“Zachariel!” Amelia ran over to him.
“Amelia.” Zachariel turned to look at her.
Amelia saw Lia chatting with Luiz and the others.
She stopped in her tracks.
“You!”
Lia was interrupted by Amelia’s shout. She looked at Amelia and was scared.
“What are you trying to do?” Lia immediately pulled near Zachariel.
However, Amelia rushed at Lia.
“I told you to stay away from him!”, She slapped Lia on the face.
“Why don’t you listen, huh?!” Amelia shouted.
Everyone was shocked by the sudden turn of events. Even the two instructors who were handling the two classes could not believe it.
“Amelia, what are you doing! Why did you slap her?” Zachariel held her hands.
“Let go of me, Zachariel. This bitch right here is messing with you!” She tried to escape from Zachariel’s clutch, but his grip was too strong for her.
“Lia, are you okay?” Sabrina held Lia carefully. The latter’s face reddened due to Amelia’s slap.
Tears formed in her eyes.
“Hey, you, why are you doing this to Lia? Aren’t you going overboard with that?” Luiz protected his classmate.
“Why are you shouting at her? Can’t you see she’s a girl?” Jeremias also protected Amelia.
“Who the f*** are you?” Luiz bellowed at Jeremias.
“I’m a Prospect candidate, Jeremias Pickler. You better learn some manners, you lowlife!” Jeremias looked down upon Luiz.
Not just by Luiz’s height, but also because he thought that the little guy was a weakling compared to him.
“Hah, a Prospect candidate? So what?! Listen here, pipsqueak! Teach your classmate some manners or else I’ll do it for you!” Luiz pointed at Jeremias.
`Damn, this guy’s face is so annoying. I wanna punch it so hard!` Luiz held it in his mind.
He didn’t back down at all.
“Stop it, students! We’re outside the Magic Tower and you’re behaving rudely!” Instructor Rebecca warned.
“Ma’am, I don’t give a s*** about that if other people are rude to me as well!” Luiz retorted.
“You-!” Instructor Rebecca’s eyes widened in disbelief.
The students from the two classes started yelling at one another. The Imperium guards were there, however…
…
`Captain Burton, please stay on your ground.` A telepathic link was set up to a guard that was about to interrupt and stop the ruckus.
`But Elder Kent, the students-?`
`No need to worry about them.`
`At the cost of our jobs, sir?`
`Captain, just stay on your ground and act like you’re an onlooker at the sides.`
`Yes sir!`
`Also, lock anyone else out of Amelia later, except for that black-and-white-haired boy. Don’t ever give the others a chance to talk or knock Amelia out of her rage.`
The telepathic link was cut off.
Captain Burton established a telepathic link with the other guards and ordered them to stay on put.
…
Kent McKenzie stood atop the Magic Tower and watched the commotion outside through the large magic screen in front of him.
“Here comes the best part.”
He snorted.
`Emperor Marcus, Prince Kane. The revolution starts today.`
He narrowed his eyes.
`That Matthias. No wonder he called for another meeting yesterday. He’s more of a divinator than any of those divinators who graduated from the Great Historic School.`
…
Meanwhile, Zachariel pulled Amelia out of the center of attraction.
“Amelia, what’s going on with you?” He was bothered about Amelia’s peculiar behavior.
“Zachariel, I’ve missed you.” She leaped into his arms and cried.
“Huh?”
“Did you know, Zachariel? I searched for you for days. I’ve missed you. I’ve really missed you. I just wanted to be with you all the time. I can’t live much in this world if I stray far away from where you are…”
Amelia continued.
“Amelia, what happened?” Zachariel asked.
“Someone bullied me, Zachariel. Please help me. I don’t want to be bullied again!”
Amelia raised her head and stared at Zachariel’s eyes.
`Damn it, this must have happened during her match. Should I have just stayed during that day and waited for Amelia?`
Zachariel was conflicted.
He helped Lia out of her predicament, but gave way for problems to arise with Amelia.
…
A small girl stepped out from the wagon and pulled out a septum polearm. It was Iria.
“It’s you again!” Iria bellowed.
She took out her septum and pointed it at Amelia.
“Iria, what are you doing?!” Zachariel covered Amelia.
“Zachariel, stay out of this! I’m going to teach her a lesson today!” Iria insisted.
