章 31: Realm of Mysteries and Forgetfulness (2)
Assassin Number 4 POV
"Philip! Philip! Philip!"
"Hey, Philip, wake up! Something big has happened. Wake up now!" A young man around the age of 25 came running into a room, his face full of joy. Something significant had occurred, and he was eager to share it with Philip.
"Ahhhhhhhhh, Ben, I already told you not to disturb me when I am asleep..." The sleeping figure grunted, clearly showing signs of fatigue in his voice. He didn't look happy to be awake at all.
This situation, however, didn't deter the young man named Ben from sharing his purpose. "Hey, buddy! Wake up! Something major is going down, and if you don't get out of bed right now, you're gonna miss it. Trust me; passing up on this chance will haunt you forever."
"Quit the small talk and spill the beans," Philip demanded, his tone a mix of irritation and curiosity.
"You were just griping about me waking you up, weren't you? Why don't you go back to sleep?" Ben retorted sarcastically.
"Anyway, Old Bino just declared that whoever fetches a Stone Grape Spiritual Fruit from the Olive Garden gets a shot at marrying the Binoto Great family heiress."
"Please don't tell me you're messing with me. Say this is one of your usual pranks..." Philip pleaded with animated excitement, a touch of curiosity lingering on his face.
"Look at that blushing face. I'm not messing around this time. The Binoto family Head made the announcement a few hours ago. Young men are already setting out for the Olive Garden. It's risky, but the chance to marry someone like Rose, a genuine Fairy, is making folks willing to leap into volcanoes.
"I know how you feel about her, so the moment I got wind of the news, I hurried here to spill the beans. So, what's the verdict? Are we heading to the Olive Garden, or are we playing it safe?" Ben inquired, his expression displaying a mix of joy and triumph.
"What do you mean by 'we,' Benny? That place is dangerous, and I don't want to see my friend go through torture just so I can get a chance to be happy. I'll be going alone this time, Ben. You have to stay and await my triumphant return," Philip replied with resolve etched all over his face.
"Don't even dream about it. We are going, and that's final. Unless you want me to go by myself, knowing full well that without you there, I won't last even for a minute," Ben said as he started walking out. "I will wait for you at the entrance. Don't be late. We wouldn't want Fairy Rose to wait any longer now, right?"
"So troublesome," Philip muttered as he began packing his things.
Fast forward to a dense forest. Two individuals could be seen jumping up and down, brimming with joy. A yellowish fruit rested in the hands of one of them.
"We did it, Ben! We got the fruit. I can finally be with my love..." Philip spoke with happiness and satisfaction written all over his face. He continued to admire the fruit for some time. After a few minutes, he stowed the fruit away and was about to address his friend, but before he could make eye contact, a sharp pain stabbed into his heart. He coughed out blood, attempting to speak but unable to.
Ben swiftly took the fruit and then uttered in a sad but resolute tone, "I'm sorry, Philip. You're not the only one with affection for Fairy Rose. No hard feelings, buddy." He walked away after those words, leaving his friend to choke on his blood. While Philip gasped for air as blood dripped down his mouth, a voice spoke.
"Some friends we have. You even had it easy; he's just a friend. For me, my girlfriend poisoned me after orchestrating the whole plan by herself. You can never trust anybody these days..." A cloaked figure spoke while walking toward Philip, who continued choking on his blood. The figure knelt in front of him and said in a solemn tone, "I know you can't speak, but nod if you accept what I am about to offer... The short version is I can save you and help you get your revenge and obtain what you wanted. All you have to do is swear your unyielding loyalty to me."
"So tell me, Philip, are you willing to become my slave for all eternity?"
Philip immediately nodded his head in acceptance, and suddenly, his world darkened, and then, poof, it vanished.
*****
Assassin Number 5 POV
"Doctor, are you sure there's nothing else you can do to help her?" a man spoke to an old man in a shaky voice.
"I've already told you the cure; whether you manage to acquire it is your problem. If you don't mind, I'll be taking my leave now..." The old man said as he started making his way out of the room. He is known to be the most experienced doctor in the kingdom, with a reputation that spans far and wide due to his unique approach to curing sickness and diseases. The house he had just left belonged to a man called Hickman, a member of the Moris Great Family. His reputation is great due to how dedicated he is to his duty as a great family member.
