Dawn is just breaking as Kaiden jolts awake in his bed, flinging the blanket onto the floor in a frantic movement. Sweat glistens on his face, and his heart pounds in his chest, racing with adrenaline. The vivid images from his dream keep replaying in his mind, like a relentless loop. Kaiden rises to his feet, still trembling from the intensity of the dream. He scans the room, only to find himself alone. Thoughts race through his mind, where could Loden have gone? But he quickly refocuses his thoughts on what's in front of him, spotting a wash basin on one of the tables. With slow, deliberate steps, he moves towards it.

Kaiden grasps the water, pouring it into the bowl and splashes it on his face and hair, trying to calm down. However, as the water ripples and then settles, the scenes from the dream suddenly come back, projected onto the surface. Terrified and alarmed, Kaiden instinctively swipes his hand at the bowl, accidentally knocking it to the floor, causing it to crash with a loud clatter.

The broken bowl scatters across the floor, shards of glass and water spilling all over the rugs. Kaiden instinctively steps back, avoiding the sharp debris. His hands quiver with fear and tension. He grips his chest once more, but this time, his fingers clutch onto the cool metal of the pendant instead. The soothing touch of the metal begins to calm him, albeit slightly.

Loud footsteps echo through the hallway outside, followed by the door abruptly flinging open. Loden bursts into the room, his body coiled and ready for combat. His voice rings out with concern, "Priestess, are you alright?"

Kaiden gazes at Loden, his surprise slowly giving way to a calmer demeanor. Taking a few deep breaths, he collects himself before responding. "I'm fine," he reassures Loden. For a moment, he contemplates mentioning the dream and the actual reason behind the broken bowl. But then, he shakes his head, deciding against it. "I accidentally slipped and broke the bowl," he admits, half-truthfully.

Loden glances toward the bowl and then back at Kaiden. Observing the distance between Kaiden and the broken bowl, Loden furrows his brow. The placement doesn't quite add up if the bowl had simply fallen. Loden carefully steps around the shards of glass and moves closer to Kaiden. Concern echoes in his voice as he asks, "Are you certain you're alright?"

Kaiden nods affirmatively, uttering a quick "Yeah" as he moves away from Loden. He heads back to the bed and takes a seat, positioning his back toward Loden. His fingers gently brush against the pendant, the coolness of the metal providing a sense of comfort and relief. Kaiden deliberately pushes the distressing dream to the recesses of his mind, focusing on the present for now.

Loden walks over to the table and rests his hand on the barren surface. His voice is gentle as he queries, "Do you want me to summon someone to fetch you some more water or perhaps some food?"

Kaiden turns to face Loden and shakes his head, politely declining the offer. "No, I'm good. I'm not feeling particularly hungry right now," he replies. "Let everyone else continue sleeping. It's still quite early," he adds. "I'll just stay here in the room for the time being."

Loden chuckles softly and shakes his head. "Apologies, I realize you're still adjusting to life in the palace and the world," he explains. "Most of the people here are already up and attending to their daily duties. I just spotted several servants starting their morning routines." He continues, "We could step outside into the palace courtyard and get a breath of fresh air if you'd like. You don't have to remain cooped up indoors the entire time."

Kaiden listens intently to Loden's suggestion and then shakes his head again. He brings his legs closer to his chest, wrapping his arms around them, and rests his head on his knees. With a weary voice, he responds, "I'm good. I think I'd just like to stay here for now."

Loden responds, "Alright then, I'll stay here with you." He moves toward the chair, intending to keep Kaiden company. However, Kaiden swiftly turns towards Loden and asserts, "I want to be left alone."

Surprised by the unexpected response, Loden looks at Kaiden. Kaiden hastily adds, "I just need some time to myself right now. Could I have some privacy?"

Loden nods understandably, straightening his stance. He replies, "Of course. I'll wait just outside the room, and you won't be disturbed. Just call if you need me or require anything. I shall take my leave for now." With a respectful bow, Loden then proceeds to the door and exits quietly, leaving Kaiden alone in the room.

Kaiden looks at the closed door after Loden leaves, silently cursing himself for his words. Inwardly questioning his own actions, Kaiden thinks to himself, "Why did I respond that way? Loden has been so kind and understanding, yet I treated him poorly."

Kaiden then proceeds to place his head back on his knees and allows himself to slump onto the mattress on his side, curling up into a tight, balled position.

As Kaiden remains curled up on the bed, he gradually drifts off to sleep, still caught in the clutches of his recurring dream. The dream replays in his mind, its vivid images and intense emotions consuming his subconscious state.

