The Duke's Passion

"Hah..." I rocked my head as I kept the voices in my mind at bay. But my eyes remained different in colors. I couldn't change them back with this fury building up inside me.

"They want to size me up?" the side of my lips curled up into a smirk while I planted my palm on the glass window. "Let's show them who is the craziest in this asylum, Catharsis."

A shroud encircled around my shoulder, creeping down to my sleeve and then to my hand. I closed my grip when I felt its handle as Catharsis shifted into a haladie. Its size was enough for my fingers to play with it to kill time.

My eyes glinted as I marched outside my chambers and headed directly to the garden. I looked around, stopping as I faced the direction of the main palace.

"Meet you later," I placed a light peck on Catharsis before pulling my arm back, shifting all my power to my hand. Once I had enough strength, I threw it in the air like a boomerang. 

I stretched my neck in a circular motion with my eyes closed.

'To find Yul, I had to mobilize this entire place to search for him.' Once I opened my eyes, it sharpened as a fiery fire blazed beneath them.

Whoever that Yul in my room moments ago, he was strong. I didn't sense his power and almost thought it was Yul. If I didn't know my brother too well, I would've believed it was him.

"They had entered the palace just as expected," I muttered, gazing in the direction where I threw Catharsis. "I had to do this."

I took a deep breath as I put my hand over the other; the back of my hand on my other palm. My eyes remained on the small dark ball appearing on my palm, wincing at the pain and the gravity weighing on my entire body.

'I had to pull this off,' I reminded myself as resolve flickered across my eyes. Shortly, when I was satisfied with the energy of the dark ball, I tossed it up.

The dark ball floated up in slow motion, but its only destination was upward. It took its time to cross the roof of the third prince's palace and it had continued to go up.

BOOM!

From a distance, I heard a loud rumble as Catharsis finally hit something. A second later, the dark circle up above exploded. Like a veil covering the entire imperial palace, swallowing the light; it was just like that night a year ago.

It was as if history had repeated itself. This time, though, it was me who had unleashed a dark field, albeit unstable.

"This is enough for now," I whispered as the side of my lips curled up into a vicious smirk. 

At this rate, these people would stop fooling around and shift all their attacks directed at me. This wasn't a gamble, it was the risk of someone who lead. 

"It's time to hunt," I uttered as I marched away, withdrawing Lakresha as I held it to my left.

******

Meanwhile, not far away from the exit of the imperial palace, Fabian and Samael turned their head back. They looked up as something dark slowly draped, covering the entire palace with darkness.

"My lady," Fabian whispered while he furrowed his brow and immediately turned his head to Samael's shoulder. He couldn't see Samael's expression with the hood of his cloak covering his head.

"We can't return, my Lord." He reminded just so Samael knew that.

The latter remained silent and simply watched the dark field swallow the entire palace. Samael was calm, despite knowing the source of the sudden surge of power inside the premises.

"Not bad." He nodded approvingly before he took a step forward when the darkfield was within his reach. 

"Your Grace."

"I won't go back, Fabian," Samael reassured, glancing over his shoulders. "Don't worry."

Fabian pressed his lips together and tilted his head down. Although he didn't see Samael's expression, he could tell by his aura and tone the duke was totally pissed.

"She hadn't perfected it, but it's not bad," a murmur slipped past Samael's lips as he touched the darkfield. "Tonight, this place will be a hunting ground, Fabian, and no one shall escape her wrath."

His eyes slowly opened as the darkfield he was touching trembled under his touch. Samael took a deep breath as he withdrew his hand and casually turned his back against it.

"Let's go, Fabian." He glanced at Fabian, who was standing on the side.

"You're really not coming back?" asked Fabian, tilting his head to the side. "I was prepared to stop you, Your Grace."

"No," Samael answered while shaking his head lightly. "Lilou is stronger than a year ago. She will manage."

"If you say so." Fabian nodded as he followed his master's tracks.

"She probably figured out what is going on inside." Samael's crimson orbs darkened as he continued to march away. "Let's handle the bigger picture, shall we?"

"Finally."

There wasn't the usual smirk that appeared on Samael's face. Instead, it remained stoic, cold, with eyes revealing the death's door.

"Fabian," he called, and turned his head to Fabian. "Never mind. I'll just ask Rufus."

"My lord, you can trust me this time." Fabian let out a deep sigh, as it seemed Samael wouldn't trust him for quite some time.

The latter kept quiet for some time before his lips parted. "Sneak inside the palace once the hunting is over. Lilou might lose her mind later."

"I can't let her changing into a full Bloodfang now," Samael added under his breath as his fangs let themselves known.

*******

Meanwhile, Stefan snapped his eyes languidly as he gazed down. His eyes instantly fell on the Haladie that landed in the middle of the long table of the gathering.

"Your Majesty, a darkfield had covered the entire palace!" one knight came rushing to him, reporting dreadful news.

"I can see that." Stefan raised his gaze at the window, only to see darkness. "Deploy all elites knights, Dominique."

Dominique, who was standing at the corner, leaning against the wall, pulled himself away from it. 

"Should I order for other knights to retreat, Your Majesty?" he inquired calmly.

"Those who are strong will live and those who aren't are meant to die tonight." Stefan's tone was just as calm as Dominique's. His eyes fixated on the darkfield outside.

"For a second, I thought the darkfield is just for show, but it seemed stable... and strong." He nodded approvingly, placing his palm against the armrest as he stood up. "No one will escape this dark veil. So, we better hunt who killed Cassara."

"Yes, Your Majesty."