Hickman joined the family 450 years ago. He was formerly an orphan, but the Moris family adopted and groomed him into one of the finest assassins due to his strength and talent. He completed hundreds of missions over the years, earning him great respect in the family. Years later, he married a fine young lady who brought another form of happiness into his life. They lived happily until a few months ago when his wife fell ill. They called the doctor, and after a thorough examination, it was discovered that she had contracted a rare form of disease that could only be cured by a specific spiritual fruit.
He went to the family head and asked for help, but he was refused. He pleaded and pleaded, but the family head didn't budge. His years of service didn't do him any good when his only happiness was lying on her deathbed. He was broken beyond repair. He asked for help from friends and allies, yet nobody managed to assist him. In his sorrow, he came back home to at least stay with his wife in her final moments.
But just as he was about to enter the room, a voice spoke from behind him. "Are you seriously giving up without a fight? What kind of man abandons his pursuit of a chance to cure his wife? Be a man and man up; there is still time to cure her..." The voice spoke as a cloaked figure came into view.
"You think I haven't tried with all my might but failed? What else can I do? I have nowhere else to turn, and nobody is willing to help me either..." Hickman spoke with tears forcing their way out of his eyes. He wanted to enter the room and stay with his wife, but the figure spoke again just as he was about to turn around.
"What if I have what you are looking for? What if I have the Crystal Lime Spiritual Fruit you're looking for? How far will you go to acquire said fruit? Are you willing to sell yourself to save your wife?" The cloaked figure's voice was calm yet demanding. He wanted to see how far somebody would go to save their loved ones.
And right on cue, Hickman spoke in a resolved tone, "I will do whatever is necessary to save my wife, even if I have to sell my soul." There was no hesitation in his voice.
"Good. Men like you shouldn't have to go through such torture. So I ask, 'Are you willing to become my slave and serve me for all eternity?'" The cloaked figure asked.
"Yes, I am willing..." Hickman immediately replied. Right after that, his world turned dark and vanished.
******
Assassin Number 6 POV
"Morison, if you will blame someone, then just blame yourself for being too weak and poor. It's not my fault you failed to win my heart. You just didn't measure your standard with reality. Try not to bite off more than you can chew in your next life. Fare thee well, loser..." An extremely beautiful lady who could topple kingdoms with her beauty spoke as she twisted a dagger that had been stabbed into the heart of a lean yet muscular young man. The scene showed he wasn't expecting such betrayal, yet that was what he got.
Flashback to about three years ago: the same young man currently heading to Hades could be seen rushing to a place on what appeared to be an urgent errand. His steps were quick and calculated. He worked as a postboy for the Cilas Great Family, going far and wide to deliver letters and packages. One day, while delivering a letter, he met the most beautiful lady he had ever seen. One thing led to another, and they fell for each other, or so he thought...
A few years later, he discovered that he was being used by Janet, the young lady he fell for, as a means to get close to the heir of the Cilas family. He confronted her, but during their argument, Janet plunged a dagger into his heart. It was sudden and unexpected. He lowered his guard, and the enemy used the opportunity to take his life.
Now, back to the present, as Morison choked on the floor with a dagger knee-deep in his heart, a voice spoke, prompting Morison to direct his eyes in the direction of the voice. With blurry vision, he saw a cloaked figure squat before him.
"You never could trust anybody nowadays. The one you loved and trusted the most was the same person who split your heart in two. What a tragic twist. I won't waste your time anymore..." The cloaked figure spoke in a solemn tone.
"I can revive you and help you exact revenge if you want, but it will come at a cost. After all, nothing good comes cheap."
"What... is ...there to... live for anyway... It's all over... now, there ..is ..no ...point..." Morison said while trying not to succumb to choking.
"So you are just going to let her win. You heard what she said, 'Don't bite off more than you can chew.'
"She bit off more than she could chew, and I'm giving you the chance to remind her of that. Don't be a crybaby and man up; don't let her win just like that. So what do you think? Do you want to become my slave? A simple nod will suffice."
Morison thought for a while before nodding his head. His world then darkened and vanished immediately.
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