“Iria…” Zachariel was about to say something when Amelia burst out in anger.
“You people!!!”
She gathered her wood mana essence and conjured a mana force outburst.
Zachariel did not expect it and was blown away.
The mana outburst caught everyone’s attention.
All of them stopped what they were doing and looked at Amelia.
The place became silent.
The people inside the Mage Guild building and even the passersby from the main road a hundred meters away were intrigued.
“Hey, what’s going on there?”
“I don’t know. Some kind of fighting occurring outside the Mage Guild building.”
“A fight? What’re those Imperium guards doing? Are they just spectating? Do they think this is the arena or something?”
“Bah, enough of that. Let’s go and watch the show. The guards don’t seem to mind if we go near anyway.”
“Hey! Mind your manners! How about you try to de-escalate the situation there instead?”
“As if I give a damn about that!”
They all ran towards where the students were located.
…
Zachariel landed near Victoria and Helena.
“Zachariel!” Victoria’s heart pained when she saw Zachariel being hurt by Amelia.
“Amelia, stop this, please!” Helena rushed to Amelia but was blocked by the guards.
“You Imperium guards, what are you doing?!” Helena reprimanded.
“Ms. Helena, please stay where you are, or else we will use force to put you down.” One of the guards threatened.
“You dare block the path of the daughter of a Golden Guardian?” Helena put up a brave front.
The guards didn’t answer and simply stared at her.
“You-!”
“Ah!”
A faint shout resounded. Everyone looked over.
“Victoria, what happened?” Helena inquired.
Victoria’s body knelt on the ground. She was hugging herself as if she was in pain.
“Vict-“
A vine sprouted from the ground near Victoria and struck at her.
She was blown away from Zachariel.
“No-!” Zachariel reached out his hand to Victoria but it was too late.
“Zachariel, control your sister, right now!” Helena begged.
She knew that only Zachariel could stop Amelia.
`If she says anything more, we’ll be doomed!`
Helena remembered senior Cody telling her that what happened to Amelia’s brother should not be publicized at any cost.
If it happened, Amelia, and possibly Zachariel, and in the worst-case scenario, including them, might be exiled out of the Great Human Imperium.
“Sister?” Luiz was dumbfounded.
“Hey Iria, you were pretty much hostile against her earlier. Do you know something?” Luka asked.
“Yeah, me and Lia both met her yesterday. She grabbed Lia’s neck and tried to strangle her. Luckily, Sabrina was there.” Iria recounted.
“What? Zachariel’s sister did that to Lia?” Luiz was angry.
What was wrong with Zachariel’s sister to suddenly strangle Lia out of nowhere?
“Iria, is she jealous or something?” Luka inquired further.
“I don’t know!” Iria yelled.
“All I know is that I have to protect Lia against that crazy girl.”
They all looked at Zachariel and Amelia.
Seeing how Helena asked Zachariel for assistance, they finally understood that only Zachariel had the power to stop her now.
The situation might get worse if any of them tried to interject right now.
Everyone watched the drama unfold between the two. They backed away to give them space.
They didn’t walk away, however, in case something bad happens.
“Amelia, stop this madness! Why are you doing this?” Zachariel stood back up.
“Zachariel, I only want you to stay with me! Why is it so hard for you to do it?!” Amelia cried out.
“Amelia, I don’t understand.”
Zachariel stared at her.
“What did you just say?” Amelia could not believe what she just heard right now.
“Amelia, I don’t understand and I don’t really know what you’re trying to say here. Can’t you please calm down and talk ourselves out of this?”
Amelia’s heart started breaking apart.
“Did you forget, again, Zachariel?” Her soft voice echoed.
“Amelia…”
Zachariel paused.
Everyone was really nervous now. Even Captain Burton gulped with anticipation of what was about to happen next.
He sighed and said, “Yes…”
‘Ba-dump!’
Amelia fell to the ground with a downcast look on her face. Tears formed in her eyes as her world fell apart.
A single word was all it took to break Amelia’s heart.
“Is it okay now?” Luiz asked.
Luka covered Luiz’s mouth
“Shh! Shut up!” He whispered.
Luka pointed at his eyes then at Amelia.
Luiz followed over and saw Amelia muttering something.
