“I can do one more,” Kieran said through pained breaths. Sweat streaked down his face as he struggled to stay standing. His mouth was impossibly dry.

“Two casts is your limit,” Alexandra said. “Teal, reactivate the spell circle.”

The orb in Teal’s hand glowed followed by the spell circle reactivating. A fresh air enveloped him, restoring the moisture in his mouth and cooling him. 

“I could’ve done one more,” he said with renewed energy. He wiped away the sweat with his bandaged hands until Teal threw him her handkerchief. “The sword practice we had before this just tired me out.”

“Enough. The second daughter of the Loftus House is here. Go and get changed. I shall greet them first.”

Alexandra walked out and a team of maids rushed in. Their cleaning routine was amazing as usual. Kieran had no time to marvel at it, however. Teal had packed his things last night and today, after a short meeting with their guest, they’d be off to the Loftus Manor. It was located in the southmost territory, Maidah. As long as it wasn’t Rathladan, the territory in the east and the one most caught up in the human-demon war, he was more than happy to go. 

As they walked to his room, Teal said, “Don’t feel so down, Young Master. For a twelve year old to use the bolt spell twice is impressive. Once you’re fifteen and reach your Scaling, your Essence will have outgrown most other adults.”

“You’re only saying that to make me feel better,” he sighed.

“Really? I too believe it is quite impressive,” said a calm voice with a hint of mischief. “My Dear Kieran,” his mother wrapped him in a warm embrace and rubbed her cheek against his. She was wearing some kind of eastern-esque traditional clothing with loose sleeves. It was likely a gift from the people of Mist Mountain who were visiting.

“Y-Your Majesty!” Teal quickly bowed, almost stumbling over. 

“Hello, Teal,” she said with a smile. The queen’s frame was slight, her silhouette a miracle of beauty, but her presence was massive, making her seem taller than Teal even though they were the same height. “I’ll be on my way soon. I simply wished to see my son off.”

Teal waved her hands, “O-Oh no. Please take your time. There’s no rush at all.”

His mother laughed and although she was most likely in her mid forties, her skin showed no signs of age, no wrinkles, no sagging, it was porcelain white like when he first saw her. She pulled something from her sleeve, “Here. This is for you.” It was a stuffed doll with two black beads for eyes and a stitched on smile. On the back of the doll was a pair of pale, ashen wings.

As she placed it in his hands, she ran her thumb along his bandages. Gentle and warm like Teal, it helped soothe the muted throbbing. “You shouldn’t have to go through this,” she whispered. “My Dear, please have a safe trip. I’m sorry I cannot stay with you longer.”

“It’s alright Mother,” Kieran said. “We’ve all got duties.”

She flashed him a smile and ruffled his hair before turning and walking down the hall. Kieran went inside his room to change. With some prodding from Teal, she convinced him to let her help. Nimble fingers buttoned his vest and in an instant, they were done. Teal quizzed him on etiquette while they made the rest of him presentable.

“Have you seen that one gold necklace with the triangle?” he asked.

She was quiet for a bit, most likely thinking, “...No, I don’t believe so. Are you going to wear some jewelry?”

He shook his head, “I’ll pass.” It still didn’t feel right on him to wear such expensive items. Would breaking them anger his mom? Probably not but there was no need to flaunt his family’s wealth. 

Once they arrived in the room, two new faces, and a scary familiar one, greeted him. A ten year old girl with long, cascading brown hair held back by a hair clip, stood once she saw him. Her hands pressed against the large frills of her dress and she showed a subtle smile. It felt both warm and wooden at the same time, like the muscles in her face had saved that configuration and simply set it for this occasion.

The man standing behind her on the other side of the three cushioned sofa bowed. The trimmed, gray streaked beard that covered most of his face was completely absent on his left side, in its place was a small but deep scar that ran under his chin.

Teal tapped his arm and faked a cough.

Kieran suddenly shot to attention like a recruit as their superior chewed them out. His mind went into overdrive, playing back his recollections of etiquette class while his spine straightened to match the posture of the young girl in front of him. Old ingrained habits from his past life clashed with his recent teachings. He broke and his body chose one for him.

Betraying the trained and practiced expression she wore, the girl’s emerald eyes shot wide. Her escort was just as stunned. One pair of eyes bore a hole through his skull and he knew there’d be hell to pay for this mistake. 

The girl’s fingers pressed against the maplewood table as she stretched out to grab his hand. Her shaken voice, dripping with nervousness, said, “Th-Thank for extending your hand for someone such as me. I-I am Lilith Loftus, second daughter of the Loftus Household. ”

“Pleasure to meet you Lilith. I’m Kieran Reyteour, fifth son of Kudlirk and Melina.” He sighed internally. At least he got that part of it right. Well, he thought he did.

“I believe Overseer Loftus hoped you would show the Young Miss around,” said Alexandra.

His face lit up, “Of course!”

“If you do not mind, will Teal be suitable?”

“Yes,” said Lilith. 

“Great, I know the perfect place.” Before anyone could stop him, he grabbed her hand and ran out. They sidestepped the servants in their way while Teal chased after them. 

They stopped in the middle of the courtyard and he gazed at the city below the hill. It was a place so close yet so far. A world of wonder beyond the daunting black gates where adventure and quests were sure to be, or so he hoped. In an hour or so, he’d get to see it.

Its tall wide walls kept the city safe from outsiders. A huge colosseum stood out among the other buildings and he imagined going there one day.

