Chapter 65 - Lifeless Esme

He raised his hand and a glow appeared on his hand, illuminating the dark forest. 

Aleister followed the footsteps that led him inside the marshy parts of the forest. 

His steps came to a halt when he noticed that the marks had stopped near a bush. His gaze landed on the parchment that was stuck to it in the twigs.

As he reached towards it, a haze formed around his mind and all of a sudden the world turned dark. 

"Help... me..." A voice cried, it was filled with misery. 

His heart skipped a beat. That familiar voice...

When he opened his eyes, he found himself standing beside a river that had two cliffs on either side.

He looked around the place.

"No..." That voice cried again.

Aleister tilted his head and looked in the direction of the voice. 

His pupils shrank when he found Esme tied to a wooden cross with her hand chained to either side of the wood, she was wearing one of the gowns he had picked for her. 

It was in a half-torn condition. Her long wine-shaded hair stuck to her face while her head hung low. Her body was shivering. 

A cold glint passed through his eyes and he closed them trying to teleport to the edge of the cliff but he was not able to use his powers. 

As he opened his eyes, he tried to step forward but his legs did not move. He was rooted to the spot. 

Under the pale glow of moonlight, her tears kept falling as they turned into pearls.

A rush of helplessness awakened in his heart. 

"Esme," He shouted and she seemed to have heard him as she tilted her head. 

Her eyes desperately looked for him.

His gaze softened, "Esme," He repeated and she tilted her head in his direction, "...Al, save me," Her voice cracked towards the end but he could hear it loud and clear. 

"Don't cry," He coaxed her in a soft tone and clenched his fist, trying to control his powers. He lowered his head to glance at his empty palm in a daze.

"No...." A heart-wrenching scream echoed in the cliffs and he raised his head. 

The sight that he saw made his heart stop for a moment.

A person was wearing a black cloak standing in front of Esme and a hand had dug into her chest. As the person slowly took out the hand, there was a heart sitting in the palm and fresh blood dripped from it. 

Aleister froze for a moment as he glanced at her lifeless body. 

Fury flashed in his eyes and he clenched his fist, a burst of power exploded through his veins and he ascended in the air. 

His steps remained powerful as he stepped towards the cliff, walking on the air like a golden path formed below his feet with every step he took. He grabbed the person's neck from the back and snapped it.

"Hahahahaha..." A burst of ear-piercing mocking laughter lingered in the air and the person exploded, thousands of bats flew from the black cloak. 

Esme's heart fell on the ground, setting itself on fire. 

Aleister stood rooted to his spot, his mind slowly slipped out of his grip and he placed his palm on his head, digging his fingers in his scalp. 

Golden rays shot out from his body, exploding the boulders on the cliff. 

Aleister blankly stared at Esme's lifeless body hanging in front of his eyes as he raised his trembling hand towards her. There was a ghastly hole on her chest and fresh blood dripped from it. 

'Al, save me,' Her last words rang inside his mind and a haze appeared in his mind. 

As he started losing control over his thoughts, a distant face appeared in his head. 'I will be fine,' Esme said as she stood in the fair of the Capital City, disguised in a male's clothes. 

He seemed to have realized something as he came back to his senses.

Aleister's eyes snapped open as he looked around the place, coming out of his daze. The river, the cliff, the burning heart, and Esme had disappeared. 

His gaze shifted for a moment and he picked up the parchment stuck in between the frail branches of the shrub. 

This part of the forest was a trap of illusions. Once a person stepped inside, he will fall into a dream of endless illusions that will be based on their weakness, sadness, grievance, or anything that unfavorably affected their mind. 

If anyone lost consciousness in the dream, they would be trapped in the illusion forever, watching it again and again.

But Aleister had been unafraid of it since this has never affected him before... Not until today. 

...

''Illusion? But what would the people see?" Esme asked while inching away from him. ''Why would you see me?"

''Nightmares?" Aleister grabbed her hand before he inched closer to her, ''People usually see the person who troubles them the most,'' He played with her fingers. 

''You are saying that I am a nightmare?" Esme stood up from the bed before pulling her palm out of his hand, ''When did I trouble you?" She paused for a moment when her conscience pricked, ''Only a little. His Majesty was looking for you and I told him that we quarreled...''

''A lovers' quarrel?" He held her wrist and pulled her back to the bed. 

Out of guilt, Esme was trying to not be angry, ''Yes, I pretended like that.''

Aleister chuckled. 

Esme thought about something, ''Since that place is dangerous then how did Arlan escape from there?" Even if his words were vague, she could sense that he was hiding things but since he did not tell her, she would not ask. 

Looking into her panicked eyes, he said, ''I saw his footsteps that entered the place and another set of footsteps that stepped out...'' He paused, ''Either Arlan is not as weak as you think or someone helped him.''

Esme felt relieved. She paused, ''You mean he walked out of there?"

"I am certain. We found a piece of his cloth along the way," He showed it to her.

She recognized it. It was indeed his. The clothes that he had been wearing the day he disappeared. "It is good as long as he is fine," She handed him the letter, "What do you think of it?" 

"What do you want to ask?"

"Arlan has written that he does not remember anything that happened and how he walked into the royal carriage. But people have seen him walking there willingly. Aunt Mary should not be lying to me then what does it means....?"