As the bubble drifts across the dark sea, my hands begin to waver.
Why did Zain go out of his way? The fireball was big enough—but why did he move so far from us? Now Alexandria is gone too, fighting that drake.
He's still impulsive. I see it now.
Shit.
The sky has completely blackened, only flashes of crimson lightning acting like a lighthouse. Rain continues to pour down in sheets as the sea roars with rage, like a chained beast desperate to break free. I can't even see where we're going. Below, there's nothing but onyx blackness—an abyss waiting to swallow us whole.
I glance back. Rela is sitting with her head down, snoring loudly. Edward is asleep next to her, arms crossed, his head resting on Rela's grey shoulder like a pillow.
Dominio stands behind me, vigilant, scanning the darkness.
"You alright, Aurelia?"
My teeth clench. "What do you think? Two of our frontliners are gone because one of them decided to play hero!" I spit.
"You're frustrated." His voice is calm as he studies the dark horizon ahead.
"You should land." He glances at my trembling hands.
"We can't. What if we hit the water by accident? What if we get attacked by a sea monster? What i—"
"Aurelia. You need to rest. Your arms are trembling and your Lumin is clearly depleting. Land and recover."
"But I'm the transport."
"What happens when you run out and this bubble pops?"
"I'm a noble. I have plenty."
"Classes don't matter when it comes to survival." His voice is flat. His eyes are narrowed.
Dominio doesn't get it. I need to keep the bubble moving. If I land, how will we navigate in this darkness? If only we had Zain's senses to guide us—but no. He decided to play hero.
He looks down. His eyes narrow.
My eyes begin to feel heavy. My arms too, like they're carrying ten boulders of solid metal.
He keeps looking down, now squatting, his back slightly hunched.
Second by second, my Lumin drains. My arms shake more. My knees feel weak. Every time I blink, I feel closer to sleep—like my mind is shutting down piece by piece.
My body collapses. Falling as if in slow motion.
Is this it? After coming this far in the exams. Surviving the battle royale, the Eighty, a murder mystery. All to fall into the black sea.
My eyes close as I fall. Too tired to even open them.
Before I hit the surface, a hand catches my waist, gently stopping my fall. I open my eyes slowly to see Dominio holding me. He looks around and starts saying something—but I can't hear him.
Dominio.
The first time I met you... how long ago was it? I didn't even know it was you. I thought you were just some madman who had the audacity to openly ask a noblewoman for an assassination job. When I was walking through the marketplace during some religious event, you just came up to me and asked... "Do you want someone dead?"
What a bizarre first impression.
Then, after I left my family and decided to become an adventurer, I didn't even remember you—until you reminded me. We worked together during the battle royale. And after you fought Zain, you wouldn't stop talking about him—as if you'd seen your soulmate.
Now we're here.
From committing what is a crime to a noblewoman, to now being the one holding her—even when her title was stripped away.
The air around us begins to freeze. The water sphere transforms into solid ice. I feel the bubble descending, gliding like a leaf carried by a gentle wind.
My vision blurs. The last thing I see is Dominio looking at me—his eyes softening, his breath steady.
"That goatee looks ugly on you," I murmur.
Then my eyes close, and I rest.
---
A flash of light strikes my eyelids as I open them.
I'm in a hall. Large. Familiar. Carpets stretch across the marble floor. Mosaics decorate the domed ceiling—images of Solorus, golden and radiant. Patterns run along the walls, intricate and ancient. Marble pillars stand tall around me.
I look ahead. A throne. Large, with statues of golden lions flanking it. On the throne sits a man—a familiar man. His build is strong, commanding. His crown is golden, studded with gems and diamonds. He wears a silk robe of purple and yellow—the colors of royalty. A brown beard frames his face, and his eyes are blindfolded. In his hands, he holds a small black box.
The Emperor.
I drop to one knee immediately, not daring to look up.
"Aurelia." He calls. He repeats, and repeats, and repeats.
I look up.
A crowd of people raise their heads, singing hymns and chants. One of them carries a child toward a golden flame as the voices swell—
"Pracosu ya, pracosu ya." Praise be, praise be.
"Soloriuon." The eternal sun.
The baby starts to wail—crying in terror.
"No! No!" I run toward the baby, but I can't reach it.
They throw the baby into the fire. I jump in, reaching for it—
I look down. The baby is gone.
The scene shifts.
I'm on a shoreline. Beautiful sand. Gentle waves. A peaceful beach—except it isn't peaceful at all.
I dust off my clothes and look up. A young man sits on the beach, wearing a yellow and red robe.
"Who are you?" I demand.
He turns—just barely—and his mouth moves, but his voice is muffled. I can't see his eyes. The sun blazes behind him, blinding me. I shield my eyes, but the boy stands and walks toward me.
Every step he takes fills me with unease. Like I'm seeing something I shouldn't. Something forbidden. The boy continues to move his mouth with the same carefree smile—
Then the familiar voice starts calling.
"Aurelia! Aurelia! Aurelia!"
I open my eyes.
Dominio is shaking me gently.
"You okay? You were moving and screaming." His voice is firm, but his face is tight with concern.
I touch his wrist. His forearm. His arm.
"You're real." My voice is barely a whisper. "You're real."
"What happened? Did we land properly?"
He nods. "I told Edward to make long wings of ice to soften the landing. While you were out, I spotted an island—so we landed."
"I see. Have you explored it?"
"No. But we found something worse. Kregg and his men have set up camp on a hill."
Dominio points at a steep hill covered in dense greenery. This island isn't like the last one—no black rock here. It's a forest island with dark trees and pale gray leaves. Strange. Unnatural.
"While scouting, I noticed smoke. I climbed up and saw Kregg with about twelve others. Looks like they're camping. I also noticed something—one of them has a fire stone."
"A fire stone?" My voice drops. If we can get it, our chances of passing improve drastically.
"We need to retrieve it."
"Not now. You should rest. Edward and I haven't slept—we've been taking shifts guarding."
"I see. My Lumin seems to have recovered while I was out."
Dominio's eyes widen. His mouth opens, then closes. "How do you nobles have so much Lumin?"
"I don't know. It's been a mystery for a long time." I pause. "You can rest, Dominio. I'll keep watch."
He hesitates. Then he gets up and moves toward a tree where Edward still sleeps. Rela is on the coastline, hunting fish with her twin axes. He sits down next to Edward, his eyes fluttering shut, his head leaning against a large star-shaped gray tree.
I watch him.
I'm glad I met him. He went from a madman who asked a noblewoman for an assassination job—to someone I trust more than my own family.
He saved my life. He followed my orders. He stayed.
Rest well, Dominio.
We all need as much energy as possible.
For the mountain we'll have to climb together.
(Yo this will be the only chapter posted this week, a lot of stuff happened this week which made it difficult for me to send more chapters but I'll try my best to make more than 3 chapters a week,thank you for understanding)