The Divorced Duchess

Chapter 8: VISION OF THE FUTURE

KALLIXTO and Duke Noxton thoroughly inspected every corner of the central downtown. Unfortunately, they didn’t catch the person who plotted the attack. The culprit behind this tragic event was a genius for planning the crime because they used forbidden magic artifacts. However, they seemed to forget to erase the traces. As soon as they arrived, he noticed a small stone on the ground; he picked it up and examined it. A black, dead stone with trails of purple blood. He could only think of one thing.

‘Ruin Berserk’

“Your Majesty,” Commander Farris and his knights arrived. “We found a witness from the second district.” Farris pointed his fingers at the man with shackles.

“He witnessed how that person escaped from the second district.”

“Bring him to the dungeon for interrogation.”

The man grappled with the knight upon hearing Kallixto’s command. “Please, please, don’t imprison me. I’m merely a peasant who witnessed the culprit’s disappearance.”

“You will not be imprisoned in the dungeon if you confess, but if you lie, a heavy punishment awaits you.” Kallixto raised his sword.

The man desperately bobbed his head. “Yes, yes, Your Majesty. I will speak only the truth.”

Kallixto glanced at Farris and nodded. The knights and the witness left while they continued inspecting around the area. The central downtown damage was about eighty percent, including the portcullis of the grand palace. The most affected parts of the central downtown are the infrastructure, like patronage edifices.

“It will take time to repair the damage. Even this infrastructure will be restored with the help of mana stones. However, the trauma and livelihood of the people will likely fall into consternation.”

“I would agree, Your Majesty. If possible, the Knight Order will be in charge of this case,” Duke Noxton added.

Kallixto let a weary sigh escape from his lips. Being Emperor wasn’t a gift nor a curse, but a lifetime commitment to the people he ruled. Once his undercover intelligence gathered information from his enemy, he could suppress their plans.

“I urge you to state your concern later; we need to rescue the remaining injured casualties. In any case, which area of the Empire was unaffected by the explosion?”

“The Holy Temple,” Noxton answered.

Kallixto gaped in utter shock when he heard the fact. While the fulmination happened near the Holy Temple, it didn't appear to be damaged. Something was suspicious. He needed to find out the truth as soon as possible.

“Commander Noxton, we urgently need to go back to the palace.”

****

‘Don’t be afraid, my dear, I will always be by your side.’

‘Mother!’

As Thalia opened her eyes, her gaze wandered around the wide meadow. She was captivated by its serene beauty. The thigh-high grass seeded with wildflowers was peppermint-green, and the wind shushed like a lullaby. The fragrance of the sweet berries and the caramel soft scent of flowers lingered in the air. She felt the soft green grass brushing against her bare foot as her white dress hem swayed with pollen. Like in a paradise. She engrossed herself in the surroundings, seeing this peaceful place, like she wanted to stay there forever. Looking above, the first stars started to flicker in the night sky, and innumerable fireflies filled the night with a golden glow. A firefly touched her palm, and she closed her eyes to wish for her second chance at life to change for the better. The moment she opened her eyes, a beautiful maiden smiled at her. Her beauty is incomparable. Her wavy, long, golden hair brushed against her porcelain skin. The maiden’s left cheek has a sword symbol painted in blue crystalline. As their eyes met, Thalia was hypnotized because of the tremendous energy flowing from the maiden that quickly consumed the space around her.

“Who are you?”

“I waited for this moment to come, my daughter. I am your mother, Enah, the Goddess of revenge and wisdom.”

Thalia pinched her cheeks to wake up from dreaming.

Goddess Enah was shocked at what she did. “What have you done to yourself, my child?”

Thalia looked at the maiden suspiciously, but goddess Enah laughed. Goddess Enah’s laugh was music in her ears. Like the sound of a harp. “I know you are confused about my sudden appearance, but I came to meet you.”

