Our brother in darkness, join us...

A chorus of voices called out in unison

You are just like we were in the past, weak but you seek strength...

The chorus sang a song of temptation as the mass of darkness entered the consciousness of the fallen black-haired attendant.

As you are now, you will not achieve your goal...

But we can grant you power that exceeds everything in this world...

Little brother, join us...

The amalgamation called out sweetly freely floating through the loose thoughts and memories.

Our might will be yours, your mind will connect with us...

It's been so long since a worthy sibling appeared...

We are lonely...

The darkness sung, passing the fragment of a memory of a small black-haired child helplessly crying next to a horribly skinny black-haired woman tossing around on the old bed in uncontrollable seizures – the woman was clawing at her chest as the silky darkness was slowly corroding her body, devouring her from the inside...

...until she literally crumbled into pieces like a hollow husk, leaving the wailing child behind...

No one was able to join us in decades...

Others are too weak and die the moment we try to reach out to them...

...just like your mother... she died because she couldn't handle our gift... but you are different than her...

The darkness spoke directly responding to the memory it passed...

Different than anyone...

You are strong...

Your will was tested and proved strong...

You will survive...

Join us, little brother...

The amalgamation of concentrated perfect darkness called out to the very core of the wounded Zoemi and reached out to it in excitement.

Finally... a new member who would be able to join their rank after so long...!

...but the moment that the darkness was about to wrap its countless appendages around the core of Zoemi's being...

|GHOSTS OF BELLCEPHORA...!|

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A horrifying bloodcurdling roar shook the concentrated darkness and a pure almost physical manifestation of rage and loyalty repelled the perfect silky-black darkness away with its murky repugnant shadow.

|I RECOGNIZE YOU ALL...! YOUR FAULT...! YOUR FAULT...! ALL YOUR FAULT...!|

Zoemi's core became enveloped in the mass of shadows that formed into a towering shape with bear-like features that glared right at the mass of darkness with its lifeless eyes while the boy's consciousness trebled from the hateful bloodthirsty roar.

"Elsby – that must be a shadow beast – do something about it!

"

"Does that thing look like one of my shadow beasts to you?! Do you think I'm an idiot, you old pervert?! If I try to reach out to it I will be the one getting devoured! You do something about it!

"

The pristine darkness stopped being uniform and a few panicked voices broke out from the chorus to talk to each other.

"If it's not a shadow beast, what it is then?

"

Another voice, this one more commanding than the others, spoke up with tension.

"He is the direct result of your own actions.

"

!!!!!!!!!

The mass of concentrated silky darkness wavered and clumped together again when the boy's consciousness filled with humongous pressure and a clear voice spoke up to the darkness with its radiant glory.

Bright presence... It's your fault...! What have you done to our sibling...?!

You are sullying our darkness with your light...!

Stay away from him...!

The chorus of voices resounded once more in perfect unison.

"He is no sibling of yours and never was – he is my toy!

"

The light declared with might.

Presence... You don't want to fight us... You feared us then, and there is still fear in your voice now...!

This child is one with the darkness, he has the potential...

And he wants strength... the strength that we can offer him...!

We want him...!

"Go on and try then! Don't you remember what happened last time when one of yours tried playing with somebody elses toy...? This child was mine from the very beginning and he will stay mine! No bunch of filthy traitors will change that!

"

The light laughed and pointed at the darkness at the overbearing shadow creatures that formed around Zoemi's core.

…

...and the darkness hesitated...

...last time...? You...! How dare you mention that...?!

...only a moment later a choir of voices howled in fury...

"Enough of this! BEGONE! LEAVE MY TOY ALONE! HE MUST REST NOW!

"

Presence shouted like a spoiled child throwing a temper tantrum and Zoemi's consciousness was left in peace with no trace of light or darkness – only filled with the murky shadow...

|...ma... ...ster...|

------

"(ZOEMI...! ZOEMI NO! HELP! SOMEONE! ANYONE! HELP! HELP, I BEG YOU!)

"

Miriette became so hysterical that she called for help from everyone she knew using the message spell. And that means EVERYONE she ever knew - not only her parents and the school staff and student, but also the king, the queen, the ministers, the royal magician - as well as every maid, knight, and servant in the Espines' household.

