Chapter 161 - The Undead Prince

Faustina stared at Leviticus who had now stopped on his tracks. There was no apparition coming to them now. They were only welcomed with sheer silence that pierced through the ears like a persistent white noise that had enveloped the entirety of the space. They had passed multiple hallways already, in an attempt to head northeast. 

"We're going in circles," Leviticus stated.

It was true. Faustina had seen the same vase filled with the same, fresh blood-red rose, which petal had fallen multiple times as they ventured to the halls. Faustina noticed they were like doing an endless loop. Walking, and then, stumbling upon the same scenery again. The happenstances are the same as well. The red petal falling, and then as they pass through it, another petal falls. But the thing is, the rose didn't look any different. 

Faustina ambled her way to the rose and picked it up. "Ah," 

"What's wrong?"

Faustina shook her head. 

"I just pricked myself with its thorns."

Faustina took the rose from its vase as she made her way to Leviticus' side. 

"Let's try to take this and see if there is something that'll change."

Leviticus gave a nod. "Alright then."

They have been in a constant loop from a time now. Ever since the place had warped and became completely 'new' and in a seemingly 'normal state' in contrast to the entire dark castle which hard harbored skulls, gloom, and grime. Faustina knew that something else would follow through. The undead royals are only stuck in their chambers and cannot go anywhere else. But the warp, who was causing it? It cannot be a ghost since apparitions are only meant to frighten and slow people down, or trolls and cyclops that do not possess power. Only warlocks can do something as complicated as warping the space.

"If it is indeed one of the undead royals, then why are they able to use warp magic outside of their chambers?" Faustina asked Leviticus.

"I don't know for sure… but my speculations tell me that it might be due to the fact that this certain undead royal can have his power used even outside."

"Then… doesn't that puts us to a disadvantage?"

**

Leviticus had thought about it when they were walking through the aisles. The place kept on repeating over and over again. The same vase, the same paintings, and the same murals. He had seen the petal fall from a certain angle, and now it had fallen from the same angle again. Faustina took the flower and then when they continued to move forward, they have seen the same flower again…

"Wait, then—"

But this time, there was no flower on Faustina's hand.

That confirms one of Leviticus's speculations. They really are in an endless loop where everything is set upon a certain time. This was clearly a warlock's doing—one of the undead royals' doing. The ability to manipulate time and space. If one would look at it at a certain perspective, it is considered a powerful spell—and also could be deemed as something infinite and indestructible.

Nothing can surpass time, except the speed of light.

The time warp is clearly set into the falling of the petal, but space is enclosed into a certain hall. No matter how many times they move forward, they'll still come back. This was as clear as day to Leviticus. What he doesn't understand is…

"Why is the undead royal containing us?" 

And just how unlucky are they to meet two undead royals in a row? Surely these royals would be condensed across the castle and would unlikely be next to each other. Leviticus glanced towards Faustina.

Was it her mana?

Although Faustina's mana is surging with a considerable amount, there are also many nobles who possessed above-average mana. Surely, they would chase after those as well. Leviticus glanced towards Faustina's gem. A broken crystal that he had never seen, even in Atziluth's textbooks.

Leviticus stopped to his tracks.

"At this rate, we're just gonna drive ourselves to exhaustion." Leviticus ascertained. It was sheer truth. The endless loop and the time and space warp. This certain spell is too perfect to pierce through. 

But not impossible enough to overcome.

"We have to think it through," Leviticus exclaimed. "There's no way that this entire place has no escape route."

Faustina nodded. 

"What I learned from experience is that every magic isn't too perfect, even if they appear to be."

Faustina holds truth into that. Wind spells have a tendency to go awry and can only encompass one area. Earth spells could still have a part that could easily be corroded. Even fire spells can turn cold.

"There is clearly a spot that has a weaker spell."

"Obviously, it's not the flower," Faustina exclaimed. "Because it conveys the time loop perfectly."

"Right," Leviticus nodded as he caressed his chin. "One of the undead royals is in a chamber but could also control the outside. If we don't stumble upon his or her material body, we should be safe."

That was how powerful the undead royals are. Faustina felt a shiver run down her spine as she remembers that they were real people. Real people who were massacred and cursed to have their soul linger for all eternity. Warlocks, the beings that had harbored dark magic, were able to conjure that much magic. Now that Faustina was able to see it with her n.a.k.e.d eye, she wondered how in the world did the warlocks lose to the Great War several thousand years ago?

