Marked Ones: Advent of the Demon Prince

Nearly a month had passed since the incident at the academy and things had been strangely calm. The people following Lucius seemed to stop for a while according to Lyrah and Natali. If her daughter knew who they were, she did not share that information.

Of course, it was unlikely that her daughter did know. After all, Oracles looked at the far future… or at least that's what Adellia had taught her. Looking into the future too frequently or too near to the present would result in debilitating headaches and pains.

Often the Oracle would have to suffer through these experiences while trying to scan through the potential futures based on possible actions. It was an unpleasant experience that felt like someone split open your skull with a rock, healed it, and repeated the process over and over again.

"Lady Adellia…" Mylene gently called out.

"Oh sorry… just lost in thought."

"Is it about Lord Kane?"

Adellia sighed. Her maid and best friend was right. Lucius had not even attempted to see her since the banquet after the Exhibition Tournament. Everything she knew about him came from her letters and conversations with her daughter.

The fact that she seemed to hold no place in his heart, hurt Adellia deeply. She wanted nothing more than to be reunited with him like a true mother and child, but from her conversations with Lyrah as well as Kalivas, before he left for home, indicated that such an event might as well be considered fantasy.

Lucius held a lot of hate in his heart. The traumas of his past twisted him into a being who trusted few and loved even less. As Lyrah put it, the only people on this plane that Lucius would admit he loves are Rubellia, Rena, and Kalliope.

Adellia desperately wished to be included in that number, but she did not know what she should do. Lyrah promised to help her, but asked for time. Time was something that an Oracle was used to, but when it came to this Adellia found herself impatient for the first time in her life.

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"Lady Adellia… I…" Mylene looked as though she wanted to say something.

"What is it? Is something the matter?"

"Has Lyrah told you about Rena?"

Adellia paused and turned to face the city beneath the balcony of her tower. At one time, this view was all that existed of her world. The inside of the castle and the single perspective her balcony provided. However, since Lyrah managed to get into the academy and her long-lost son returned… slowly, her world became larger.

"Yes." Her voice took on a melancholy tone. "It seems my world grows larger still. And yet, like almost everything else, it is beyond my reach."

"For now, anyway." Mylene spoke softly to her, but was still firm. "Do not forget that just because something may be out of reach for now, does not mean it will be forever. You just have to try and reach out."

"Yeah… I think you are right."

The vision Adellia saw about the academy attack. She was thinking about whether or not she should have informed the elders who track her visions. However, Lyrah had asked her to keep the vision a secret. Her daughter had the same vision and advised her to think about the impact.

From the vision, she inferred that Lucius was involved. However, he had many enemies in the capital and unless they knew what his involvement would look like, the kingdom might infer his involvement negatively.

She had also asked her to not scan the outcomes of the battle and to make no moves. Lyrah told her the most important thing to do to handle the situation was to allow it to play out as it was intended.

Adellia found this task to be difficult. Her guilt weighed on her mind after learning about the loss of life that occurred. As Arcadios's Oracle, she spent her entire existence trying to save as many lives as possible, but this time she didn't. It was like the first vision she had prior to her children's birth.

In the vision, she witnessed a being that looked like her son destroying so many lives and doing so without mercy. What was she to do? Though at the time, she did not know that this man was her son, she felt a connection to him and hid the truth…

Somehow it felt like she did the same with the attack on the academy… How many lives would she sacrifice for a son that she could not reach?

A knock on the door echoed throughout the chamber. It was stiff and unfamiliar. Adellia had no idea who it could be because she had no scheduled meetings today. Mylene bowed and went to answer the door. Discover more content at empire

A handsome young man stepped in wearing fine clothes dyed in a charcoal gray. The clothes barely seemed to stretch over his muscular form. His eyes glowed with power and his hair lightly moved in the slight breeze coming in from the open balcony.

Scars ran along the side of his face and neck before disappearing below his clothing. His voice was smooth, deep, and calming. "Hello, Lady…" He sighed before closing his eyes and re-opening them, "Mother."

"Lucius…" Adellia placed her hand over her mouth and stood to greet him. "You've come…"

"Yes… I have something I wish to ask of you… though it feels unfair to ask a favor of you as I have done nothing for you."

"That's…" She smiled. "That's not how family works. You don't need to do anything for me in order to ask for help."

"I see."

"P-please, come, join me for drinks. Mylene, please fetch us a fresh pot of tea and join us as well!" Adellia said excitedly. There was a hint of urgency in her voice as though she was terrified that this opportunity would vanish before her.

Thankfully, Lucius silently sat down at her table and made no indications that he would leave or abandon her. Whoever it was that spoke to him had all the appreciation in the world from her and she silently scolded herself for any of the thoughts she had before.

"I'm sorry for trying to touch you at the banquet… your fa… I mean Kalivas informed me of many things I was not aware of. Truly, I am sorry."

Her son looked at her with an appraising gaze before he took her hand in his. She could not keep herself from giving out a slight yelp as he took her hand and placed it gently on his cheek.

"I am sorry for acting in such a way. Rena convinced me that I should be friendlier to you… Lyrah also told me that I should be grateful to you and Miss Mylene for my life. So I am here to make some amends where I can, as well as ask you for a favor."