The dark-haired girl even reached out with her spell to the shopkeepers of the shops she fancied and any passerby that she remembered...

And it wasn't a normal distress call either.

The pressure it caused was so strong that if the receiver had even slightly less mana than an average water magician they would start bleeding from the ears, nose, and eyes – and - in more severe cases, even lose consciousness.

Not to mention the severe headache for basically everyone involved regardless of the amount of mana at their disposal.

Miriette didn't know what damages she was doing to citizens of the kingdom, and the panic that followed the sudden collapse of hundreds of people - she just kept calling again and again.

Miriette kept holding Zoemi's body and rocking it back and forth while crying and breathing so heavily as if she had an asthma attack.

"...god damn it...! What the hell?!

"

Only after a few seconds did the first person to react arrive - in a flash of blinding light, the first prince Horeo appeared in the middle of his fiancee's room and cursed.

He was holding his head with both hands with a grimace of terrible pain on his face.

"Miriette! Where are you?! What are you doing this?! Stop!

"

The golden-haired boy shouted and turned around in search of his fiance.

"!!!

"

And then he saw Miriette holding onto her attendant - and he became so pale that his lips almost turned blue.

"ZOEMI!

"

Horeo screamed, and in a flash, he was by his friends.

"...oh thank the heavens...

"

The first thing he did was to check if Zoemi was still breathing, and after confirming it, he let out a quick sigh of relief when he felt a warm although weak breath on his hand.

Zoemi was still alive.

Horeo regained some color to his face so he turned to Miriette.

The dark-haired girl was in such a state that she hasn't even registered the presence of the first prince in the same room.

"Cunning fox – shut up already!

"

Horeo shouted at the girl but that brought no results so he grabbed her head and forced her to look at him.

"Miriette, I'm here! We will get Zoemi help! Stop with this damn spell!

"

"(HELP! SOMEONE! ANYONE! HELP! HELP, I BEG YOU!)

"

But Miriette was too far-gone to even notice him. For her, only Zoemi existed and she was crying for anyone to help him.

"...you give me no choice here...

"

Horeo gritted his teeth and released her.

***ACK*

And then he slapped her across the face.

|Zoemi would kill me if he saw that...!|

The first prince thought to himself as even his own hand stung from the perfectly landed hit.

It might have been crude - but it worked.

"...wh-what...?

"

Miriette shook her head like a dog shaking off the water and blinked a few times.

The pressure of her overwhelming strength disappeared and so did Horeo's headache...

"Ah! Horeo...!

"

Miriette exclaimed in a pleading voice.

"Zoemi...! Zoemi got hurt because of me again...! Help! Help him...!

"

And she started crying again.

"I understand - I'll get that commoner girl here!

"

Declared Horeo picking the best option in the situation.

"NO!

"

Miriette shrill hurt Horeo's ears.

"What?! Why?!

"

The first prince gasped in confusion and he stared at the dark-haired girl in disbelief.

"It's her fault! It's because of her and Surou that Zoemi got hurt!

"

Miriette screamed while hugging Zoemi protectively and her hair bristled angrily.

"IT'S THEIR WHAT!?

"

A thick vein popped out on Horeo's neck and forehead.

"I won't allow either one of them to get close to Zoemi! No! They will hurt him more!

"

Miriette declared while shaking her head.

"...

"

Horeo clenched his fists and trembled with pure fury.

But he was a future king brought up to suppress this kind of emotions for the greater purpose so he managed to calm down, even though he was dangerously close to breaking, and he took a few deep breaths.

"Then I'll get the medics. Wait here and do not allow anyone else in!

The first prince chose the second-best option and he disappeared in a flash.

"...

"

Miriette nodded and waited - but the blood loss might have been too much after all...

Fearing the consequences, the dark-haired girl closed her eyes concentrated...

...suddenly, one of her hair turned almost white, and the horrible wound...

...just... stopped bleeding as if the time froze...

"Only for a moment... only until the medics arrive...

"

Miriette sobbed to herself, as another single strand of hair was gradually losing its color.