"Your Majesty, do you have any other orders for me?" Seymour stood before the man he admired and feared the most in the whole world. Although his king was younger than him in appearance, Seymour had long perceived that he was older, not just by a few decades but by centuries, and that only made it all the more frightening.

"Yes, I have modified my plans. I will leave tonight and return by the end of tomorrow." Kieran thought for a few moments before his eyes gleamed. "Until I return, take good care of our kingdom and..." He stopped, and Seymour straightened his posture, not knowing why the king was looking at him with a profound gaze.

"Prepare well for the last day of the Mid-Autumn Festival. I do not want any negligence." Although it was an order, it was also filled with a silent threat, and Seymour gulped as he started nodding frantically.

"You do not have to worry about it, Your Majesty. I will take care of the preparations and ensure that they are excellent. Therefore, you will have nothing to complain about."

"I expect nothing less from you, Seymour." Kieran nodded. "You may leave now. Your daughter must be waiting for you. You might as well accompany her."

"Yes, Your Majesty. I will take my leave now." Seymour bowed to the man before he left the throne room, excitement dancing in his eyes.

Kieran waited until the doors were closed before letting out an amused chuckle. The old human's excitement was floating in the air, and he could smell it from where he was. Albeit finding it entertaining, he was genuinely happy for the man who had pledged his loyalty to him a long time back.

Kieran sat in the throne room until the sun vanished below the horizon before he stood up. Now that Gavin and his mother were in the palace, he had another matter to look into, especially when their situation was utterly suspicious. However, before that, he had to handle his brother, who was going rampant by sucking innocent women dry.

Kieran took a deep breath and closed his eyes, and the next time he opened his eyes, he was in his room near the hearth. He squatted in front of the fire and looked at the burning flames that only kept getting bigger and brighter as moments passed.

"Castiel." Kieran gritted his teeth and bit his wrist until blood oozed. He held his bleeding hand near the fire, allowing it to devour the crimson liquid.

The next instant, Kieran was pulled into a dark, bottomless void. Albeit the darkness everywhere, he could still see the space he was traveling in, and the coldness around him did not bother him. So he just waited, and a few moments later, when he noticed the bright light far ahead of him, he smoothened his coat and ran a hand through his hair as he landed at the destination safely.

Kieran was not appalled by the stench of blood in the air. This was how it had been in the past. The air around him smelt of blood, death, viciousness, and Castiel. Typical Castiel.

Keiran's blood boiled, and he started walking toward where he could feel his bloodline connection. With every step he took closer to Castiel, he heard the heartbeat of the human his brother was in now, and Kieran felt nothing but remorse. Such a monster was his brother, and he could do nothing but curse his fate.

"I was waiting for you, brother." He heard a chuckle from somewhere towards his right, and Kieran stood in his place as he waited for his brother to show himself to him.

"You were quick this time." Castiel chastised as he strolled towards Kieran slowly, licking his lips off the blood he had just drunk from the now-dead girl.

Kieran stood still with his hands behind him, his regality and dignified aura not diminishing even for a moment. Castiel had long died for him; the man before him was a scoundrel he did not recognize. Despite staring at a stranger in his early forties with a few strands of gray hair, Kieran still saw glimpses of the evilness of Castiel, and his jaw ticked in rage. His presence did not affect him in any other way, and he waited for Castiel to say his last words before he lost his current body.

"You did not allow me to enjoy my new life for a few days. Did you have to come and end this for me this quickly?" Castiel chided, not hiding that he knew why the man was there. It was always the same, every time, and Castiel had come to terms with it.

"At least I had my merriment this time and killed more women than the previous time in just a few days." He boasted, smirking faintly, only to lose his grin when he noticed Kieran's expressionless face.

"Kieran, could you appreciate my achievements? I am your brother, after all."

"Correction, please." Kieran raised his hand, forcing Castiel to stop speaking. "You were my brother, but he died long ago, and I do not know who you are."

"Do you have to be this heartless, brother?" Castiel smiled suddenly as he approached Kieran. But the young King of Rothnia did not even react and stood still.

Castiel could do nothing to him, nothing at all. Kieran was more capable and powerful. Besides being unable to kill Castiel's soul, Kieran could end him in the blink of an eye.

"Are you done, or do you still wish to proceed with your nonsensical talk?"

"I have one important thing to tell you, brother."

Castiel's wicked smile made Kieran fidgety for reasons he could not discern. His brows narrowed while his eyes darkened.

"I wonder why I am unable to detect any gloominess and sorrow in you this time." Castiel mused. "Is it because of her? Is she back?"

"You..." Kieran took a step forward and bared his teeth in anger. He let out a low menacing growl as a warning which Castiel ignored.

"I wonder if her blood tastes the same, delicious and addictive. Ire.."

Castiel did not even have the opportunity to finish his words when Kieran pulled his heart out at once. He then crushed it hard, ignoring the blood coating his hand as he watched the stranger possessed by his brother die immediately.

"How dare you speak about her!" Kieran snarled, his eyes taking the color of the night sky. "You are not worthy of thinking about her, let alone take her name. You despicable piece of trash."

Kieran dropped the crushed heart beside the dead body, which erupted into flames immediately, leaving nothing but ash.