Hal was led away from the prison cell and was resting in the head guard's room, who stayed at the doorway looking at them.
"A little privacy, please. And my assistant needs to discuss what just happened"
The guard's eyes stared at them with intrigue as he held himself at attention.
"Please, detective, if you don't mind my asking, why should I not listen in on this conversation? It does concern one of my prisoners"
The detective let out a sigh as he moved to the stubborn guard. He pulled out his pipe and lit it before taking a smoke and turning to look straight at the stubborn guard.
"Please, do you really want to come between me and my case? I am a very determined detective, and I will solve this case even when it means involving the king"
The guard gave the detective a nasty eye before turning around and exiting the building. The detective quickly shut the door and returned to Hal.
"It's safe now, so what did she tell you this time, and please don't leave out a single detail"
The detective leaned in and smoked from his pipe as he listened attentively to Hal's story. Hal made sure to leave nothing out as he narrated the entire scenario.
Mr Vandinel leaned back and held his face as he processed all that had just been told to him.
"So, people are not just disappearing, but there is a catalyst that extends their king's domain, allowing them to kidnap people"
Hal nodded to the detective's words as the man continued
"And the duke of Harleyclover will be the one to bite the dust in order to bring about the rise of the blue moon, which only gives about a week to prepare"
The detective drove back his hair with his fingers as he threw the ash in his pipe into a dustbin, cleaned it, and placed it back in his coat
"Let's get going; the rain is beginning to let up, and we have little time to waste. I'll head to the castle and tell them what I've discovered, and along the way, I'll drop you off at the manor so that you can warn the Owl"
Hal nodded, Helen's words all still resonated in his mind, and to be completely honest, he had gotten attached to that mansion, so seeing its Duke disappear would be quite disappointing
"Then let's not waste any time, Mr Vandinel. Besides, it's about time I returned to the mansion, my friend, and have a lot to talk about"
***
Hal was soon back at the manor, sitting with the Owl on the other side. The man had locked his fingers and held them on his face.
"To think that the duke of Harleyclover would be their next target, we will need to act fast, with only a week left to the selection, it's not much time to prepare"
"Then let me go there right away"
Hal extracted the heart-shaped locket and showed it to the duke, whose eyes gave out that glow that Hal had seen the first time they met.
"This locket can help us to gain access to the king's domain and stop them from taking the duke"
The duke leaned back into his chair, a thoughtful look on his face
"It's a soul-enchanted weapon, but something is keeping me from reading the soul trapped inside, so I don't know what it does. All I can say is that the soul in there is just a fragment of the original"
The duke stood up from his seat and closed the windows behind them before returning to his seat
"The King, we have been aware of this entity for some time, but to think that it wants to come into this world, but why? I will have to personally have a chat with the detective on this. As for you, I would like to hand you a gift"
Hal pulled back in astonishment. What would the duke give to him this time? A soul-enchanted weapon, perhaps
"What do you want to gift to me, Lord Owl?"
The Owl smiled as he gestured for Hal to step closer to him. Hal was hesitant as he walked slowly to the duke, whose purple eyes began to glow dimly.
"I have been nurturing you so that I may gift to you the eyes of the owl, a superior version to the spirit eyes that can read souls; these ones can read the world and let you see what cannot be seen"
Hal felt a shiver run down his spine.
"But why me? Why would you give such a gift? Isn't it only for those who have descended from your blood?"
The duke laughed as he took Hal's hand and pulled him close to him. He placed his hand on his shoulder and pushed him down
"You are correct, these eyes are only for those descended from the Primordial Owl, but you now fit all the criteria to receive them"
The duke pulled a dagger from his pocket and cut his wrist before letting his blood pour into a clear bowl next to him.
"But you have been gazed upon by the Owl, unlocked the ability to speak with your gift, and now you will gain our blood"
The duke lifted Hal's hand and slit his palm, allowing blood to pour into the bowl as well. The mixture fizzled and bubbled as purple and blue light clashed right until the mixture calmed.
Hal's heart sped up as the Owl lifted the mixture
"But still, why me? Why did you choose me?"
The mixture had now turned into a clear fluid that pulsated with purple and blue as the duke tilted the bowl and let the mixture pour into Hal's mouth.
"The Primordial Owl and the Lord of Stars are two of the most powerful concepts ruling this world. They each harbour people who wield their blood, and it always made me curious what a person who wielded both linages would be like, what they could achieve. Sadly, I was an unworthy vessel, but you are"
Hal swallowed the weird mixture and felt his body weaken; he fell back as his body vibrated rapidly, his soul suddenly shattered as dark purple and blue lines spread across his body.
His mind seemed to disappear as he felt himself seize, but there was a whisper.
"Tell me….who are you? It's a simple question, just answer it, who are you?"
Hal saw a large mountain bathed in fog, and somewhere hidden in that fog was something he desired, an identity and a purpose.
His soul churned, and he felt both the Owl and the Lord's eyes fall upon him at once as the whisper manifested into that entity with the umbrella once again.
It helped him stand, Hal still unable to identify what it was, its body appeared like it was a template for a starry sky and only its blue eyes made sense to him.
It mumbled to him its words unrecognisable, but he could understand each one.
"The mountain behind holds answers, and they have the power to help you get them, so now introduce yourself and tell them who you are"
Hal stared up at the starry sky and bowed.
"For now, I have no identity, but you can refer to me as Hal Leonardo Fernis, the quenchable novel to the Lord of Stars and student of The Owl"
Hal sprang awake and looked around. The world had completely changed to him; he could now see several spectral images staring down at him. They appeared like little owlets that hooted at him.
He turned to the Owl and saw the figure of the Owl caressing him. He wondered if he could turn these eyes to himself and went into the same state he is in when channelling.
And saw the Lord of the Stars holding his hand over him, and the figure of the Owl caressing him as well.
"So this is how he knew who I was?"
The Owl offered his hand to him and helped him get to his feet
"You are now a child of two concepts and can now comprehend the king. I have had his name in my memory for some time now, but my understanding of it was too frail, so I sought you with the power of knowledge and gave you the power to his world so that you may defeat him"
The duke smiled as the owlets around them grew louder, as if fearing the name he was to speak
"I beg you, Hal, you are the only one who can defeat the King of Black and White"