The Sight Beyond The Haze

Chapter 63: The Event has Finally Come

I tried the suit just one more time before changing into the dress that Eris told me to wear.

She was still upset over what had happened with the attacker and that way on her Sight. In fact, she was too upset to even pretend happy for the prom that Cocytus and I were both attending. As a student, well technically actually, of the academy, Leigh was also required to attend the event but he refused the invitation. He was adamant to stay beside Eris in case the attacker intrude upon the house and silently kill the Seer.

I know that Leigh was still guilty over running towards the forest to find me. I was, after all, the one that the attacker wanted but he said that the event would be safe, supposedly, to those who are member of the magical community to attend to. Since Caspian and the other members of the Eirini organization expected us to actually attend, Leigh thought we actually should attend.

It was not like I do not want to have fun, who would not want that, right? But I thought that there were other things to be worried about, like our lives or the life of the Seer or how would we prevent that attacker from spreading the news that you could essentially escape the Fate by consuming a Deity's blood.

That would be a huge trouble for us and Leigh explained to us when we had our meeting earlier this day. He sent Cocytus and me to our rooms last night, we did not have any choice but to obliged since Leigh looked really serious. Before we all started to get ready and change into our formal attires, Leigh summoned Cocytus and me.

Eris still looked rather bothered, but she tried to smile only to fail because the end of her mouth just refused to go up.

"What is it?" I asked when I noticed that Cocytus was still pretending to be meek and timid again. "Why did you summoned us here?"

"The intruder that Seraphin saw yesterday must be kept secret as usual," Leigh started at us.

He was no nonsense and was straightforward, looking at us like we were little children. We both nodded as an answer to him.

"Of course, Uncle," I answered when Leigh did not seem to be satisfied about it. "It would compromise our position in the magical community."

Cocytus discreetly looked at me, urging me to ask questions away to Leigh who was vigilantly looking at us. I frowned at Cocytus that was still keeping his mouth shut.

And because Leigh was not a stupid person when in fact, he was not even a person, he saw what transpired between Cocytus and me.

"Do you want to say something else, Yto?" Leigh asked gently and I noticed that his voice was glazed over. The sharpness and roughness that he talked me with on that tone was dulled when it came to his beloved foster son.

My gaze never let his face go, catching his eyes for the unfair treatment he was doing.

"I know what you are doing, my great niece, and Cocytus won't talk unless I am not angry so refrain having that kind of horrid expression."

My shoulders slumped and I just leaned back on my chair, looking at the two converse while Eris, who was sitting just beside Leigh, looked like she was lost. The sparkles on her blue eyes were gone and replaced by bleak and anxious, she was holding her cup of tea with a slight tremble.

I sighed.

We were shaken.

We were shaken, and both Leigh and Eris never thought we would be shaken like this by our very first and official attack. Eris has essentially lost her Sight and we do not know how to counter the blood of the Deities. Blood magic was ancient, the very first of the Three Forbidden Magical Arts. And now I finally understood why Leigh was so worked up when I used blood magic.

"If the magical community would know about this certain... technique," Leigh said, there was a certain coldness on his voice that even Cocytus flinched.

My head bowed automatically as though it was only natural. I sighed, I knew where this was going and I was not even talking about how Leigh's attitude turned cold and indifferent. It was because of the attacker's newfound magic technique.

Incorporating the blood of the Deities with their own, I wonder if I took some of Eris' blood, would it enable me to also see the future? My eyes widened with that realization and I quickly dispelled everything about it, but when my eyes gazed at Eris, she was smiling bitterly.

"It would dangerous," Eris finally said, "we could do a test trial about my blood since I'm the only one who's not an immortal among the Deities, but the Five Deities of Humanity and Magic have always been regarded as sacred."

"Test trial?" Cocytus asked incredulously. "What do you mean test trial? As you've said, the Deities have always been sacred to the people of magical community. We're not going to use blood magic on anyone and no one's going to use blood magic..." His voice suddenly trailed away.

He realized it then, that Eris was not talking to him but to me. His eyes that were both fixed on Eris who was looking at me. His gaze moved on to me, puzzled and wide.

"You're not actually..." he paused, not believing that I even thought about it. "You're not actually thinking about doing that, are you?"

"It was only a passing thought," I responede placidly. "Of course I know that they are sacred and should not ve meddled with. The potential of that magic could bend even the Fate, if this goes out in public, then you know that the scaredness that the people regarded the Deities with would cease to exist."

"We would be a game for all the bounty hunters and even to the royal family and the Noble Families of Dalcanoraz," Leigh said. "We are gods among the mortal men and the respect would no longer come in between us. The Deities would be hunter for the blood that the could use."

I clenched my jaw tightly.

"And this might turn the war around," I concluded.

