章 21: THE INFILTRATOR'S ACCOMPLICE

A castle guard approaches Obilius, and then he strides towards York right after.

"Your majesty, the Archivist, was found dead inside the archive." Oblius bows before and after he reported the incident.

York, though slightly intoxicated, stands up abruptly as soon as he heard the report. He strides down the hall with his kingly demeanor, like he has not been drinking at all.

The archives are full of clamoring encantos, who's being nosy and slightly anxious about the situation. Still, most of them are there to hear the confirmation or whatever the king might say.

York slowly takes off the cloth-covering of the corpse. He takes aback after he descries the familiar look and the situation of the dead and half-dead bodies he had seen before—the bulging veins, purplish and dark as so as the standing stiffened hair.

"Alarm all guards; this could be the infiltrator's doing. This could be the sign that we had been penetrated. Obelius, in the cabinet, we need another plan, as soon as possible." York's command and announcement leave all the encantos in agape. Then another set of clamor began as he strides out, advancing towards the cabinet, followed by Obelius and Amanda.

"My king, the night is deep; we can look over this case first thing in the morning. It would be best if you've rested. Your eyes look weak and tired." Amanda suggested while keeping up his pace.

"A king should not rest until he's sure his kingdom is safe."

Amanda stopped submissively, slightly displeased that she failed to control the king, again.

*****

Tim hesitant to move forward for a while since the stairs are getting darker as it gets farther. However, thinking about the possibilities that this might be the secret, hiding place of the kingdom, where they kept the most valuable crystal, she vigorously steps down the stair.

The instant her foot touches the second step, the shelf entrance began to move back and closes. Simultaneously, a set of torches lights up, and every time she passes another set of torches, kindle. She doesn't know if she had reached another floor as it feels like a thousand steps of going up and down before she came that, hopefully, was the end of this trek-like struggle. A block of platinum made door, with cryptic writings and drawings carved, and white blaring light from inside, trying to get away from every gap and sides of the door and a peek hole.

She peeks through the hole, fighting the blare that is deliberately hurting her eyes. She mumbles "Wow" after she claps her eyes on the thing that produces all the glare. The library is indeed situated below the highest dovecot and few stories above the armory. This is exactly the hiding place, and she finds it. She ascertains her mission, and she spotted the crystal.

Tim closes her eyes, bringing back memories of when she is contained in the hallowed place imprisoned and languished inside Thea's personality, where her father hid her; they are two different spirits in one body. When she was twelve, she can hear her father summoned her every night. She can still remember how he kept on asking forgiveness towards her and his words that says. "Timothea, I love every part and every side of you. I'm sorry if, however, I want to take the bad side away from you. I can't; It is my fault to make you two divided because I can't let that bad side of you dominates. It is my fault to pass my evilness in you."

It was also that same age when Tim is in slumber and Thea is awake. Thea met someone, a woman with white hair. She gave her a beautiful flower that really smells good. Tim can smelt it in her dreams. And from that time on, a woman's voice started to talk and accompanied her in every dream. She prepared her and taught her the chanting, and told her about her mission. She started to become stronger every day, that slowly, she had gained control over Thea's dreams. Yes, it is part of her mission for Thea to met York. Thea began to become weaker when she falls in love, and Tim got the opportunity to control her body every time Thea is in her most sensitive and emotional state. However, it's not enough, she can still lose control anytime, and every time Thea gains consciousness. Not expecting that there is always a secret way to break the bond, and thanks to Nerie, she's now completely owns the body.

*****

On the other hand, York didn't rely on just commanding the knights and guards to keep the gem safe. He walks at his faster pace towards the hiding place with few other knights in tag. They reached the library in the best situation, with no clamors, nor any suspicious incidents.

However, York wants to see how safe the crystal with his two eyes.

"Open the door." King Aryorko commanded, and in haste, one of the knights run towards the golden book that serves the door secret knob.

The wall bookshelf shakes together with the rattling sound, it moves slowly to create an opening. King Ayorko's eyebrows meet and wrinkles after discerning that the torches are all kindled, which only signifies that somebody just went through it and is inside.

After signaling the guard to follow after him, he strides with his unusual, most expeditious steps down to the winding stairway.

*****

Tim feels the cryptic writings and drawing towards her palms with shut-eyes, similar to reading braille using her tactile senses. She mumbles words as mystic as the writings, and in a while, the door creaks open. She smiled triumphantly over her little success.

She walks slowly and wary, mouth in agape, towards the shimmering crystal. "This is the source of encantos power. Without it, they can all be powerless, and all of this power will be mine. Hahaha!"

Her high, shrill, feminine laugh suddenly turns into a hoarse, guttural, manly, and evil-like guffaw. Her voice changes from time to time, and her eyes illuminated, and a ray of white light came out from it as she laid her hands on the crystal, absorbing its power. Occurring at the exact time that King Ayorko and the knights arrived.

"Tim! Stop!" King Ayorko yells in command, but just like she never heard it, she never stops, in intent to drain all the power of the crystal. Her changing voices of laughter, worsen plus getting more and more deafening.

Obelius, while being anxious about the situation that everything will become too late and their source of power will be drained, tends to be too eager and can't wait for the kings' command. He struck Tim with his powerful hands that caused him to weaken but at the same time, Tim was thrown away from the crystal, unconscious.

York immediately covered her from the other knights who planned to attack more on Tim.

"Your majesty, she is the infiltrator? You're the one who brought the infiltrator inside our kingdom. The phyado had informed me that even he refused, you still insist to let that woman inside this kingdom. Now you just let her take our magic source and even defend her?" Obelius, question the king suspiciously.

"She may be the infiltrator, and she may be not the girl that I loved, but she had Thea's body. I want to take this body back to Thea before she will be punished to death."

"My apology, your majesty, but are you insane? Your reasons are too vague and shallow. How can we trust a king like you? You are too far incomparable to the late king. My apology again your majesty, but you are even suspicious yourself."

"What do you mean?" King Ayorko, stand up, brows furrowed, startled and heedful on Obelius words.

"Guards get them and handcuff the girl and the king, keep security close and lock them in the dungeon." Obelius, commanded the guards." By the way use the handcuff with the highest power containment, capabilities."

King Ayorko, did not try to resist, but his eyes are full of resentment towards Obelius.