"Return to the cradle that should never have left."
These words hammered into Lucian's mind without ceasing. In addition to them, the last words of the Eighth Prince's reflection also echoed as whispers in his ears.
Lucian stared at the pocket watch that he held tightly. The serene tic-tac, which before seemed so harmless to him, now sounded mysterious, almost threatening. The present, which before was no more than a trinket, now turned into something full of disturbing secrets.
The room was quiet, except for the sound of Skyler's irregular breathing, still recovering from the ritual in the ruins. Lucian, however, hardly noticed the presence of the priest.
Back to the cradle.
That sentence didn't make sense. Or did? Somehow those ancient words, mixed with the ethereal glow of the visions that tormented him, seemed more concrete than anything he had experienced since awakening in this body. A body that until then he believed was not his.
"This was the first time that a ritual completely drained my energies."
Lucian woke from his reveries to hear the voice of Skyler. The priest rested, still recovering. Lucian visited him in his room, observing how pale Skyler was still, even though his color was already better than when he collapsed.
"Did you find any answer?" Lucian questioned as he crossed his legs, trying to hide the anxiety that was growing in his chest "Something about my soul?"
Skyler sighed deeply, and a rare tone of seriousness dominated his expression. He was usually lazy and laid-back, but when it came to Lucian and the Goddess' visions, his focus and commitment were unquestionable.
"I will be honest, since we are alone" replied the priest, straightening himself in bed.
Lucian mentally prepared for what came next. In recent months, the torment of his visions had been growing, and Skyler's help, however useful it was, could not always bring relief. But the priest was reliable, committed to seeking answers to the secrets that surrounded the prince's soul.
"All right, just be honest and what we discuss here will remain between us."
Skyler nodded, crossing his arms as he spoke.
"By reciting that old song, I did what I always do when I am doing a consultation with the Goddess: ask her to illuminate our doubts and give us answers about these visions you have. I had the feeling that your soul did not belong to this present we lived, and that therefore the scythe of the Goddess was attached to your soul. As if you had to be dead long ago."
Ah, Lucian remembered well that he mentioned it at his wedding. Skyler saw his soul as Luciano, only it seemed that he was entangled with the image of this goddess. Lucian became hesitant to reveal the truth, always choosing to observe what Skyler would comment each time they worked together.
"Yes, you mentioned this before." Lucian pressed his pocket watch harder. "But what exactly has been confirmed now?"
"Considering the last visions he had," Skyler continued "especially that phrase 'go back to the cradle that should never have come out,' and the details about the sword and the watch... All this suggests that you have regressed in time."
The shock ran through Lucian's body like a cold wave. An incredulous smile appeared on his lips, and he shook his head, trying to process what he had just heard.
"Go back in time? Me? That seems absurd!"
Skyler took it seriously, making it clear that despite how unlikely it sounded, it was what his perceptions indicated.
"I still can not say with absolute certainty" said the priest. "But the flow of time around your soul is different, distorted. There is something greater going on with you, something that goes beyond the natural limits of time. I talked to the Emperor and the Imperial Consort about it. The information they gave me reinforces this theory."
Lucian widened his eyes, his heart racing. He felt his hands sweat as he tried to keep calm.
"The... Emperor? What... what did they say?"
Skyler stared at him silently, perhaps assessing his state of shock. It was impossible for Lucian to control or feign calm. Even his stomach would turn up leaving him nauseous of pure nervousness and disbelief.
"I assume that it is ideal to talk with them yourself."
"Why don't you tell yourself?"
"This is something that concerns you, not me, Your Holiness."
Lucian took a deep breath, trying to process Skyler's words. If there really was something about going back in time, and if your soul was involved in a plot of such immense proportions... What did that mean?
"Right" Lucian whispered in a trembling voice "Let's recap. Do you suspect that this vision we have been working on for the last few months would be a proof that I went back in time, is that?"