“My brother died and you said you forgot about it. My brother died…”
Amelia repeated.
Her words soon became louder and clearer for everyone to hear.
“Her brother died? What does she mean by this?”
Everyone was confused.
“Zachariel… my brother died. You promised to me something, and now you’re saying you forgot all of it?” Amelia was shaken.
“Amelia, that’s not what I meant-” Zachariel tried to convince her otherwise, but Amelia was no longer the sane person she used to be.
She rushed at Zachariel then pounced at him.
“No, Amelia, stop it!” Helena cried out loud.
`She’s going to say it! No!`
However, the guards pushed her back.
“Ms. Helena, please stay back!”
“F*** you!” Helena cursed at them.
“Hmph!” The guard snorted and knocked her out.
…
Amelia was now on top of Zachariel.
“Then what do you mean by it?” She shouted at his face.
She grabbed his collar and punched him.
“Zachariel, you know very well that Hal died!”
‘Ptui!’
“He didn’t go missing!”
‘Pak!’
“Are you trying to say that he had gone missing as well?”
‘Pch!’
“Do you think that dead body of my beloved brother was all a ruse and a prank that the Great School pulled off for me? Do you think that’s funny?!” Amelia bellowed before giving the last blow on his bloodied face.
Zachariel remained silent and listened.
“You promised me that you would protect us! You promised…”
Her crying intensified.
“You promised that you wouldn’t let us down…”
…
“Amelia… I know but I don’t know either.” Zachariel mumbled.
This agitated Amelia even further.
“He was killed, Zachariel! By Prince Kane!”
Her voice quavered.
“On the 33rd Day of Exios this year! How do you not remember that?!”
She stopped punching him and cried out.
Everyone heard her words loud and clear.
“What?! Prince Kane killed her brother?”
“This is a grave accusation! What is this girl thinking about?!”
“Somebody, stop her, please! She’s gone insane!”
“Hey, Imperium guards! Why are you just standing there? Do something!”
The onlookers knew that only the Imperium guards were allowed to stop this commotion.
They could only make the move when their lives were threatened.
Such was the law implemented in the Great Human Imperium.
…
After hearing Amelia, some of them realized something.
`This must be the reason for the recent peculiar change in Zachariel and his behavior!` Iria speculated.
The others thought differently.
“Did she just say that her brother was killed? Is she talking about those missing students from the last week?”
“Yeah, I think so. The Great Schools closed for a week. That was really strange!”
The others had a different opinion on the matter.
“So boring. To think this is only some kind of feud between two family members.”
“Let’s get out of here. What a waste of time!”
Some of them walked out of the area.
…
“Amelia, stop it!” Sabrina called out.
She let loose of Lia who then ran to Zachariel and pushed Amelia away.
Amelia was thrown to the sides head first.
Everyone was shocked by Lia’s sudden action.
“You bitch! How dare you?!” Amelia cursed.
“Lia, be careful!” Iria ran after Lia.
Amelia’s appearance became messy and her face was dirtied by the dirt on the ground.
“Why are you hurting him?!” Lia asked a question that stupefied Amelia. Her delicate voice resounded in the area.
“Can’t you see that he doesn’t understand what you’re saying right now? Look at him, and look at yourself!”
“He forgot his memories by accident! How come it’s his fault when it’s not!” Lia reasoned.
“You don’t know anything-!”
“Yes, I don’t know everything about what happened in your childhood! But beating him up won’t make the situation any better!” Lia countered.
Amelia widened her eyes.
“Lia… stay out of this…” Zachariel moaned.
“No, I won’t! You saved me, and I’ll repay you in whatever way I can!” Lia looked at him with caring eyes.
`Why is she stubborn…` Zachariel slowly closed his eyes and lost consciousness.
…
A group of students walked out of the Mage Guild Building along with Prince Kane.
“Who dares to slander the name of Prince Kane Cromwell?!” They declared their arrival.
Amelia turned around and faced them. Her eyes filled with fury and hatred stared at them.
“Hey, Amelia, what are you doing?!” The leading student reprimanded her.
“Shut up, where’s your prince?!”
“Hah, you think meeting Prince Kane is like ordering a waiter around? You’re very rude, Amelia!” The student arrogantly boasted.
“Let her be.”