The dream seems to blur the line between memory and prophecy as Kaiden witnesses the summoning of Astralyn alongside Molly and the warriors of the past. The scene unfolds, with Molly suddenly pausing in the middle of reciting the scripture, her gaze fixed on the glowing fox above the fire. Then, the fire erupts, and shadowy figures emerge, obscured by the flames and smoke. Two of the warriors are assaulted, while the other grabs Molly, both vanishing into the fire once more. The pendant necklace lies abandoned on the ground beside the scroll. The warriors frantically scour the room, searching for Molly. They rush to the two wounded warriors, their expressions a mix of confusion and dread. A soft, silvery glow emanates from the pendant, only to then gradually fade away, leaving behind a sense of helplessness and uncertainty.

The dream shifts suddenly, transporting Kaiden to the familiar room once more. Only now, he is dressed in the same attire as Molly, holding the scroll. The pendant is now encircling his neck. Kaiden's gaze falls upon Wulfric and Loden, who are among the group of men surrounding him. However, the other men are concealed in shadows, their forms obscured and darkened. While reading the scroll, Kaiden abruptly halts as the same fox appears in the fire, its gaze meeting his. Startled, he steps back and inadvertently drops the scroll. Loden swiftly moves to his side. Just then, two shadowy figures emerge from the flames once again, swiftly approaching.

The nearby warriors tighten their formation, closing ranks. Loden places himself protectively in front of Kaiden. The two shadowy figures swiftly attack with an energy force, causing a forceful impact that sends all the warriors reeling back, knocked off balance. One of the shadowy intruders moves with alarming speed and strikes Loden on the side, simultaneously seizing Kaiden in a firm grip. Without hesitation, they then race back into the fire, Kaiden clutched in the intruder's arms. The pendant slips from around Kaiden's neck as they disappear into the flames, trailing close behind the shadowy assailant.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

Kaiden's last sight is his own hand, reaching out desperately towards Loden, who has fallen to his knees in pain. Kaiden lets out a panicked shout, uttering Loden's name as he is consumed by the flames and vanishes completely. Kaiden suddenly awakens, gasping for breath. His face is covered in perspiration, and he raises his hand to wipe away some of the beads of sweat. He glances over and sees Wulfric standing by the door, his expression stoic and body language indecipherable.

“What are you doing in here?”, Kaiden asks in a slightly aggressive tone, before catching himself and lowering his voice. “I mean, shouldn’t you be with the emperor? Why are you in my room?”

Wulfric's expression remains enigmatic as he responds to Kaiden's forceful tone. "What am I doing here?" He pauses, then adds in a measured tone, "I came to check on you. The Emperor asked me to." He tilts his head slightly, his voice betraying no emotion. "Isn't that obvious?"

Kaiden, feeling uncertain about the situation, shrugs his shoulders and shakes his head in denial. "No, it's not really obvious," he responds. He then casts a look around the room, finding himself alone with Wulfric. He notices Loden's absence and inquires, "Where is Loden? He mentioned that I wouldn't be disturbed."

Wulfric approaches Kaiden with a mix of confidence and superiority in his demeanor. He saunters over, his hands resting casually on his belt. With a slight sneer, he comments, "That rodent, as you call him, is in the midst of a private conversation with the emperor and empress. He specifically requested to be alone with them, so His Majesty instructed me to keep watch over you, just in case."

Wulfric's haughty demeanor exacerbates Kaiden's frustration, leading him to stand up quickly on the bed. Kaiden's irritation reaches a boiling point, and he lashes out at Wulfric,, "Stop referring to Loden as a rodent. He's a Celestial Warrior like you, working towards the same goal. Show some respect or get out of my face! All you've done is bad-mouth him and ignore me." Kaiden's anger continues to simmer, his voice rising as he addresses Wulfric further. "You did nothing as I felt like I was on the verge of a heart attack. You're a pompous, pretentious jerk, unworthy of being called a Celestial Warrior!!"

Wulfric's face flushes with a deep, angry hue as he stands frozen in place. Seething, he mutters, "Why you..." In a swift, unexpected movement, Wulfric lunges at Kaiden, attempting to grab him. However, Kaiden swiftly evades the attack and manages to maneuver his way out of the room. With Wulfric's shouts echoing behind him, Kaiden flees down the hallway of the palace, outpacing and dodging the pursuit.

Kaiden continues to run while occasionally glancing back at Wulfric, who is hot on his tail. During his rush, Kaiden once shouts over his shoulder, "What did I say?!" As he runs, Kaiden spots a rail and impulsively jumps over it, sprinting past a group of people leisurely making their way towards a nearby building. Without a clear destination in mind, Kaiden decides to dash around the palace, attempting to dodge being grabbed by Wulfric doggedly pursuing him. Wuflric persists in shouting at him as he follows close behind.

Kaiden dashes into an open doorway, pushing through a group of surprised individuals. While passing by, he hurriedly apologizes, quickly calling out, "Sorry!" He sprints past two guards, who chastise him and then, alarmed, glance back at the enraged Wulfric hot on Kaiden's tail.

