Chapter 262 - The Fruit of Evil

"This is… father's writing." Faustina murmured.

Faustina then turned to the next page.

'The king of Feuersturm is dangerous. I shouldn't have trusted him with Faustina. I have seen the oracle. We have seen the prophecy. He will, eventually, kill—'

Faustina immediately closed the book as the door opened, revealing L.u.s.t.

"You didn't even eat?" She crossed her arms. "Not that it matters. Just a trickle will do, after all."

Faustina's eyes widened as a magic circle glowed underneath her.

And soon, she was gone from the room with the book falling to the floor.

**

Faustina's eyes widened. She was now in an unknown room. L.u.s.t was behind her, keeping her from moving. Where was she?

It was like an arena. She was outside; the moon was shining bright red, bathing the place with ominous light. 

The place was surrounded with seven generals circling around a casket;

And in that casket, lied a familiar person…

"Eula…!"

Faustina then struggled from L.u.s.t's grasp. "Let go of me…!"

Walking towards the casket was a man who was wearing a black magician's clothing. He had a ruby gem as a brooch which kept his robe together. His hair was slicked back, and his red eyes looked different. 

This… was not Faustina's father.

He gave Faustina a smirk. 

"Bring out the sacrifice."

Faustina's eyes widened as she sees familiar, emerald-colored eyes, and red hair. Being carried by Pride was a little girl who was too scared to even resist.

The forsaken then drew a blade away.

"What are you going to do to that girl…!" She realized now who the little girl looked like; she looked like the girl from the pendant of Duke Feuerlon! A splitting image of that girl. Was she her mother?

"This girl. Not only is she Eulalia's blood relative, but she's also got a mixture of Feuerlon blood in her." The forsaken exclaimed. "Rose. Was that the name of her mother? Ah, yes. Rose's mother was Eulalia's mother's sister. But Rose alone isn't enough, so we had her bear the child of a Feuerlon—a strong blood that is akin to the Feuerkriegers. And thus this girl is born, which is the fruit of our efforts to make Eulalia eternal!"

The forsaken laughed hysterically. "Well, then. I need some of your blood too; Eulalia's descent. Ah! But don't worry. This girl had taken your place, as per your father's request."

"My…father?"

"Yes. He didn't want you to die, so I had gone to extreme lengths just to do this!" He laughed. L.u.s.t then drew a blood-drawing device and then stabbed Faustina's skin. Faustina screamed in pain as L.u.s.t extracted blood from her.

"Be thankful we're only getting that much from you." L.u.s.t smirked. "After all, your life was spared."

Faustina then fell to the ground as she trembled.

The forsaken smirked as the device containing Faustina's blood drifted towards him.

"Now then…" His smile widened as he held the extracted blood. "Now, let us fulfill… the completion of the ritual!"

**

The completion of the ritual. Faustina stared at the spectacle before her. A child… who took her place as the sacrifice, and just a trickle amount of her blood… Faustina's eyes widened. No. That child—they couldn't kill him. NO—

The forsaken then raised his blade, ready to kill the child stricken with fear, but then—

A thunderbolt crushed into the place, sending the forsaken tumbling away from the impact. Suddenly, the place was shrouded with dust. Appearing as a silhouette, which had slowly came visible to Faustina as the dust slowly cleared, was the man whose emerald eyes matched that of the child.

He was now carrying the child.

"Oh, if it isn't the famous womanizer." The forsaken smiled. "Duke Feuerlon!"

Duke Feuerlon tightened his grip around the child.

"Rosemary!"

"Papa!" 

Entering the scene was yet another familiar face—Owen Lopez!

"Oh, if it isn't the famous alternative." The forsaken laughed. "Yet another Lopez; the one with the same mother as Rose Lopez. Ah, right. You could do, but your blood is a little weak."

The forsaken then sauntered towards Faustina, putting a barrier as to enclose her.

"I presume the king is also here?" He said. "So where is—"

The Forsaken's eyes widened as a loud explosion called upon their attention. The explosion came in from "the tower!" exclaimed L.u.s.t. 

**

Jonathan Unsterblich had called upon his name after seeing the oracle. The future. 

'That is what will happen to your child if you would let things be.'

"No…"

'It is all up to you.'

