Chapter 26: The unavoidable fates
There was a scream ringing inside Keito's ears and he was not sure where the sound was coming from. It was a short screech which only caused him to blank out even more. He should not have blanked out right then but somehow he could not register the shock he was feeling at all.
"Your highness" the cry finally broke Keito out of his headspace and made him realise that something might be wrong here.
Keito should not have blanked out at all, not over a surprise attack of this calibre at least. His senses and training were better than that and the sweet smell was just a distraction.
And then Keito paused, the smell once again overpowering him but also made it certain that Keito's gut feeling was right - there was something wrong here.
This sweet smell was not normal and it was everywhere.
The reason the child had likely not been affected was perhaps the mask he was donning.
"Your highness, get your head out of the clouds and pay attention" those words snapped Keito out of the haze he was once again falling into. They did irritate him, but he decided to be liberal and spare the other for now.
He finally paid attention to what was going on around him, dulling his senses to not be affected by the smell at all before his eyes widened in shock.
The masked child was kneeling right above a body that was not moving at all, not even to take in a breath.
"You killed him" Keito could only come to this conclusion, his voice betraying the dry sarcasm he did not want to let out right now. Yet it slipped right through his non-existing filters.
"I did not your highness, this is merely a human puppet and already dead. I was checking it for the obvious signs and residual magic but there is none here, just traces that are also fading fast. People were very careful with it" Keito did not doubt that.
He did come over to confirm the child's words but it was just as the other had said. This was a human who had died long ago and had just been controlled. There was no visible wound which indicated that it was the controller that had let go.
"Our only lead is dead now. What should we do?" Keito's voice was commanding but inside he felt anything but confidence. This knowledge also came with a certain doomed feeling inside his chest.
"I'm not sure if this is the only puppet in this wind or if there are more, but one thing can be known for sure - the controller should be nearby to have such knowledge of our moments and give up control of one so early. We should look for them" the child stood up, his moments deliberate and slow.
There was a small crack in that mask where the knife had cut and Keito found himself surprised at that. Surely, the mask was not that weak?
The child saw Keito's intense gaze on his mask and his hands moved over the small crack. The body language the other displayed came across as a small shock but the mask did hide it pretty well.
"Please don't mind it, it'll mend itself. We need to go fast before the traces fade away completely" Keito nodded at those words but his mind already found the child suspicious.
Temple or not, the child knew far too much.
"Who are you anyway? Are you a threat to me?" Keito stopped, his voice going dark at these last words. This caused the child to stop too and turn his way, the body going tense.
"I told his highness that I'm not a threat to him, but rather an alley. I'm not part of your trial though, so you can rest assured I won't mess things up. I'm just a handicap someone you know gave you" those words were deliberately worded.
Keito considered those words, his mind flashing to only one person who could have helped him - Noah. Was this Noah's way to help him out?
"I-I see. But I'll still keep an eye on you in the meantime till I'm sure you're trustworthy" Those words shook Keito but he did not allow that to show on his face. It was a near thing but the lessons about court politics and his intense practice resulted in success.
The child tilted his head in acknowledgement before he started to walk once again.
'Festy child but I don't feel like he's bad' the wolf finally graced Keito back and Keito rolled his eyes out of a habit at the other's words.
'You just like him because he reminds you of Noah, you perverted wolf" the resulted laugh was irritating to his ears but at least it was just a laugh and not anything other. He did not need 'those' images of a certain faceless child inside his mind.
This wolf laughed louder at that for some reason.
"The trail fades here. I'm sorry but we're out of luck with this one" Keito had not realised that the child had stopped which made him stop in surprise too and then look around.
They were almost out of the royal wing now and in a corridor, he knew as well as his own - the guest corridor where Jess stayed in and he paled considerably.
He had forgotten in all this buzz that she had been targeted as well in that assassination attempt but he had been the one to foil it as he had been with her then.
How could he forget such a crucial point in his life?
And Keito took off, ignoring the call of 'your highness' the child yelled out behind him. His focus had shifted, now much more focused on getting to the female than to his parents.
Behind him, the child just gave up and finally moved. But he did not follow the teen, rather he went back toward the corridor he had just arrived from.
The steps were swift and practised, the speed almost making him seem like a shadow in the darkness and not before long he was where he was supposed to be - right in front of the royal chambers.
The door opened with a bang which startled the couple inside and as one they turned toward the door.
"Is it time already?" the queen asked, her face obstructed by a veil of mist that made it clear that she was not an important figure in this world. The king followed suit, his face not any clearer than the queen.
"It is not your fault but of the society, you failed to stop. I'm as bound here as you are and I can't save your death but perhaps I can help avenge you this time around" the pair looked to have accepted their death, the calmness at this moment spoke volume.
They knew that they were going to die and they were ready.
"Please take care of Keito for us. He did nothing wron-" the queen was not able to finish, her expression of peace as she went down. The king followed mere seconds after, his expression just as peaceful.
They were not bleeding and yet there was no doubt that they had died, succumbing to the poison that spread through a small dart they were hit with.
It was easy for Noah to pinpoint the direction the shot had been fired from but he refused to touch those dead bodies for they had too much karma from their ancestor.
He gave a small wave toward the direction of the puppet before he turned around and left the place without any noise.
He did feel bad for the kind and the queen, having to die twice but that was what they had failed to control. This was a part of their past, this rebellion from the poor and oppressed people they had failed to save.
This kingdom was all but an illusion which had crashed and burned. People appeared to be happy and prosperous but in reality, it was oppression below the greedy and powerful and there was just so many people would take in before their survival instincts kicked in.
This was what Keito needed to realise, where the true danger lays - the oppression of others to better themselves. This was a lesson people had failed to understand even in the future - the burden of their powers and their availability.
And that is why the new evil was beginning to awaken in an era without most of its guardians present.
It was laughably easy to get around, Ryu had made sure of that and soon he was back where he had started from. Now all he had to do was to find Keito and make sure things went alright there.
Jess needed to survive and she needed to play a crucial role in the future. She had been the key last time and she would be the key this time too if Ryu had his way.
What Ryu had planned, Noah was not sure but he had never been capable of stopping the other at all. Not now, not in the past and likely not in the future. All he could do was to act as damage control and not allow things to spiral out too much.
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone