Chapter 323: Zareth
When Solan’s gaze swept across the room, it felt as though he could see it clearly in their eyes. Everyone of them looked at him like a man stripped of reason. He knew none of them were inclined to believe him, especially after Iskara’s strong argument.
Slowly, his eyes shifted to Ivan.
The prince met his stare without hesitation, his expression unreadable, as though nothing Solan had said had shaken him in the slightest.
Ivan, who had remained silent until now, finally spoke.
"No one here is denying that Evelyn’s mother loved her, King Solan. But what my father said about the misinterpretation of visions... you would be surprised how often that has happened throughout history."
He paused briefly, allowing the weight of his words to settle over the chamber.
"Regardless of what you or your late wife believed, let me make one thing clear. Whether you accept this union or not, I will never leave Evelyn simply because you think that is what fate has decided for us."
His voice hardened, "And if there is even a morsel of truth in that fate... then I will change it myself."
His eyes burned with such fierce determination that everyone could see the prince was not playing around. Not that anyone had doubted it earlier, but hearing him say it aloud carried an entirely different weight.
Just then, Ivan’s gaze snapped towards the closed door.
Without waiting for anyone, he spoke calmly.
"Come in."
The door swung open.
Alex and Caleb entered with their subordinates, dragging two struggling couples behind them. The captives looked utterly haggard, as though they had been hauled straight from hell itself.
Solan and the Lumen nobles stared in confusion at the unexpected newcomers.
Vampires.
Headmaster Charles tilted his head slightly, studying them more closely. A flicker of surprise crossed his face as recognition dawned.
Then, the captives were unceremoniously forced to their knees before everyone.
"What is the meaning of this?" Silas roared, anger radiating from him. "We are nobles, not criminals to be dragged in so disgracefully by your henchmen!"
"First, you snatch our daughter and throw her into a dungeon to be eaten by rats, and now this?" Maribel snapped, finally finding her voice beside her husband. "I demand justice!"
Ivan moved forward.
Positioning himself directly before the trembling couple, he spoke with terrifying calm.
"I will ask you this civilly only once. My patience for nonsense is extremely limited at the moment." His eyes locked onto Silas. "If you fail to give me the answer I seek, you are well aware of the methods I can employ to obtain it... aren’t you, Silas?"
Silas’s bravado faltered instantly, and his eyes widened.
"What... what are you talking about?" he asked, his voice no longer loud as it was only seconds ago.
Ivan’s expression turned glacial.
"Where is your master hiding?"
The coldness in his voice sent a visible shiver through both Silas and Maribel. They froze, shock flooding their faces.
How did he know?
Silas gulped hard, panic creeping in.
"I-I-I don’t know who you are talking about!"
That was all it took for Ivan to reach forward to grab a fistful of Silas’s hair. Before anyone could react, he pressed a single finger against Silas’s forehead.
Ivan’s eyes flared molten orange, and heat began to radiate from his body, seeping into Silas in a horrifying way.
Silas’s eyes widened dramatically, and a split second later, a bloodcurdling scream tore through the conference room.
Several of those present, having never witnessed Ivan in such a state, felt their hearts lurch in sheer dread.
Then came the sickening sound.
A faint, dreadful sizzling. Burn marks slowly began to surface across Silas’s skin as his screams grew more frantic, more agonised.
And in that chilling moment, they realised that Ivan was boiling Silas’s blood from within. A wave of terror swept through the room as they grasped the magnitude of the prince’s power.
Solan and the Lumens felt a cold dread coil in their stomachs at the thought that Ivan could be capable of such a thing.
Professor Seira, who was entirely unaccustomed to witnessing torture, found her hands shaking violently beneath the table. They were soon covered by another hand, belonging to Dante. He did not look away....instead, his gaze remained fixed with intrigue as he observed the prince’s ruthless display of power.
Maribel, kneeling beside her husband, saw the burn marks beginning to spread across his skin. She let out a sharp scream before collapsing, passing out from the sheer shock of the sight.
Ivan halted his movements, casting a brief glance at the woman slumping to the ground before turning his eyes back to the traitor.