"I… don't want to lose my only family again." Jonathan closed his eyes. "Take over, Nathaniel."

Nathaniel, the forsaken, then took over of the body. Soon, he was in the body again. Now, he watched as duke Feuerlon, along with his two sons, arrive with Owen Lopez; the king, along with Orwell Lotheringwood, Sheilalev Ortfalcon, and the Knighthood of the Firehawk, attack the tower and wreak havoc to the den.

"Stop them… AT ONCE!" The forsaken ordered the warlock generals.

Now, he was alone with Faustina in the ground, enclosed in a magical barrier. 

"Go and tell the king Faustina's here!" Said duke Feuerlon to Lucas. Lucas nodded as he teleported away from the arena.

The forsaken gritted his teeth. How come that they were able to pierce away from the glamour? 

"You will not lay a hand to my child," said duke Feuerlon, pointing his sword at the forsaken. "—or any other people!"

The forsaken smirked. "Your child? Didn't you want her gone from the start because she soiled your relationship with the duchess? I'm getting rid of her. What difference will it take when you haven't even known of her existence until now?"

The duke clenched his jaw.

"Papa…" Rosemary sobbed as she tightened her grip around Owen's neck.

"Take her away from here."

Owen nodded, but before he could even take another step…

"There's no way I would let you destroy what I've worked hard for." The forsaken glowered down as marionettes and shadow-like monsters began to appear. 

**

Where am I?

Faustina looked around. 

It was dark. Why is it so dark? She then noticed a white butterfly floating around the darkness. Suddenly, her feet moved on her own and she proceeded to follow that strange butterfly. She then soon noticed she was barefoot and wearing her old clothes…

And then as she blinked, she was yet again back at the cabin. The butterfly then landed to the flowerpot into the opened window. Faustina's ruby-colored eyes then fluttered as she saw herself cleaning something.

A spilled, broken potion!

She remembers this. 

"What are you doing outside?"

Faustina then flinched, and then slowly turned to the source of the voice. Eula, who was carrying a basket of vegetables, was looking at her.

Looking at her.

"E-eula…"

"Hmm." She smiled, and now ruffled Faustina's hair. "Is this the time you should be dreaming, Faustina?"

Faustina opened her eyes, and this time, she finally woke up to the sound of multiple explosions. Faustina slowly opened her eyes, and finally she realized she was being carried by someone.

There was blood on his face; and Faustina could not tell if it was his, or if it belonged to someone else.

"Y-your majesty—"

Noah smiled at her, and then kissed her forehead gently as he takes her away. Faustina could still hear loud explosions from behind; cacophonously plaguing the barren land. The king was carrying her, with his kingly robes in tatters and half-burned. He also had scars, but he merely kept her close without uttering a word.

Faustina's eyes widened as her mana began to flow back to him again.

Her eyes widened.

"Did he…"

He just kept her close.

"He reverted Nightmare back." He said.

Faustina looked back.

And that's when she saw it.

Bodies scattered into the ground surrounded by hellfire. The tower had already collapsed, and the place was just being a turmoiled battleground.

"What… hap-"

"Don't look back," He covered her eyes as he walked the both of them away. And as Faustina reached to pull his hand down from her eyes, she noticed something in the ground;

The king was leaking blood.

"Your majesty—"

"Shh," he held her tightly.

What happened? Why is he bleeding? Why is everyone lying in the ground surrounded by hellfire? What happened when she was unconscious?

"Put me down, your majesty—"

"No." He said firmly. 

"Let go of me, Noah!" Faustina then pushed Noah away, and that's when he finally dropped her to the ground. 

"I'm…s…sorry…" Faustina's voice shrank little and little as she fell quiet upon seeing the king's state.

He was bleeding, and his sapphire-blue eyes were blank of any emotion. Faustina wanted to ask what happened when she was unconscious—how it turned out like this. He stood up, and even though he tried to hide it, his face showed pain. The king then wobbled, and so Faustina rushed to help him.

"Your maj—"

Tears.

Tears streamed down from the king's cheeks, with his eyes blankly staring to the distance.

"…We." He mumbled.

"...weren't able to stop him."

The next thing Faustina heard then, was the sound of a thunderbolt-like explosion.

And then, 

There was just silence.