“Why? I don’t even remember meeting you when I passed through the gate of the afterlife.” Thalia bantered.

“Why are you grumpy, my child? As you know, I never lied because I hold the truth in me.”

“What truths?” She asked again.

“The truth is that you are my destined child. The Hiraya, who will save the empire and is the key to undoing the curse of the cursed child.”

“Who?”

“When the right time comes, you will untangle the thread of truth.”

Thalia’s curiosity was killing her. She had been hearing from the Goddess Enah about the truth. “Is it what Kayne read in the Book of Prophecy?’

“That’s right. Come with me. I will show you some fragments of the future.”

Goddess Enah reached her hand and gently pulled it. In the blink of an eye, everything changed, and a black door appeared. They were holding hands when they entered the black door. Thalia was sweating in anticipation of seeing the future. She staggered upon seeing the surroundings— chaos. Thalia and the Goddess Enah were both standing in the tower, where they could see the terrible circumstances. A familiar land, the Claverence Empire, was covered with black smoke, and monsters were scattered, slaughtering innocent people. It was a hellish nightmare of the Empire. Thalia couldn’t watch the Empire collapsing in the hands of the monster, but then, it changed into another scene. She was now standing in the middle of an abandoned garden, where she could see Klarine and a child lying on the table. The Duke’s lover cut her wrist, and a drop of blood spilled on the child’s lips. The child began to change, and Klarine, on the other hand, took something out of a box.

Thalia swallowed hard and faltered. Good thing the Goddess Enah had supported her back. Why?

“What will happen?” Thalia asked. The fragments of the future had ended without knowing the future ending.

Sadness crossed the Goddess Enah’s face. “I am unable to tell you the rest of the fragments. And I couldn’t change what’s written in the book of the future.”

“Why can't you change the future if you are formidable?"

“I did it once, but it was always engraved as a mistake.”

Thalia’s eyes widened in realization. She assumed the reason why she came back from the past was that the Goddess reversed time.

“Is it you?” It wasn’t a question, but rather a statement.

“Yes, it is me, and that is my biggest mistake. I even put you into a miserable life. That’s why I will not make the same mistake again.” Then Goddess Enah opened her hand, and a bottle with yellow liquid appeared in her hand. “This is an elixir of the eternal spirit. It’s my gift to you, my child, Hiraya.”

Thalia took the bottle, and the Goddess disappeared in front of her. When another light appeared, she followed it without hesitation.

“Your Grace,” Selia exclaimed upon seeing Thalia’s lively face. And the door opened, and Kayne and her father became visible to her.

“Thank the Goddess, you’re awake,” Kayne said as he examined her pulse.

“How’re you feeling?” The great Mage added.

“I feel tired. By the way, where are we?”

Kayne held her palm to monitor the flow of her mana. “I brought you to my tower to heal your wound and to avoid other people seeing the Hiax.”

No wonder she woke up in a strange chamber. She then glanced at her father.

“Father, did you cry?” Thalia saw her father's pain in his eyes.

“Why didn't you tell me the Duke had been fooling you?” Thalia looked away.

Count Darvan sighed disappointedly. “If you are ready to tell me, please don’t hesitate to look for me.”

She heard the door close. What could she do, now that her father had found out about Noxton’s affair? The former Duke and his father’s friendship was now broken.

“I don’t know the whole context, but if you need a shoulder for burden tears, I can lend mine.” Kayne’s words comforted her.

“I am grateful, great Mage, yet I can fight back because I am not what you think.”

“Do you want me to kick the Duke’s face or do you want me to burn him to ashes?”

Thalia laughed. It was great to have some people by her side. Kayne had an urgent audience with the Emperor, so he excused himself while Selia remained with her. Selia told her everything about the accident. She had been unconscious for five days, and her father and brother were constantly visiting her. Selia also revealed that the person who saved her that day was the Emperor. Why would the Emperor save her if they didn’t personally know each other? So skeptical.