Everything seemed to have ended. The shield was gone, and soldiers rushed to the scene, their heavy boots thudding against the cobblestone streets.
"Things are getting interesting," murmured a cloaked figure perched atop a distant building. The moonlight revealed a faint, amused smile on his face. "They've started tapping into their powers, but it's still too raw—too chaotic. No matter. It won't be long before they're ripe for use." He turned, his cloak billowing as he vanished into the shadows. "Time to clean up this mess."
Deadlock Five, who had been watching everything unfold, clenched his fists. He was immensely furious, but his orders were clear—observe, not intervene. He tapped his communicator, summoning two more Deadlocks. Within moments, they arrived, their expressions as grim as his. Together, they carried the three unconscious children away, disappearing into the cold, unyielding night.
In the palace, panic spread like wildfire. The explosion and burst of light had been visible even from the royal grounds. Guests whispered nervously, their glances darting toward the horizon. How come the second most powerful Kingdom allowed such a thing to happen? An attack during such a crucial moment?
"Send everyone home," the Queen commanded, her voice calm but resolute. The staff scrambled to obey, guiding the uneasy crowd out of the halls.
The night had been more than a celebration of Lia's birthday. It was the eve of her initiation into the world of cultivation—a grand event meant to reveal her attribute and mark her first steps toward power. But the ceremony had to end with such an unsettling scene.
It had been two years since Mozrael and Aramith had undergone the same ritual. Officially, they were declared Fire-attribute and Damned, respectively. Unofficially, their true natures were a closely guarded secret.
"You idiot!" The old man hissed as he slapped Hordin to the ground.
"Why were you out there? Now some people point fingers at me already. They don't like me in the first place and now you go near the place they get attacked??!"
"I felt something was going to happen so I-"
"You FELT SOMETHING?! You don't even have an attribute. You can't cultivate. How stupid can you be?!"
"I wasn't sure if-"
"You still have the guts to talk?!" He slapped the boy again. " Just wait till your father hears about this. You'll be dead for sure." He threw tables around as he stormed to his room, leaving Hordin to think about what he had caused.
The night passed, leaving behind unanswered questions and a city steeped in unease.
Somewhere in the city, at a smoky bar...
A man took a long sip of his wine, savoring the sharp bite. "Heard about what happened last night?" he asked the man next to him.
His companion rolled his eyes. "Who hasn't? Even newborns are probably babbling about it. They're saying it was some secret organization."
The first man smirked, leaning closer. "You think you know everything? Let me tell you something fresh. I got it from a palace guard."
The second man's eyes widened. "How'd you manage that?"
"Keep your voice down, idiot!" He hissed, though he clearly wanted the nearby patrons to hear. Leaning in, he whispered loud enough for the whole bar to catch his words. "They say someone tried to kidnap Princess Lia. Unleashed a giant beast—fire and lightning, Omega tier. But she awakened her attribute just in time to stop it."
In a world of cultivation such as this, beasts could grow in their strengths and climb up levels or ranks just like humans.
The levels were Basic, Intermediate, Advanced, Noble, King, Core, Omega, Legendary, Mystic, Realm, Celestial, and Mythological. In a beast's growth, the Omega level was the most critical. Beasts in the Omega level could be counted as unpredictable. During the omega level, Beasts lose their ability to reproduce, or fight temporarily but achieve insane boosts in their speed and strength, so a beast could be in the omega level, but have the speed and strength comparable to a legendary or in rare cases, a mystic level beast, but that was only for a while.
The second man's jaw dropped. "That's insane. What kind of beast was it? And what's her attribute?"
"A bear-type. Massive. The palace is keeping it quiet, but trust me—"
CRASH!
The sound of shattering glass cut through the air, silencing the bar. All eyes turned toward the street as royal guards marched past, their presence a stark reminder of the chaos that had gripped the city.
In the palace...
Mozrael's eyes fluttered open. Her room was quiet, the faint hum of an orb floating beside her bed the only sound. She tried to sit up, but her body was drenched in sweat, her limbs heavy. Stumbling to her feet, she leaned against the bedpost, her breath shallow.
She didn't know where she was going, but her body moved on instinct. Her hand trailed the walls for support as she shuffled through the empty hallways, her footsteps echoing faintly.
Finally, she reached a door. The moment she touched the handle, a strange weight settled over her heart. She pushed it open, her vision flickering.
"Lia," she rasped, stumbling into the room. Her sister lay motionless on the bed, her pale figure draped in white. Mozrael's knees buckled, and she collapsed to the floor, unconscious.