"Speak, vermin, before you suffer more than you can handle!"
Panting heavily through the pain, Silas managed to choke out his words. "I... I never knew where that person came from. Please... I do not know anything!"
Ivan was just about to press his fingers against Silas’s forehead once more when Iskara finally rose from his chair.
"Ivan, it would be far more efficient if I examined his memories directly rather than allowing this spectacle to continue, particularly for those unaccustomed to such methods, and it would certainly save us from wasting any more time," Iskara said evenly as he met his son’s gaze.
At his father’s words, Ivan stepped back without protest, though he maintained his grip on Silas’s hair, ensuring the man remained firmly in place.
With a small nod of acknowledgement, Iskara moved forward and came to stand before the trembling member of his court.
Silas’s eyes widened in alarm as the king’s hand rose and settled against his forehead.
"W-wait, Your Majes-"
"The more you resist, the more it will hurt," Iskara stated calmly, cutting him off.
In the next instant, his eyes flared bright blood red, a stark reminder of the true, pure-blooded vampire he was.
A visible shift rippled through the room.
The air itself seemed to tighten as power pulsed outward from the vampire king, overwhelming for many to feel the fine hairs along their necks rise, and for most present, it was the first time in their lives they had witnessed Iskara use his powers.
Silas began to squirm violently, his body trembling as his eyes rolled backwards until only the whites were visible. The veins and muscles along his face and neck bulged grotesquely, a clear indication to everyone present that Silas was desperately attempting to resist Iskara’s intrusion into his memories.
The room remained frozen in tense silence. Moments stretched into long, agonising minutes as Silas’s face gradually turned a deep, alarming red.
Then, without warning, Iskara withdrew his hand. Ivan immediately released his grip, allowing Silas to collapse onto the floor like a lifeless heap.
Iskara turned towards his son, his expression grave.
"He knows very little about them. However, I was able to extract a single name from his memories, and I believe that is where our attention must now be directed."
Ivan’s eyes sharpened instantly. "Where?"
"Zareth."
"Zareth? Isn’t that a city within the Kingdom of Varkhalis?" Regulus asked, his brows furrowing.
"It is," Ivan replied, his voice darkening with realisation. "Which makes perfect sense, considering the imposter arrived here disguised as their prince."
He then turned to Iskara, his eyes blazing with urgency, "Father, grant me leave. I must reach Zareth without delay."
"Wait, Ivan. You cannot go there alone. You must take others with you. That kingdom is already in chaos, and with the dark ones’ hideout concealed within it, the territory will not be safe," Iskara stated firmly.
"That is precisely why I need to be there as quickly as possible, Father. Evelyn is there alone... and Damien. I cannot afford to waste any more time," Ivan replied, agitation evident in every word.
Iskara could fully understand his son’s desperation, yet that very urgency made the situation far more dangerous. He could not allow Ivan to act recklessly and storm into hostile territory alone, especially when it was an unfamiliar kingdom with unseen threats lurking at every turn.
"I understand your concern," Iskara said steadily, "but as your father, Ivan, I will not permit you to walk into danger alone after what transpired in Dartmouth. I know your strength, but this is an uncharted kingdom, even for me."
Ivan’s jaw tightened, frustration flashing across his face.
"We are losing precious time, Father. What do you suggest we do?"
Iskara’s gaze swept across the room filled with tense, watchful faces before returning to his son.
"Here is what we must do..."
...
In a far-off land, surrounded by dark brown mountain ranges stripped of vegetation, the landscape possessed a stark, deceptive beauty.
At first glance, the scenery appeared breathtaking, yet few would realise that those majestic peaks in truth were dormant volcanoes, silent and harmless only until the moment they chose to awaken, unleashing chaos and swallowing everything in their path without mercy.
Nestled between those looming giants lay the city of Zareth.
On one side, the volcanoes stood like watchful sentinels of destruction, while on the other stretched an endless sea, its vast waters darkening beneath the fading light.
Above it all, the sky had turned a haunting shade of reddish pink, marking the slow descent of day into night.
