The Sight Beyond The Haze

Chapter 30: The Deity of Light

"Not to kill me, I hope?" I asked dryly, but the boy did not laugh.

In the midst of the darkness of the night, he stepped out of the shadows. The first thing that draw my eyes were his eyes, blue and bright. Too bright that the pair seemed to have been artificial.

My face might have been expressionless, but my inside was displeased of my current state. I cannot even move a limb with all of these bandages wrapping and enveloping my whole body. My side of my lips curled back involuntarily.

Then with a gaze being colder by a second, I found an elegant scimitar he was holding by his hand. It was thin and not as glamorous as other swords I have seen, both in my past lives and in pictures. A rather simple weapon that it almost went pass my own eyes.

"I wouldn't dare with everyone who was backing you up and protecting you," Cocytus Amitiel answered, his eyes looked into my mine and went to where my eyes were looking at— his weapon. "I'm not Mage, like you are. I need a power catalyst to create a seal."

"Is that why you are here then?" I demanded. "To create a seal? Where exactly am I?"

What does he mean of betraying his own family to keep me away from them? Things were just getting more and more muddled that even if I turn around a little corner, however short the turn might be, there will always be this expansive detail that I was never made aware of.

"Yes, my lady," he responded rather politely, gone was the mocking tone from earlier. "I have been ordered by Eris to strengthen the seals inside the house in any case that intruders may come. For your last question, you are inside my house. Within Academia Amitiel."

Intruders, he said.

Now I started to wonder if he ever knew about the organizations, but I guess he does. What does this place, this academy, was called? A Middle Ground, Deo told me once, where they cater overseas magicians from Dalcanoraz who seek after safe havens.

"Inside the Academia Amitiel?" I asked incredulously. "Someone is trying to kill me inside, why would I still be here after all?"

"Exactly because you are inside this wretched school that you're still alive," Cocytus Amitiel contradicted though. "The first time you went out, a mudtrap attacked you. The last time is when you went to Lord Legrand when he's leaving the school. Everyone is prevented to kill within the premise of the school."

I pursed my lips with his explanation.

"That's why you are kept here," he ended his litany.

"I have been told that the Amitiels, your family, are the keepers of the Middle Ground," I stated, "but why must you call them puppets and whose puppets were they?"

And are you not the same?

That was the question that appeared within my mind. Was he not the same? A puppet whose strings attached were being controlled by the puppeteer from behind the scenes?

And whose puppet was he, by the way? Deo's? But he also mentioned Miss Eris. Would that mean that Deo was indeed in conspiracy with Mister Tharraleos and Miss Eris? How come? From the last time we talked, and it had only been hours since then, I do not caught to any reason on our conversation.

"The Amitiel family have been the keeper of the Middle Ground for at least two hundred years now," he instead explained, "they have always been loyal to the crown. In this struggle of power, of course they would side with the crown. With the Eirini that got the approval of Queen Tatiana."

So that was the current queen— Queen Tatiana. Deo refused to tell me the political figures of the country, always telling me that I should not dirty my hands and eyes with matters of the political affairs of Dalcanoraz which was, like all political affairs, blackened with corruption.

"It's no use," he suddenly said.

"What was?" I asked him with a raised eyebrow.

"Summoning Lord Deo's fire butterflies."

That took me a moment to realize. I felt both of my hands vibrating with a suppressed energy from my power. Not even consciously, my instincts were to call to his butterflies that my body subconsciously claimed as mine already.

"Where is he? I have not seen him." My voice have become relatively calmer than earlier. "Nevermind that—"

"You still do not know what exactly he was, do you?" he asked curiously. He walked to the other side of the room where the windows were. A gentle tug and he was already closing the curtains that somebody must have forgotten earlier. "Why would Leigh and Eris helped him just because he asked? Most importantly, why those two he sought help for? Do you ever wonder?"

My blood boiled again. I was not patient enough when I was like this.

"Just get to the point, Amitiel," I growled at him. Being wrapped around with bandages and strapped with different apparatuses though, it was not intimidating enough that it just sounded pathetic.

I winced internally.

"He is one of the Five Deities of Humanity and Magic," he answered serenely. With the curtains being closed to each other, the bright moon's reflection which was the only thing that provided the whole room with light has darkened considerably that I was not certain where Cocytus Amitiel was now.

I stayed still, not knowing how to answer what he just said. As Deo has taught me, there were stories that might be hard to belive that were actually real history and not just legends and myths. The Five Deities of Humanity and Magic were the perfect example.

They were like those Greek, Roman, Egyptian and other mythological gods with wondrous stories being passed down on generations and generations. They only existed within the mind of mortals, but for the existing Deities of Dalcanoraz, they were very much real. Their roles from the first Deity down the very last one were all fulfilling their own roles for the sake of magic balance in the whole mortal world.

"A Deity," I said abruptly. I do not need anymore encouragement or even clues to find out what Deity was Deo. I only need to go back to those times we were together.

The Deity of Light to be specific.

There was the sound of switches flicking and the room suddenly brightened, Cocytus Amitiel was still standing beside the switches of the lights.