The maids attending Lia froze, torn between relief and confusion. Mozrael wasn't supposed to be awake, let alone walking.
The three maids froze in place as Mozrael collapsed onto the floor. For a moment, no one moved.
"How... how is she even awake?" one whispered, her voice trembling.
"I-I don't know. She was in such a critical condition before—this shouldn't be possible!" another stammered, gripping her apron tightly.
"Do we... do we help her? Or call for someone? What if this is—"
"Quiet!" the third snapped, her voice sharper but equally shaken. She glanced nervously at Lia, then Mozrael. "We're not healers, but we can't just stand here. Someone go find help!"
"But—"
"Go! If she gets worse, we'll be paying with our heads"
The urgency in her voice spurred one of them to rush to the door, calling for assistance. Meanwhile, the remaining two hovered anxiously over Mozrael, unsure whether to move her or leave her until help arrived. They couldn't be blamed. Only one person was allowed to administer treatment to them. If they did anything that made matters worse...
"She's here!" a voice called out as a soldier entered, followed by Aiden and a group of servants. Aiden's usual composed demeanor didn't waver, though his eyes briefly flickered with surprise.
He knelt beside Mozrael, checking her pulse. For a split second, something akin to shock crossed his face, but it vanished as quickly as it appeared.
"Take her back to her room," he ordered, handing a servant a flask. "Ensure she receives this after two hours."
As Mozrael was carried away, Aiden turned his attention to Lia. His gaze sharpened as he noticed a faint glint on her neck. Carefully, he tilted her head and pulled aside her hair, revealing a tiny needle embedded in her skin.
His frown deepened as he extracted the needle and sniffed it. A wave of dizziness hit him, but he steadied himself. Injecting a sliver of youm into the needle, he watched as its surface reacted, revealing traces of an unfamiliar toxin.
Without a word, he took a sample of Lia's blood and retreated to his study.
The glass flask containing Lia's blood glowed dark green, its luminescence casting eerie shadows on the walls. Holograms of plants flickered above it, each disappearing until only one remained. This was a technique Aiden used to identify what was used to make any poison.
Aiden stared at the glowing plant, his unease growing. "This shouldn't exist," he muttered.
The Somnium Bloom was an otherworldly flower whose appearance deceived people about its sinister nature. Its petals, soft as silk, appeared silver and midnight blue, as though plucked from the fabric of twilight itself. Its appearance had a rather hypnotic light that seemed to draw the gaze of anyone nearby.
The flower's stem had a deep, green color, lined with veins of violet that pulsed rhythmically, almost as if alive. Its edges were dotted with tiny translucent thorns that glistened with a dangerous sheen of venom. A faint, sweet fragrance would emanate from the bloom, carrying a subtle scent of honey and moonlight—a scent so beguiling it had lured travelers into its deadly grasp.
When inhaled, the pollen released by the flower acted as a potent neurotoxin, drawing its victim into an unshakable slumber. Within moments, the victim's mind drifted into a vivid dreamscape, a world crafted from their subconscious desires and fears. The dreams had been so immersive that the victim lost all sense of time, unable to discern reality from illusion.
While in this state, the victim's body remained still, their heartbeat slowed, and their breathing became shallow. Without intervention, they could remain trapped in this dream state for days, weeks, or even indefinitely, their life essence subtly siphoned by the flower.
It was said that the Somnium Bloom only grew in shadowed lands, bathed in moonlight, and nourished by soil rich with the remnants of forgotten dreams. Alchemists and herbalists had long sought its petals for their potential in crafting elixirs and poisons, though handling the flower required the utmost caution. Due to its rarity, very little was known of it, even for a Powerful force such as the Vermillion Kingdom.
The door creaked open, and Henndar entered, his cheerful facade faltering when he saw the plant.
"How is this possible?" Henndar whispered, his voice heavy with disbelief. "That thing should be extinct."
"I thought so too," Aiden replied, his tone grim. "And yet, someone is using it to poison Lia. I have my suspicions, but whether it's her or that religious group, we're in grave danger."
Henndar's smile vanished entirely. "Seems our enemies are closer than I expected."
"What are the effects on her?"
"For now, it's keeping her asleep. Somehow in a dream state. She won't be waking up anytime soon and if we don't find the source and deal with it, things will only get worse if she receives another dose. I believe you also know how little we all know of this flower. It will also take a great deal of time to get a cure"
So many attacks were happening all at once. Henndar prepared himself though with a calm expression. He had to make arrangements, and fast. He summoned the Deadlock and gave them orders.