Kaiden continues his dash through the palace halls, feeling an adrenaline boost that he hasn’t experienced in a long time. He then turns down a corridor and spots a pair of double doors. Without giving it much thought, Kaiden sprints towards them, urgently trying to push them open. However, Kaiden struggles to open the doors, silently pleading for them to give way. The sound of Wulfric turning into the same corridor and rapidly approaching echoes through the hall.

Kaiden suddenly pivots around to see the furious Wulfric closing in on him. Kaiden desperately blurts out, "Wulfric, what did I say that got you so mad? I didn’t mean it, okay? You're not seriously thinking of hurting me, are you?? You're supposed to be protecting me."

In a furious outburst, Wulfric fumes, his words erupting as shouts, "Pompous, pretentious jerk, am I? You're an entitled, arrogant brat, weak and useless, unworthy of being the priestess. You claim I'm unworthy of being a Celestial Warrior. I'll prove you wrong!" Wulfric swiftly closes the distance between them, forcefully slamming into Kaiden and propelling him through the doors and into the room beyond.

Kaiden grunts as the doors crash against his back, causing intense pain. The impact in his chest and stomach from Wulfric's collision adds to the agony. Kaiden tumbles to the ground, the force slamming him onto the hard surface below.

A sudden chorus of voices suddenly rings out, causing Wulfric to freeze in his actions as he was about to grab Kaiden sprawled on the ground. Wulfric quickly rises, standing at attention as he hastily apologizes, assuming a formal stance. "Your Majesties, our apologies for the interruption. I was in a, er, somewhat distracted state of mind and forgot that this was the throne room."

Kaiden slowly turns his head, surveying the scene behind him. He sees the Emperor, Empress, and Loden, standing together a distance away in the room. Their gazes fixed at Kaiden and Wulfric’s direction, Loden's face flickering through various emotions, ultimately settling on an expressionless façade.

The emperor storms toward them, anger radiating from his face. "What is the meaning of this?" he thunders. "I instructed you to guard the priestess, not forcefully hurl him through a door and shout down the palace halls! What's wrong with you, Wulfric? Can I no longer trust you to do this simple task?"

Kaiden observes the exchange between the Emperor and Wulfric, still laying on the ground. Wulfric's face drops further, his shoulders slump down. Kaiden can tell that Wulfric is deeply worried about how the Emperor views him. Kaiden shakes his head and then slowly rises to his feet. He grimaces for a moment, clutching his one side, but quickly brushes it away, attempting to appear unharmed.

Kaiden stands up and positions himself beside Wulfric, drawing the Emperor's attention. He asserts, "Your majesty, this is a misunderstanding. Wulfric did not throw me through the door. I tripped on my own accord, and Wulfric was simply trying to help me up."

The Emperor casts a questioning glance at Kaiden as he inquires, "If you tripped and fell through the door, then why was Wulfric shouting in the hall just moments ago?"

Kaiden nonchalantly raises a hand to his head, a slight twinge of pain shooting through his side. He explains, "Oh, that - Wulfric was actually yelling for me to stop. I had been running down the halls, exhilarated to begin our quest for the next warrior. He was trying to halt me from disrupting your conversation, but I failed to heed his warning and came crashing through the door.”

The Emperor glances back and forth between Kaiden and Wulfric. He asks bluntly, "Is that true?"

Wulfric reluctantly lifts his gaze to meet the emperor's eyes, then flicks his gaze to Kaiden before returning to the emperor. With a hint of reluctance, Wulfric slowly places his hand on Kaiden's head and moves his hair aside. He replies, "Of course, your majesty. The young priestess was simply overly excited to commence our search today and could not wait to begin our hunt through the city with Loden and me."

Kaiden nonchalantly reaches up and pushes Wulfric's hand away from his head, maintaining a smile. "Yes, that's precisely what happened," he responds. "I was acting thoughtlessly and impolite, interrupting your conversation just now. Perhaps Wulfric and I can go wait outside while you three finish?"

The Empress and Loden join the side of the Emperor. The Empress remarks, "That's perfectly fine. We had just concluded our discussion when you entered. Right, Loden?" Loden takes a moment to be taken aback, then nods in agreement. "Yes, we were just about to exit the throne room."

Kaiden's stomach suddenly rumbles, catching the attention of everyone in the room. The Empress giggles softly, disguising her amusement behind her hand. Loden attempts to approach Kaiden's side, but the Emperor intervenes and steps forward. He proposes, "Perhaps it's best if we move on from here and proceed to the banquet hall for some nourishment. I myself am rather famished at this moment."

Kaiden's gaze flutters between Loden, the Empress, and the Emperor, a tinge of discomfort seeping into his awareness. However, he shakes it off, attributing the odd behavior to his imagination. He replies, "Yes, I'd really appreciate that. I am indeed quite hungry."

The Emperor gently touches Kaiden's shoulder and leads the group out of the room, followed closely by the Empress, Wulfric, and Loden. The journey to the banquet hall is made in silence, with no one uttering a word.