Lives would be lost in this game of hunting the Deities and the Deities themselves who were all have been taking care fo their respective duties would be in danger. The greatest predator on this planet wbere the people. It would be frightening to behold how they would fair and maybe this could even bend the attention of both Eirini and Haefen from each other towards the Deities.

"What shall we do about that person?" Cocytus asked then his forehead knotted as though he was thinking deeply. "The Hybrid?"

The Hybrid, I thought, the Hybrid.

"This particular matter does not concern you two," Leigh responded.

"You two did not see the Hybrid," I interrupted them, "but I did and it seemed to me that the Hybrid is very keen on just one thing and that is abducting me. Anything else other than that does not seem to concern them, but we cannot be certain. What if what the Hybrid said about the blood of Deities is actually false? How can we be certain?"

Leigh shook his head at me.

"I have checked the site where the seal had been drawn already. Although it was only for a bit traces, I sensed the blood of the Lady of Death Doors and the Spirit of Viridescent. But since this jeopardizes the safety of the Deities, let us be the ones to take care of this matter and since it does seem even to me that the Hybrid wanted you, would you mind being the bait to attract the Hybrid?"

Without even thinking about it, I nodded my head as an answer. It was Cocytus who stood up from his seat with those disbelieving eyes towards his foster father.

"Seraphin barely made it out yesterday, Father," he told Leigh and I remarked how he called Leigh, it reverted back to their very formal greeting. "How could you make her a bait? We don't know their motivation. Seraphin—" Cocytus turned to me "—did the Hybrid told you which side he was fighting or wheter he was fighting under someone?"

He did not let me finished though and just spoke more to his foster father.

"There are a lot of thing to be considered here, Father," he protested, "intentions, motivations, reasons. And this..."

"Is genius," Eris cut him off, "that is what you wanted to say, isn't it? You thought it ingenious that a mortal man could use the blood of the Deities to escape Fate and be a little deity themselves. There would always be a price for everything, Cocytus. The Fate does not let anyone escape it, not even the Detities themselves could escape it if they broke a rule of it. You must understand that if this kind of information was let out in the world, it would be a s*******r, mind you. Without any remorse about what would happen in the world, not even a thank you note to the Deities for making the whole world balance all these eons. And even Humanity itself will die and not be reincarnated. Who do you think was in charge of taking care of the death? One of the Deities. The continuous existence of the people in this planet? Your father, your very own father, Yto. With the Deities existences are also the continuous existence of the mortals."

"Maybe you two does not understand the crucial part of the Deities' existence," Leigh said and there was a trace of sadness on his tone.

Our heads were both bent down because of that.

"I aplogize for thinking of such things," I said sincerely. "The use of blood magic made me curious about other things, but I understand that there would always be a limitation to everything. I will draw the line over here and be the bait to catch the Hybrid."

Cocytus looked at me then at his foster father.

"I'm sorry, Father. I only wanted to protect you too," he reasoned with him. "But I shouldn't have overstepped."

"You two must go now," Leigh finally said. "This occasion is for socializing to the children of your allies. It might not be crucial for any political gains, but it would be crucial for your teenage life."

I stood up from my seat, but what quite surprised me was when Leigh hugged Cocytus tightly. He tapped his son's back while the other apologized and apologized. It was quite a scene that I have never experienced, or I think I have never experienced.

"Let us both go, Seraphin," Eris told me and reached out for my hand. I gladly accepted her hand and let myself be dragged away from the two men. "I know what you are thinking," Eris said once we were on the hallways.

"I think you always do," I told her with a slight smile.

"I have never felt... this... so dark, I guess I should call it like that," she said with a low chuckle. "I often feel helpless with the flow of Fate. Once or twice, I would defy it and it would always, and always, get back to me one way or another."

"Eris..." I called her, feeling that she might have been lost but she smiled to me and shook her head.

"You will be safe, yes?" she assured though it felt as though she was assuring herself of that. "This is a quicestenssial experience for you both, I have never really gone to a prom before. In fact, I never even have the chance to go to a normal school. So you enjoy this night, yeah?"

She smiled meaningfully to me and headed her own way, leaving me behind, bewildered and still wondering.

I have thought of using the blood of the Seer, yes, but I never wanted to materialize that thought. I still do not understand how the Fates worked around the Sigh, but I have never even wanted to escape from it.

This night, Leigh and Eris told me to live and party. Maybe I won't be able to do that, but I still hoped for the best. I entered my room, feeling lightheaded. The clothes that I would wearing have all been prepared by the maids.

The sleek and posh suit on side of the bed and the extravangant dress that Eris wanted me to wear.

On the door, a knock was resounded and the muffled voice of one of the maids.

"My lady, we're here to get your make-up and hair done," they said behind the door.

I sighed, my eyes stuck in mirror. Because I could not sleep a wink, dark circles have appeared under my eyes and I was pale, too pale since I have no sleep and essentially could not eat anything else.

Another sigh came out from my mouth before I let the maid enter my room.