A cold voice resounded behind the group of students. The student parted as Prince Kane made his way upfront.
“Very well then, Amelia. Here I am.”
His overbearing aura pressured her.
“Little girl, don’t try to frame me about nonsensical things like that. You can go to prison and be executed for allegedly slandering me, Prince Kane Cromwell, without any evidence. Don’t you know that?” He threatened Amelia.
“Shut up, die!” Amelia struck at him.
“My Prince, watch out!”
A student protected Prince Kane, and in turn, was pierced by the roots and branches that sprouted from the ground.
His body hung up high in the sky as the blood dropped to the ground.
It was a bloody scene.
“Aaaahhhh!!!”
Shouts filled with fear and horror resounded outside.
“Murder! A student killed someone! Guards, what are you doing? Why are you just standing there in a daze!” The instructor from Amelia’s class begged.
The guards only narrowed their eyes and waited for Captain Burton’s command.
`S***, this has gone way too far!` Captain Burton wanted to act out but he was worried about Elder Kent.
Seeing the inaction from the Imperium guards, everyone panicked.
“Students, step back!” Instructor Rebecca protected her students who had horrified looks on their faces.
Iria was traumatized. A painful memory resurged in her mind.
`Dead… I killed…`
…
Prince Kane felt joy after seeing everyone ran around in panic.
“Amelia, you’re the one who is a murderer here! Can’t you see what you’re doing right now?” Prince Kane smirked.
He didn’t feel sympathy for that student who died for him at all. He didn’t also care whether the guards would arrest Amelia or not.
All he cared was to see that pained expression on her face.
Prince Kane noticed Zachariel lying down on the ground unconscious.
`Oh, she beat him up? How convenient!`
A bloodlust suddenly aroused in Prince Kane’s mind.
`Why are you not killing him?! Isn’t he there laying on the ground, waiting for you to take the strike?!`
A demonic feminine voice echoed inside him.
`No, not now! Please!` He begged.
`Prince Kane Cromwell! Don’t you want him dead?` The voice echoed again.
…
“Hehe, Prince Kane. Still feigning ignorance?!” Amelia was oblivious of Prince Kane’s inner conflict and rushed at Zachariel.
“Stay away from him, you murderer!” Lia pushed her away again.
“How annoying!” Amelia conjured another set of roots and branches, restricting Lia from moving.
“Zachari-el, no!” Lia struggled. She looked at Iria.
“Iria, help-“
Iria was stuck in a daze, staring at that hanging dead body.
“Iria…” Lia lost her strength after seeing Iria like that.
Meanwhile, Amelia inserted her hands into Zachariel’s pockets, hastily looking for something.
`It must be here!!! Where is it?!`
She was looking for the recorder that senior Cody played last time. She guessed that it must be with Zachariel right now, and she was right.
Her eyes widened in disbelief and she smiled even wider than before. She took it out from Zachariel’s pockets and creepily laughed.
“Amelia, what are you doing?” Lia worried.
Amelia stood up and faced Prince Kane.
“What about this, Prince Ka-?!”
Amelia was about to press the play button when she saw Prince Kane kneeling on the ground, holding his head.
It looked like he was restricting himself from doing something.
“Prince Kane, are you alright?” One of the students close to him worried.
“Don’t touch me!” Prince Kane shoved the student out of his way.
The bloodlust slowly enveloped him, and he was losing control of his own self.
He knelt and groaned.
The rest were bothered about Prince Kane’s strange action.
Lia snapped out of her daze and called out her classmates.
“Luka, Luiz, Teddy! Come help Zachariel up!”
However, the three boys did not respond.
“You guys!” Lia’s voice weakened.
She suddenly heard Prince Kane mumbling something.
“Kill him…” Prince Kane reiterated.
His body was twitching and a dark miasma stemmed out of Prince Kane’s body.
It looked ethereal at first until it slowly materialized and intensified.
“Prince Kane, what is going on?!” The students were scared now.
Some of them even backed away from him.
“Aaarrrggghhh!!!”
Prince Kane shouted. It was filled with anger and hatred that came out of nowhere.
His blue eyes were enveloped by the dark miasma and soon turned red.
“Kill him!!!”
A voice filled with dread and terror came out of Prince Kane’s mouth.
