Lia had hoped it'd be one of her allies but what she saw stunned her more. Another attendant of the T family, clad in the red robe and hat with talisman, ran past them and knocked the heavy ball against the gate.
His breathing was rushed and his face had a hint of urgency and anxiety. Lia was curious but there was no time to question him as the gate opened and the attendant disappeared.
"I wonder what this is about," Lia mumbled and Mika tore his gaze off the gate.
"We won't get to know it anyways," Mika straightened his legs on the ground and rubbed his nape, then he looked at the sky.
***
Inside the iron fortress, the attendant rushed through the dark and cold hallways covered by black carpets with bleak walls.
He came across several other attendants who walked with their heads bowed and sleeves below their chests. No one looked at each other yet they made him way as he headed towards the grand door, leading to the study chambers of Elder T.
A black robe clung onto a strong body and brown hair stands fell over a serious and cold face. Elder T responded as a knock on the door asked for his attention. Next to him was the other attendant who talked to Lia and Mika, and was currently serving Elder T some refreshments.
Elder T put the book away he was reading and listened to the attendant who came in and hastily reported his findings.
Yet, Elder T was neither fazed nor concerned, when he opened his mouth a serene voice filled the room, "Let them do what they want. Why do they think they can threaten me with unimportant matters?"
"But-"
"No buts, I'm already tired. Leave me be," Elder T waved the attendant away.
He bowed and turned around but then Elder T stopped him, "Also, there's no need for you to scout anymore. Just stay."
"Yes, master," the attendant left.
"Master, don't you want to reconsider?" the other attendant finished serving Elder T.
"About what?"
"Both matters."
"Do I look like someone who would?"
"Master is wise," the attendant has served Elder T for a long time now and knew how to answer those pitfalls. Yet he still didn't appreciate Elder T's confrontational habits, it always put the attendant in a tight spot searching for a way to answer.
It wasn't that Elder T would do anything bad if an answer didn't please him but the attendant wanted to grasp Elder T's mind perfectly leaving no leeway for mistakes.
"When is my unfilial child coming back?" Elder T wasn't happy about how his offspring went against his beliefs and rules and set out on his own journey.
"Young Master should soon come back from the mortal world."
"No matter what I do, he never listens."
"Young Master is old enough to pursue his own dreams and is mature enough to know what is the best for himself."
"I will still properly educate him once he's back," Elder T's stern face relaxed a bit as he picked up his book.
"You can leave."
"Yes, Master," the attendant left the room and made his way to the entrance.
***
It has been only an hour since Lia and Mika have waited but each passing second was torture on their minds with nothing to do.
After a few minutes in, Mika started practising his power and the things next to him piled up. Lia had no idea anymore where to put the stuff later.
Soon, after the hour was gone, the gate opened and Mika stopped. In anticipation, Lia and Mika stood up. The attendant from before approached them.
"Has Elder T changed his mind?" there was a bit of hope in Lia's voice.
"Unfortunately not. I am here to let you know of some other news that has reached our ears."
Lia remembered the other attendant that hurried into the mansion after they'd been rejected. Had it to do with the news he brought?
"What is it?" Mika sized the attendant up and found it was weird he would inform them.
Lia knew he was only pitying them.
"Are you aware of the people that are staying at Mistand?"
"The prisoners?"
"Precisely. The T family used to be the one supervising the prison and now the prisoners have scattered across Mistand. Some have bonded and formed a faction. This faction constantly seeks a new way to threaten the T family to abide to their wishes," the servant spoke slowly.
"What does it have to do with us?" Mika didn't understand.
"This faction threatened the T family for a way to get out of Mistand. You might have already figured out that the T family would like to keep the prisoners inside Mistand, so they cannot harm anyone. Currently, the faction is holding two hostages, perhaps more but only two have been confirmed by us."
"So?" Mika still was clueless but Lia caught on, "You mean these are people we know?"
"It is solely my humble guess. I have no knowledge about you and the amount of people you have brought with you. I only wanted to let you know," the servant was about to retreat when Lia grabbed him.
"What do they look like?"
There was no way. No way any of the others were captured but Lia still needed to make sure. The timing was too good and Lia's intuition was most of the time right. She could sense that-
"Two females. One wore glasses," the servant slightly stumbled back as Lia let him go and apologised, yet her face became pale.
Two females. One of them was Nana and the other must be Lily. Lia was anxious. Both of them weren't strong enough to escape on their own.
"Can Elder T help? Please, we'll do anything!" it wasn't in Lia's nature to beg, however, it was Elder T's servant who had an idea of the location and could lead them there.
Also, a faction sounded like a lot of people, Lia and Mika couldn't take them on alone, especially now that Lia couldn't use her powers.
"I'm afraid-"
"Please!" Lia was ready to get on her knees but the servant shook his head.
"Elder T has already expressed his adversity. He will not do anything in this matter. You should not rely on the T family," the servant bowed before entering the gate,
"My guess is the faction won't take immediate action against your friends but they are notorious for savouring immortals to get stronger. I advise you to act as soon as possible."
What was there to do? Lia felt even more helpless now. The T family refused to help. They had no clue where the faction was based in the mist nor knew how to navigate through Mistand nor were strong enough.
Everything was out of their favour. If anything happened to Lily and Nana, Lia couldn't forgive herself. Susa already warned Lia not to get separated yet she suggested, insisting on still doing it.
The usual calm and unfazed Lia in Mika's eyes, paced up and down before the gate. Her face was overtaken by emotions. Mika has already noticed that Lia started to slightly change but it was still unusual to see her worrying about something.