As Teal neared, he grabbed Lilth’s hand again. They ran through its garden with daffodils, daylilies, and daisies, in a spiraling arrangement that stretched from one end of the temple to the other. Servants tended to them, sprinkling water and pulling out weeds. Just beyond the garden were hedges, a circular maze of them to be exact. He and Lilith tore through the stone path and disappeared into the maze as Teal came into view.

She followed his lead, though it was also his first time. The pair arrived in the center of the maze after a string of lucky turns. In the middle of it all was a small red, silver tiled, shrine. It looked of eastern design, unlike the other buildings within the palace grounds which sported a more western theme. The shrine and the stone path leading up to it was surrounded by a bed of flowers; the miniature black doors were small even for his hands.

“I… I need a little break.” Lilith said, out of breath. 

“I’m sorry. I just wanted to get away from Alexandra and Teal.”

“It’s okay, Your Highness. I’m grateful you consider me an ally.”

“You can be more casual with me. Act your age, you know?” Out of everyone, maybe she would understand how he felt. Forced to be all proper all the time. “And you can call me Kieran.”

“I-I cannot be so bold.”

“It’s fine, really. It’s what I want you to call me,” he said as he knelt at the shrine. “What is this?”

She was still a bit shocked by his words and forgot her formalities, “I don’t know. Is it part of the temple?”

Kieran pulled on the doors. They opened with a sharp click and creaking hinges. Nestled inside was a golden pendant outlined with a thin circle of sapphire. Encrusted on the front were a pair of ashen wings similar to the country’s emblem. 

It blinded him the moment he took it out and Lilith gasped. It wasn’t as if either of them had never seen something so extravagant. She was a high-ranking noble, probably, and he was royalty. This kind of jewelry didn’t even make it to the bottom of the top in terms monetary worth of the parts, but its smooth and pristine surface felt like running a finger along wet glass. The weight in his hand and the aura surrounding it were otherworldly. 

“Open it.” She gestured to a button sticking out from the topside of the pendant. His thumb inched closer until it rested on it.

“There you are,” Teal said. Like Lilith, she was out of breath, probably exhausted from going through the maze. “Don’t run off like that again or else I’ll tell Alexandra.” Her eyes rested on the pendant. “What is that, Young Master?”

He handed it to her. She angled it in the sun, staring at the winged emblem. 

“We found it inside the shrine,” Lilith added unnecessarily.

Teal shot him a glare. Compared to Alexandra’s it was weak with little to no real malice. He shrugged as she went to place it back. She pulled on the tiny doors. They didn’t move. She pulled again and nothing happened.

“What are you doing?” Kieran asked. 

“I’m trying to open… it,” Teal fell back, letting out the breath she held. “It’s closed shut.”

“What? Here, let me try,” Kieran tugged on the doors and they gave no response. He tugged harder and harder until he could feel the blood in his face. With two feet propped up against the legs of the shrine and hands holding onto the handles, he pulled while pushing at the same time. After his attempt, he panted out, “It’s… impossible.”

“Shall we tell a priest, then?” Lilith suggested.

“No, no, no. That’s a one way ticket to trouble. Alexandra’s a lot of things but she’s got some serious devotion. Teal and I would both be flayed alive by her.”

“There you are,” said a voice from behind. When they turned around, a tall priest in long dark robes approached them. “I am honored to have you visit our garden, Your Highness. However, while you are free to explore the gardens, I ask that you follow me out of this maze.”

Teal wrapped the pendant in her handkerchief and hid it behind her. Kieran bumped into Teal when he stood up. “Hey, why aren’t you… going. Uh, earth to Teal? Lilith?”

The wind that had been blowing all day had suddenly stopped. All the flowers and grass were frozen in the same direction. 

What the hell’s happening?

The ground around the shrine emitted a faint blue light. It seeped through the cracks in the stone and engulfed the area around the flowers. His body felt lighter. The shrine, flowers, and hedge maze seemed to blend together. The afternoon sun’s light dimmed and stars began to dot the skies.

He screamed. 

A shambling mass of arms held onto his leg. The arms had crawled from the other entrance of the maze and dragged itself forward until it was beneath the shrine. There were at least five hands grasping him, pulling him under. One hand over the other, more and more were grabbing hold; it latched onto his other leg and to his arms. 

He shook and fought but he was consumed. They covered his mouth and eyes, choked the remaining air from his lungs, and covered his ears. He couldn’t breathe. He couldn’t scream. The longer he was stuck there, the less panicked he became. He stopped fighting back. The hands were soothing. He fell deeper into the comfort.

“Young Master!” Teal shook him awake. 

The hands and blue light were gone. The sun was back in the sky and everything seemed normal. 

He shot up, “Did-Did you see that thing?”

Lilith tilted her head, “Your Highness?”

“See what?” Teal said as she looked around. “I don’t see anything, Young Master.”

Was it all just a dream? A hallucination? 

The priest’s eyes narrowed and he reached out, “Are you alright?”

Kieran batted away the priest’s hand and shot up, “Y-Yeah. I’m fine. Sorry about that. Let’s get out of here.”

The priest led them out and Kieran excused himself and told them to wait for him by the carriage. He dashed to his room and stripped off his clothes. Staring into the mirror he muttered, “What the hell…”

Red hand marks were all over his arms and his neck. He could feel them throbbing.

“It was real?”