**

The two of them examined every possible object that could have weaker space magic. Paintings, ceilings, ang even the glass window. 

"We can break through the glass window, but it'll be game over if the outside is just void. We'll automatically fail." Leviticus exclaimed. "If we would also try to destroy the ceilings, who knows where it would lead us, as well."

"But then again, destroying the parts of the warp will serve us our way out." Leviticus pointed to the ceiling. "It'll be the most logical thing to do."

Faustina agreed to Leviticus. They can't waste much time here. 

"Spicis terram!" Leviticus chanted, casting an earth spell to the ceiling. Spikes of earth then pierced upwards. Faustina enclosed a barrier upon herself as the debris fell to the ground. Soon after, the spikes already carved a hole to the ceiling. 

"I'll be going to the ceilings first to check for monsters, then I'll come back here after fifteen minutes." Leviticus said. "If there's trouble, you can scream as loud as you can, and I'll be coming right back to you. Anyways, if I don't come back after fifteen minutes, that means something might have happened and you need to think of another escape route, alright?"

Faustina blinked.

"I know it's hard to trust me," Leviticus smiles as he sees Faustina's complete surprise. "But—"

"No, it's not that," Faustina uttered, "I'm worried. Are you sure you're going to…"

Leviticus grinned and ruffled Faustina's hair.

"This is what I did when I was with my group. I'm always going ahead to make sure we're all going to be safe. I want everyone to pass the exams and be licensed mages to help people. Isn't that what you want, as well?"

Faustina parted her lips and then closed it afterward. Leviticus managed to catch a whiff of her reluctance to answer, so he drew his hand away.

"Sorry."

"No, it's alright," Faustina smiles. "Please be careful."

Leviticus smiled once more, and then nodded. He thumped his staff to the floor, which in turn summoned a breeze that took him above the ceiling.

"I'll be back; and be careful as well, Faustina." Leviticus conjured a cheeky grin—

—before disappearing into the darkness.

**

Faustina remembered Leviticus' words. 

"I want everyone to pass the exams and be licensed mages to help people. Isn't that what you want, as well?"

Was that what Faustina's intention is? No. They aren't.

She aims to pass the exam not to help people but to help herself and obey the king's command. She didn't have any grand idea as well. How in the world is she going to answer that? Everyone here, are almost all of them—wants to be mages because they desired to have that magician license and to serve the people. Faustina never wanted anything for others, only for Eula and herself. She was selfish. 

How was she supposed to answer Leviticus?

Leviticus, who carried such a warm air around him. A boy that has no uncertainties. He was the complete opposite of her who had her mind driven with pessimism. 

"Eula… you never told me I need to be a mage…" Faustina murmured, leaning against the wall as she slowly sat down. 

All she had to think about back then was what to eat for dinner and how to learn from Eula. She didn't open her heart from the outside world, although she desired to be free deep inside the wells of her heart. 

"Well, I'm not truly free, either."

Thump. Thump.

Faustina blinked. 

Footsteps.

"Aah, it took only a ceiling to send that boy away."

Faustina stood up as she remained vigilant. Coming from the darkness was a boot that was crawling with centipedes, and a foul smell emanating so strongly. Faustina held to her staff as she prepared herself for what it is to come.

"It is interesting to hear you two talking about not meeting my 'material body' to keep yourselves out from trouble," Says a young man with millipedes and centipedes crawling on the hole on his rotten cheek, making the insides of his mouth visible. 

"What you failed to notice is that my chambers aren't actually 'chambers," He says, as he came alight. "I live in the hallways, where parts of my body were scattered."

Faustina blinked as a boy wearing a ragged tailcoat filled with blood, grime, and flesh ambled his way to the blood-red rose on the vase. 

"This," he says, as he pours the content of the vase to his palm; his torn tailcoat having to show the bones of his forearm. 

Faustina's eyes widened as she sees something small and round coated with goo and blood fall into the man's hand.

"…is where my eye is."

The man then picks the eye and then places it back to his left; contrasting his right, which was hollow and black.

"Oh, where are my manners? I am the undead prince," he exclaimed, showing a horrid smile. "Pleasure to meet you, my feast for the night."

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