped forward into the courtyard and looked up. His free hand rose finger out stretched hovering mid air and he closed his eyes.

***

Kai felt nothing. For a moment of pure bliss it was as if he had returned to the embrace of death and everything had disappeared. Kai surrendered himself the freedom and bliss of nothingness. No longer would he be weighted down. No longer would he have to keep trudging through this hell so many people called life.

"Kill them all and its-" Kai's message to Seth was cut off by a voice.

"Kai. Please don't give in to him. Please don't leave." Kai's mind could help but register Nixie's voice despite everything in him not wanting to.

Kai turned around, a tiny spark of life igniting in his eyes and a smiled at her as tears streamed down his face. "Th-they'll all be dead soon." Kai told her. "The people people who killed your husband and friends wil-" Kai stopped as he saw Nixie.

He had been looking at her for a couple seconds now but his mind hadn't been able to truly comprehend what he was seeing. Her body was weak and covered in sores and blisters. Her skin deathly pale and struggling to stand.

Kai's eyes changed, now burning with the raging fires of life. As the nothingness inside of him was replaced with a raging wildfire. "I" Kai's voice chocked up. "I will burn their empire to the ground and kill every last one of them. I will destroy each and everyone of them." Kai's voice was a thing of quiet yet unending wrath.

Nixie stepped forward and stumbled.

Kai moved grabbing her and stopping her from falling. Nixie's forehead came down to rest against his. "Please Kai, don't give yourself to Seth. Please remember their last wish. Remember that they asked you not to kill yourself to save them. So don't kill yourself to avenge them." Nixie's body was wracked with shuddering choughs. "If you want to do something for them then live not die. That is what they would want. And if you need a purpose then why don't you find a way to heal me up."

"I- I will kill them all Nixie, I need to kill them all Nixie." Kai chocked out as he desperately hugged her.

Zac stepped forward seeing his chance to try and guide Kai down a less destructive path. "We have a school where the more talented children of our empire go to learn. While those that graduate from it can go to do anything it specializes in making its students strong. If you would like to get stronger then when you turn four-teen you can also attend that school." Zac told him.

Kai felt Nixie nod as she whispered. "You should go. It will do you good to get a proper education and put your talents to good use."

"Ok." Kai said, quietly relenting.

"If you would like I would be happy to hire some tutors to teach you until you are old enough to enroll in the school." Zac offered. At Kai's nod Zac continued. "Ok then. Please feel free to make this place your home. I promise that everything will be paid for though I ask you not to leave until you get your aura under control. If you were to leave as you are now it would cause problems."

Kai nodded his head but before he could say anything Kai felt Nixie collapse. Looking down Kai saw that he eyes were shut and her breathing was ragged. Picking her up Kai looked back up at Zac. "Please take care of her for me and I promise not to cause any problems." He paused for a moment be fore speaking. "If you don't I won't cause problems either."