"Exactly" Skyler calmly agreed, then crossed his arms again "Although it is still strange to me the fact that your soul does not seem to belong only to your body. There is a very intense flow of time entangled within you. I assume that something else must have happened to your soul."
Lucian's legs were flabbergasted. Clenching his fingers on the clock he was holding, he could feel himself caught in a confusion that slowly suffocated him. At the same time it made sense, something was lost.
Luciano was an ordinary man who worked in an office and was a fan of a story he read on the web. And that one day he woke up possessing the body of the Eighth Prince, whose end was death at the hands of the true villain of
Of this he was fully sure. Even has used the memories as a reader to survive within that fantasy reality.
Luciano and Lucian were different people. One was a character while the other was real.
Where would this crazy theory of going back in time fit? Perhaps the Eighth Prince wanted Lucian to find some way to go back in time? Or was he to return to your world and give back your body when it was safe?
Nothing made the slightest sense!
"I want permission to leave the temple" Lucian said suddenly, the need for response growing within it.
"Where do you want to go? You know you need to stay safe and I can't keep up with you."
"I need to go to the Palace and talk with those two immediately" said Lucian facing him determined "I do not care that all the knights of the temple come to accompany me, just let me go see them and resolve this doubt..."
"Calm down, Your Holiness" Skyler touched the prince's hand, trying to convey some tranquility "Neither I nor you are in a position to leave the temple without collapsing."
"I... I know" Lucian sighed, realizing that Skyler was right. He was exhausted. The recent ritual had drained his strength.
Skyler looked at him with an understanding expression.
"I'll send a message to the Palace. We'll ask them to come to you. There's no need to collapse by going there."
Lucian looked at him finding some comfort in his troubled mind. Lately he has been working hard to take care of his affairs as a Saint and as consort Grimwood. Reconciling both was exhausting, especially when the plebeians were eager to meet Lucian and receive some kind of blessing.
Well, he just needed to repeat a few words and act accordingly. In addition, Lucian basically stayed inside the temple receiving visits and studying at controlled and guarded times. But his work extended beyond the night when he could focus on the affairs of Grimwood.
Releasing a sigh defeated, Lucian agreed with his head.
The message was sent to the Imperial Palace. Lucian spent his time continuing his duties, responding to Carsen's letter about Eugene's party. Tissue samples, cost calculations... At least it made him more calm about the heavier problem that his shoulders carried.
It was at dawn that those two appeared in the temple unannounced. As if they wanted their visit to be secret. Lucian was just told by a priest to go to his training room, the same secret hall he stayed in during his purification ritual. Already knowing the way, he went alone in his robe, feeling the anxiety to embrace him fearing what he would hear that morning.
Just seeing the imposing figures of the royal couple waiting for him along with Skyler, Lucian felt small and weak. He trembled with cold and pulled the blanket he had thrown on his shoulders. He just took a few steps to gain the attention of the thrones, all quiet in that amazing environment being observed by the statue of this goddess.
"Lucian..." The consort received him with a smile.
"Thank you for coming, and I know it was a sudden call."
"No need to worry" The Emperor interrupted him, standing by Cassander's side "The priest told us that he led you to the ruin we found."
Lucian looked at Skyler, who nodded silently. Taking a deep breath, Lucian kept calm, or at least tried.
"Yes. I assume he told you what happened with us" The couple agreed, relieving Lucian of having to tell everything again "Well. I asked to see you because I wish to know what you know about this return in time."
It became clear that the two petrified in place. Despite their serious and authoritarian faces, they were there as parents of the Eighth Prince. Lucian swallowed dry while evaluating their reaction, noticing the exchange of hesitant glances. The Emperor was the one who broke the silence with his low and firm voice, telling a secret.
"Cassander and I broke the law of the temple, and performed a forbidden rite in order to bring back someone who had died."
"Someone... who had died?" Lucian asked frowning.
Cassander held Lucian's hands and looked at him worried. That warm and gentle touch brought security to the prince, but it was his words that pushed him straight into the abyss.
"We did this to bring you back to life, Lucian."