"You think Leigh and Eris would just magically think of helping an unknown being like Deo?" Cocytus Amitiel asked me incredulously. "Or did you think that Deo would only help you just because he thought of it?"

Those were indeed my questions. I felt tension building up within my body and maybe Cocytus Amitiel also felt the power build up, he chuckled humorlessly and I saw the lids of his eyes were lowered, giving the impression of darkening his bright blue eyes.

"One of the Deities..." My voice trailed away, not knowing how exactly was I supposed to speak when I was too speechless in the first place.

"Leigh and Eris found it rather hard to break the news to you," Cocytus Amitiel uttered. "I do not see why if I'm being honest here. Your mind seemed to be stable enough to hold such a news. Although I have seen how messed up it was the first time. Besides, you are really close with Lord Deo, anyone who have two perfectly fine eyes could see that."

"I knew he was not a human being," I told Amitiel, much like what I had told to Miss Eris and Mister Tharraleos from our conversation earlier.

Memories from when Deo and I were together refreshed in my mind. The overly mysterious presence, even Deo's unbelievable strength and power that almost always overwhelmed me.

"But..." I sighed deeply and closed my eyes, founding it was getting harder to breathe. "But I never knew he would be one of those god-like people. Is that why you were here?" I asked suddenly. "To stick with these god creatures with immense power that can destroy the whole world? Is that the reason why you have now been so involved?"

There was an indignant undertone to my voice, accusing him of many despicable deeds and intentions.

"What are royalties but mere mortals?" Cocytus Amitiel asked, his shoulders shrugged casually. There was a hint of smile on the side of his lips, not quite reaching his eyes but it was there. "What are the Eirini and even Haefen compared to those Deities whose powers are as great as a calamity. Maybe even greater. They would rule the world if they weren't only just so damn selfless. With these gods, victory is assured. Of course I would rather side with Deo and Leigh, Eris is even more helpful even when she is a mortal, rather than siding with those fools killing each other."

There was greed within his bright blue eyes, almost green really, that it made me feel frightened. A person with great desire of not money and not positon or even rank, but of real and raw power. When they say power comes in all forms, they were wrong. Power will always be power in one form— strength.

That was Cocytus Amitiel's view within his eyes, I could tell just by gazing at him, standing within my reach with his simple yet elegant scimitar, physically looking down at me.

"But you became his weakness," he abruptly said, his tone changed from one that was filled with greed and desire to one that was only casual at first then turned into a displeased one, almost angered. "Do you know why Deo wasn't able to get to you with all of his strength? Another powerful Mage prevented him from doing so. He didn't even noticed it and was only too focused on you."

A powerful Mage prevented him? Everything was hazy when the impact happened, I could not nt really remember clearly. Deo's face being revealed, even if it was just a small glimpse, and how he stayed still were both fresh in my mind still. That must be the reason why Deo looked like he was frozen in time that day and he only reached me when I was about to be flattened.

"Should I feel guilty then?" I demanded yet again, my jaw clenched tightly and my hands turned into fists.

I did feel guilty, it was gnawing the inside of me actually. I felt useless, and maybe that was a fact, but I have always been a few steps behind and not being able to use everything that Deo used to taught me.

"Grateful," he corrected me. "That is what you are supposed to feel. You're supposed to feel grateful towards him."

Cocytus Amitiel turned around and raised his scimitar. He muttered under his breath the words that I have repeatedly uttered myself before, creating a stronger seal so no one from the outside would be able to come up here. Though his power was not enough, the weapon on his hands, a Catalyst, was enough to amplify it.

"So Mr. Tharraleos... what exactly is he?" I asked again though I knew there was the sense of anger hidden in his tone from how he spoke earlier. He does not expressed it so physically that I could not accuse him for it, but it was quite evident from the viciousness of his eyes, to the bulging of his veins on his arms, and the curl of his lips as he spoke. "One of the Five Deities, I know, which one though?"

I thought back to Deo's lesson about the Five Deities of Humanity and Magic.

The first one was the Immortal Deity who control to prolong the humanity's ability to be immortal, enabling them to produce generations and generations to preserve the humanity's immortality.

Then the Seer who can see the past, future, and present events of time. The Light Deity which was Deo. Then the fourth one was the Lady of the Death Doors that has the afterlife domain. Last was the one who controls the nature's rebirth, the Spirit of Viridiscent.

But Cocytus Amitiel did not answer, or at least he did not answer right away while he finished the sealing incantation, the scimitar on his hand was still glowing faintly.

"The Immortal Deity." He looked back at me. "While Miss Eris is the Seer of the Five Deities. Thus, the reason why Miss Eris and Leigh are both helping Deo on hiding you from your own family."

I watched him and I finally understood why Cocytus Amitiel was telling me something that even Miss Eris and Mister Tharraleos have a difficulty of telling me.

"You resent me," I stated with indifference.