He could still picture the Lia in front of him that day in the cave, could still feel the lifeless bodies and blood on him but right now he wanted to speak words of comfort to her.
Mika worked his brain to figure out what would be appropriate to say when Lia stopped and turned to him.
"We've no choice. We need to go ourselves."
"No," Mika held Lia back as she wanted to go into the mist. Lia also knew it was dangerous but what other option was there?
Lia remained still at the same spot as Mika said, "We can still ask Elder T."
"He wouldn't help, you heard his attendant. There's nothing to change his mind."
"You changed mine."
"What?"
Mika looked away with slight embarrassment, "You were able to change my mind…. About you, so… it's not impossible to convince him, you know…. If it's you."
Lia held her hand before her mouth and her eyes curved. She shouldn't laugh, not when it took Mika a lot of courage to say that.
Lia calmed down and took Mika's arm, "Thank you. You also helped me chang-"
"Go away!" Mika instantly removed his arm from Lia and took a few steps away from her. The tips of his ears were slightly red.
"What should we do now?" Lia decided to change the topic.
After a second, Mika walked to the gate and threw the heavy ball against door. A deep, cavernous sound rang in their ears and moments later another attendant opened the door.
"What can I do for you?"
"Bring us to Elder T."
"Elder T doesn't-"
"I don't care," Mika glared at the attendant whose head was also bowed.
Lia could basically hear the gears in the attendant's head working furiously as to how to answer Mika's sentence.
"I, erm, cannot help you then?"
"You can," Mika resolutely said and the attendant was confused again.
"How?"
"Let us see Elder T."
"I really can't!"
"You can!"
"No, I can't!"
"If you try, then you can."
"But-"
"No buts, believe in yourself."
"What?"
"Enough," Lia had a headache of the conversation that went in circles. She eyed Mika who steadfastly believed there was nothing wrong with what he said.
Lia sighed. This boy really needed more social contact, he was too awkward.
"Wait," Lia drew closer to the attendant, "You, raise your head please."
This attendant looked familiar. As he did what Lia asked, she could see the confusion on his face but there was no mistake. Even if it was brief, Lia immediately recognised it was the one who-
"You brought the news to Elder T about the faction, no?"
"I-I did, yes?"
"Really?" Mika caught on, "Bring us there."
"I can't!"
"Yes, you can. It's all a matter of belief."
"Good Sir, please stop troubling me! I'm only a poor servant, have some mercy!"
"Mercy will find you where you bring us," Mika pulled the servant out of the gate.
"No, no, no! That mercy will be death's mercy! Dangerous! Too dangerous! Please spare me! Oh Lord, what did I do?" the servant was about to cry and Lia pitied him, however, he was their only hope.
"Two choices. A- Let us see Elder T. B- You bring us to the faction."
"Magnanimous Sir! None of these are possible! It's unholy what you're doing! Pure blasphemy!" the servant knelt on the floor as Mika held on to him.
"You have any idea what he's saying?" Mika turned to Lia whose face blanked for a second, then she crouched down to match the servant's height.
"Do you know where the faction is located?"
Having Lia's face real close to his, the attendant was nervous and nodded hastily.
"Then do you know how to navigate in the mist? In Mistand?"
The servant nodded furiously again.
"Then please tell us how."
This time the accessible servant shook his head and spoke the all-familiar words, "I can't."
Mika was distressed, "Can you do anything?"
His stern face and scowl made the servant shrink back and cower in self-consciousness, "I'm just a lowly servant! You're asking too much of me!"
He mumbled over and over again, almost crying at the injustice he was experiencing. Even Lia had no idea anymore how to deal with him. He really didn't want to say or do anything, apart from the fact he couldn't do anything.
With the servant on the ground, Mika standing next to him and Lia still crouching in front of him, time slowly ticked away until the servant's eyes brightened and he shouted, "Young Master!"
Lia spun around and saw out of the mist Xavi and Susa coming. However, the figure behind them was what astonished Lia.
Time seemed to stand still and the world stopped spinning. Nothing mattered anymore. Everything was in slow motion, the distance far, far away yet it was only a short range.
The surrounding quieted down and Lia couldn't see anything but the person in front of her. Her heart beat faster and unbelievable joy sprang from it and seeped into every part of her body.
Her steps felt light as her feet carried her forwards before stopping and jumping into the perplexed yet smirking person's arms.
Warmth spread and a pair of strong and familiar arms tightened around Lia and the nostalgic yet once infuriating voice sounded like a beautiful melody in her ears, "Wow, you missed me so much. Should I feel honoured?"
Noel's eyes twinkled as he stared into Lia's eyes and his confident smug was now pleasing to her. He didn't want to admit it but she did miss him and for some reason, seeing him here made all of her worries disappear in an instant.
Because she was sure of one thing and that was, if it was Noel, everything would be alright. Noel could do it. Because Lia believed in Noel. Because she trusted him. Even with her life.
If it was Noel, then anything was possible, this was the utter confidence she had in him.
Attendant: I can't!
??? no.1: Yes, we can!
Attendant: No! It's really not possible to do!
??? no.2: Just do it!
Attendant: No! I can't! Absolutely ca-
??? no.3: JUST DO IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Lia: Is this ripping off some famous lines?
Mika: You can do it! Just believe in yourself!
Noel: Don't think something like this can be sued, ain't it?
Mika: It's all a matter of believe!
Attendant: ...No TT Please get me out of here!
Mika: It-
Lia: And those two are in their own world... heaven...please next chapter.
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