Esme's POV
Grandus. That man had said he would impress me. Instead… my fists clenched tightly. "You brought me to your trove of riches! Did you think this impressed me?" I grabbed a handful of gold coins and threw them at the mirror.
Silver-clad mirrors were everywhere in this mansion. They made me look uncanny whenever I stared into one. They swallowed anything thrown into them but spat them out from another mirror.
I fell onto the silver jewelry, ignoring the sting. My eyelids were partially closed because of how bright the room was. Gold and silver ornaments, jewellery, coins, and utensils littered the room, and I had to step on them because the ground had been buried.
What exactly did he do for work over many years to accumulate such wealth? "His greed disgusts me." I sighed. Definitely the Sin of Greed. That was why he was competitive and wanted all my attention on him. Only to show off his wealth.
I insulted Eidrin when I compared him to this man. Eidrin needed attention because he had none. Grandus needed attention because he wanted all.
"Am I imprisoned here?" I asked no one. "Sanya? Are you back? We have a situation." I might have been kidnapped and locked in a trove that would give me everlasting envy till I shrank and died.
Apart from the smell of metal and wealth, I felt no other sensation, not even sound. "Anyone? Oh Goddess, the knight might be ready with my meal. I should be out of here."
In this vast place, there was neither entrance nor exit to identify. Grandus always pissed me off whenever I tried to get to know him better. Did he think an apology would cut everything? "Ugh, Sora! Get me out of—"
The place trembled. The riches began to shuffle to the right, towards me. I slipped and fell, slamming my head on… thighs? The current of coins swept me to the edge, but an arm created a distance between me and the wall.
The shuffling coins went around me and stopped adding pressure. My racing heart calmed down. I opened my eyes and my heart raced again. "Sora?!"
No, it wasn't. His eyes were the sleepiest I had ever seen. He looked down at me, and I felt he would fall on my head with how frequently and slowly he batted his lashes. Was he exhausted?
"Are you hurt, Mistress?"
My throat dried up. This voice. This must be Sora's father. The youngest twins had woken up. "No, I'm not."
The trembling stopped. He fell on me. I caught him before our foreheads crashed into each other. I pushed him back gently and left the ground.
He was definitely the original form of Sora. It was as if Sora had twenty years to grow into a proper young man. His breathing was quick, as if he had forced himself too hard.
He stopped breathing, and my heart fell into my stomach. I placed my head on his chest, not knowing if I should expect a heartbeat from an immortal. I heard one and breathed out. "Were we both trapped here now?"
At least, I was no longer alone. I watched him sleep, and as usual, beautiful people eased my tension. He was paler than Sora. He had been hibernating, after all. I ran my hand through his long hair.
"Sorry for calling you here." Though it was actually Sora I called. Grandus would definitely get an earful from Ruby after getting me and his younger brother into this mess. The thought of Ruby scolding his favourite sibling made me very glad.
"Because you envy Grandus as the favourite."
"Sanya, you're back!" I huffed. "Look at my situation. I'm trapped here. I'm more angry at Grandus!"
"Close your eyes tightly, Esme."
I really liked it when she called my name. I did as she said. Did I have the power to take myself out of this place? Or was she showing me what she left all this while to get?
A sensation flooded into my mind from cracks in my subconscious I wasn't aware of. I staggered and nearly fell. My head filled up with various information about things I couldn't understand.
My eyes stayed closed, despite my stomach tumbling. Panic zapped through my spine when I no longer felt the Sixth's warmth. I opened my eyes to find myself in a bright room.
There was an even brighter blue light behind me. I left the ground and walked towards it. There was a panel of some sort floating above me.
"It is a gift from the Sun Grace. Something 'fun' he said could help you understand the brothers better."
"A gift? Sun Grace?" Yeah, right. But that should make sense. How else would Sanya bring my consciousness to this bright room?
"Esmeralda."
The voice of an old man called out from around me. This was an ancient soul, definitely. I felt compelled to listen. It must be connected to those brothers. "Yes?"
"The Blood-Hound said you need a way for you to understand my sons. They're nearly at their wits' end. What would you like to know?"
Sons? So he was the Sun Grace.
"She is nearly at her wits' end too."
Goddess, Sanya. Don't talk back at the Sun Grace. I held my arms behind my back, lowering my head. I didn't feel his presence or it would suffocate me. But hearing his voice and knowing he saw me made my knees weak.
"Those brothers. They call me Father." He said again. "They're easier to submit and you don't need to study them."
"But if she wants to?" Sanya spoke again.
I counted the minutes till I'd be out of here. How did she just summon me to a meeting of ancient divine ones with no heads-up!
I just wanted to be able to trust and understand them. And maybe know how much I meant to them. If that was too much to ask for, then that was okay. She didn't need to tell their father.
"Trust? Understanding? Hmm."
He could hear my thoughts? I lowered myself to the ground. Maybe I should say something. "If it's not too much, I'd like to know how stable they are too."
That was the primary reason for my relationship with them. "Very well."His voice boomed.
A shiver ran down my spine but it relieved me afterwards.
"I have what you need. You'd also see their health. It'd assure you."
I blinked. Twice. The brightness around me diminished, and I noticed my head felt clearer. He was gone. I could tell. Had the intense light been due to Father's presence? Sun God for a reason.
Somehow that made me smile. The panel in front of me grew bigger. I tilted my head to see clearly and it had names on it. The first page had information about me.
[Esmeralda Kate Malcolm]
Information:
- Age: 19
- Species: Werewolf (Blood-Hound)
- HS (Health Status): Best
- MS (Mana Status): None
I frowned at the mana status. Was this like a report about my accomplishments? That Sun Grace really had a different definition of 'fun' from mine.
"Before you conclude, check the brothers' status. I'd return you to the Sixth. He just woke up so he should be in favourable conditions."
What did that mean? I guessed I'd only understand when I tried it for myself. On the second page, there was almost nothing.
[Princes]
[(Select a Prince to add to the list based on your interest in them)]
[...+...]
[Exit]
No matter how much I looked, it didn't make sense. I tapped the '+' sign since it felt natural to do so and a list dropped down, having the sins of the Princes. I tapped Greed as the only one at the top of my head.
[Prince of Greed]
Information:
- Human Age: 24
- Species: Entity
- HS (Health Status): Stable
- SS (Sanity Status): Low
[Status]
- Trust: -not visible-
- Understanding: -not visible-
- Compatibility: -not visible-
- Bond (Princes): …+...
[Exit]
[(Status is visible in front of the Prince)]
[(Ages only correlate to current physical appearance)]
Compatibility? Bond with themselves? Did I need those to know them better? Well, I might. Not for Grandus though. His greed was clear even at midnight, and I could tell we'd always differ.
The surrounding faded back to the room of riches and my eyes dimmed. I felt the Sixth and pulled his warm body closer. What had just happened? Since I returned, it felt like it had only been a trance.
"If you want to check his Status, think of the panel and it would appear." I heard Sanya say.
A small grin came to my lips. To be able to know how trustworthy they found me would make me see if they liked me more than just being their stabilisation. The ones with higher understanding of me, I would tell my very boring secrets. I could actually have a family here. This could really be fun.
"This didn't necessarily invade their privacy, did it?"
"I doubt. You'd still realise all these later. Their father gave the information to you anyway."
Consider me convinced. I just had to do my best to keep them sane. For starters, I had to get the Sixth out of here. "So Sanya, any tips for a breakout?"