He paused inspecting the seal he created, but he did not turn around to look at me or to refute my statement. He only stood there, holding his scimitar. Maybe provoking this guy was not such a great idea when I was incapacitate, still recuperating from my injuries and cannot move a single muscle, and him who was the only one holding a weapon between us two. I thought he would strike me then, but Amitiel only laughed. The laughter shook his shoulders and when he did turn around, there was a sarcastic expression plastered on his face.

Instead of refuting my statement that was almost like an accusation, he mocked me for it and even have the balls to laugh at me.

"Why would I resent you?" he asked incredulously.

"Why don't you tell me yourself?" I asked in return. There was no annoyance that took charge on his face like what I was expecting, merely bemusement of what I was saying.

"Resent?" he asked himself, low enough so that I had to perk up my ears. "Why would I resent you if I don't want your life?" He walked until he was beside the bed I was lying on. I looked up to him with the same cold glare. "Trapped between two opposing sides of a war, like a mere toy. Injured by your own uncle through this sloppy accident, maybe he thought that if he can't have you by Haefen's side then maybe no one should, even if it meant your death. Betrayed by people of your own mother who doesn't care one bit about you. Your mind right now is a mosaic of faults and cracks, it's collapsing with the repeated tampering and r****g by those who are closest to you. Tell me, why would I resent you? Your life is simply too f****d up to be resented by that even a panhandler have a much greater fortune."

"Then why must you tell me everything?" I asked him fiercely, not keeping up my indifferent expression any longer, my eyes were turning sharper.

"For someone like me, who came from a rather insignificant family with an insignificant role," Cocytus Amitiel started, and there was that greed and desire on his eyes yet again. "Is this not the perfect spot to watch either your rise or downfall?"

He chuckled, his hand reaching to brush the stray strands of hair on my cheek.

"You are a rather interesting thing to watch," he whispered, maybe mostly to himself again. "I haven't seen anything like you before."

My eyes widened with his rather explicit touch. I was not outright violated and he did not touched me maliciously, but I could not help the fear creeping up to my arms making my scalp feel numb and raising the hair on my skin.

"I love a good show," Cocytus Amitiel informed me with a cold tone, "and you are yet the most interesting star so far."

Before he could say more or do anything else, there was a buzzing noise that came from his own pocket. With a glance, he took out an android phone from the pocket of his pants and tapped on it nonchalantly.

"Yes?" he demanded the one at the end of the line. "What?" he hissed lowly, his eyes turning sharper. I saw that he gripped his phone so tight that the veins on his arms bulged angrily. "Her again?"

I waited for a while as the one at the other end of the line of the phone spoke to his ear. Quite curious what has Cocytus Amitiel so worked up when even I could not draw such a reaction from him with our disparity.

"Why is she always so nosy? Can't Leigh just kidnap her or something and toss her to the end of the world? I don't want to deal with her, the s***h on my back hasn't healed yet." Cocytus Amitiel paused for a second. "What? I'm not excusing myself, she's just too handful to deal with. Eris!" he suddenly roared at the phone he was holding. I gulped down the chuckle coming up my throat as to not attract his attention or disrupt the flow of his conversation. "Shut up! You're being a noisy b***h again."

So it was Eris he was talking to. I wonder, and also got curious, what it must be they were talking about that got Cocytus Amitiel so angry like this.

"I'm hanging up," he grunted after pausing again. If it was my imagination, more likely it was though, but Cocytus Amitiel sounded a little sullen and broody. "Yes, I'm done. What the heck, Eris! I kept telling you, it's fine! I did it, okay? Bye!"

Cocytus Amitiel heaved a deep sigh as though he was aggravated and a decade has been shaved off from his lifespan. He turned to me but I was already closing my eyes, pretending to be asleep. I do not want to see this person any further and it would be better for my nerves if he just left quietly.

But what I wished did not happen accordingly.

It was a minute after hanging up on Miss Eris on the phone before Cocytus Amitiel spoke to me though I was already pretending to be asleep. I heard him sighed again and the weapon that he was holding was sheated with a loud shing! sounds. I stubbornly kept my eyes closed still though ny ears were attentive to what he was saying to me.

"There are still a lot of things you might not know that would shock you," he said seriously, "but you know how Deo has always been so protective of you. Once you get out the academy you might die by either your mother or uncle. I'm just warning you in case you get any ideas and actually get out of the academy on your own accord. Stop it with any of the bullshits because you will be the death of Deo."

I wanted to say something in protest. My 'bullshits' were only consisted of not being careful enough and curiosity which were both caused by the tampering of my memories. I have none of the bullshits he was talking about but I did not tell him any of my sentiments and just let went on to talk.

Another paused went next. I even held my breath so I could hear him better.

"I know you're not actually sleeping," he then said.

My jaw twitched and clenched involuntarily, the only thing I heard next was the creaking of the door as he exited the room.

I pondered the things Cocytus Amitiel said to me. Deo might have been really protective of me. Until now, I was still skeptical why he treated me so nicely though. Was it because I was the heir of both Eirini and Haefen?

My heart warmed but ached. Now more than ever, Deo seemed to be so remote and distant from me.

Right now, I should know how to stand on my own and protect myself. I am strong enough, being weak and a coward were not forgivable for someone who has enough power.