Chapter 158: FULFILL MY REQUEST
Ashen stayed beside Lumina until her breathing grew soft and watched her drift off to sleep.
The pale moonlight spilled across her face, casting a gentle glow over her peaceful expression. His chest tightened as he brushed a stray strand of silver hair from her cheek. For a moment, he considered staying.
But the message in his mind burned like a brand. The letter that had arrived on the day with a spear still haunted him.
Slowly, he eased her arm off his chest. Her fingers instinctively tightened around him, and he froze, his heart pounding.
When she finally relaxed, he gently pried her hand away. He stayed there for a breath, watching her again, then rose to his feet and moved toward the door.
He looked back once, before stepping out into the hallway. What he didn’t know was that another pair of eyes had seen him leave the chambers.
Ashen walked through the outer courtyards, the crunch of gravel under his boots the only sound. His senses were sharp, every hair on his neck alert. He knew he was being followed, though he gave no sign.
Finally, he reached the place mentioned in the letter, the far edge of the training grounds, and there he stood waiting.
The air grew unnaturally still this moment, not able to take it anymore he moved swiftly.
In a blink, his body vanished, reappearing in the shadows behind the cloaked figure.
The man spun around, hurling a spear of streaking fire toward him. Ashen leapt aside, the weapon striking the earth and bursting into sparks.
The flames lit the figure’s face for a brief moment and Ashen’s eyes narrowed.
"You," Ashen growled, voice cold. He remembered the last attack on his office, it was the same spear.
Ashen’s hand swept upward, and the ground trembled. Rocks and shards of stone ripped free of the soil and flew toward the attacker.
The man dodged, rolling across the ground, and struck back with another spear. Ashen deflected it with his telekinesis, sending it spinning into the darkness.
Ashen was faster than lightning, appearing before the man in an instant. His fist collided with the man’s chest, sending him crashing back into the earth. The man coughed, spat blood, but scrambled to his feet, summoning a whirl of fire around him.
Ashen’s eyes gleamed as his fingers curled, and the air between them rippled. He slammed his hand down and crushed the fire out like a snuffed candle.
The attacker roared and charged, spear first. Ashen caught the spear in midair with a mere gesture. It froze inches from his face before splintering into dust under the weight of his telekinesis.
The man’s eyes widened in terror, but it was too late.
Ashen appeared behind him, his movements so fast they left afterimages in the mist.
He seized the man by the neck and slammed him into the ground, the earth cracking beneath the impact.
"Who sent you?" Ashen’s voice was a low growl, dangerous and calm all at once. The man only glared back.
Ashen’s grip tightened. "Who sent you?" but there was still no answer.
Ashen’s power flared, and the ground around them scorched black. "Then I will send your lifeless body back to them."
With a swift twist, he broke the man’s neck. The body went limp, falling flat on the ground.
Ashen stood, his chest rising and falling, anger burning in his eyes. He looked around the misty field, his voice echoing like thunder.
"Show yourself," he said into the night. "Or I will find you myself."
But no response came, he smirked as he felt a presence. He closed his eyes, focusing, then moved with the speed of light. His hand shot out, catching an arm mid-strike.
He twisted, dragging the second attacker out of the shadows and slamming him against a pillar.
This one was older, with a stern, lined face and cold gray eyes. His cloak fell away, revealing a simple but elegant robe, and a sword strapped to his back.
The man didn’t speak, simply drew his blade and attacked.
Ashen’s movements were graceful, almost effortless. He sidestepped the strike, grabbed the man’s wrist, and forced the sword aside before delivering a sharp knee to his stomach. The man doubled over but retaliated with surprising strength, striking Ashen across the jaw.
Ashen staggered back a step, then smiled. He summoned fire to his hands, twin flames burning in his palms.
He launched forward, forcing the man to defend himself. Sparks flew as the sword met flame, the sound of battle filling the night air.
At last, Ashen caught the man’s wrist and twisted it, sending the sword spinning away. He had the man pinned, his power pressing down on him like an invisible weight.
"Enough!" the man rasped, breathing hard. "Stop."
Ashen’s power flickered but did not fade. "Give me a reason to let go of you after messing with me twice."
The man’s lips curled into the faintest of smiles. "So it is true. The weak prince was only a mask. You are far more dangerous than the realm believes."
Ashen’s lips curled up. "Then you know I do not like wasting time. Speak. Why did you call me here?"
"If I were you I wouldn’t speak to my helper that way." the man let out and he snickered.
"Go straight to the point, I have a wife I need to go back to."
The man straightened slowly, now calm. "Speaking about wife.." he drew, staring at the already irritated Ashen.
"I know what you seek. You are looking for a way to restore your wife’s sight." Ashen froze.
His power dimmed instantly, and his expression turned to steel. "What do you know?"
"I have a way," the man said. "But nothing is free. If you wish for her sight to be restored, there is a request you must fulfill."
Ashen’s jaw tightened. He could already feel his heartbeat pounding in his ears. "What do you need?"
The man’s smile deepened. "Fulfill my request, and consider her blindness a thing of the past."