Chapter 681 - RETURN TO THE CASTLE

Although the castle looked close, it actually took four hours to walk back to the castle on foot.

"How about the citizens?" Lilac asked after she drank some water to moisten her dry throat. "I saw there were some people still left in the city central."

"The king has made plans for this. Once we found out something was wrong, all the guards prepared to evacuate the citizens. Maybe what you saw earlier was they evacuating people."

Lilac contemplated. It made sense. That was why there were no people inside the castle when Lilac came with Eaton.

"So, where are the citizens now?" Lilac was sure that those lycans and werewolves who followed them were the guards or the King's warrior.

"The citizens are moving to the southern region with another group of guards. We are here to observe the situation and to make sure no one left behind." Tordoff explained it to her.

"The door…" Lilac frowned. "I am sure Jedrek and I came out from a door, but it disappeared."

"That must be one of the doors inside the secret chamber." Tordoff immediately guessed what kind of door that Lilac had seen. "I have never been there, because that place is forbidden, but I heard there are seven doors that can lead you to different places."

"Hm," Lilac hummed as she contemplated.

Above them, the sky had turned into golden color as the sun began to hide behind the horizon and the people started to light the torches to illuminated the roads.

"Why did Jedrek fake your death?" Lilac asked she glanced at the horde of the lycan and the beast behind him. Theo followed them, but was not close enough to hear their conversation, or maybe he was still able to hear Lilac and Tordoff, regardless the distance between them.

"I don't know," Tordoff shook his head and couldn't help, but recalled what was happening inside the dungeon when he thought his King would tear him apart. "The King ordered me to go to different realm. Human realm. To follow a man named Killian."

"What are you doing by following him? And why are you here?"

Tordoff glanced at Lilac, unsure whether he had to tell her or not. "Killian was hurt, so I brought him back here." He decided to let her know half the truth. Tordoff didn't know if Lilac was allowed to know about what the order that Jedrek gave to Killian.

"Who is this Killian?" Lilac asked, still curious.

This journey back was further than expected and the lycan didn't want to shift and go first to check on Jedrek.

"You asked too much." Tordoff chuckled. "I just came with Killian when this happened."

Lilac stared at Tordoff and despite the smile on his lips, she knew she wouldn't get any more information from him when he decided to shut his mouth. His loyalty still lay on his King.

It took another thirty minutes for them to reach the city center.

And the moment the city came into view, they were greeted with a destroyed castle and a kingdom in ruins.

Lilac's heart grew cold at the sight. She hoped there was no casualty. She walked faster and almost running when something squealed above her head. She stopped and watched as something that resembled a dragon flew above her head, but the only thing that made it looked frightening was; there were no scaly skin neither flesh, only skeleton.

"What is that?" Lilac whispered in horror.

"I don't know," Tordoff answered truthfully. He exchanged glance with Theo, as their calm expression started to fade away and began to worry about their King.

It was Lilac who broke the silent and started to run toward the castle, followed by Tordoff and the rest of the horde.

Her heart thumping wildly in her chest as her legs tried to run faster than Theo, who was easily outrun her. It was only Tordoff, who stayed behind to keep her accompany.

When the castle came into sight, Lilac could hear Tordoff sighed in relieve. "Don't worry, the King is fine."

"What? How do you know?" Lilac didn't stop running and when she was getting closer, she was able to see Jedrek, circled by his people.

Standing near Jedrek, it was Eaton and Airin, both of them looking exhausted, but still alive.

Lilac stopped, breathing heavily when she watched they were fine.

"Why do you stop here? Don't you want to see him?" Tordoff teased Lilac, who a minute ago was so eager to find Jedrek, but now the girl looked like she was about runaway.

Lilac scowled. "I am fine here."

"I am glad the King is fine." Tordoff didn't join Theo to greet Jedrek, instead he stayed with Lilac.

"I am glad now that he realized he couldn't avoid a war with devils." Lilac stated.

And from behind the castle, there were another two creatures that looked like skeleton of the dragon, flying high in the night sky. It seemed Jedrek didn't succeed to close the Tartarus gates, but he managed to come out alive with Eaton and Airin, and that was what matter now.

Finally, after exchanged a few words with Theo, Jedrek walked toward Lilac and Tordoff.

"Your grace." Tordoff slightly bent his body to greet Jedrek.

Jedrek looked exhausted, but it didn't cease the dominant aura around him and when he spoke, his voice was as calm as ever. "We head south."

Lilac was about to walk in the end of this horde, trying to get as far away as she could from Jedrek, but the lycan grabbed her hand and entwined their fingers together when he walked.

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It's been a week since what happened to Aeon and Raine still feeling sorrowful about that. Torak knew, but he didn't want to talk about it, since Raine would always avoid the topic.

"We will go to meet Jedrek, but first I need you to find Kace," Serefina said when they were having breakfast in the pack house.