Chapter 361
Saturday, December 9th, 2045
Hortus Florenae, Magic City, Netheria
The first rays of the sun peered through the mist as they illuminated the beautiful colosseum, and then men wearing black capes and masks opened the gates for the people who were waiting outside.
Their appearance raised quite a lot of questions, and people wondered who these masked men were.
All of these men in black were exuding powerful Auras, and they were wearing an emblem, the Strophalos of Hecate, on their clothes, announcing their identity to the people who recognised it.
As the stands started filling up, which were marked for each faction that was participating in the Trials, making it easier for them to find their spots, the tension in the air rose as well.
It was especially the case with the Ancient Families of Magic City, where Solanari, Mondini, Hazenborne, and Jafarrys found themselves sitting adjacent to Mourntale, Ravenstein, and the Glasisius.
It was quite clear by how the Heads of Mourntale, Glasisius, and Ravenstein sat together that the alliance had been formed between them. And the people who looked their way could sense that another war would soon erupt between these two factions. If not today or tomorrow, then surely after the end of the Trials.
The others, who could not care much about the enmity the Ancients of Magic City held towards each other, marveling at the beauty of the Colosseum they were inside.
It was even more stunning from the inside than it looked from the outside, and the name of the Colosseum too caught their attention.
"Hortus Florenae? What does it mean?" Someone asked, and luckily for him, the person next to him had the answer.
"The Garden of Florena."
"You know Latin, Yexuan?" The old man behind them surprisedly asked as he looked at his most promising student.
"A few words, Sir." The boy, who was Half-Asian, with a tall stature and some striking golden highlights in his hair, respectfully replied.
"Good." The old man, whose name was Max, nodded appreciatively, understanding that Yexuan was only being polite, and then his aged grey-eyed turned to look towards the main Enclosure, right under the name, where the King's Box was situated.
Two Guards, wearing the same clothes as the others, suddenly walked into it and stationed themselves at the Pillars. And then everyone strangely heard some footsteps, which were loud enough to make them go quiet and turn to look at the King's Box. Soon they watched an enchantingly beautiful girl with golden blonde hair and ocean-blue eyes walk into the Main Enclosure.
As soon as she appeared, all the guards in the Colosseum bowed to her, and then a powerful pressure descended on the hearts of those who looked her way, making them lower their eyes.
"I welcome you all to the Garden of Florena, and I hope you will abide by the rules of the Ancient Trials. Anyone who violates the rules will have to pay for the transgression with their life. It is something you agreed to before you came here, and it's too late for you to change your mind now."
Her words resounded in the Colosseum, even though she had spoken very lightly, and people could not help but tense up at the indifference to life that her voice held, and if it was not enough, her next words chilled their hearts.
"I hope I will get to see this white sand turn red with your blood."
There was a hint of playfulness in her words now, and fear gripped the hearts of many, but they soon relaxed when a guard walked into the Arena, carrying a small chest, and then opened it for all of them to look at what was inside it.
Two golden and shining crystals appeared before everyone, and the Guard allowed them all to take a good look at the two Aura Stones.
"Your reward awaits you, so let the games begin!"
They heard the girl speak again, and the pressure descending upon them suddenly receded.
"I-I felt like my lungs would crush under the weight..." A young man panted heavily as he caught his breath, and Old Max nodded to his words.
"She is an Inheritor of a Goddess. Aurors like us can't compare to her." He reverently spoke but did not notice his favourite student clenching his right fist tightly.
He had heard those same words all his life, and he no longer wished to stand amongst people who considered these Mortal Gods invincible. Yet, he forbore his agitation, knowing well that the way things were right now, he could indeed only stand amongst these people and be on his best behaviour.
His eyes searchingly turned to look at the King's Box again, where several ladies were now seated around Rebecca, all wearing half-masks, except for Kiara and Amelia. And he immediately recognised the one he was looking for.
Alana was there, dressed in a beautiful blue dress, wearing a butterfly mask, and she looked gorgeous.
Yexuan could not help but recall the time he had seen her again after being separated for over a decade, and she had looked just as stunning as she did right now.
He remembered how the two of them had grown closer, how they nearly got married when the feelings started sprouting between them, and then he remembered how he had lost her, feeling utterly helpless as she was killed in a Trial by that despicable girl.
Rage bubbled up in his heart when he recalled her face and her name. She was someone he could never forget.
Her name was Medusa.
Yexuan hated how he had failed to avenge Alana even after he had grown strong enough to kill that despicable girl, all because she was cherished by someone that no one dared to make an enemy out of.
He nearly sent a glare at the Inheritor of Hecate, who was sitting in the King's chair, remembering that this very woman was the wife of the man whom Medusa belonged to, but then a soul-chilling fear jolted through him as flashes of her devastating power and cruelty emerged to the front of his mind.
And she was not sitting there alone. The others were with her, and Yexuan hated how he still felt so fearful of them even though they had not grown that strong yet.
He reminded himself that he too now had a chance to grow as strong as them, but then he found the idea laughable. However, he was determined to fix everything and not let anything happen to his beloved Alana.
It was for her that he returned. How could he lose her again?
But soon he felt helpless again as his eyes inadvertently looked at the girl with raven hair and emerald eyes.
This time, a feeling of dread washed over him as he felt even more helpless.
The Heavens had been fooled. They had all been toyed with!
But his heart still hoped that it was not the case...
"Yexuan."
Someone grabbed his shoulder and broke him out of his thoughts, and Yexuan nearly punched the guy in alarm but managed to compose himself just in time.
"What's wrong?" Old Max asked.
"Just excited for the Trials." He smiled, and they all bought his excuse.
After all, most of them felt it too. The fear and excitement of the Ancient Trials.
"It's about to start." The teacher informed him as two Aurors jumped into the Arena right from where they were seated.
Yexuan realised that he had been lost in his thoughts for some time now, and he had even missed these two Aurors issuing a challenge to each other and the Vampire Guard revealing other rewards of the Trials that everyone could vie for.
He was not there to watch these stupid battles or earn some useless rewards. So, it did not bother him much.
His eyes soon started scanning the stands and the enclosures, and he frowned as he found no trace of the God of Darkness.
Yexuan wondered where Keith was when his Shadow was still in the King's Box, but then something else caught his eye and he curiously looked at the handsome young man who was sitting in the stands adjacent to him.
There was something about the young man that called onto his instincts.
Perhaps it was his thousands of years of experience that told him that this young man was very special, and Yexuan could not help but utilise the Blood he had ingested, unlocking his very special sense of smell, and just one whiff sent him brimming with excitement.
It was brief, but it was there, and even though he had not completely assimilated the Bloodline, he was still capable of using the power of the Divine Drgaon that could smell vitality.
Yexuan was sure that this young man possessed some very precious treasure in his body, and he was thinking about taking it for himself.
He did not know why he felt like he should not target this young man. But the allure of the treasure, which had sent his Blood brimming with excitement, was just too great for him to give up on it.
If he wanted to save Alana and survive against the evil Family she had been enticed by, then he needed every little thing that could help him grow stronger. And he was certain that whatever treasure that young man possessed could help him assimilate his Bloodline faster.
However, he knew very well that he could not kill that young man here. After all, he was not here to kill people.
He had to prove himself to Alana, catch her interest and attention, and he had to win over some strong Allies, especially the Mourntale Family.
Only by getting closer to the Mourntale Family, would he be able to get closer to Amelia.
Calming himself down, he took a deep breath, and then he silently watched the battle that had begun inside the arena.
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